Soup-Off, 2011.

I woke up in wee early hours of the morning of the soup-off. It was raining cats and dogs. I mean like, monsoon raining.

"Oh,no!" I moaned to the room in general,"my Chinese lanterns!"
I hastily got up and pulled my red rain boots on, tugging then up over my p.j.'s. Threw the closest thing I've got to a rain coat on, and dived into the torrent outside. I had made a special trip downtown for those Chinese lanterns, and Mark had spent an hour and a half artfully hanging them all over the sun porch - I was determined to save a few.
After I'd cut down all the lanterns I could save, I ventured out to the front terrace to save the brand new outdoor cushions. There was a waterfall at the bottom of my top steps. (That gutter never was fixed properly) The bamboo was blowing and bending over like mad, the flowers were taking a beating, and the hills across the way were completely hidden in the rain and mist.I looked at the wild and wooly scene, shaking my head. There went my lovely dream of a fabulous outdoor gathering. My house is small without the outdoor space that we always use for parties.

I tried to go back to sleep, but I just couldn't. So, by the time I got up and started making my soup - I was dead tired. Fog in the brain. I popped down to the market to get a couple of things, forgetting to turn the burner off,and burned the bottom of my soup. Oh well. 7 pounds of organic asparagus would have to suffice as 'smoky asparagus soup'. I wouldn't win this year, but I wasn't expecting to, anyway. Not with cream of asparagus. I just wanted to make it. I always want to do something new.

Oh. OK. For those of you who don't know...The Soup-off is an annual event that my brother concocted (usually held at my house - but not always) - where people bring soup and compete for the strangest trophy known to man. A purple squirrel. This trophy travels - so we have always counted on the previous year's winner to come again, and bring it back. Sometimes from down the street, sometimes from Ireland, Pasadena, what have you. And people who don't make soup can come to taste and judge. The judging is required. And witty,absurd or obscene comments to go along with one's vote are GREATLY encouraged. This makes reading the votes aloud for the purposes of tallying quite raucous.

This year was certainly the worst weather for any soup-off.
Then Max called me from Texas. "Mom!" he said accusingly (I knew immediately what it was about) "You're having the soup-off TODAY?"
"Well...yes."
"Without US??!!" he demanded."We were going to WIN! We were going to make Tom Yum Gai!"
The 'us' he was referring to was the band, WICKER. I felt bad about having it while he was out of town - but I really didn't think they'd care that much. I hung up the phone with Max feeling a little guilty, but mostly proud. All of my children have seemingly turned into bona-fide, card carrying foodies. WICKER WON the chili-off last year in a super surprise turn of events. You must understand - the competition is FIERCE. One of the competitors is a professional chef, for instance.

Not long after 5 pm, the guests started filing in. People showed up under umbrellas, in rain slickers, soaking wet - soup protected by all manner of creativity from the blustering gail. It hadn't let up one bit. We hung dripping jackets up on all of the hooks in the hallway, then on backs of chairs. When those were full, I had people throw their soaking outerwear on my bed.My tiny house was full of people,soup,umbrellas and rain coats before I knew it. Jeff built a roaring fire in the fireplace, and it felt like the people inside were competing with the storm outside. The more we laughed, the harder it stormed.

The first to arrive were, Mark (thank goodness - with lots of ice and sodas), my brother, Marcus, Kristan and their one and a half year old daughter, Madeline. Madeline is at a very cute age - she ran around amusing everyone and avoiding being stepped on thanks to some help from Sarah. Sarah is our kidnapped cousin. A beautiful girl, inside and out who designs jewelry and LOVES the babies! When Sophie arrived, Marcus and Kristan had a team of help with that kid, so they could have some fun and try all the soup. Which WERE:

1. African Coconut Curry
2. Potato Corn Chowder (with or without bacon)
3. Beef Chili
4. Authentic Russian Borsch
5. Moroccan Curry with Chick Peas and Fava Beans
6. Smoky Asparagus

These were all SUPER good. I wish I had a bowl of that Borsch right NOW! Mark Hart's (from Crowded House)wife won the squirrel last year, and he brought the beef chili in the hopes that they wouldn't be stuck with that thing for another year. (lots of vegetarians at the soup-off!)

I was holding Madeline on my hip when this super cute guy I ran into at the park came in the
door.
"Hi! You came!" I said."Ummm...this isn't mine. This is my niece, Madeline." He brought some musicians with him that ended up being really sweet.It was fun introducing them to Mark Hart. They did the 'we're not worthy' bow to him in my crowded kitchen.(MY Crowded House!)(sorry - that was cheesy - I apologize!)

Then, just as everyone was feeling pretty full of warm soup - a WHOLE new batch of soups walked in the door. My friend, Mieke's kid, Luka walked in with his girlfriend and the girlfriend's Mom, and they had MORE SOUP.
I had just seen Luka and his girl in their band, Hazel, a couple nights before. They were
FANTASTIC. No joke. His girlfriend's name is Angelica, and her Mom's name is Angelica, too. That was confusing. They brought:

7. Artichoke Tango Soup
8. West Indian Squash and Mushroom Soup.
9. Triple A Tomato Soup

Someone's going to be pissed if I'm forgetting one. But I think I got them all.

Every year, the Soup-Off feels like a love-fest. This may have been the best year of all. New and old friends meeting, chatting, staying warm by the fire. So many great soups to try. Good wine. Super fun kids - August Blue, Sophie, Madeline, Luka, Angelica - and one on the way in a couple of weeks (in Megan's belly). Finally, Mieke and Jim showed up (she had sliced her hand after making her soup, came with it all bandaged from the ER - what dedication!)and the voting commenced. Everyone crowded into my living room in front of the fire. Marcus and Mark emceed the proceedings, and Jeff kept count. August said something about the tomato soup being made by
God on his vote. It was pretty close - someone wrote that they wanted to have sex in a big vat of the Borsch. And another voter waxed poetic about beef and the food chain, but in the end -just like last year - a complete new comer won. Angelica's mother, Angelica, won with Triple A Tomato. Simple, fresh, yummy comfort soup.

I looked around my house at one point and thought - YES. This is how it's suppose to be. Family, friends, warm hearts and warm soup on the night of the worst storm of the year. With all of this soup, and all of this love...we could weather anything.