Soup and a Sandwich

Nothing satisfies the soul of Cafe Drake so deeply as a bowl of steaming homemade soup and a toasted warm sandwich - especially on a rainy, chilly November weekend evening. We whipped this up in no time flat and promptly tucked in to all while slurping up missed episodes of Gossip Girl.

CREAM OF BROCCOLI SOUP

3 scallions, chopped green and white sections / 1 dried red chile / 1 T. each butter and olive oil / 1 large bunch broccoli, chopped coarsely / 1 small potato, peeled and diced / 1 14 oz. can vegetable stock / salt, pepper, nutmeg / 3 T (or more) heavy cream

1. Fry scallions and chile in oil/butter mixture over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add broccoli and potato. Stir-fry for 1 more minute.


2. Add stock and one can of water, bring to a boil, cover and cook on low for 15 minutes or so.


3. Allow soup to cool slightly then puree all in a blender.


4. Return to warm pot, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add cream and heat through until very hot. Serve at once with cheese pockets (recipe below).

PITA HOT CHEESE POCKETS

Slice top off mini-pitas and place as many as you'd like on a baking sheet. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Now, since it's cold, pour a generous glass of brandy for yourself and sit down for 5 minutes with a magazine. Get up and mix in a large bowl: about 1 cup of grated cheddar cheese, 1 cup of cottage cheese, 2 chopped hot green chiles and 1 T. prepared horseradish. Stir all well and salt to taste. Stuff this mixture into pita pockets and toast till browned and bubbling. This should take 5 minutes so careful not to burn this fragile bread.