How are you choosing the order of the countries?

I really had planned that we would go through the countries in alphabetical order, but my boys (who are currently 8 and 10) had other plans.  They wanted it to be random and could not be convinced otherwise.

So we began with our eldest printing out a list of countries from the U.S. State Department and cutting each country out.

Then, each week, my boys take turns picking a country and researching what SOOP we should make to best represent that country.

How are you choosing which SOOP to make from each country?

We spend time considering if we know anyone from our selected country and ask them for suggestions.  We also research online, at the library, and in our favorite book and try to figure out what SOOP might best represent that country. We are lucky that our boys attend an international school and before we even got started were receiving SOOP ideas from Ghana, Mexico, Argentina, and South Korea.

That said, it’s the boy who drew the country who gets the final say in what SOOP we’ll be making that week. (Hopefully keeping them interested and invested in their SOOPs).

Where are you getting your recipes?

The recipes are created entirely by us based on ideas from people we know and research in cookbooks + online.  Generally, we will gather as many versions of our selected recipe as we can find and select the techniques and ingredients we want to use in our own creation.  Then, as we cook, the recipe gets amended to its final version.  If ever we are using a recipe that is by someone else we will be sure to note it and credit the chef.

Are your recipes 100% traditional?

We TRY to keep is as close to traditional as we can, but, well, some ingredients are hard to find, some techniques are easier thanks to modern technology, and some flavor profiles need to be a little more kid/American palate friendly.  So, please don’t get your knickers in a twist if it’s not the way your mom made it; we’re doing our best.  That said, if I either REALLY nailed it or REALLY missed the mark, please visit me over on my Facebook page and tell me all about it!

Can I suggest a recipe?

Yes!  Please!  You can submit any suggestions to cooksoop at gmail or on my Facebook page.
Thank you!

 Are all your recipes GLUTEN FREE?  Why?

Yes, all SOOPS will be gluten-free.  Why?  Because I can’t eat gluten.  It’s not that I just don’t eat gluten and wouldn’t love to eat gluten; it’s that I can’t.  If I do my hair falls out, my joints ache, my skin breaks out in rashes, and my digestion, well probably T.M.I.

Will things still taste good without gluten?  You bet!  I’ve been cooking gluten-free for nearly 3 years now and have all kinds of tricks up my sleeve for gluten-free hacks of some of my favorite foods.  Sometimes, we will be substituting gluteny products with “safe” ones to make a slightly less traditional version of our selected SOOPs, but whenever possible, we will simply select a SOOP that needs no modification from the beginning.

Are you really ONLY going to make soup?  I mean, isn’t your husband a reluctant soup eater??

Yes and no.  We are going to make a SOOP every weekend, but the rest of the week, he will get a reprieve – unless he chooses to have leftovers.  🙂  I may occasionally post dishes that are either totally random, from my “best of” files, or needed for a recipe that’s coming up.  I’ve created a special category (“not soup”) just for those posts.  I hope you enjoy them.