What is your weird comfort food?

Hot and sour soup is mine. I'm spooning a big bowl from the third pot I've cooked up in the last month. I judge every Chinese restaurant I visit by the quality of their hot and sour soup. Unfortunately, it is often lacking in hot, spicewise (and temperature too), so many years ago I began the quest to find a great recipe to make at home.

To preface, today I had two wild kids who didn't sleep well last night. By 6pm, when I started my soup, they were hyped up, overtired masses of energy dancing to the Lightening Seeds as if they were right there with me in the early 90's witnessing the birth of indie emo. The truth is, I'm a naturally quiet person who enjoys peace (a.k.a. silence) who has given birth to naturally loud and obnoxious offspring. I turned on Itunes to drown out the howls, screams and, sadly, even their bubbly little laughs. The shuffle sent song after long forgotten song over the speakers, The Indigo Girls, Morrissey, Rusted Root, Cowboy Junkies. I got a little wistful, lost in the past, then I started daydreaming about a distant future, my own grown girls home for the weekend from college. The present moment was totally lost on me until the girls were tucked into bed and it was, of course, no longer the present moment. Another piece of my history, my girls laughing and dancing while I soaked in the fragrance of my very favorite soup simmering on the stove - comfort indeed.

Here is a link to the Hot and Sour Soup recipe I have adopted as my own: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/hot-and-sour-soup-recipe/index.html.

I never have dried Chinese mushrooms on hand, so I've always left them out. I'm sure they add something special, so one of these days, I will drop the cash on them. I will have to do my price breakdown another day since I cooked this from my cupboard. The biggest expense in this recipe is the chicken broth. I have never gotten good at making my own stock, so I always buy it. I am estimating about $6 worth of ingredients (if you are using leftover meat) for 4-6 servings. A buck a serving, not bad, and I left out the meat altogether tonight and it is still delicious.

Today's ledger:

Postage: $4.80