Homemade soup is truly one of lifes great pleasures. Hearty soups define good eating and put the comfort in comfort food. Discovering how simple and enjoyable soup is to make is equal only to the joy of tasting your own.

With Cooking Soups For Dummies, all you need know is how to boil water. Add to this, some basic advice on equipment plus tips on how to stock your kitchen pantryand youre well on your way to tackling the delicious assortment of recipes. But, first, youll get the lowdown on how to make quick work of such basics as:

• Various cutting methodsincluding chopping, cubing, dicing, mincing, shredding, and slicing
• Liquid foundationsincluding recipes for chicken, beef, vegetable, mushroom, fish, shrimp, and clam broth
• Soup safetyadvice on proper chilling, storage containers, freezing basics (with a shelflife table), thawing, and reheating
• Tips on improvisingincl uding halving and doubling recipes, remaking leftovers, ingredient substitutions, and lightening up with less fat

And now to creating your own kitchen itinerary for the delicious, nutritious, eclectic, and international world of soups . . . starting with:

• Fresh soup from the gardenincluding Sweet Potato Bisque, Thrifty French Housewifes Soup, and Fresh Tomato Basil Soup
• Soup from the dairy caseincluding recipes for Cream of Mushroom Soup, Tomato Orange Bisque, and Broccoli Cheddar Soup
• Hearty meat and poultry soupsincluding recipes for Herbed Oxtail and Vegetable Soup, Scotch Broth, and Country Chicken Noodle Soup
• Seafood chowders and bisquesincluding recipes for Fresh Salmon Chowder, Manhattan Clam Chowder, and Easy Lobster Bisque
• Cold soupsincluding Avocado Soup, Vichyssoise, and Spanish Gazpacho

Full of great tips on garnishes, ideal meal pairings, and lastminute fixes, plus 100 recipes, eight pages of fullcolor photos, and several blackandwhite illustrations, Cooking Soups For Dummies helps you discover one great thing about making soups: you dont have to be a grandmother to cook like one!