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THE TRADITION Mystery Soup at our Thanksgiving Dinner (aka My Pot Luck Dinner) has become a tradition…perhaps, this is the case because the meal is at our house. I'm not quite sure when this tradition started. As with many things, a simple beginning concept just grew. In 1992 I made a strained Beet Soup and the directions suggested floating a couple pretzels as a garnish. So there it was; Beet Soup with "Venn Diagram" pretzels. There were lots of comments and even a few compliments. From this very inauspicious beginning grew my need to search for unusual soups, make sure they were pureed, and have my victims (or guests) try to guess the dominate ingredient. After a few years I started saving and dating the recipes. I would make the soup when no one was around. You never know when a spy might surface and spoil my surprise. I'm not delusional enough to think there were hidden cameras, but obviously not very grounded to even have that thought. The year I chose Chestnut Soup was the only time I needed help. I purchased five pounds of chestnuts and for the life of me whether I boiled, microwaved, baked, or barbecued them, they just wouldn't peel. My husband, Chuck, worked with me to get rid of the outer shells. He kept my secret. I'm assuming he was too embarrassed to tell anyone what he and I were doing. What a surprise; I've lost that recipe! Except for one year, the soups have been enjoyed by all (well, maybe most) of my guests. As you know occasionally there might be an exception to a rule. Now would probably be a good time for a bit of honesty. Let's talk about Sauerkraut Chowder. This was truly my only disaster. Chuck's comment was, "What the hell made you think that oatmeal as a thickening agent would work in a soup?" I took it as a rhetorical question. It doesn't end there though. He continues on, "Even after dumping the Chowder outside, the raccoons wouldn't eat it!" He never tires of this story and neither do his audiences. What's one minor culinary mistake between friends and family? It's a funny thing. I can't seem to find this recipe either. Nevertheless, the Mystery Soup tradition continued. A week or so before Thanksgiving I usually receive a few phone calls about the mystery soup. A few years ago I received an email from my sister, Carol. I'm sure she'll be quite pleased that I'm sharing it with you: Email received 11/22/05: OK here's my idea about the soup. Each year you give us a clue that rhymes. For example: I am a soup that has the color red. Even though I'm a fruit everyone thinks I'm a vegetable instead. What am I? The answer of course is Tomato!! What an idiot I am!! I'm laughing at my own stupid joke!! xoxox, C As you can see, the concept of Mystery Soup brings the best out of people. I hope you are brave enough to try some of these recipes. Of course, if you have one you'd like to share, please email it to me: rosalie@mediatavern.com: Hey, just think…You might be able to get your name and recipe listed for next year. Don't bother sending your Sauerkraut Chowder recipes. HAPPY MYSTERY SOUP TO YOU!