Chicken tortellini soup is one I did not grow up eating, but have fond memories of my mom whenever I make it. When DD2 was born, I worked full time but a compressed four day work week. Pretty much every Friday when she was a baby and toddler, I'd drive out of town the five miles to visit my mom and dad and join them for lunch. Sometimes she'd drive in and I'd make us lunch, and occasionally we'd go either to the bakery, which also had a deli counter, or a downtown coffee shop. It was at the downtown coffee shop where we discovered chicken tortellini soup. DD2, as she started eating people food and not baby food, loved it! So did my mom. We'd each get a cup of soup and share an egg salad sandwich, with the kiddo eating cut up pasta, chicken, and veggies and soft parts of the sandwich. By the time my parents sold the country place and moved into town when my daughter was 2 and 1/2, Java's followed by a walk downtown was a regular Friday event until my daughter started kindergarten. My mom didn't drive much by then and it was just easier for me to pick her up since I had the car seat. As she got older and health poorer, we would still do this on school release days and summers. The older two joined sometimes, DD1 more than my son. Eventually, I went back to the office on Fridays, so it became rarer, but it was special time with my mom, me, and her grandchildren.
Cooking this brings back those casual Fridays and when my mom was still active and well, but less stressed since they downsized from the big house out of town. Do I have a recipe for the soup? Not really. It's more just another twist of a universal soup base- the trinity of onion, carrot, celery, cooked and added to a broth. For this soup, I use, less liquid broth, but an extra tsp or so of broth base or bouillon, because later I add a cup of milk for creaminess. I've been using Better than Bouillon lately as they have a vegan variety, and the flavor is so good. I could use cream, but last Thursday I didn't have any, so shook in a TBLS of corn starch with the milk to help thicken a bit. I had cooked the chicken in my crock pot, so saved all the good juices for the vegetables too. I added the fresh tortellini and about a breast worth of shredded chicken, and a good cup of sliced mushrooms, and a few large handfuls of spinach, rough chopped, since I had both, to the steaming crock of veggies and both, holding off on the milk and corn starch until the tortellini is cooked. I added more seasoning to taste.
I happened to make egg salad earlier in the day since we had an egg surplus. I didn't eat a sandwich as the soup was so filling, but thinking of the two together made me think of my mom and our Friday's downtown. Food memories don't have to be from childhood exclusively- new favorites yield memories in the future. My mom was such a basic, no frills cook, but I learned as I cooked with more variety, my parents actually enjoyed the new to them foods. She once commented to one of my sister's about a meal she couldn't remember but really enjoyed at my house, that it was a "new fangled" dish. It was cheese and spinach stuffed manicotti! I feel like this with some of the new to me foods my kids make- new fangled, but yummy. They're creating more food memories.
Very nice memories of your mom.
ReplyDeleteThank you-I was thinking of her and my kids while making the soup.
DeleteThat description made me soooo hungry. Mama enjoyed some of my new-fangled foods, too. I cannot eat breakfast for an hour yet, but I wish that soup were here to eat.
ReplyDeleteMy mom worked so hard raising 10 kids while working pretty much full time outside of the house. IT was nice to be able to treat her once I was a grown up.
DeleteHello Sam, Those are precious memories, and as so often can be linked with food. In my family we definitely changed food tastes over the years, without discarding the old favorites. Still, now that the doors have been opened to all kinds of international foods, together with what we know about healthy eating, my early years really seem like the dinosaur days.
ReplyDelete--Jim
I love mixing the new food traditions with the old favorites. I still make my mom's rice hotdish and her sloppy joe recipe. We've added more foods that are internationally inspired, if not really authentic. I wish I could get my husband to be a bit more adventurous.
DeleteLove this! We definitely have food memories at our house. My parents went through some "quick prep" phases, but were typically pretty healthy dinner makers. I still remember hot dogs wrapped in bread dough (Rhodes Bread frozen dough) + frozen fries. They were a highlight for me, because we never had this type of stuff.
ReplyDeleteInterestingly, my parents swapped cooking responsibility. It was originally my moms (pretty typical), & she did it for 20 years. My dad then stopped coaching high school football, & had more flexibility. She handed over responsibility, and he's been cooking ever since. She still handles: all party food prep, baking, & appetizers. He does all of the meals. When my kids are there over the summer, she picks up more of the meal prep, as my dad is usually out biking with the kids, or doing other activities.
It will be interesting if DH does more cooking when he retires years ahead of me. I can see hi being in charge on leftover nights. Some day if we have grandchildren, I look forward to them spending weeks with us.
DeleteNice memories, for you and your children. I love egg salad need to make it more often as we do have a plethora of eggs around here.
ReplyDeleteI seem to boil eggs about once a month, use half for egg salad, some just as, and others for salads. The college kid likes it, so I'll make some over TG break. I think it is a nice change of pace form other fillings.
DeleteSo nice to have such memories triggered/associated with food.
ReplyDeleteMy family enjoys food, eating out, eating together so yes, happy memories are associated with all kinds of foods.
DeleteI had a grandma who was a fabulous cook. Everything from scratch and divine! Such good memories but here’s a funny memory! We’d stay there part of the summer (3 oldest sisters). Do you remember the old boxed Jenos pizza? Well we’d make it on Friday topping mostly with hamburger or cut up salami (no special pepperoni or such) and fridge leftovers but of course at like 13-15 years old we’re pretty picky. Well once she came out of the kitchen after she’d put the pizza in and said “ I added those old baked beans to that pizza (she’d pronounce it peas a ha!) well we groaned, not happy but we still joke about how it was pretty good!
ReplyDeleteYes the Jeno's pizza, little carboard like pizzas were a treat at my house growing up. I don't recall putting leftovers on them, but I love your story with your grandma. Aren't' they a Duluth MN product originally, but later sold?
DeleteI had to google a bit, but yes, Jeno Paulucci started the pizza company, then sold to Pillsbury and they changed to Totinos. I like our Minnesota roots! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeno_Paulucci
DeleteBeautiful blog
ReplyDeleteThank you, and for stopping by and reading.
DeleteThose are sweet memories of your time with your mom! And talking of new-fangled food, I remember when that was spaghetti in our house!
ReplyDelete