18

Enlightenment Journal | Winter 2012-2013

Y

ou know that image of a chef 

leaning over the stove, fanning the 

steam from her simmering pot toward 

her face, eyes closed and blissful as she 

inhales her creation? If it is winter 

time, there’s probably soup or stew in 

that pot.

Soups:

 You can learn a lot about 

cooking from making a pot of soup. 

You’ll hone your knife skills by 

mincing garlic and dicing onion and 

veggies. And you’ll get to know each 

and every vegetable and taste every-

thing in the produce aisle. Get familiar 

with herbs and you’ll impress your 

friends and family by being able to 

tell the difference between flat-leaf 

parsley and cilantro without having 

to smell them. I guarantee that after a 

few batches of soup you’ll be gliding 

through your kitchen, seasoning to 

your taste, adding a little of this, a little 

of that. Don’t be afraid to experiment 

with what is in season and what you 

have on hand. 

Stews:

 

Stews are all about 

comfort—they are saucy, savory, 

and filling one-pot meals that come 

together in a snap. Aromatic curries, 

spicy chili, and hearty stews are 

Soul Satisfying  

Soups & Stews

Isa Chandra Moskowitz 

 

Cooking is a lot like learning to play an instrument. If you learn the chords  

you can eventually play your own songs. 

HEALTHY LIVING