Flooding and Stock

So, Spring is here now.

It wasn't last week when it rained for two and a half days and our apartment filled with water. It wasn't as bad as it could have been, but it's the reason for my absence. It was like moving, but we didn't leave the apartment. The living room was in the kitchen for about five days and we're still camping on our air mattress in the bedroom.

Needless to say, I haven't been able to be in the kitchen much. We're finally getting things back to normal.

Before this whole ordeal though, I made chicken stock (with the intention of making matzoh ball soup which still needs some tweaking).

Hearty Beef Soup

Winter in New York is an interesting season for eating, to say the least. There aren't a lot of options out there for fruits and vegetables. The cold, wet days make me not want to leave the house (in nicer weather, I am much more apt to make a journey to pick up some dinner ingredients). I crave thick, satisfying foods that feel like home and warmth.

I am also madly in love with my dutch oven and will look for any excuse to use it (and having the oven on for a few hours makes a slightly chilly apartment so much nicer).

Comfort Food - Chicken Soup with Dill

I'm shaking off the winter blues (or trying to) with the knowledge that yes, it is February, yes it's a bleak month (though it contains my birthday). However! It also means that spring is just that much closer and I will only be confined to the apartment for a little longer. Soon I will be able to walk to the Sound comfortably and sit on the beach with my reading/knitting/camera and enjoy the sunshine.

Last week, instead of wallowing, I did what I should have done yesterday. I made comfort food. Not just any comfort food, winter comfort food.

Growing up, one of my favorite things my mom made was chicken soup. Whenever I was home from college, my mom's chicken soup was always on the list of meals that had to be prepared before I returned. That's how good it is. Surprisingly, though, I've never ventured to make it myself.  But my love of my dutch oven and an intense craving for soup made me realize that it was about time I ventured into the world of chicken soup.