The Soup and Bread Cookbook

 

By Beatrice Ojakangas

University of Minnesota Press     2020

266 pages     Cookbook

Bea Ojakangas is a living legend in my hometown of Duluth, Minnesota. She had a restaurant for a time in our neighborhood. It was called Somebody’s House and served terrific sandwiches and other comfort foods. Thus, I was thrilled when I was offered an advanced copy of her book, The Soup and Bread Cookbook.

This is what I learned about her from a feature article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

 “The year was 1957, and a young cook, wife and soon-to-be first-time mother living on a military base in England entered her recipe for cheese bread into the Pillsbury Bake-Off. Beatrice Ojakangas didn't win first place that year -- the top prize went to Mrs. Gerda Roderer of Berkeley, Calif., who received $25,000 for her "Accordion Treats," a delicate horn-shaped walnut cookie. But Ojakangas' bread took the second grand prize and helped launched an enduring career that has included 27 cookbooks on a wide range of subjects, from whole grain breads to casseroles to pot pies to her specialty, Scandinavian cooking and baking.  

Ojakangas first appeared in Taste in a 1978 profile, the first of seven such features during the intervening 32 years (she was also a frequent contributor to the section in the 1990s). She may not have won the top prize, but in retrospect, Ojakangas may be the Bake-Off's biggest success story. After all, how many other food careers were launched with a single recipe?” 

The University of Minnesota Press recently reissued one of her popular cookbooks, The Soup and Bread Cookbook, which was first published in 2013. Actually, the University Press has declared that her cookbooks will never go out of print, because in part, she is the only Minnesota cook and cookbook author who is a James Beard  prize winner. I gave this particular cookbook to my sisters for Christmas this year.

 What I like about this particular cookbook is that the recipes are grouped by season. As I have learned from my own cooking, soup is seasonless when seasonal vegetables are used. And that is the point of her grouping by season. We are using the vegetables, etc. that we know are available during that particular season. I recently made her Cream of Tomato soup that was linked with her recipe for grilled cheese sandwiches.  Ah, you say, I know how to make grilled cheese, but have you ever made it with sliced apples and basil? The whole thing was so satisfying and comforting. I am ready to try some other recipes

 

Easy Cream of Tomato Soup

• 2 cups Basic Vegetable Broth (page 6) or low-sodium store-bought
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 cups crushed fresh tomatoes, or 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
• 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
• 3/4 cup heavy (whipping) cream
• Salt and ground black pepper

In a soup pot, whisk together the broth, flour, tomatoes, and tomato paste and bring to a simmer, stirring, until slightly thickened. Using an immersion blender or a standard blender, puree the soup. Stir in the cream and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Old-Fashioned Grilled Cheese, Apple, and Basil Sandwiches 

Slices of crisp fall apples and fresh basil leaves lend a whiff of the season to this classic sandwich.

• ·         8 slices Basic Home-Baked Bread, white or wheat, or good-quality store-bought
• ·         8 thin slices extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
• ·         1 Fuji, Gala, or Granny Smith apple, thinly sliced
• ·         4 large fresh basil leaves
• ·         1 to 2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

Arrange 4 of the bread slices on a work surface and place a slice of cheese on each. Top each evenly with the apple slices and a basil leaf. Top with the remaining cheese and the remaining 4 slices of bread.

Spread both sides of each sandwich with a little butter. Preheat a skillet, griddle, or panini press over medium heat. Toast the sandwiches over medium heat until golden and the cheese is melted, about 1 minute per side. Cut on the diagonal and serve.

In my opinion, Bea Ojakangas’ recipes are essentials for the home cook. The Soup and Bread Cookbook is a must have and is very representative of the entrepreneurial cook who created the recipes. I need to add that Bea is now 86 years old and many of her cookbooks are still in print. Also, You Tube has many wonderful videos of her in action; even a couple with Julia Child.

 Bea Ojakangas is Duluth’s pride and joy!