As cooking advanced from simply placing wild grains, seeds, or meat in or near a fire to following some vague notion of food as a pleasing experience, soup--the world's first prepared dish--became the unpretentious comfort food for all of civilization. This book provides a comprehensive and worldwide culinary history of soup from ancient times. Appendices detail vegetables and herbs used in centuries-old soup traditions and offer dozens of recipes from the medieval era through World War II.

From the restorative powers of chicken soup on a sick day to the warmth of a bowl of chowder on a wintry night, there is no food quite as comforting and emblematic of home as soup. Soup, as Janet Clarkson tells us, is the first true culinary creation of humanity, and it has made a long journey from the prehistoric cave to the kitchen table and the white linens of Michelin-starred restaurants. Tracing its myriad reinventions through history and across the globe, Clarkson argues in Soup that it is the only truly universal dish—every culture in the world makes soup, and it is widely valued as a dish adaptable for any situation. From the swill of the poorhouse to the most delicately crafted consommé, Clarkson explores how soup got its name and describes the different roles of soup in Eastern and Western cuisine. Featuring the national soups of many countries and including an assortment of anecdotes and recipes taken from seven centuries of culinary history, Soup entertains as much as it informs, telling of how the history of the restaurant itself is intricately interwoven with the very concept of soup. “With enthusiasm and detailed research, Clarkson’s entertaining history is a nutrient-rich meal for the mind, sure to be devoured as happily as its subject”—Publishers Weekly, on Clarkson’s Pie

Make the most of fresh produce all year round with more than 200 homemade soup recipes organized by season, then by ingredient. The Soup Book is packed with nourishing recipes for every season. Try winter warmers such as parsnip and apple soup or French onion soup, enjoy a light summer lunch of chilled cucumber soup with dill, and make a hearty borscht or pumpkin soup in autumn. The recipes are organized first by season, and then by ingredient, so you can easily find the ideal soup to suit the fresh ingredients you have to hand. Featuring recipes from Raymond Blanc, Dan Barber, Alice Waters, and other supporters of The Soil Association, The Soup Book offers plenty of recipe ideas and inspiration to fill your bowl. Sure to get your tastebuds tingling, you can discover: - 200 tried-and-tested recipes organized by first by season, then by ingredient. - Every recipe is accompanied by advice on freezing. - Includes a chapter of bread recipes that can be baked to accompany the soups. Each recipe is accompanied by freezing times so that you can prepare your favorite recipes to enjoy later. This updated edition features more photographs to accompany the book’s refreshed design, along with a brand-new foreword from The Soil Association. A must-have cookbook for cooks looking for inventive ways to avoid waste and use up vegetables or pantry items and budget-conscious cooks looking for nutritious, filling recipes as well as health-conscious cooks looking for recipes that will help them reduce their calorie intake. Make hearty, wholesome, and healthy soups all year round with The Soup Book.

Murray the mouse likes everything to be perfect. Naturally, his perfect meal on a perfect winter day is Perfect Soup. But Murray doesn’t have a carrot, and Perfect Soup isn’t perfect without a carrot. With the snow falling around him, Murray ventures out of his little house to track down the final ingredient for his Perfect Soup. And there’s no time for playing around—Murray is in a hurry. The farmer will be happy to provide a carrot if Murray will haul some logs. The horse will gladly haul the logs for Murray if he’ll give him some fancy jingle bells in return. It looks like Murray just might get his carrot, but it only takes one grumpy person for a delicate chain of favors like this to fall apart. Can a friendly snowman help Murray make the soup perfect anyway? Author Lisa Moser and illustrator Ben Mantle have filled Murray’s little town with richly colorful winter landscapes, wonderfully detailed cozy homes, a hilarious cast of quirky characters, and the absolute cutest talking snowman you have ever seen. Parents and kids alike won’t be able to resist picking this book up again and again.

Each month is gay, each season nice, when eating chicken soup with rice./DIV

Publisher description

Thick and thin, hot and cold, complex and simple — here are soups for every appetite and occasion. A master chef and co-founder of Gourmet magazine presents more than 700 outstanding recipes for bisques, chowders, consommés, and other soups.