SOUPSONG HAS GONE HARDCOPY!
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Release date: 12/28/2004.

You'll find this recipe in it, From AN EXALTATION OF SOUPS,
copyright © 2004
by Patricia Solley,
Published by Three Rivers Press.

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One of the most requested soups on my site--this one is from Abruzzo and features the meatballs traditional to that part of Italy. It's a pretty soup, and very substantial with all those meatballs. The torn escarole floats on the broth, enriched by the meat and molten cheese. Flavorful yet subtle. Something to throw a bouquet about. Serve hot to 6 people. (For nonbridal occasions, it can be a proper meal for 4.)

• 1/2 pound ground veal
• 1/2 pound ground sirloin beef
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup minced parsley
• 1/2 cup Romano cheese, grated finely
• pinch nutmeg
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 cups excellent chicken stock
• 2 cups escarole, washed and torn into little pieces

Garnish: 1/4 cup grated Romano cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix the veal, sirloin, egg, bread crumbs, parsley, 1/2 cup grated cheese, salt, and pepper until uniform, but don't overwork. Form into small meatballs (like really big marbles)--about 50 of them--arrange on a baking sheet, and cook at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. They should still be tender, not too brown. Drain off the fat and let them drain on paper towels.

When ready to serve, bring the stock to a boil in a large pot. Add the torn escarole, cover, and boil for 5 minutes. Add the meatballs, reduce heat, and bring to a simmer. Let simmer for a few minutes, then stir in the remaining 1/4 cup grated cheese. Serve immediately--sprinkling with more cheese, if you like.

Consider this variation:

Maria Iafrate of North Pembroke, Massachusetts, suggests using chicken meatballs, no nutmeg, and homemade chicken stock: chicken balls are made with ground chicken, bread crumbs, eggs, and Romano Cheese. Roll mixture into small (1/2") balls and drop into simmering soup. Add cooked escarole.

"Is this a traditional recipe?" I asked. "Yes," she said, "it is very much a family tradition. My mother always made this soup for the holidays as a first course. She orginally made it in the Depression years with chicken necks and backs as her soup stock. Later we changed it by making the soup stock with whole chicken parts, which makes this soup a real meal. My family looks forward to this tradition every year for our first course on Thanksgiving...the credit really goes to my mother. She was a wonderful cook. She kept certain staple items in the pantry that could always feed a hungry group a sumptuous spread at a moments notice. Family dinners lasted hours, from soup to nuts, then espresso and dessert."