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Daily Morsel
 My husband looked at me in disbelief as I spent last Sunday afternoon ironing all the cloth napkins in the house. Maybe he thought this was strange because I don't even own an ironing board and haven't picked up an iron in the last sixteen years. I pressed the steam button and rejoiced in the crisp linen edge. It wasn't really the warm pressed edges that I was after . . . it was a sense of control. In this economy, it was the only thing that I could control, especially at work. So many of our customers needs have changed, many jobs have been lost, budgets cut and if they are doing well, it is no longer PC to celebrate.
Would Something Classic have to change who we are? Replace shantung silk linens with polyester or even plastic? Make our Carolina Crab Cakes with imitation krab, instead of blue crabclaw? Do we replace our sustainable plates and organic produce? The answer is no . . . Something Classic will continue to offer the same quality and service that you love or we will go down trying! The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit. We may have a few suggestions along the way that will help cut some corners . . . but still provide those indulgences that we all need every so often. So don't forget us when it comes time for those demure reasons to celebrate quietly and tastefully . . . we are innovative and have come up with some economical solutions that still keep quality in check that are easy on the purse. 
So there you have it, I am standing firm on the notion that I don't have to give up on quality of life . . . and neither do you! Maybe I will enjoy few indulgences, just a little less often. I fondly remember my great grandmother, Mom Mom, who spoke about the depression years. As she was very stylish, Mom Mom recalled two dresses she owned from a fine dress shop and their matching hats . . . when she brought out and wore these dresses, she was a queen, never letting go of her style or the joy of gathering with family and friends. I realize too that my life is rich with my life's work, friends, family and traditions. I am ready to pick myself up and dust myself off and begin the work of remaking America . . . In my case, one bowl of soup at a time.
Jill Marcus Green Goddess
President, Something Classic |
Roasted Red Pepper & Gouda Soup . . .
for my very stylish friend, Gail Sautee one chopped yellow onion in two tablespoons of olive oil in your favorite soup pot until golden. Add one clove of chopped garlic and ½ cup of white wine to the pot and simmer for two minutes. Roasted peppers are lovely yes and expensive certainly . . . which makes this soup so luscious. You can go to the trouble of roasting 8 red  peppers yourself and removing the skin. Or, you can pick some pre-roasted peppers up in cans or my favorite trick . . . at grocery store salad bar. (Be sure to leave the liquid from the peppers back at the salad bar.) Chop about 24 ounces of roasted peppers and add them to the pot with 4 cups of vegetable stock and two tablespoons of tomato paste. Add 1 cup of heavy cream, a pinch of kosher salt and simmer the flavors for 10 minutes. Allow to cool and puree mixture in a food processor or with an immersion blender until smooth. Incorporate 1 cup good quality shredded gouda and rewarm. Serve with a loaf of crusty bread and a glass of Conundrum! |
