02-13 Avocado Soup - Fabulous Fundamental Fat

Fat is good for you! Well, some fat anyway. The fat in avocados is one of those "good for you" fats and I have a delicious way to serve it on today's show! Avocado soup - here's how: 

You'll need: 

2 avocados

4 potatoes

1 cup vegetable stock

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Curry powder to taste 

Start by cubing and cooking your potato until it's soft. While it's cooking you can cube your avocado. When the potato is cooked and ready, put about a quarter of it into your blender along with a quarter of your avocado. Blend them up with a bit of your vegetable stock. Continue in this fashion until all the potato and avocado has been blended. Season with the salt, pepper and curry powder. You can heat this soup up or it can be served cold.

Matzo Ball Soup - It's Not Just for Shiva Anymore

Matzo ball soup is such a "hamishe" dish. The repudiated cure-all is a Jewish staple and it's very easy to make. This recipe originates with Ilse Sander - my grandmother. It took a little effort for Mary Ellen to wrap her mind around the ethnic dish, given her Roman Catholic roots, but once she did she certainly found it to her liking - despite a slight mishap.

Matzo balls should be nice and firm - you want them to resist your teeth and your spoon. This is achieved with ganzeschmaltz, more commonly known as goose fat. Here's the recipe:

1/4 cup matzo meal
1 egg
1 Tbs. ganzeschmaltz
Pinch salt
Pinch pepper
Pinch nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, mix until combined. Pinch off a small amount and roll into a ball between your palms. Repeat until all the "dough" is rolled. Cook in chicken broth until the balls float and serve.

Makes about 10 balls