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By Marsha Fottler
Contributing Food and Entertainment Editor

Recently, with other members of my garden club I attended a workshop given by the expert (and award-winning) flower arranger and teacher, Penny Horne, who lives in Manhattan but travels the world showing people how to bring cut flowers into their homes for tabletop arrangements that are original, no-fuss and stunning. Flowers, like candles, bring elegance to your table just by being there. You don’t have to get fancy, just remember to include candles (always unscented) and fresh flowers on your table and your meal is already off to being a successful event. Penny showed us an arrangement that is so simple and long lasting, I’m happy to share it on her behalf.

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Culinary Institute of America- their newest edition is perfect for the home cook that likes a little flare. Less technical than earlier books- this has a beautiful selection of recipes and culinary definitions.

Cream of Tomato Soup with Rice and Basil

2 Tablespoons olive oil

11/2 cups onions, chopped

1-quart vegetable broth

1 Tablespoon fresh garlic, minced

¼ cup fresh basil, chopped

1 pinch crushed red pepper

28 ounce can high quality plum tomatoes

1-cup heavy cream

2- cups cooked rice

1 Tablespoon basil, chiffonade (roll basil and slice into thin strips)

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Superior Soup Service
By Marsha Fottler
Contributing Editor

This is the definitely the month to serve soup, either scratch made or from-the-can varieties, which have never been of better quality. I’m attached to the Wolfgang Puck selections and also those put out by Amy’s Organic as well as the Campbell’s Select Harvest line up. But no matter the source of your soup, how you serve it to family and guests makes a huge difference in enjoyment. Never underestimate the power of eye appeal. Try something different and think outside the bowl.

A good friend of mine collects gravy boats, china ones not metal. Some of them are Wedgwood, some Delft and some are inexpensive flea market finds she happens upon when traveling. The unifying feature of her collection is that all of them are blue and white. She serves soup in these gravy boats as a first course for a seated dinner and these ingenious “soup bowls” never fail to start a conversation. I like to serve gazpacho or chilled melon soups in martini or margarita glasses or Irish coffee mugs because the soups are so colorful that you want to see as much of them as possible. Those heavy Deruta mugs from Italy are a great choice for thick soups such as pea, lentil or clam chowder and for consume or broths, antique sugar bowls could be an option. Soup sliders, two sips of silken liquid you serve as an appetizer, are perfect for shot glasses but you could use little vintage cordial glasses too.

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Dear Friends and Fellow Foodies,

There was no denying February came in. Even in Southwest Florida, the temperatures dipped below freezing recently. The chill certainly inspired our Contributing Food and Entertainment Editor and our team to think soup. A warm mug of steaming hot chicken noodle soup, a bowl of roasted tomato and fennel bisque, (with a grilled cheese sandwich of course) and a classic corn chowder with a bacon crusted pan seared scallop for a little decadence atop. Yes, nothing yells “warm me up” and comfort more than homemade soups.

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Many of you will find this posting a bit of a “spoiled brat- unappreciative coffee snob gone sarcastic on her mate” kind of thing. Nevertheless, I sincerely think I have a gripe here. My husband, for many- many years, has found it in his heart to bring me coffee in bed when he is home. We had it down to a system. Since he is an early riser and sipped his coffee several hours before I would even stir, I would just open our bedroom door and await the aroma of fresh brewed coffee and the delivery of a robust cup, dressed with light cream, a copy of the New York Times and usually a kiss on the forehead. My partner called it a pre-emptive strike, since I would not actually describe my personality as chipper or focused without my morning coffee.

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Many years ago, I gave up preparing creamed onions for Thanksgiving. In part because our Thanksgiving dinner began to grow and peeling pearl onions for 30 people just seemed like it would be too many tears to shed. I have always missed those creamed onions  though and this year, with just 3 people  to feed on Thanksgiving Eve, (we are heading to the wine cellar at Michael’s on East on Thursday for our “adopted family” holiday feast) I am going back to the Gourmet side of a Turkey dinner. A Harvest salad with roasted beets and candied fennel, followed by Turkey,  gingered-cranberry sauce with mandarin oranges, pumpkin spice bread and southern biscuits with apple butter, roasted brussel sprouts with crisp chopped apple wood smoked bacon, sweet potato and eggnog soufflé, (fingers crossed on this recipe- I just made it up) and gingerbread with pumpkin mouse.

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