January is, by far, my least favorite month.
The holidays with all their glitz and glitter are over. Sunrise is at 7:15 a.m., and sunset is around 4:45 p.m., roughly 9 1/2 hours of daylight. We’ve been in a deep freeze for a couple of weeks, although as I write this, it’s a balmy 40 F. I almost want to sit on my deck in the sun, but of course, there is no sun.
I’m in hibernation mode. I leave the house only when I have to — for work, doctors’ appointments, going to the gym and groceries. My living room couch has become my refuge. I curl up on it the first thing in the morning with a large mug of caramel swirl cappuccino and a book, under a heated throw I got for Christmas. And there I stay for hours, sometimes never getting out of my pajamas. Instead of observing a dry January (I slipped and had a glass of wine the other night), I have dedicated the month to very little television and a lot more reading.
So far, I’ve read seven books since ushering in the new year. I recently became aware of Ruth Reichl, world-renowned food critic for the Los Angeles Times and New York Times, and former editor-in-chief of Gourmet magazine. I started with “Save Me the Plums,” her memoir about her tenure as the editor of Gourmet. I’m now in the middle of “Garlic and Sapphires,” her account of being a food critic for the New York Times — sometimes in disguise. The book also includes recipes and some of her restaurant reviews. Waiting in the wings is “The Paris Novel,” her first work of fiction. And so many more of her books are waiting for me.
Soup has become another refuge for me. There is nothing like a hot bowl of soup — or two — on a dark, dreary, freezing-cold January day. My most recent soup-making foray was French onion soup, inspired when I was cleaning out a kitchen cabinet and rediscovered my set of onion soup crocks. The recipe I swear by is one that came with a set of soup crocks we received as a wedding gift in 1981. Since, then, it’s become one of my go-to recipes — the original crocks were lost in a house fire 16 years ago, but the recipe lives on …
ONION SOUP
Makes four very generous servings
INGREDIENTS
6 large onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 tablespoons butter, divided
6 cups regular-strength beef broth or rich meat broth
Salt and pepper
1/3 cup port
1/2 cup diced Gruyere or Swiss cheese
Dry-toasted French bread (directions follow)
1/2 cup shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
DIRECTIONS
In a 3- or 4-quart pan on medium-low heat, cook onions slowly and uncovered in olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter until limp and caramel-colored, but not browned. (It usually takes about 40 minutes.) Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and stir in the port. (If made ahead, cover and chill until the next day. Reheat to continue.)
Pour into four individual ovenproof soup bowls. Sprinkle an equal amount of diced Gruyere cheese into each bowl and set a piece of toast on top. Sprinkle equally with shredded Gruyere and Parmesan. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter and drizzle evenly over the toast.
Place soup in a 425 F oven for 10 minutes; then broil about 4 inches from the heat just until the cheese browns lightly on the top. Serve
Dry-toasted French bread: Cut four slices of French bread, each 1/2-inch thick. Place on a baking sheet in a 325 F oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Spread each piece with butter or margarine.