Egg drop soup:
Ingredients

3 Cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
Pinch Salt (about 1/8 tsp)
2 tbs Chives or green onions, chopped fine
1/2 tbs Cornstarch
1 cup Water
5 Egg whites (or 4 egg whites and 1 whole egg)
1
In medium pot, combine chicken broth, salt and chives. Bring to a boil.
2
In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and 1 cup water. Set aside.
3
In a medium bowl, whisk eggs whites together. Pour egg whites very slowly into boiling broth, while whisking broth continuously. The egg whites will cook instantly as they hit the broth.
4
Bring heat down to medium, and slowly whisk in the cornstarch/water mixture, until the soup thickens slightly. Take off heat and serve warm.

— with Biddiejoyce Miller.

Mexican beef stew

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 lbs. (about 1 kilo) oxtails, cut into 2-3″ lengths 1/2 onion chopped 1 clove garlic,
minced water to cover, about 2-3 quarts/liters

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic,
minced 2 potatoes,
peeled and chopped 1/2 lb. (.25 kilo) green beans, cut into 2″ length
4 tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon chipotle chile with adobo sauce, seeded and finely minced
salt to taste
cilantro for garnish

1. Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot and brown oxtails.
2. Add onion and garlic and cook until tender.
3. Add water to cover and simmer for 1 hour or pressure cook for 20 minutes.
4. Remove meat to cool. When cool enough to handle, pull meat from bones, and cut into bite-sized pieces. Pour off stock and skim most of the fat from the surface, reserving meat and stock.
5. In the same pot, heat oil over medium-low heat and cook chopped onion and garlic until translucent.
6. Add potatoes and stock and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for 10 minutes. Add green beans, tomatoes and chile and cook until all vegetables are tender.
7. Salt to taste. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Carrabba's Chicken Soup
ready in: 2-5 hrs

ingredients:
5 celery ribs
4 medium carrots, peeled
1 large yellow onion
2 medium potatoes, peeled
1 large green bell pepper
1 can (14 ounce size) imported Italian plum tomatoes
5 pounds hen, washed and cut into 8 pieces
1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
6 quarts water
salt and freshly ground black pepper


directions:
Dice celery, carrots, onion, potatoes and bell pepper into 1/4-inch pieces. Chop tomatoes; reserve all juice. Place vegetables, tomatoes with their juice, chicken pieces, parsley and garlic in a 10-quart stockpot. Add water. Season with salt and pepper. Slowly bring soup to a boil over low heat. Skim off foam that rises to the surface; may have to skim 2 or 3 times. Partially cover pot and simmer 2 hours. When soup is finished, remove chicken pieces with a slotted spoon. Let cool.

Meanwhile, mash vegetables in the bottom of the pot with the back side of a large cooking spoon or a potato masher. When chicken has cooled enough to handle, remove skin and bones and return meat to soup.