Pea soup

Having enjoyed (split) pea soup in various locations around the country from the SoCal Desert to The 'Lake Effect' Upstate New York, and many places in between, I am now going to make a VERY Wandering Jew-Like statement.

  I have found that I like the thick pea soup described by many of you (and myself) much better when I am in a cold, nay...a Harshly Cold, Rural WINTER environment. Eating that soup in the 100 degree fall weather in the Mojave, or on a hot humid July day in Indiana, just isn't the same wonderful experience it was when I had difficulty seeing out the windows of that NY school cafeteria because the snow piled up on the building was covering the opening!

This is the first time EVER for me to actually agree with Dale's Philosophy of Regionized Roadfood Specialization. To me Sushi, Tacos, and Burgers can be found in good and poor quality all over the country and narrow menu items (Cincy Chili) is geografically remote...But Split Pea Soup  may appear nation-wide, but should only qualify for service in the climate belt for which it really shines !!!

Mayor Al ---- I love "green split pea" soup all year round but especially
when the winter temperature goes down below 70 here in St Pete.

I remember the best i ever had was in a NYCity Hotel dining room in the
middle of summer.  I think they may have added a little vino ---not
sure but I still remember how good it was. 

the ancient mariner


Mayor Al ---- I love "green split pea" soup all year round but especially
when the winter temperature goes down below 70 here in St Pete.

I remember the best i ever had was in a NYCity Hotel dining room in the
middle of summer.  I think they may have added a little vino ---not
sure but I still remember how good it was. 

Ancient One,
Some people add Sherry to their Creamer soups, much like adding a splash of Sherry to Turtle Soup. I wouldn't think of eating Turtle Soup without a splash of Sherry!

Mayor Al,
I think ALL HOT soups always taste better from Sept to March. That's the nature of what hot soups are supposed to be and cold soups taste better in the Summer.

Well, I guess I'm one of those that really enjoys soup all year round but I do agree that they are better in the winter! When I make split pea soup I usually use yellow peas. I find them to be a bit milder. I've been following this thread and then yester day on the Create channel they had all cooking shows all day that featured soup. I had saved the bones and a little meat from our leg of lamb we had on Christmas in the freezer. I bought one lamb shank at the supermarket yesterday and proceded to make a really hearty lamb vegetable soup for dinner last night. Delicious!

agnesrob


Well, I guess I'm one of those that really enjoys soup all year round but I do agree that they are better in the winter! 

As I mentioned in my previous post, I am with with you, I enjoy soup all year 'round=even in our 100 plus degree day

Soup de jour-----whether the weather is hot or cold----
we like soup.

Did you ever wonder where they find the manual labor who will so patiently sit (or stand) and "cleave" those peas so exactly "in twain"? It is a wonder that bags of Split Peas don't cost a fortune! I mean , they must have a large number of Peas that split 'unevenly'. Are those cast aside for use in 'Ordinary Pea Soup' or other dishes that don't require the even-handed "Split" process? Even if they have a one-for-one splitting ratio, that would still double the amount of actual 'splitting' to fill one bag of the 'Split Peas'.

We need to open a thread regarding the treatment of 'Pea Spliters'. Perhaps when I return to this thread, I will do it...right now I am headed off to conduct some serious 'Pea' business in another room in my house!       

Al, if you are serious wondering about the work involved in splitting peas, this Wikipedia article will help:
 
"Split peas are the dried peeled and split seeds of Pisum sativum.......They come in yellow and green varieties. The peas are round when harvested and dried. Once dry, the skin is removed and the natural split in the seed's cotyledon" (the central part of the pea) "can be mechanically separated, in part to encourage faster cooking."
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Split_pea

You can't take everything you read on Wikipedia as gospel you know.

6 Star,
  I can't coninue this charade. I was strictly tongue-in-cheek regarding the splitting of peas. Forgive me for taking advantage of your sense of humor. 

Splitting the peas is easy.
Peeling the peas is hard.

No mention of "My Way" is complete without a nod to THE KING. Elvis did a mighty fine version of it.

PapaJoe8, look at the package of dried peas. I will probably sat Split peas, because they cook up much faster than whole ones would. I call it split pea soup, also, so I think you are right.

mayor al


6 Star,
  I can't coninue this charade. I was strictly tongue-in-cheek regarding the splitting of peas. Forgive me for taking advantage of your sense of humor. 

Aww, shoot. I was remembering a great 'Avengers' episode where Steed was infiltrating the Hellfire Club, a group of modern-day 18th-century rakes. As part of his initiation he had to remove a pea from a table, on cue, before a cleaver-wielding member chopped it in two. I kind of hoped that's where split peas were made.

 I don't know if I can live with this intense feeling of guilt. First I subvert 6 Stars sense of Humor and now I destroy Vince's Childhood Memories.

What's next? Wandering Jews compulsive bipolar attachment to Smoothies ? Oops! I think I just let the cat out of the bag...so to speak. 

well, i once sipped soup of this kind. tasted good.

There once was a pea eating contest sponsored by the NY News or NY Post.

A plate of peas had to be consumed using only one hand and a butter knife.

Fastest to clean his plate was the winner.

Everyone tried to pick up the peas with the knife, but more rolled off than stayed on.

Very frustrating !!!

The winner just mashed the peas with the knife, and ate the mashed peas in a few seconds. 

The game does not always go to the swiftest nor strongest----but often to the little guy who uses the little gray cells.  Jenn-es-say-qua, Hercule ?????  
 
Excuse, please----that was supposed to be-------N'EST CE PAS (is it not so)  it is early in the morning and my old gray cells got tangled up.  Pardon, amigos. 

Ahhh, another example of the triumph of wisdom and experience over youth and enthusiasm. I love it.