My mom really wasn’t a great cook, which I sometimes think is why I was so interested in food and cooking. She had four kids and making dinner every night was not a thrill for her, to say the least. But she did have her specialties like barbecued steak and great California salads. And this delicious soup is the taste memory I think about and make when it’s cold and I’m feeling nostalgic. I prepare a pot of this and invite friends to stop by and have a casual dinner.
This hearty reinterpretation of my mom’s mushroom barley and flanken soup is chock-full of both pungent dried mushrooms and fresh cremini and shitake mushrooms. Feel free to select your favorite dried mushroom to create your personal stamp; follow the same soaking directions.
