The Busy Gourmand

Snowy Chiminea *

When I woke up this morning I thought I had better check the calendar in case, like Rip Van Winkle, I had slept through the month of December.  Not a bad thought actually.  But to my chagrin it was only December 2 and it was snowing.  Not some little spits of snow mixed with rain, this was a long lingering snow shower.  The kind you would expect in Burlington, Vermont and not in Dallas on December 2.

There are of course two ways to deal with the situation.  You could put on some boots, gloves, and a scarf and walk around in it like a kid.  After all we have not seen snow in Dallas since January.  This venture might also include some picture taking. But this morning the battery in my camera is out of juice.

Or you could do the more adult thing, curse the weather, and swear that you are really moving to Costa Rica, next year.  This would be followed by grabbing a hot liquid to drink and dreaming up what kind of food would take you out of this winter misery. 

While all roads lead to Rome, all snowfalls lead to soup.  The most satisfying include beans.  The most comforting would be black bean soup.  A thick, hearty, slightly spicy way to warm the heart and fill a cold, hungry stomach.  So weather be damned! Let’s make some soup.  You can find my black bean soup here. Stay warm!

 * Just a comment about the picture.  Dallas is the only place I know where even the chimineas have fashionable winter hats.