Brodo Anyone?

Brodo in Italian is a broth. Usually a broth in which meat and water have been cooked together to produce what we in America call a stock. Of course there are vegetable stocks too, like mushroom brodo, used to make mushroom risotto. A very common dish I like very much is simple meat tortelloni or tortellini in a clear and rich meat brodo.

I have been making and craving authentic Chinese soups and made a few this week. One of my favorites is my dad's oxtail soup. It's clear, slow simmered and dotted with thick pieces of old carrots (by old I mean not baby carrots, ones that are thicker and larger then the ones you usually see in supermarkets), Chinese radish, and potatoes. As the soup was simmering, the dog kept sniffing the air; he knew something good was coming. The husband was however, not too enthused. You see although my husband likes minestra, he does not however like brodo.

Minestra and zuppa are Italian words for soup, usually thick, with beans, vegetables, pasta and/or meat. This he will gobble up in a second but with brodo; he eats what bits there are and leaves the precious broth. He just does not appreciate how great a nice broth is with hot rice. My family loves soups and both my parents make the best soups I have ever tasted.


A Chinese yam/potato, great in soups and mashed or cooked then made into a dessert with a bit of sugar and coconut milk.


A Chinese "super radish" this one was about 2 feet long and 3-4 inches in diameter.


My finished soup. Cilantro and a dash of soy are wonderful condiments.

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