The year begins, with onion soup

BUON CAPO D'ANNO RAGAZZI!  Annalena was quite wound up with the holiday preparations that make us all crazy at this time of the year.  But now, she's baaaaaaaaaaack, and hopes all of you are too.

The time of indulgence is OVER carini.  It's time to get back to basics, with things that are REASONABLE.  For example, and Annalena is very sensitive to this one:  if your resolution is to go to the gym, do not resolve to go every day if you do not go at all right now, for you will fail.  Shoot for twice a week.  If you already go, sporadically,  do not pledge to do five miles of roadwork if you are only doing one, now.  Go for two.  Annalena has pledged to add an extra day of cardio to her gym visits, which are three a week with her awesome trainer Melissa.

On the food level, Annalena would like to suggest that everyone try to make SMALL changes to their eating habits.  If, for example, you are eating red meat four times a week, try to bring it down to three.  Or - here's another easy one for you cooks out there.  Stop eyeballing for a month, and measure.  You will be surprised.

On the healthier eating level, Annalena wishes to start with a dish  that she saw in the New  York Times, courtesy of David Tanis, which she has altered, in a way that she thinks will make things much easier for all of you.  It certainly did for her.

We ALL love French onion soup, don't we?  Now, let us have a show of hands:  how many can say that, the last time they had it in a restaurant, they were satisfied with it?  Certainly not Annalena.  She has responded to it, very often, with "good, but not great. "  She is going to show you, courtesy of David Tanis, how to make a great one,  and make it for so little money, you will just be astounded.

Now, forewarned for all of you:  this is a vegetarian soup. It can be a vegan soup if you leave out Annalena's finish (which is NOT the cheese crust you're used to); however, there is wine in it.  The alcohol will cook away, but if you have no wine in the house, you can't drive the alcohol out of it.  Annalena needs to suggest that you use beef stock if you do not use the red wine, but then... it is not vegetarian anymore.

But let's begin.  First, the onions.  You will need three pounds of  the red ones.  You're using the red ones for color, so please do not substitute the yellow ones.  In her Whole Foods Store, Annalena could get three pounds of organic red onions for 4 dollars.  Peel them, and slice them thin.  This is one where, while you do not need a surgeon's knife, you will want to cut them thin.  As thin as you can.  This will take you a while to do.    Then, peel eight cloves of garlic, and chop them roughly.  Put them aside, and collect also a couple of bay leaves, and some herbs.  Now, the original recipe called for a full bunch of thyme.  Annalena did not have thyme, so she used two branches of rosemary.  This aspect of the dish is one where you have to go with your taste buds.

Let's start to cook.  Get two pans that will fit at the front of your stove going.  Get them hot, and add a tablespoon of olive oil to each of them.  Now, add sliced onions to cover the pan.  Add a sprinkle of salt, and a turn of fresh pepper.  Lower the heat to medium high, and get set for a ten minute cook.  You will want to stir them occasionally, but not that often.  Let's say every two minutes.  Show some patience. Annalena has trouble with this step, but if you are not patient, you will not get good color on those onions you worked so hard to slice.  After ten minutes, dump them into a soup pot.  You're going to have some residue.  Add a cup of water to both pans, and stir, while the water boils off to about half a cup.  Pour this over the onions.  Keep at it until you're done.  You may be there for 30-40 minutes, but that is the nature of this beast.

When you're done, add a cup of red wine, the dry kind .  Any type will do, as long as it's something you would  drink.  Also add the bay leaves, and the garlic.  Bring this to a boil, and cook at medium heat for 5 minutes.  Then, add 8 cups of water, and two teaspoons of salt to this, bring it to the boil, and then lower the heat, and simmer for 45 minutes.

The soup will cook down a lot.  Wait until you're done, and then taste it before you adjust for salt.  Do your best to pull out the rosemary, and the bay leaves.

You're done.  But this is not really a very satisfying main dish as it is.  So, if you want to do cheese toasts on the top, go for it.  Annalena made spaetzle.  Refer back to the recipe so many of you read for how to do it.   Then, run them under cold water, and add them directly to the soup.  You do it this way to keep them from sucking up all the liquid.

You will have 3 quarts of amazing goodness, and you haven't spent much money.  Onions, water, left over wine, garlic.  And then for the spaetzle:  flour, 2 eggs, a cup and a half of milk.    And you can share this with your friends, seduce someone for the New Year if such is your resolution.

Please make this at least once, ragazzi.  It may very well become a regular feature of your winter menu.  And if you doll it up, please let us know what you did.