Carrot-Ginger Soup and Scallion Meatballs with Snow Peas and Shiitakes

It's been a while since I've made something that made me this happy. I'm not sure whether it was just the taste, or if it was the satisfaction of making a meal that my husband raved over, or if it was the knowledge of time well-spent on a Saturday night, or a combination of all of these. But just know that every slice of the knife, every second spent reducing the sauce, every penny spent on ingredients-- it's all worth it. This is a comforting, and yet exhilarating, combination of flavors and textures. You really do need to try these recipes. They have to be experienced to be believed.

Italian Vegetable Soup

 

This one goes out to all my vegetarian friends. The more recipes I see that are vegetarian, the more I am drawn to them. I've found myself craving greens, beans and grains and not even missing a meat protein. I couldn't even tell you why, exactly, because as much as I love furry animals, I don't really mind eating them. I do respect that decision to not eat meat; I'm just not quite prepared to not have a little taste of bacon or cheese every now and then. They add a lot of flavor. However, something as good as this soup doesn't need anything else added to it to make it delicious. Except for a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.