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Soup's On
"There is nothing like a plate or bowl of hot soup, its wisp of aromatic steam making the nostrils quiver with anticipation," according to Louis Degouy, chef at the Waldorf Astoria for 30 years.
Comfort Food
Soup is one of life's comfort foods. Enjoying a hot and hearty soup on a cold and dreary day, accompanied by a thick, crusty slice of sourdough bread slathered with sweet creamery butter somehow makes you feel warm and cozy. And, if you're not feeling quite up to par, chicken soup has long been rumored to have healing powers. With the right cooking class or training, you could learn to make these and other tantalizing soups.
Becoming a Chef and Training Your Soups' Flavors
Chef training teaches you about light soups, like consomme and bouillon, or thicker soups like purees and bisques. You can serve soups hot or cold with a variety of garnishes like cheese and sour cream. Chef training also teaches you how to prepare a soup that is the perfect complement to a meal or that is a meal in itself.
Historical Soup
Soup has been around for thousands of years. In fact, soup probably came into existence with the invention of the first cooking pot that could hold water. The invention of the spoon made soup a universally available meal. From its humble peasant beginnings to the extravagant soup creations now taught in culinary school, soup is here to stay.
Cross Cultural Soup
Every culture has some type of soup. Enroll in a cooking class or attend culinary school to learn how to prepare international soups such as Spanish gazpacho, French vichyssoise or bouillabaisse, Italian minestrone or cioppino, Eastern European borscht, Maryland crab soup, or Boston clam chowder. Chef training can also include learning to prepare Pacific Rim soups with exotic names like pho from Vietnam or miso from Japan.
Opportunities
Chef Degouy also believed that "good soup is one of the prime ingredients for good living. For soup can do more to lift the spirits and stimulate the appetite than any other one dish." You can get chef saucier training at a culinary school and promote good living by learning how to make simple or complex soups from around the world. You can also create your own new and savory soups to lift spirits and stimulate appetites.
Sources
About the Author
Judi Sandall is a technical writer and a regular Chef School Review columnist.
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