Cooking
Italian Vegetable Soup
This fall and winter, take the chill off with a bowl of vegetable soup. And do like the Italians, who consider stale bread a preferred ingredient in many recipes. Using stale bread reduces waste, and when toasted and added to broth, it maintains its shape and absorbs all the delicious flavors.
This recipe from the Tuscan Women Cook Cookbook (Tuscan Women Cook LLC) is a favorite of the nonnas, or grandmothers, of the Tuscan village of Montefollonico, Italy. And, yes, it makes use of that stale bread. Ribollita means “reboiled” in Italian – another way to say it will taste even better tomorrow. Serves 8.
Ribollita
2 cups (14 ounces) dried small white beans, washed
Small piece of Parmesan cheese rind
½-cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
4 large carrots, peeled and diced
3 celery ribs, diced
1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, undrained
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Dried oregano
3 large Swiss chard leaves, thinly sliced
½ medium white cabbage, chopped
8 pieces dry day-old or toasted Italian bread
Parmesan cheese for garnish
Olive oil for garnish
Rinse the beans in a colander and pick out any debris or small stones. Place in a medium stockpot and add cold water to cover the beans by about 2 inches. Cover and soak overnight.
To make, drain the beans and cover them with fresh water. Add the Parmesan cheese rind. Over medium heat, simmer until the beans are tender, about 30 minutes. Set aside. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent, for about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, the beans, and their liquid. Season with salt, pepper, and oregano. Add the chard and cabbage. Add additional water or chicken or vegetable stock as needed to completely cover the chard and cabbage. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour. Adjust seasonings to taste.
To serve, place a piece of bread in each bowl. Ladle the soup on top of the bread. Top each bowl with Parmesan cheese, a dash of olive oil, and freshly ground black pepper.
To learn about the cookbook or Tuscan Women Cook, an immersive culinary vacation in the heart of Tuscany, visit tuscanwomencook.com.
Craft
Pomander Balls
Named after the French term pomme d’ambre, meaning “apple of amber,” pomander balls were once used to ward off bad smells and were thought to protect against infection. This old-fashioned holiday craft adds a pop of color and a pleasantly warm aroma to your living space. A pomander ball can be as simple as an orange with some cloves poked into it, or you can go all out and really decorate it. Some people place pomander balls on their Christmas trees; others arrange them in centerpieces; and still others hang them as decorations. It’s an easy DIY craft that can be a fun family activity.
Essentially, all you need for pomander balls are citrus fruits and whole cloves. Oranges and tangerines are commonly used. Just take a supply of cloves and press them into your citrus fruit of choice. To spare your fingers, use a toothpick or pushpin to make small holes in the skin first. You can do this to plan out patterns, too. If you’re handy with an X-Acto or other precision knife, you could also carve swirls and other shapes into the orange skin for artistic flair. If you want a perfect circle of cloves, use a rubber band as a guide. Let your imagination run wild!
To make these festive decorations last longer, it’s best to dry them — you’ll be surprised by how long they last when this is done correctly. Get a paper bag; fill it with ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and orris root (you can find it online); place the pomander ball inside; and gently shake the bag — just enough to coat the pomander. You can then tie a nice ribbon or piece of twine around your creation and hang it up to dry, although some people dry theirs in the bag. Regardless of how you decide to dry your pomander, this easy craft makes for a lovely — and fragrant — holiday decoration.
App File
The Arts
Whether you’re a professional artist or a hobbyist, numerous opportunities exist to enjoy the arts, especially considering how technology has progressed.
Tayasui Color: If you’re looking to destress or find a cure for boredom, check out Tayasui Color, a virtual coloring book you can bring anywhere. It places 43 illustrations and four drawing tools at your disposal — they even make realistic sounds while you use them. While drawing, you can select any color from the editable color palette, or you can pick a specific color directly from your drawing using the eyedropper tool. $7.99 on iOS. Tayasui.com
Google Arts And Culture: Allowing you to view and explore artwork from all over the world, Google Arts and Culture puts the art, treasures, and knowledge of more than 2,000 cultural institutions in 80 countries into the palm of your hand. You can find museums near you, experience virtual reality tours, tour famous landmarks through Street View, view paintings and sculptures in virtual galleries, and much more. Free for iOS and Android. Artsandculture.google.com
Sketchbook: This award-winning drawing and painting app provides users professional-grade tools to create anything from simple doodles to full-blown masterpieces. Hundreds of tools are available, including but not limited to pencils, markers, brushes, and airbrushes. You can even custom-ize brushes to create the exact look you want, utilize layers for intricate drawings, or use the guides and rulers for increased precision. Free for iOS and Android, but users can purchase the Premium Bundle to unlock additional features. Sketchbook.com