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Welcome to the author's page of Kimberly Skopitz.Writing autobiographical statements is the most difficult writing I encounter--what on earth can I tell you about myself? I love to cook, but that's obvious from my guide, "How to Prepare Soup". Learning to cook was another matter--I didn't know the difference between sauteeing and frying, how to bake a cake, or extend a meal with an extra potato (or two). In the beginning, I relied heavily on canned ingredients--I often made a chicken jambalaya with all canned ingredients, including boil-in-bag rice. I thought that if an item was available canned, it was because making it from scratch was too difficult for the home cook. The trouble with canned food, as I slowly noticed, was that it made all food taste alike. The textures were too regular, too consistent, and far, far, too bland. Where was the variety? I began picking through the produce department of my local grocery, selecting fresh garlic, plump earthy mushrooms, crisp celery in addition to the oranges and apples that I had previously limited myself. A Chinese cookbook taught me how to use these fresh ingredients--how to appreciate the crispiness of perfectly fresh snow peas and bright broccoli. Julia Child's The Way to Cook went over the basics in a manner I could understand. I became addicted to looking at recipes, discovering the methods of proper preparation. However, my love of cooking had to be tempered by economic realities. As a college student, I was far from having the grocery budget to allow me to try everything I wanted. My food dollar really had to stretch--and I found that the best way to satisfy my urge for culinary creativity and not break the bank was to rely on soups. Fun and easy to make, with the definite bonus of not only being delicious the next day, but easy to stretch--a little more onion or potato added the next day, providing an extra serving for only pennies. That is why I wrote "How to Prepare Soup". If you don't know how to cook, this guide will help you understand the difference between chop and dice, and how to provide a tasty meal with a minimum of effort, as well as money. If you just love soup, this guide will give you not only some new recipes to try, but some historical notes about the dishes, providing an extra bit of enjoyment. Soup's On!
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