B E B E R E

The housemate has a sore throat; I feel like my head's a big bubble. (Also feels as though I'd been grinding my teeth in my sleep; understandable but not wanted.) Looks like it's going to be a day of not too difficult reading, tea-drinking and dumb knitting. Oh yes, and a big pot of soup. Need the soup.

Last night, used up the last bit of pork cutlets that I browned with some baby onions, garlic and fresh ginger. Decided to make a broth of tamari, mirin, chili and basil to simmer it with. Also added the peeled and julienned leftover broccoli stems still hanging around from last Saturday's dinner. Oh yeah, threw in a few preserved black beans, too, for good measure, since I have a ton of them anyway. Wasn't bad - was light, comforting. What it really could have used, though, was some Asian pickles of some sort to add some zing. Thought of adding some pickled ginger, but decided against. Would have loved some daikon or whatever vegetable the folks at my favorite Chinese restaurant in the neighborhood put in their pork and pickle soup. (Where to find, or should I just read up and make my own?)

Today am far less disposed to being so adventuresome. Maybe will toss some beef or chicken, whatever broth I have laid away in the freezer, some mixed vegetables and the first herbs that come into view into a pot, apply some heat and leave it at that. Too tired and ech to put much thought into this right now.