There's a nip in the air - it must be the start of soup season. Easy to consume, nutritious and comforting, there are hundreds of soups, many with strange backgrounds.
Mulligatawny is one. Its origin is Indian but after being experimented with by generations of home cooks, it has almost become lost in translation. Mulligatawny is the English interpretation of the Tamil words for pepper broth and it became popular with the British stationed in India in the late 18th century. The original recipe was really more of a rich, runny stew made with peppers, cumin, coriander seeds and lamb, goat or chicken. It was accompanied by rice, relishes and chutneys and was often thickened with lentils. (Raffles Hotel in Singapore uses oatmeal to thicken its mulligatawny.)
Philadelphia Pepper Pot is a famous American soup - also more of a stew. It is a combo of beef tripe, vegetables, pepper and other seasonings.
The recipe dates from 1777 and it's rumoured to have sustained George Washington's troops during that fateful winter at Valley Forge. Despite the original recipe being attributed to Washington baker Christopher Ludwick the Caribbean-style soup was more likely to have arrived with enslaved people. Ludwick just might have added the tripe that added protein at very little cost. I think I prefer the Caribbean version.
Green Goddess is an American term originally given to a dressing. It has been fused into many dishes and the recipe has made a comeback. It was created in the 1920s at San Francisco's Palace Hotel for an event honouring actor, author, playwright and filmmaker George Arliss, who starred in the hit play The Green Goddess. Packed with green herbs, a little sour cream and lemon juice, the creamy dressing is great served on crisp lettuce, as a dip or on fish, pizzas or soups.
