Book Review: Soup of the Day by Kate McMillan

Title:		Soup of the Day
SubTitle:		365 Recipes for Every Day of the Year
Author:		Kate McMillan
Publisher:		Weldon Owen
Imprint:		Williams-Sonoma
Pub Date:		January 31, 2012
ISBN:		9781616281670
Category:		NONFICTION – ADULT: Family & Home: Cooking: Courses & Dishes
URLs:		Promotional Trailer : click here Weldon Owen : click here

Summary:

Available as a hardcover and as a digital edition from the iBookstore.

ENDLESSLY VERSATILE, soup is perfect for any season and every occasion. What better way to capture the essence of spring than by simmering freshly shelled peas and fava beans in a fragrant broth accented by bracing mint and refreshing lemon zest? In summer, a cool gazpacho made by whirling perfectly ripe tomatoes, juicy cucumbers, and vibrant red peppers is fitting for a hot and humid day—no pot necessary! When the air turns brisk, soup nourishes and satisfies like no other dish. In autumn, white beans mingle with sturdy greens in satisfying, peasant-style pots, and starchy squashes and root vegetables blend into silky purÉes. Winter brings even more soul-warming fare, such as chilis and stews featuring sausages and other hearty meats and thick vegetable soups scented with woodsy herbs.

Williams-Sonoma Soup of the Day offers a tantalizing collection of 365 soup recipes: one for each day of the year. Colorful calendars at the beginning of each chapter offer an at-a-glance view of the dishes best suited for the ingredients, occasions, and typical weather of the month. From January to December, you’ll find a seasonal soup that will satisfy any craving, and match any meal ranging from a quick weeknight supper to an elegant dinner party. A handful of the recipes are even appropriate for the holiday table, while others are perfect for using up a leftover roast or chicken. Notes accompanying each recipe offer ideas for ingredient variations, garnishes, and other helpful tips. All of the soups can be dressed up or dressed down; served in rustic earthenware mugs or on heirloom china; garnished with a flourish of fried herbs or dollop of pesto, or stripped down to the bare, tasty essentials—the possibilities are endless, but always delicious.

Full-color photographs enhance many of the recipes inside to help guide your cooking. You can start your soup-making journey at any time—just open this book, check the calendar, and you’ll be inspired to create a new soup du jour every day of the year.

My Thoughts:

Do you like soup? If you do than this book is for you, in this book you have access to a different soup recipe for every day for a whole year. Now we like soup here, but I do have to say that the soups here tend to be a bit more complex than what my kids would appreciate. But with 365 recipes there still are plenty that we will try.  For the colder months the recipes tend to be more robust. January is filled with stews,  February has a variety of chilis.  In March you start to see more recipes that are using veggies, as they become more in season. April starts to incorporate what you will find at the Farmers Market.  In May you start to find some recipes for cold soups. In June you see chowder recipes that utilize corn, and other chilled soups. July brings you more chilled soups with fresh fruits and veggies. August more chilled soups, gazpachos and more sweet fruit soups. September brings back more of the stews and chowders as the weather gets colder. October brings us soups with carrots, parsnips, butternut squash and pumpkins. November blows in with more stews and slow cooked soups using meats and hearty veggies.  The year ends with more luxurious soups using oysters and lobsters, to accentuate Decembers festivities.

This is a fun book, and I find the concept of going a whole year making the recipe associated with each day something that could be fun to do. Now if only the kids were up to it.

Overall Rating:  3 / 5 Stars

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Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for a copy of this book to review.