My grandma was famous for her homemade chicken soup. My mom learned how to make it over the years. Of course it never tasted quite like grandma’s but my mom’s had its own special powers. It’s the kind of soup you make when you’re feeling sickly or just plain cold. I learned how to make it from my mom and I’ve always wanted another soup that was just that good.
A couple of weeks ago a friend came in the bookstore and shared a “happy” with me. It was a cookbook from the Little Flower café in Pasadena, California, along with a heavenly bag of salty caramel chews. I had never heard of the cookbook but it got my attention with a clean and simple layout. There were also pictures with every recipe!
I took Little Flower home and read Christine Moore’s story. You know how hard times can bring out the best in you? Well, Christine certainly came out of a tough time. Her candy business was in storage and her family was struggling with a teetering mortgage but she came out brave and on top. With the support of friends and family, she took the helm of a bakery that was closed and reopened as Little Flower two weeks later.
I like how Christine describes her approach to cooking and baking:
I’m not a classically trained chef. I’m a baker who fell into making candy and, later, running a café. My recipes are simple and approachable. I love the imperfection of food, and my hope with this book is to encourage home cooks to join me in honoring this imperfection. The goal is not to create masterpieces. It’s to have fun, keep it simple, keep it fresh and don’t overthink it. Make your cooking process enjoyable. Surround yourself with people who appreciate your efforts, then go for it. Play when you cook. And embrace the imperfections.
Most of all, cook with love. It is the most precious ingredient.
I think this is why Christine’s Spanish Chickpea Soup reminds me of my grandma’s chicken soup. My grandma threw that soup together over and over with love. And now my mom and I do, too. Each time we make the soup it’s a little different but it always comes with love.
Now I’m just left to wonder which recipe I’ll chose next: the carrot ginger dressing or the buttermilk pretzel rolls, or the ginger molasses cookies or the (super) green soup . . . so many yummy things!
Christine Moore is the owner of Little Flower Candy Co., and the chef/owner of the Little Flower café in Pasadena, California. A pastry chef who trained in Paris and Los Angeles, Moore left the professional kitchen to have children and fell into candy making. Thirteen years later, she sells her candy nationwide and has developed a passionate following for her simple, exceptionally flavorful food at the café.
Little Flower found a home in our great big cooking section!
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