My mom was the one who made out lunches and prepared dinner, but Dad was the one , who on the weekend, would spend the day cooking, trying things that were new and exotic at the time, so it is my dad whose cooking I find most memorable.
Soup, hands down , would have to be his Manhattan Clam Chowder. Sounds strange coming from a vegetarian, but wasn't one back then. When I think of this soup, it takes me back to either a rainy or snowy Sunday. He would let me and my siblings help dice the veggie while he was opening the clams over the sink. In the background you would hear the sounds of Peter , Paul and Mary, Trini Lopez, the Mama's and the Papa's, Chubby Checkers, Louis Armstrong , Benny Goodman, Harry Belafonte ...( I still have all of my dads vinyls from back in the day) coming out of the stereo in the den ( which was like a bench that had a record player and AM radio in it). The records were stacked so the music would be continuous for hours. First you'd smell the Bacon, then the onions and Thyme, then the rest of the veggies. he would cook it for hours. The cooking and prep started before lunch, but soup time wouldn't be until dinner.
My mom made decent matzoh balls ( not for the clam chowder
, just giving her props.
My grandmother made her depression era vegetable soup , which she literally passed down the recipe on her deathbed, as I eagerly jotted down the recip so it wouldn't t be lost forever . We refer to it as "Rosie Soup". ( Grandma Rosie). She'd made enough for her, and extra for us, that she would disperse in her empty Sanka Bottles. (Wish I still had a Sanka bottle for old times sake). She made the soup in this one specific pot, and the recipe even calls for after adding all the ingredients, add water to 1 inch from the top of the pot. Therefore, the recipe is specific for the pot ( I inherited the pot, and always makes the soup in that pot to keep true to the recipe).
the Clam chowder I have never made, as I am now a vegetarian, but I do make a vegetable soup that resembles the flavors of his chowder. My son loves matzoh balls, we usually make them in a veggie ( imitation chicken ) broth, with carrots, celery ... The Rosie soup I make as is.
As for my kids, one of the first recipes I developed myself was a vegetable soup recipe that I was inspired from a Delmonte cookbook my mom sent away for when saving up enough labels. It was only a few pages ( more like a pamphlet than a cookbook). I changed the recipe so much from its original that I consider it 100% mine. Every now and then I reread the recipe, and Im shocked how different it is from what I make. I would expect that now, but back in the day when I was first cooking, im surprised I had the knowledge and ability to change it as much as I did ( and still tasting good). This was my signature soup for decades, and probably the one my kids and family would remember most from their childhood days.
I am definitely a soup person. I can eat it every day.
Favorite home made soups would be Pea, Borscht ( hot (Thanks to Charlie D and cold), Rosie Veggie soup, My veggie Soup, Matzoh balls, vichyssoise, Butternut squash, Mushroom barley, spinach -malanga soup, potato soup, onion soup , whatever is ripe this week in the garden soup, cleaning out the refrigerator soup. I can go on and on.
Most of the changes ive made , from childhood, would be to vegetarian or veganize soups so me and my wife can eat them, ( come just cant be converted so I had to give them up), also, making things more healthy ( less butter, less cream, less salt ... a little older and wiser)
Shout out to Vegetarian Hot and Sour soup, which is my favorite soup, but I have yet been able to recreate what ive tasted in the restaurants. the good lord knows Ive tried and purchased every Asian condiment , scoured the internet , spoke to chefs, emailed the Museum of Food and drink and contacted the chef who is behind the ' History of Chinese Take out food in America" exhibit to no avail .
Anyway, ill stop here cause I can go on and on with soup forever.
Oh, I forgot tomato soup, I love tomato soup with croutons.
