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Happy New Year, everyone!

I had a great Christmas and New Year's, even though I came down with a nasty cold just before the 25th. I did my best to recover, and ended up spending four days and three nights in the Catskills on what I call a "dog vacation." I went on many excellent walks through the woods with Sadie and Ruby, took on home cooking in a very tiny kitchen, played the guitar, and read a ton. It was so relaxing that I even considered extending my stay, but came back to Philly all the same. The weather over New Year's was so nice and warm, and the city was fun and calm from the holidays. Then...it turned bitterly cold all of a sudden! Of course, this is not as cold as it's going to get in the next few months, but the first little cold spell is always a shock to the system.

So...the weather has me thinking about foods that warm you up and provide nourishment and nutrition. That got me thinking about soups. I relished the homemade chicken noodle soup that was made for me a few weeks ago, and truly believe that it helped me recover from my nasty cold. (For that recipe and another favorite soup recipe, go to the Blue Jean Chef (www.bluejeanchef.com) on Sunday, January 8.) I put the leftovers in the freezer so if I come down with another cold, I'll be ready. Or, perhaps I'll just crave homemade chicken noodle soup some other time — there really is no store-bought substitute. I also made a super-easy butternut squash soup the other day, and have that in my freezer too. I feel like having soups ready to go for a quick meal is like a security blanket.

The most critical part of making a soup (and when you're making almost anything, actually) is to use quality ingredients. Specifically, if you’re using a soup that requires stock (chicken, beef, or vegetable), use the very best you can get. That means make your own, get some from a butcher, or enhance store-bought stock. To enhance store-bought stock, pretend like you're making your own, but use their stock instead of water, and simmer it for a shorter period of time. So place one onion, two carrots, two stalks of celery (all chopped), a bay leaf, some parsley, and the cold store-bought stock (at least two quarts) into a stockpot. Add some chicken thighs or even some chicken bones (perhaps a carcass from a roasted chicken). Bring it all to a simmer for an hour or so, while you prepare the other ingredients for the soup. When it comes time to use the stock, strain out all the vegetables and chicken (which is now an excellent treat for dogs!) from the enhanced stock and proceed with the recipe.

The other important part of making a soup is having the right tools for the job. That really means having a big stockpot! When I make soup, I like to double or triple the recipe so there’s plenty leftover for a rainy day. (Remember my security blanket!). I like to use at least an 8-quart stockpot (k130806), but bigger is better in this case. Technique also makes a gorgeous 12-quart stockpot (K130794), which is a perfect for making soup. My favorite soups are puréed soups, so I always have an excellent blender on hand. I use a KitchenAid blender (K35171) that does the job in seconds and gives me a perfectly smooth result. With that blender, there's no jumping all over the counter, and the slow start prevents an soup explosion out of the top.

Finally, be sure to consider the serving of the soup as well. I often like to eat in front of the TV, and the Technique flame soup bowls (K27296) are perfect for this because they have handles! I also love these soup bowls because they can be put in the microwave or directly on the stovetop so you can re-heat a single portion. They’re oven safe too, so if I'm making French Onion Soup (another favorite), they can even go under the broiler to melt the cheese. They’re super versatile and can be used for much more than just soup, AND they are just darned cute! I'll be presenting those on Sunday, January 8 on In the Kitchen with David at Noon ET. Be sure to check out the presentation to see all the nice colors they come in. (I use the yellow and blue in my kitchen!)

I hope the New Year finds you all in good health and that stocking up on soups keeps you that way!

—Meredith Laurence