Trinculo's Cafe: Exploring the Epicurean with The Stray Gourmet

“No sun - no moon, No morn - no noon, No dawn -no dusk, November!” The poet Thomas Hood put it just about right - at least for our nippy, gray New England Novembers. The following recipe is guaranteed not only to delight the palate, but also to warm you all the way through right down to your chilly little tootsies. Served with warm crusty bread and butter, this soup is the perfect touch for a raw and inhospitable November day. *Tip from the cook: Lemon pepper is especially good in this recipe.

Seasoned Chicken Alphabet Soup 6 bone-in chicken breasts 6 cubes chicken bouillon 1 tablespoon olive or corn oil 1 medium onion, chopped 2 carrots, chopped 2 celery stalks, chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 8 cups chicken broth ¼ tsp. dried thyme ¼ tsp. dried sage 1 bay leaf Salt & pepper to taste 1 cup uncooked alphabet pasta In a large pan with enough water to cover chicken completely, bring chicken and bouillon cubes to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat; simmer 25-30 minutes. Remove chicken from broth; cool slightly. Pull meat from bones & shred with a fork, discarding bones & skin. Strain & reserve the broth. Heat the oil in a large soup pot; sauté the chopped onion, carrots & celery for 5 minutes. Add minced garlic; sauté 2 more minutes. Stir in broth (including that reserved from cooking chicken), shredded chicken, thyme, sage, bay leaf, salt & pepper. Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce heat & simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Stir in pasta, leave pot uncovered & cook 10 more minutes. YUM YUM - EAT IT UP!