Black Bean Soup Recipe Created by Ruth Paget

Black Bean Soup Recipe Created by Ruth Paget

I love black beans and so do a lot of other people.  I have to order them at the customer service counter at the supermarket usually, because they disappear quickly from the shelves.  (Putting up an app for customer service orders might be an idea for an app developer.) 

The following recipe requires a crockpot and an immersion blender to make it.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

-1 cup dry black beans

-8 cups water for soaking beans

-8 cups water for cooking + water as needed

-1 tablespoon olive oil

-1 large chopped onion

-1 teaspoon dry garlic

-1 (32-ounce) container beef broth

-1 cup salsa or ¼ cup jalapeño peppers

-1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

Steps:

1-Soak 1 cup dry black beans overnight in 8 cups water.  Beans will triple in size overnight usually.

2-Drain and rinse beans.  Add olive oil, chopped onion, dry garlic, and beef broth to the crockpot along with the water.  Cover the crockpot and place on high heat for 10 hours or until beans are soft.

3-Cool soup and insert an immersion blender to purée the black beans to a smooth consistency.  Stir in salsa.

4-Ladle soup into individual bowls and sprinkle grated Monterey Jack cheese on top.  Microwave for 1 – 2 minutes.

Serve the soup with tortilla chips.

By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France 

Click here for:  Ruth Paget's Amazon Books

 

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Borlotti Bean Soup Recipe Created by Ruth Paget

Borlotti Bean Soup Recipe Created by Ruth Paget

My dad made a soup of these black and brown speckled beans when I was growing up that he called “soup beans.”  I did not like soup beans as a child in Detroit, Michigan.

Now, I am a lover of Italy, so I buy “borlotti beans,” but still make them Appalachian style.  The recipe is easy, but I jazz it up by using an immersion to make the soup a smooth one and cook it in a crockpot.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

-1 cup dry Borlotti beans

-8 cups water for soaking

-8 cups water for boiling + more if needed

-1 (32-ounce) can chicken broth

-1 cup peeled and diced carrots

-1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

-Salt, pepper, and paprika, to taste

Steps:

1-Soak 1 cup dry Borlotti beans overnight in 8 cups water.  Beans will usually triple in volume.

2-Drain and rinse beans.  Put the beans in a crockpot and cover with 8 cups water, chicken broth, diced carrots, and Italian seasoning.  Cook on high heat for 10 hours to make sure the beans are soft.

3-Test to see if beans squash easily.  If so, insert an immersion blender and purée the soup until it is smooth.

Serve with your favorite toast.

Vegans and vegetarians can use a broth made from dried mushrooms instead of chicken broth for this recipe.

Enjoy!

By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Click here for:  Ruth Paget's Amazon Books

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Broccoli-Monterey Jack Cheese Soup Recipe Created by Ruth Paget

Broccoli-Monterey Jack Cheese Soup Recipe Created by Ruth Paget

I made broccoli-gruyère cheese soup when I lived in Stuttgart, Germany.  I loved how convenient frozen broccoli was to use during what seemed like ten months of winter there.  In Monterey (California), you can use Monterey Jack (a local cheese) or cheddar to make this soup.

You will need an immersion blender to purée this soup to a smooth consistency.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

-3 tablespoons olive oil

-1 teaspoon dry garlic

-1 large chopped onion

-2-3 cups frozen broccoli

-1 peeled and chopped potato

-1 (32-ounce) container chicken broth

-32 ounces water

-1/4 cup quinoa flour

-1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

Steps:

1-Add olive oil, garlic, and onion to a soup pot and cook them on high heat for 5 minutes once the olive oil sizzles.

2-Add the broccoli, potatoes, chicken broth, water, and quinoa flour.

3-Bring the soup to a boil and let it boil for 25 minutes.

4-Remove the soup from the heat and let it cool before inserting an immersion blender into it and puréeing the vegetables.

5-Reheat the soup and stir in the grated cheese before serving.

Serve with your favorite toast.

Bon appétit!

By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Click here for:  Ruth Paget's Amazon Books

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Artichoke Soup Recipe Created by Ruth Paget

Artichoke Soup Recipe Created by Ruth Paget

I used frozen artichoke hearts to make this out-of-the-ordinary soup when I lived in Stuttgart, Germany for a taste of sunshine during long winter months.  

You will need an immersion blender to make this soup a smooth one.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

-3 tablespoons olive oil

-1 teaspoon dry garlic

-1 large chopped onion

-2 to 3 cups frozen artichoke hearts

-1 peeled and chopped potato

-1 (32-ounce) container chicken broth

-32 ounces water

-1/4 cup quinoa flour

-Salt and pepper, to taste

Steps:

1-Add olive oil, garlic, and onion to a soup pot and cook them on high heat for 5 minutes once the olive oil sizzles.

2-Add the potatoes, chicken broth, water, and quinoa flour.

3-Bring soup to a boil and let it boil for 25 minutes.

4-Remove soup from heat and let it cool before inserting an immersion and puréeing the soup to a smooth consistency.

5-Reheat the soup.

Serve the artichoke soup with cream or milk and your favorite toast.

Bon appétit!

