Thursday 14/12/2017 – Soup's On for National Bouilliabaisse Day

Oh the poor kitties!

I wish I’d have known this sooner, I’ve got a lovely recipe I haven’t even tried yet… Darn~ Oh well! Glad to see some activity here! It’s been a very long time for me, I know. Sorry for the long disappearance, but things in this House have been hectic!

As I mentioned in my thread about my new additional kitty, I’ve been going through a series of health scares recently. I’ve been preparing to undergo surgery in Jan/Feb, to fix a decent amount of my physical issues, but one of the preparatory tests came back with high numbers for a specific cancer that tends to be common in men like me.

A slew of tests, several biopsies, and a micro-surgery later, I’ve just been informed that I do not, actually, have cancer! So I’ll be recovering and preparing for surgery as planned, just a lot more sore and praying for better health on the other side.

My Doctor and my surgeon both are very optimistic regarding my heal times, and I’ve had no complications so far *knock on wood!* Very glad to be back and vertical enough to interact with the world again, I’ve missed ya’ll!

Kincaid, so glad that you dodged that health bullet – and that you have a new black cat. Alas I think that racial prejudice also extends to pussycats; how could anyone think a cat was evil because of the colour of his or her fur?

Years ago, friends in Italy took a picture of two of their cats – a black one and a white one – with the caption “I gatti contro l’apartheid” (cats against apartheid).

I love fish soup/stews. There are variations all around the Mediterranean, and elsewhere. True bouillabaisse is very complex and some of the traditional fish are rare and costly nowadays even near Marseille, but there are many simpler iterations.

I won’t be making a fish soup/stew tonight but I might for the year’s end holiday season, as it is delicious and warming, but also nutritious and not too heavy, as many traditional foods tend to be.

Paw up – PM Waves on TGiThursday – finally!
Yum – great idea to warm up with as today’s theme!
Adding my 2.5 cents share:
https://veganblondes.wordpress.com/2016/06/23/chickpea-bouillabaisse/

Chickpea Bouillabaisse – mmm…yum!

Sunny but still cold today after yesterday’s snow day – approx. 2.9 inches in my n’hood…shoveling seemed endless for it would stop than start up again! Finally shoveled last nite when began to taper off!
Sigh, no sign of Kiki/feral this AM – but there were kitty paw prints at nomz area! She let me pick her up but balked when tried to bring her into my vestibule…progress/very slow!
Ok, time for part 2 day 4…back on flip!

Afternoon all, another hot sunny dry day here and now we have water restrictions. No using water sprinklers for gardens or lawns. The first time in almost 2 decades we have had restrictions. City counil say it’s because we’re using it on our lawns/gardens but the city has had a huge growth in population and that is the main reason I would say.
KJ, I wasn’t aware of the ‘Hitchhikers’ saying but on looking at the pics gain I figured out which one had that quote.
KZ, the rice ball kit had me laughing too, it took me a minute to figure out what it was.
AV, thanks for that wormhole soup offering. I usually have my seafood as is with minimal other ingredients but this soup is excellent. For once we had a nippy morning but I was headed to the gym so I just pulled on a light jacket, didn’t need it when I emerged all hot and lobster looking as the sun was at full temp by then.
JK, I hope Kiki shows herself to you again soon.
Hi ECB.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/four-legs-good/99878881/furry-friday-cats-at-christmas

Very nice. I know you don’t cook but if you have a friend who does, I found a similar kosher soup in Joyce Goldstein’s book “Cucina Ebraica. Flavors of the Italian Jewish Kitchen”. It is called “Sopa di pesce spina all’Ebraica. Venetian fish soup”, and like bouillabaisse, is as much a stew as a soup – a main dish.

Those soup/stews were made all around the Mediterranean by fishermen, fishmongers and their families, often using the scraps left over when fillets or darnes (steaks) were sold as well as whatever vegetables they had on hand. They were economical, highly nutritious and at best, very tasty.

I see three locations for Michael’s, none close to you, one east of me, two farther west from you… Cold day to wait for the bus…