Free Blood & Tacos #3 by Stephen Mertz, Todd Robinson, Rob Kroese, Chris La Tray, Garnett Elliott Page A

around while you finish the process. Nobody trusts a cook called Stubby.
    Once you’ve got the three diced up, throw the mix into a pot on med-high heat with enough oil, olive or vegetable, your choice, to just cover the bottom of the pot. Stir it so the Trinity is coated and put the lid on – we’re going to let it sweat for a while.
    Once the Trinity is soft and sweaty, you can throw in the bulk of your other ingredients.
    Most of these soups are creamy, so when everything’s nice and soft and bubbling away, you get to use the power tool – stand the mixer in the pot and turn it on – in a couple minutes you should have a nice, smooth creamy soup. If there’s anything you wanted chunky, hopefully you set it aside, and now’s the time to add it. Turn the heat down and let it all simmer until dinner time – remember soups and sauces always taste better the next day, so if you can afford the time, let it all simmer for a couple hours then take it off and throw it in the fridge for tomorrow. That’s it – the basics – each of the soups below are made essentially the same way, and any differences will be described in the breakouts.
    Hey by the way, we’re assuming some basic intelligence on your part – if you’re cooking in the Himalayas, and your soup is getting a bit thick, add some extra water/stock. If it’s too thin, let it simmer longer. You’ll notice I don’t tell you how much salt and pepper – the point here is to add a bit (a bit being about enough to cover the bottom of a shot glass – not the whole shot) and taste it – if it tastes thin, add some more; if it tastes good, don’t. Do I have to tell you everything?
    Black Bean Soup :
    So you’ve been assigned to cook duty in the Texas jailhouse. This one will feed about 5 or your fellow prisoners and you:
Holy Trinity: 3 carrots, 2 Med or 1 largish white or yellow onion, 3 stalks of celery (whole stalks – not sticks you stole from the bartender)
A clove or two of garlic, sliced.
2 cans of black beans or 1lb bag dried (if dried you’re gonna have to soak them overnight)
Oregano, basil and thyme (aka Italian seasoning)
Salt & Pepper
A quart of chicken stock (in the carton) or water and a couple OXO cubes, or if all else fails, water.
    Optional leftovers:
Refried beans
Squash
Bell peppers
    Sweat the Trinity, add the rest. Boil it for 20 minutes or so. If you have any of the optional leftovers, add them, but bump up the liquid count by a pint or so. Burr mix the crap out of it and enjoy.
    Tomato Soup:
    Just like mom used to make – oh no wait, she opened a can. Beat mom at her own game.
Trinity: 2 Med or 1 largish onion, 3 stalks of celery, 3 carrots
A couple of the big cans of tomatoes whole in the juice, or a couple pounds of tomatoes getting soft.
The aforementioned Italian seasoning
Quart of stock/water & oxo/water if nothing else
Salt & pepper
    Optional leftovers:
Green beans
Sausage
    See above – the only difference being if you have some leftover sausage or ham, dice it up and add it AFTER the mixing. Who’s gonna complain about chunks of meat in their tomato soup?
    Potato Leek (aka Vichyssoise) :
    Feeling fancy pants? Working undercover in a frou frou joint while you wait to ambush the ambassador? This one will make the snootiest French chef boss kiss you on both cheeks. (Don’t forget to punch his lights out afterward.)
Trinity: 2 Med or 1 largish white or yellow onion, 3 stalks of celery – no carrot for this one. Hey – rules are made for breaking.
3 good sized spuds, fit to match a steak. Peel em and chop em.
a couple cloves of garlic (shallots are fine if available, and they oughtta be if you’re making this soup).
1 leek
Stock/oxo/water, again a quart or so.
Coffee cup of white wine
Salt & pepper
    Ok this one’s a bit fancier – slice the leek across the grain with your big ass knife. Save the green part on the side. Throw the white part in with the Trinity and potatoes, sweat em til they’re soft, then add the wine, and