Thursday, November 6, 2025

[Meryl]

I've made that soup many times and it has nothing to do with weddings.

Yes, it refers to the combination of so many ingredients that go well together, they "marry' well. A gastronomical wedding between various meats and vegetables.

 

[Jusa]

I've made that soup many times and it has nothing to do with weddings.

Yup, never seen it at my DH's Italian American family weddings. But it was always around at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

 

[pictonguy]

Yes, it refers to the combination of so many ingredients that go well together, they "marry' well. A gastronomical wedding between various meats and vegetables.

Yeah exactly and it's served at Christmas mostly.

 

[Meryl]

We make something similar on Christmas Day: "Cardone" which is a local, typical dish of our province (Benevento). The main ingredient is the vegetable "cardone" which I think translates as "cardoon"?

 

[In A Pickle]

Here is a link to a recipe. Mrs. Boss has her own spin on it and I don't think it's written down anywhere. We don't make the meatballs, instead she uses fried bulk Italian sausage. Additionally, heavy cream is added to finish.

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Thanks.
Looks good. I'd happily eat that.
I like the idea of a celebratory special occasion soup. I can't think of another one.

 

[Jusa]

I stopped at Panda Express yesterday and got food for my lunch today. Probably a couple of lunches.

 

[caseydog]

We make something similar on Christmas Day: "Cardone" which is a local, typical dish of our province (Benevento). The main ingredient is the vegetable "cardone" which I think translates as "cardoon"?

The internet says that it is a Mediterranean member of the thistle family. It is not grown here, at least not in large quantities.

CD

 

[Meryl]

Yes, I also found the term "thistle" when looking it up, never heard of it before, I didn't even know this plant existed until I moved out here. It grows wild too, we used to have some wild plants growing on our land.
The taste is similar to artichoke.

 

[blissful]

We had ww spaghetti with tomato mushroom sauce and eggplant meatballs and it was delicious!

 

[Kathleen]

Bliss, please tell us how you make your eggplant meatballs! I love all things eggplant!

 

[blissful]

@Kathleen, I used a recipe LIKE this. https://thewholescoopblog.com/eggplant-meatballs/

• 2 6-8" eggplants
• 3 oz mushrooms shiitake is preferable (I used regular button mushrooms)
• 1/3 cup walnuts, pulsed
• 3-5 cloves of minced garlic
• 1.5 cups rolled oats, pulsed
• 1/3 cup + 2 tbsp olive oil (did not use oil)
• salt and pepper
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 cup fresh parsley leaves (I used dry parsley a couple Tablespoons of it)
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest
• 2 flax eggs

The eggplant and mushrooms need to be cooked until they are pretty dry or the meatballs become mushy. Add dry bread crumbs at the end to make them a more solid texture. I air fried them in my foodie ninja. Once browned we ate them and I froze the rest for future meals. They are just heat and eat at that point.

 

[Xocolatl]

Salmon tataki, tuna tataki, cucumber salad, tuna salad, garlic & ginger cabbage and white rice with furikake.

 

[In A Pickle]

Tempura Chicken Toasted Sandwich with Oi Muchim

Made a kind of sharp spiced Asian flavoured burger relish for the tempura. It went down well.

 

[dragnlaw]

@Kathleen, I used a recipe LIKE this. https://thewholescoopblog.com/eggplant-meatballs/

• 2 6-8" eggplants
• 3 oz mushrooms shiitake is preferable (I used regular button mushrooms)
• 1/3 cup walnuts, pulsed
• 3-5 cloves of minced garlic
• 1.5 cups rolled oats, pulsed
• 1/3 cup + 2 tbsp olive oil (did not use oil)
• salt and pepper
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 cup fresh parsley leaves (I used dry parsley a couple Tablespoons of it)
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest
• 2 flax eggs

The eggplant and mushrooms need to be cooked until they are pretty dry or the meatballs become mushy. Add dry bread crumbs at the end to make them a more solid texture. I air fried them in my foodie ninja. Once browned we ate them and I froze the rest for future meals. They are just heat and eat at that point.

Sounds marvelous, thank you! Not knowing what flax eggs are exactly but knowing that flax and I don't always get along, (plus I am not vegan and have my own eggs ) is that what would be substituted for real eggs? as in moisture and sticking-togetherness?

 

[blissful]

@dragnlaw Sure use an egg or two instead if it needs it. A flax egg is 1 T of ground flax and 3 T water, mixed and let it sit a few minutes. Some burger or meatball recipes use a few tablespoons of nuts ground in a coffee grinder with some water, to make a creamy paste. This can also be a substitute for eggs or flax eggs.

With all the meat loaf and veggie burger recipes I've used, they work best if you put ingredients in the food processor and pulse then put them in a big bowl. Then move on to the next ingredient, to pulse or not. Then when forming the burgers or meat balls, use your hands. If it is too sticky a dry bread crumb will help the texture. The dry bread crumbs can be added in the mixture and also to coat the outside if you like.

 

[dragnlaw]

OK - thanks, appreciated!

 

[Kathleen]

@blissful It sounds really good. I am like DL and would likely use egg in place of the flax egg. I'm okay with eating flax, but another in the house is not a fan.