By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Click here for:  Ruth Paget's Amazon Books

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Alesia: Roman Conquest of Gaul Game Created by Ruth Paget for AP Students

Alesia: Roman Conquest of Gaul Game Created by Ruth Paget for AP Students

Objectives:

1-Learn to break down books to learn more quickly

2-Obtain a glimpse into ancient Roman culture

3-Obtain a glimpse into ancient Gallic culture

4-Learn about menu planning to manage food supplies

5-Learn about storytelling

6-Write a media release for radio about the battle at Alesia

7-Play knucklebones the ancient Greek game that was also played in ancient Rome

8-Sample ancient Roman food

Historical Background:

In 52 BC, the ancient Roman victory at Alesia outside modern-day Dijon, France was hard won by Julius Caesar (100 BC – 44 BC) and confirmed his ascendancy as the virtual ruler of Rome.

The Romans used siege warfare against the Gallic fortress at Alesia, which was under the command of Vercingetorix (80 BC – 46 BC).

Both the Gauls and the Romans had supply problems.  Vercingetorix relied on his relief troops to win the battle.  However, Julius Caesar had his troops surround the Gallic fort to beat off reinforcements.

Battle Outcome:

60,000 Roman soldiers defeated 80,000 Gallic warriors under siege and 130,000 to 200,000 Gallic relief soldiers.

Final tally: 60,000 Romans defeated between 210,00 to 280,000 Gallic soldiers.

Managing Group Reading

To divide reading up, imagine you have a book with 33 chapters and 8 team members.

If you divide 33 chapters by 8 team members, you can reduce reading time and learn the material quickly.  The method for doing this follows:

33 chapters ÷ 8 team members = 4 chapters for each team member to read plus 1 remaining chapter to be assigned as decided by the group.  (Maybe a team member with a short assigned chapter among their readings could the remaining chapter.)

For each assigned chapter, team members will note 5 to 10 main points to be typed up and sent to the team secretary for grouping into a single document.

Team Set-Up

Break a group into two teams.

Both teams will complete tasks 1 – 4 as a team.

For task 5, the two teams will come together to write a media release for radio about the Battle at Alesia 52 BC, play the ancient game of knucklebones (also played in ancient Rome), and sample ancient Roman food.

Number of Tasks to Complete: 5

Task 1: Learn About the Battle at Alesia 52 BC

Read about the Battle at Alesia 52 BC in encyclopedias and books and on websites.  Compare the information to look for any differences.  Note sources.

Read about Julius Caesar in encyclopedias and books and on websites.  Compare the information to look for any differences.  Note sources.

Read about Vercingetorix in encyclopedias and books and on websites.  Compare the information to look for any differences.  Note sources.

If you find differences, set up guidelines about how to establish the facts to use.

Task 2: Learn About Food Supply Management

Food supply management was a problem for the ancient Roman troops and the Gauls.  In the modern day, well-run institutions and homes have some sort of food inventory system and menu management system. 

Read the following book as a team, noting 5 to 10 main points for each assigned chapter:

Management by Menu by Lendal H. Kotschevar

Task 3: Obtain a Glimpse into Ancient Roman Culture

As a team, read the following books about ancient Roman culture noting 5 to 10 main points for each assigned chapter:

The Aeneid by Virgil

This national poem by Virgil recounts the story of the Trojan hero Aeneas who sets out to find a new homeland after the sack of Troy.

His quest leads him to Carthage, which he forsakes along with love to found Rome.

Other books to read give background on the religious and civic life of Rome.  Read the following books as a team, noting 5 to 10 main points for each chapter:

Mythology by Edith Hamilton

The Roman Way by Edith Hamilton

Read the following book for ideas on how to write stories that remain in the memory like myths as a team, noting 5 to 10 main points for each assigned chapter:

Made to Stick:  Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Charles Kahlenberg, Chip Heath, and Dan Heath

Task 4: Obtain a Glimpse into Gallic Culture

Very little written information remains about ancient Gaul.  Even the hilltop where the Battle at Alesia 52 BC took place (Mount Auxois) had a wooden fortress, which has perished.

Julius Caesar wrote about Gaul, and it is his history which describes the Gauls for us today.

Read the following book as a team, noting 5 to 10 main points for each assigned chapter:

The Gallic War by Julius Caesar

Preparing for Task 5:

Before the combined teams meeting, team members will type up their main points from their assigned chapters and send them to the team secretary via email to be compiled into one document.

Team secretaries will email the single document to their team members and the other team’s secretary for distribution.

Team members should read both documents before the task 5 combined teams meeting.

Task 5: Media Release Writing and Party

The combined teams will write a 2-minute media release for radio about the Battle at Alesia 52 BC.

The release should answer the following questions in order:

Who?

What?

When?

Where?

Why?

How?

Once the release is written, read it to see if it is 2 minutes long.

If it is too long, edit the text down to 2 minutes.

If it is too short, add in details to make the release 2 minutes.

(This activity should take 30 to 45 minutes to complete.)

Once the meeting is over, play the ancient Greek game of knucklebones.  Knucklebones was also played in ancient Rome.

Knucklebones games are sold for $27.99 on Amazon as of 3/13/2020.

Sample some ancient Roman food at your party from one of the oldest known cookbooks written by the Roman writer Apicius.  His cookbook follows:

Cooking and Dining in Imperial Rome by Apicius

Alesia Game Created by Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Click here for:  Ruth Paget's Amazon Books

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