Sunday, December 16, 2007 - SOUP DAY

Two months ago, the Birthday committee at work (Laura, Camie, Megan, Mary, Joe and me) threw an Oktoberfest for everyone to celebrate the October birthdays.  For November, the higher-ups had a catered Thanksgiving meal. 

For the December birthdays (like mine), tomorrow we’re doing soups.  Considering all the snow and freezing yuck we got today, a warm bowl of soup will be just what the doctor ordered.  Hence, I spent a lot of today making three different soups and a batch of eggnog.  Yesterday, I roasted a chicken and after it had cooled, I took all the meat off of it and put the bones, along with the bones of a chicken I had in the freezer in a pot with carrots, celery, onions, a sachet of thyme, bay, parsley and peppercorns and water and made stock Ruhlman-style all night in the oven.  Today, after de-fatting the stock, I made a chicken and rice soup for our gluten-intolerant friends (yes, we have two).  I also made a cream of tomato soup for our vegetarians (I know we have at least one) and a cheddar-broccoli for fun.

The other members of the crew are making beef stew, chili and corn chowder.  I suspect the chili will be the first to go, followed by the beef stew.  After that, it’s a total crap shoot, but I guess the chicken and rice will be the last to go, even though it probably took the longest to make.