Savoring Traditions

by Suzy DeYoung

It could be because I earned my Medicare card this year, but I've become very conscious of aging and the art of creating, honoring, and preserving traditions. Although my father, Pierre Adrian, passed away when I was just 13 years old, my mother established valuable traditions and memories that have lasted a lifetime. My maternal grandparents moved to Cincinnati to help my mom raise her four kids, and the Sunday supper became a cherished ritual. In those days, we happily savored whatever Papa, an accomplished professional chef himself, would bring to the table, and the conversations during these meals created some enduring memories.

This tradition has continued with my own family as my kids have moved out, providing a way for us all to stay connected. I have various "nuances" depending on which kids, girlfriends, and friends are joining us – vegetarian, gluten-free, a carnivore's dream, and the adventurous eater who will try anything. Some Sundays, I prepare up to eight dishes to ensure there's something special for all my guests. Some might think this is hard work, but as I grow older, I cherish my Sundays in the kitchen more and more. Of course, I always start with whatever needs to be used up from the fridge.

Last week, I had plans to roast a head of cauliflower, a favorite of two family members. When I began breaking down the enormous head into florets, I ended up with more stalks and leaves than florets. In that moment, I saw an opportunity to reduce food waste, create something simple and delicious, and "experiment" with what I had on hand. While I prepared the rest of the meal, I simmered the stalks in a large pot of water with a cube of Knorr Swiss Vegetable bouillon, a handful of my twice-baked "pie weight" navy beans, and the tops of five garden tomatoes from the tomato vinaigrette. Throughout dinner, this pot simmered, with no need for precise measurements or seasoning adjustments.

I blended this "experiment" in my Vitamix (my FAVORITE luxury kitchen item), and I was amazed at how delicious this concoction from "scraps" turned out. I enjoyed it for the next three suppers. It's so simple, and by adding a different fresh herb from my garden each night, like sage, basil, thyme, tarragon, or rosemary, it added an extra layer of yum to the base each evening.

Making this new-to-me soup reminded me of my Aunt Helene in France, with whom I spent numerous summers. In France, the big meal of the day is at noon, followed by a simple dinner of charcuterie or soup and salad. This was ALWAYS my favorite meal of the day. Tante Helene would scrape EVERYTHING from lunch into her pressure cooker, let it cook, and then puree it for our bowls. We'd have stale bread cubes sautéed in butter, a sprinkle of cheese, and a dash of Maggi, and I was in heaven.

The rekindling of taste buds, the stories, and the memories that meals evoke, and a homage to three of the greatest iconic chef/restaurateurs in the city will be the theme of our October 26 La Soupe Fundraiser, CHEFTalks: Taste the Inspiration.

Buddy LaRosa, Jeff Ruby, and Michael Wong will share the stage with me, along with our dear friend Lou Schottelkotte as the emcee. I know that all three men overcame challenging upbringings and turned to food to break the cycle and build their culinary empires. When La Soupe provides prepared meals and soups to our 140 annual partners, perhaps the next Buddy, Jeff, or Michael is among those we're serving? Our hope is that our homemade, nutritious meals will help our clientele establish their own traditions around the table and maybe inspire those receiving our food to join the culinary industry.

I hope to see many familiar faces at this year's event, as I believe it will go down in history as a "were you there" event of the year!