December 26th

Have eaten the big roast beef dinner the previous evening, I felt guilty and thought I needed to make something that I could pretend was healthier. I love legumes and hadn’t cooked any in a while, so I opted to make some lentil soup. I had just finished smoking some bacon I had cured and cut a small piece off because cured pork is so good with bean soups. This one was fairly simple. I sautéed onions, carrots, celery, and the bacon, added the lentils and then some chicken stock. I added a few sprigs of thyme out of the garden and two bay leaves and turned it down to a simmer. When the lentils were done I served it with some grated grana padano cheese on top.

Even with the bacon and cheese in it, I could pretend it was a healthy meal (even if it might not have been), but. After the excess of Christmas dinner and the great wine, I chose to go with beer instead. I had a homebrewed Belgian Golden ale that was made with a combination of the La Chouffe yeast and the Duvel yeast. It had cleared out and was brilliantly gold with a classic spicy, Duvel like aroma and a hint of orange. It was a little bigger than the soup needed but it was a nice beer that goes well with food. Simple and less extravagant than the night before but satisfying in a way that most simple foods are.