Soupcon, a Chicago classic

When I bought Soupcon in 1974, also from a trendy cooking store, I didn't know about the Junior League and their tradition of publishing cookbooks. In fact, I used this one for a long time before I tuned in to all the other Junior League titles available.

By this time I had left my job at the magazine and traded in the cool, calm quiet of my research library for a noisy classroom full of middle school students. The editors at the publishing house all loved their jobs so much that no one ever left. Truly, one of them would have to pass on before I would have been able to move up, so I decided to move into education.

I struggled that first year, and another teacher, far more experienced than I, became not just a source of professional support and guidance, but a good friend as well. And she, too, loved cookbooks and cooking. We both bought Soupcon, and between the two of us, cooked our way through it.

I came to recognize the spiral as a category of cookbooks all its own. The book presented the recipes on bold, cardstock pages by the season. I later bought Soupcon II, but it never measured up to the experience of cooking from the first one.

In the Spring Kitchen section, I passed on Sloe Gin Cooler With Pineapple (one of those bad college experiences, and besides, does anyone even know anymore what slow gin is?) but did find a variation on our favorite limeade daiquiries. Products had progressed to the point where we could buy cans of frozen daiquiri mix. Now our blenders hummed with that as the base, along with fresh and frozen strawberries, rum and ice.

I tried what was probably my first quiche, Salmon Mushroom Quiche. Here, too, was my first French Toast Casserole, a sublime concoction of eggs, milk, Grand Marnier and cream, all of which appealed to my essentially lazy nature as a cook because it had to sit overnight and be made the next day. I found Sour Cream Coffee Cake and later learned how ubiquitious this recipe is but how very essential to have a superb version of it. I didn't make the Broiled Tournedos with Sauce Bernaise, but I felt so sophisticated when I ordered that for the first time in a restaurant after having read about it here.

We entertained a lot back then, so among the check-marked recipes are Alex's Banana Daiquiri, Frozen Peach Dairquiri, Sour Cream Clam Dip and Crab Dip. Blueberry Buckle Brunch Bread. The first of many variations of Teriyaki Steak. Garden Fresh Tomato Marinade. From the Fall Kitchen, Hot Cider Punch and lots of quick breads. One year, I attempted Dresden Christmas Stollen, from the Winter Kitchen, made for my father. But its dry texture didn't appeal to me, and I decided it was not worth the effort and never made one again.

Then there was that Chocolate Cheesecake. I felt ready to tackle that one, which called for more than 12 ounces of chocolate and three packages of cream cheese. I optimistically brought it to a dinner party, expecting it to be terrific, because I had learned that anyone who could read (me), could cook. It was a dismal failure, and serving it amounted to chipping away at a solid block of chocolate, with absolutely no texture or character or taste.

Here is a recipe that did work (p. 16), and offers a novel presentation as well. Think about this for the featured drink at a Spring Brunch.

Strawberry Daiquiri
1 can (6 oz.) frozen daiquiri mix
1-1/4 c. light rum
2 pkg. (10 oz. each) frozen strawberries
Finely crushed ice (about 30 cubes)
6 whole strawberries

Place first 3 ingredients in blender. Cover and blend until smooth.
Place crushed ice in an ice bucket; stir in daiquiri mixture.
When ready to serve ladle into large stemmed goblets.
Garnish each with a whole strawberry.
May be prepared in advance and kept in freezer until 20 minutes before serving.