The Kid at the Coffee Bean

Since Ari and I don’t have wi-fi in our place, my computer and I have to find other places so that I can get the Internet access needed in order to post for the blog. There are a couple of places that I frequent more than others, but one of my favorites is The Coffee Bean – amazing drinks, certified Kosher and thankfully dotted across the southland.

Last week, I had a special experience at my favorite Coffee Bean in Cerritos. I went into get a refill on my 32-ounce iced tea, and there was a small blonde kid talking to one of the baristas. There are a lot of high school kids who frequent this area, as it’s close to Cerritos High School. But unlike those kids who act like they’re wannabe punks, this kid was very different. He was talking to the barista, a blonde girl with piercings and a kind face.

“You’re talking like you’re so much older!” she said.

I then began to engage the kid in conversation (he told me his name, but I like this kid, so I want to protect him). When he spoke about his dreams of becoming an architect and going to USC. He then told me about his dad – an electrical engineer and immigrant to America who came with only $50 in his pocket. He was a sweet and nice kid excited for the rest of his life.

This conversation was only for several minutes of small chitchat, but it had a profound affect on me. I was amazed and inspired by him. When I was his age, I felt similarly to the way he did – I wanted to take over the world. I had different dreams than he did (I for one did not want to become an architect). How did I lose that energy? I even felt that way five years ago, that I was able to do everything and anything that I wanted, and nothing was off-limits.

I guess the world happened. I went out and found out that not all my dreams were to become realities, and that people – and life – often got in the way. Unemployment knocked me down a few pegs, not to mention abusive bosses. My dreams changed. My life changed. I changed. Perhaps I became too jaded or felt that I wasn’t good enough. Or maybe I didn’t want to delude myself into thinking that I was the next this-or-that. Trust me, delusion is far from pretty.

But the truth is that we shouldn’t throw away our dreams. I realized when looking at him that we can still be hopeful. We can still go for it. It really doesn’t matter how old we are – if we’re 14 like the kid or about to turn 28 like I am on Wednesday – the world should be our oyster. Nothing should hold us back.

So I encourage you all to THINK BIG (I even put it in all caps to emphasize the point). Perhaps we should all learn to think like my little ambitious 14-year-old friend and feel that the world is unlimited to us.

So in honor of my new Coffee Bean friend, I want to dedicate a recipe. Although it may be summertime, I feel that there is something about soup that is all about the possibility that lies before us. The French say that one of the greatest tests of a chef is to make a fabulous soup, as it is something that is basic and truly speaks of the person who is making it. I picked this soup because it reminds me of him: unusual yet bright.

This Peanut Butter soup is adapted from the Mount Vernon Inn in Virginia. I changed the tastes to my liking, but it does speak a lot to where we came from in America and what I added to the pot. Peanut soup was a traditional soup in colonial times, and I add my favorite flavors to bring it up to my sense of taste. Best part: You probably have most of the ingredients in your kitchen.

PEANUT BUTTER SOUP

1 medium onion

2 cloves garlic

¼ cup margarine or butter

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

8 cups water plus 8 teaspoons chicken bullion

1 cup smooth peanut butter

1 tablespoon Worcester Sauce (see Kosher Alert!)

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon chopped thyme, or one tablespoon za’atar

Heat the water and broth in a saucepan. Make sure it’s not overly boiling, but still hot enough for steam to rise. Saute the onion and garlic in the margarine in a large soup pot. Stir in the flour to make a roux. It should be light to a golden brown.

Add the chicken broth little by little in order to maintain the thickness of the soup. Bring the mixture to a boil. Add the peanut butter, Worcester sauce, bay leaf and thyme. Stir and allow to simmer over a low heat until ready to serve. Garnish with a small sprig of parsley.

KOSHER ALERT!: Worcester sauce has many goodies in it that give flavor, but it also has fish. In kosher tradition, meat cannot be served on the same plate as fish, although they can be served during the same meal. I recommend using a pareve bullion in that case.