Victor cleaned the kitchen, today, while I was at work. I’m officially banished for 24 hours. He wants to relish in the unusual cleanliness of the place – the clean stove top without a bazillion burnt-on splatters… Counter tops where you can actually see the granite… Drawer fronts that aren’t caked in flour…
It’s not that I’m a complete slob, it’s just that I use the kitchen. A lot. I wipe up and I wipe down, but… stuff spills over on the stove or in the ovens. Flour dust flies no matter how careful I am. The spoon doesn’t always make the spoon rest…
My punishment is I get a clean kitchen and dinner cooked for me. I’d throw a pity-party but I’m too busy doing a happy-dance. Banishment does not suck around here!
My gruel tonight is Italian Wedding Soup. It’s freezing outside – literally and figuratively – and a bowl of hot homemade soup and warm, crusty, homemade bread is just the kind of punishment I need.
So here’s the soup I was forced to eat, tonight.
It’s truly a difficult life I lead.
Italian Wedding Soup
Meatballs
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/2 cup onion, minced
- 1 tsp garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
- 1 large egg
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
Soup
- 3 qts chicken broth
- 1 lb escarole, chopped
- 2 large eggs
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Make meat balls: Mix all ingredients together and form into very small meat balls- about the size of a prize shooting marble. Place on a sheet pan off to the side.
Make the soup: Bring the broth to a boil in a large pot. Add the meatballs and escarole and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through and the escarole is tender – about 10 minutes.
To add the egg: Whisk the eggs to blend. Stir the soup in a circular motion. Slowly drizzle the egg mixture into the moving broth, stirring gently with a large fork to form thin stands of egg.
Ladle into bowls and add additional grated cheese and a drizzle of good-quality olive oil.
Oh… and that crusty homemade bread?!? Victor made parmesan toast. This is the last piece.
I ate it.