I’ll get back to that thought, but first let me tell you about my new neighbor. So, here’s the story of the Sunday surprise.

Now, some of you know about where I live but some don’t – I live in a lovely (oldest and largest in the US) bungalow court. The owner’s nephew/cousin/relation-by-marriage newly arrived from Greece has moved into the “teahouse” which is above the laundry & tool room across the way from me. Well, it turns out that he is a professional chef and tonight he showed his stuff.

I was having one of those lazy afternoons after errands (and my nails) were done, dozing on the sofa when there was a knock on the door. It was my neighbor Heidi come to say that Demetrius (afore mentioned nephew/cousin/relation-by-marriage) was cooking in her kitchen and did I want to come for a bowl of soup. Well, hell yes! So I went over to her house and found out just how much Demetrius really truly LOVES to cook AND can skillfully wield and knife! We watched and listened as he prepped vegetables and chicken and made a pot of soup that will last three people and a few others more than a couple of days.

What he explained to us was that while you go into restaurants in the US and find avogolemono soup on the menu (and it is invariable chicken with rice), it is not a thing unto itself at all; it is rather, a technique. It’s the method of using the beaten egg to thicken the soup – not like egg drop soup: there should be no distinct bits of egg at all.It would be like putting roux on the menu as an entree…

So he made chicken and vegetable soup. The prep took far longer than the cooking and you could taste all the separate ingredients in their fresh goodness. Chicken and peppers and onion and leeks and parsley and wine and mushrooms. Oh, and of course lemon and egg…

Demetrius said that when you feed people they smell and taste and use all their senses. When that brings back memories and makes them feel good it makes him happy. Clearly it made him happy…and Heidi too.  Then he told us about the caramel apple cake…