Soup -- by any name -- fills the senses with good feelings

Tips for soups

Should vegetables be fresh and crisp when making soup?

No, the soft ones that no longer are young but not rotten will make for the best flavor and consistency in soups. Leftover vegetables and tough stems may be used by pureeing them first.

How can fat be removed from soups and stews?

Refrigerate overnight so fat congeals on top and can be lifted off easily. If soup must be served after preparation, then skim fat off with a shallow ladle or skimmer.

Drop a few ice cubes into the liquid and stir. The fat will cling to the cubes. Remove the cubes after a few seconds. Place a few lettuce leaves or sheets of paper toweling on the surface. The fat will cling to them.

Clear soups may be blotted with strips of unwaxed brown paper by floating the strips on the surface and then carefully lifting them out.

Why is the fat difficult to remove?

If soup boils rapidly, the fat will emulsify with the stock and be difficult to remove, making the soup greasy when served.

How can I stretch the soup?

Stretch soups by adding a pasta, rice, barley or beans. Cook pasta separately so it won't overcook and be mushy.

How I can cut back on the saltiness?

Excess saltiness can be handled by gently cooking with a halved, peeled potato, then removing the potato or adding a can of peeled tomatoes or a small amount of brown sugar.

Are there any other tricks to remember?

Oven roasting soup ingredients allows sugars to caramelize enhancing flavors.

Which potatoes go best with chowder?

Red potatoes are best.

Source: "The Kitchen Answerbook" by Hank Rubin (Capital Books Inc., $22.95)

The Capital-Journal

This year's Super Bowl football game Sunday is a BIG game for sports lovers everywhere. That same day is also Doorstep's Souper Bowl Sunday --- a day set aside to help the needy in Topeka.

Congregants at Doorstep Inc. churches will take cans of soup and boxes of crackers to church with them and place them in specially marked containers. These cans will be gathered across Topeka and taken to the Doorstep Foodbank to augment dwindling supplies of food.

Everyone is invited to participate in one of the three soup or chili luncheons at Doorstep churches around Topeka serving from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sunday.