Pocketful of Memory Cards

Autumn inspires me in many ways.  The Fall harvest along with the bite in the air, stirs my desire to cook comfort food.  I seem to be iphone photoing a lot of my efforts over the past few weeks.  This post is more about the recipes than quality of the photos.  Hope you find something delicious and comforting. I was inspired to make my version of this traditional Portuguese soup while looking at options for travel next fall.  I used chorizo from the stupor store, kale from our own garden,  walla walla onions and flavourful potatoes from Don-O-Ray . I'm not much of a baker but I will make the occasional pie.  This occasion was an evening of dessert and drinks with friends.  This pie set a high standard for any future apple pies I bake. Darned if I can remember what recipe I used but I definitely recommend apples from Bite Me Organics .  My mom made the best pie crust bar none.  I don't know what her secret was...

I don't know where it came from, but this is one of my favourite childhood lunches.  It likely originated in the maritimes where my parents grew up. Perhaps you don't really want the recipe, it certainly doesn't look all that appealing, but I'll share anyway.  Open a can of Campbell's cream of mushroom soup, put it in a pot, add half a can of milk, and whisk until combined.  While waiting for it to heat, make toast.  Cut the toast into strips and cut the strips in to squares.  (In the old days we would have buttered the toast.) Put squares in the bottom of a bowl, pour half the soup into the bowl and garnish with ketchup in the shape of a favourite letter.   Do you have a favourite childhood comfort food you'd like to share?

In a recent post that included things I love about winter I mentioned my mom's chili.  The recipe card that she typed out neatly says "Olga's Chili" at the top.  Olga King was my mother's friend and wife to my Dad's boss when we lived in Sioux Lookout, Ontario, many moons ago.  Though I hardly remember her, I do remember her chili - the chili that is the standard against which all others are measured (and her lasagna recipe remains the best I've ever had).   I'm thinking there's an inverse correlation between the cleanliness of recipe card and how good the recipe is.    When I was an inexperienced cook, it always surprised me that there was cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves in it.  Now that I'm older and wiser, it makes sense and I'm going to add some cocoa powder next time.  Not today thought, today I'm trying some Chorizo flavoured beef.  I'm thinking one change at a time.  OK, two - I decided to put it in the slow coo...