Tomatillo Soup

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             FOOD FUNNY
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If I didn't know better, I would think that "SINGSnKEYS" was poking
fun at my new home state:

Four retired guys are walking down a street in Milwaukee. Then they
turn a corner and see a sign that says "Old Timer's Bar - ALL DRINKS
10 CENTS!" They look at each other, and then go in. The old
bartender says in a voice that carries across the room, "Come on in
and let me pour one for you! What'll it be, gentlemen?"

There seems to be a fully stocked bar, so the men all ask for a
martini. In short order, the bartender serves up 4 iced martinis -
and says, "That'll be 10 cents each, please." They can't believe
their good luck. They pay the 40 cents, finish their martinis, and
order another round.

Again, four excellent martinis are produced with the bartender again
saying, "That's 40 more cents, please." They pay the 40 cents, but
their curiosity is more than they can stand. They've each had two
martinis and so far they've spent less than a dollar.

Finally one of the men couldn't stand it any longer and asks the
bartender "How can you afford to serve martinis as good as these for a
dime apiece?"

"Here's my story. I'm a retired tailor from Brooklyn, and I always
wanted to own a bar. Last year I hit the lottery for $25 million and
decided to open this place. Every drink costs a dime, wine, liquor,
beer, all the same."

"Wow. That's quite a story," says one of the men.

The four of them sipped at their martinis and couldn't help but notice
three other guys at the end of the bar who didn't have a drink in
front of them, and hadn't ordered anything the whole time they were
there. One man gestures at the three at the end of the bar without
drinks and asks the bartender, "What's with them?"

The bartender says, "They're seniors from Florida. They're waiting
for happy hour."

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             TODAY'S RECIPE
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Here's an interesting soup from south of the border. As we have
discussed in the past, tomatillos aren't really tomatoes even though
you'll frequently find them sold as "Mexican green tomatoes." If
fresh tomatillos aren't available in your area, you may substitute
green tomatoes for a different but still delicious soup.

Tomatillo Soup

1 Tbs (15 ml) olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1-2 jalapeno chilies, finely chopped
2 lbs (900 g) tomatillos, husks removed, quartered
4 cups (1 L) vegetable stock (may use chicken
stock for a non-vegetarian version)
1/2 cup (125 ml) heavy cream or half-and-half
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Chopped cilantro (coriander leaves) for garnish

Heat the oil in a large pot over moderate heat and saute the onion,
garlic, and jalapeno peppers until the onions are tender but not
brown, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatillos and stock and bring to a
boil. Reduce the heat and simmer covered until the tomatillos are
very tender, about 15 minutes. Working in batches, puree the soup in
an electric blender or food processor. Return it to the pot, stir in
the cream, and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve hot
or chilled, garnished with chopped cilantro. Serves 4 to 6.
Received on Tue Nov 11 08:24:43 2003