Since fall-type weather comes a bit later here in Texas, I have been craving soup for a very long time. I made a pact with myself that on the first cold day (when I have to wear a long sleeve) I am definitely making soup … any soup! I don’t like to make soup the weather is hot because it just doesn’t seem right. And I don’t want to make cold soup because that just sounds weird. I might as well be eating unheated Ramen or Campbell’s.

I decided to make Menudo. I chose this stew because the broth is chili based and chili promotes immunity (which I am lacking as I sniffle and write this article). Menudo is a Mexican soup primarily made of chilies, animal spare parts (like the stomach and intestinal lining, and hominy (a puffy type of corn). I’ve once heard that Menudo is good for curing hangovers. This would have been a perfect dish for drunk Bree.

The thought of using animal spare parts (think ears and noses) make me want to gag. And that’s not very Bree-like is it? So, as usual, I am using vegetarian proteins in place of these “spare parts.”

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Part of being a perfect housewife is knowing how to cook at least one decent dish from every major international culture. This dish is derived from the Latin American. Bree could probably learn a thing or two from the real life Gabriel Solis, Eva Longoria. I read in an interview that she makes to-die-for tamales and enchiladas!

I’ve been adjusting and experimenting with this recipe for a couple of months now. It just took so much time and energy to cook it each time! Each batch got a little better until it was just right. After tonight’s batch of delicious filled corn husks, I am finally ready to post it!

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“I remember the easy confidence of her smile the gentle elegance of her hand the refined warmth of her voice.”

-Desperate Housewives - Episode 01.03 - Pretty Little Picture

If you remember at the beginning of Mary Alice’s traditional narration, there is a scene where Bree displays her “gentle elegance” by pouring alcohol on the dinner entree and lighting it.

I’ve seen this performed once in real life in a Greek restaurant. I ordered a side of flaming goat cheese because it just sounded interesting. The waiter poured brandy on the cheese block and lit it. The subsequent flame quickly consumed the liquor and all that was left was sizzling, browned cheese.

I thought that it would be fun to add a “flambé” entree to my cooking repertoire. A flaming entree brings elegance and grandeur to the dish and exhibits the expertise of the cook.

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