A Levantine version of Gazpacho, substituting eggplant for the cucumbers.

• 2 green peppers, skinned and seeded
• 2 small eggplants, skinned and seeded
• 6 T olive oil
• 3 cups yogurt
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 2 cloves of garlic, pressed
• a pinch each of Cayenne and powdered mint

Cooked minced peppers and eggplants in oil very gently for about 15 minutes; do not brown. When soft, mash finely, and mix with all other ingredients. Chill overnight and serve ice-cold.

• 2 peeled seeded cucumbers, finely cubed
• 2 cloves pressed garlic
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp salt

Mix garlic, cucumbers and olive oil. Let stand.

Bring water to a boil, add salt, and cornstarch mixed to a smooth paste with 3 tablespoons of cold water. Stir until thick and smooth.

Pour cornstarch mixture over cucumbers. Cool, and slowly add the cream, stirring constantly. Chill overnight and serve ice-cold.

• 4 cups chicken consommé (soup packets dissolved in water)
• 2 cloves of garlic, pressed
• 1 small white onion, grated
• 1 large ripe tomato, peeled and seeds removed
• 1 cucumber, peeled and seeded
• ½ sweet red pepper, seeds removed
• 4 T cooked rice
• 2 T olive oil

Dice tomato, cucumber and red pepper; combine all the ingredients, mix thoroughly and chill overnight.

12 Cherrystone clams
3 shallots
2 cups water
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
1 cup heavy whipped cream

Place scrubbed clams in a deep sauce pot, sprinkle with olive oil, add water, parsley and minced shallots. Steam the clams open over a medium flame (10-15 minutes), while whipping the cream. Then strain the clam broth into 4 cups, add three shelled clams to each serving, top with a generous tablespoon of the whipped cream, dusted with paprika.

Cold soups are for warm evenings, to be followed by an omelet, salad, fresh fruit and coffee.

All cold soups are two-step cookery, of course, since they require time to chill.

• ½ dried chili pepper
• 3 large avocados
• 2 cups chicken comsomme
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt

Mix the crumbled chili pepper with the meat of 2 avocados, and crush to a pulp with a potato masher.

Force this mixture through a sieve into the top of a double boiler, and add the chicken broth (either a can of consomme or dissolved packets of MBT).

Heat over direct heat until the soup boils, then place over hot water; add the cream, mix thoroughly, cover and again heat to boiling point.

Skin and seed the third avo­cado and cut into small chunks.

At the last moment before serving, add these chunks to the soup, plus salt and pepper.

• 1 pound of snowpeas (or very young fresh peas in pods)
• 1 small Boston lettuce
• 2 small white onions
• 1 handful of fresh spinach (about a cup)
• 1 T flour
• 2 T butter
• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 cups thin cream
• salt, pepper, sugar
• 1 sprig of fresh mint (1/2 tsp dried mint)

Coarsely chop all the vegetables and fresh mint—use peas without shelling.
Melt butter, add vegetables and stir occasionally for about 5 minutes over low heat. Sprinkle flour over vegetables and stir gently until all is absorbed and smooth.

Add boiling water very gradually, stirring constantly to prevent flour lumps. Add the milk, stir smooth, and season to taste with salt, pepper, and a generous pinch of sugar.

Simmer 20 minutes, strain into soup cups, and top with a dusting of paprika.

This is a hearty soup from Middle Europe, to be served with pumpernickel.

• 1 quart beer
• 1 quart water
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 egg yolks

Combine beer and water, bring to a boil, and add sugar and butter. Simmer for 25 minutes.

Beat egg yolks thor­oughly; add cream and beat again very thoroughly. Finally add a little of the hot beer to cream and egg mixture—very slowly, stirring constantly to prevent curdling.

Return the mixture to the saucepan, and heat for 5 minutes, but do not allow the soup to boil.

A typically Russian dish

• 6 cups chicken stock (or 6 packs MBT Chicken Consomme powder dissolved in 6 cups hot water)
• 1 teaspoon cumin seed
• 3 boiled potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup sweet heavy cream
• 1 T flour
• salt, pepper

Combine stock, seasonings and cumin seed in a saucepan, bring to the boil and simmer 10 minutes.

Make a smooth paste of the flour and sour cream; pour a cup of hot stock onto it, beating until smooth, and add this mixture to the pot of stock.

Stir thoroughly, add the sweet cream and potatoes, and simmer 10 minutes over very low heat. Do not allow the soup to boil after adding the sweet cream.

Serve hot.

A Greek chicken-lemon soup, extremely simple to make

• 5 cups chicken bouillon (dissolve soup packets in 5 cups of water, or use tinned consommé)
• ¼ cup plain rice
• 2 eggs
• juice of a lemon
• seasonings (salt, pepper, paprika)

Bring the bouillon to a boil, add rice and simmer 20 min­utes. Meanwhile, beat eggs with lemon juice; add 1/4 cup of the hot bouillon and blend, stirring constantly.

Remove the soup pot from heat and combine with egg-lemon mixture, season with salt, pepper and paprika, and serve very hot.

This soup may be kept hot for a few minutes, but should never be allowed to boil again after the egg mixture has been added.

A very special richly delicious soup, to be followed by a chef’s salad, fresh fruit and coffee.

• ½ pound fresh crab meat—or 1 can cleaned Geisha crab meat
• ½ cup dry sherry
• ½ can condensed pea soup
• ½ can condensed tomato soup
• 1 cup heavy cream

Mix the crab meat with sherry and let it stand. Combine soups and cream and bring to a boil very slowly.

Reduce heat sharply, add the crab meat and sherry, and simmer for 10 minutes, adding a little extra milk or cream if the soup is too thick.
Serve in soup bowls with a tablespoon of dry sherry added to each.