Flavorless

I thought I'd be smart and experiment with a bean soup to end all bean soups - the mother of all bean soups. What I did was mix lima beans, pinto beans, black beans, and lentils, using equal portions of each type. I also threw in the usual onions and tomatoes. Well, in case you want to know, the result was a flavorless soup. This experiment didn't use too many cooks, it used too many basic ingredients. Let that be a lesson to you.

Best Coffee

I believe McDonald's now has the best coffee in the world - at least coffee that you buy in a fast food establishment. It is better than Starbucks and Luby's coffee. Luby's used to be my favorite but the quality has dropped considerably since about ten years ago. Don't ask me why because I really don't know. This does not matter to people who don't drink coffee but for those of you who do, ...well, consider it my opinion. I have been a coffeeholic for about thirty years. By the way, Village Inn has the most atrocious coffee around.

Lentil Soup

I was going nuts trying to come up with a lentil soup that would be close to how my mother used to prepare it. I had the lentils, the onions, the tomatoes, and a little salt ready but I knew I was missing something. After making it several times, it simply did not taste the same as my mom's, the way I knew it should. I finally called my sister Fifi and she told me that what I was missing was the cilantro. I would never have guessed. I am ok now.

Flour Tortillas

I believe that the best meal in the world is a toasted flour tortilla spread with the best butter you can get your hands on. My grandma used to feed me those when I was a child and it would whet my appetite for the bowl of beans that would follow. She was the best cook in the world as far as I was concerned.

Tamales

I purchased a pack of ready-made tamales at Target the other day. They were made with shredded beef and were really not too bad.  If they had been prepared with a little more cumin and a lot more hot red chili, they would have been perfect. These tasted more like tomato tamales.

Tortilla Soup Recipe

This is the easiest tortilla soup recipe in the world.

INGREDIENTS

1 can of cheap chicken broth – Springfield brand maybe – it works for me

Approximately half a teaspoon of pre-packaged red chili from Papa John’s

3 packets of ketchup from McDonald’s (or wherever)

1 packet of hot sauce from Taco Bell

A (thin) round slice of Asadero cheese cut into six (uneven) strips

Approximately three handfuls of large tortilla chips (Las Cruces brand or whatever, as long as they are somewhat oily)

(OPTIONAL) Half of a small, ripe, avocado, cut into smaller pieces (OPTIONAL)

Directions

Mix the broth, the chili, the ketchup, and the hot sauce in a pan and heat until it comes to a simmer. Put the rest of the stuff in and heat for about two minutes. This serves two, maybe one, depending on how hungry you are. Play with the proportions – these are to my taste.

Tortilla Soup

I promised I would post my own recipe for tortilla soup months ago. I am almost ready. I will do it this afternoon. I need to find my notes first. Please be a little more patient with me. I am somewhat busy selling a shopping center right now. After I post the recipe, I certainly hope you will like it. It is very, very easy to make. You'll see. Try it on your boyfriend, your girlfriend, your spouse, or a close relative. If they don't like it, they will gently let you know.