I don't know about you, but I just got out my flannel sheets for the season, and after a long summer of showers I've been taking long hot baths. Yep, it's nearly winter again, and it's cold out.

All summer long all I wanted to eat was salads, salads, and more salads, but when the weather turns I'm ready for something more comforting. That's right: it's soup weather! Hooray!

There are few things more satisfying to cook and eat than soup. It's easy, warm, and it fills you up. If you make a big pot, you have dinner for a week. If you make a hearty batch, all you need is some bread and cheese, and you've got a great dinner. It's also a fantastic way to use up all the various vegetables you have on hand.

There are many great soup recipes out there in the world (here are just a few to start you off). If you're tempted to try your hand at improvising, though, soup is a great place to try cooking without a safety net.

Nearly all the soups I make go something like this:

1. Saute onions
2. Add garlic, 2 bay leaves and spices/herbs and cook 30 seconds
3. Add vegetables and/or cooked beans, and broth or water
4. Simmer until all ingredients are tender
5. Puree all or part of the soup if desired
6. Adjust seasonings
7. Eat and enjoy!

In terms of seasonings, here are some basic ideas to use on nearly any combination of vegetables:

• African peanut soup: cayenne, fresh ginger, tomato juice, & peanut butter (great with cabbage and sweet potatoes)
• Middle Eastern lentil soup: cayenne, rosemary, tomato paste, & lemon with lentils and spinach
• Italian minestrone-style soup: Olive oil, balsamic vinegar, rosemary, and garlic with tomatoes and other fresh vegetables; throw in some small uncooked pasta near the end and simmer till done, then serve with parmesan cheese
• Indian dal: coriander, cumin, fresh ginger, fresh green chili, & fresh cilantro with any split peas or mushy lentils
• Eastern European soup: dill, paprika, lemon juice, sour cream (especially good with mushrooms and root vegetables)
• Creamy squash soup: honey, cream, & cloves pureed with roasted or simmered squash or pumpkins (or a mix of squash, potatoes, and other root veggies)
• Black Bean soup: cumin, red pepper flakes, & cilantro, served with sour cream and limes

Don't be afraid to make it salty enough, and when you're adjusting flavorings be sure to keep in mind that a bit of acid balances most soups (adjust by adding balsamic vinegar or lemon juice). If you're going for frugality, dried beans take longer and are a bit of a hassle, but they're so cheap they might as well be free. If you have some cooked pasta or grains you could consider adding that at the end as well. Finally, don't be afraid to experiment; if you don't like it there's always a new pot to fill tomorrow.

If you follow these rough steps, you should end up with a tasty pot of warm, comforting soup that will make you glad it's finally winter again. Good luck!

Photo courtesy Heidi Swanson

The specific flavors of candy in other regions of the world varies from the usual "American" sweets we are accustomed to. This study involved a peer review of a random sampling of 17 different candies brought back from the country of Turkey. Each of the five tasters commented on the candy before giving it a rating on a scale of 0 to 10 (up to two decimal places). One tester was vegan, and did not score any candies with animal products (those candies with no animal products have been labeled vegan). Certain products were also tested by an additional taster after she finished her sandwich. The final score was the average score of the tasters who sampled that particular candy rounded to two decimal places. The total average score of the sample was 5.40, with the lowest score being 2.07 and the highest score being 8.40. Based on this testing it can be determined that Turkish candy rarely rises above average, but when it does, it does so with gusto.

Item #001 : Luflee - Avg. Rating 5.55

Rev. Schroeder: Weird. Light. Airy on the inside. (5.75)
Dr. Wainstock: Tastes like a ruined birthday, but still delicious. (7.12)
Dr. Hason: Tastes different than a canuck Aero. (5.41)
Prof. Merrill: Sorta slimy. (3.90)

Item #002 : Gofree - Avg. Rating 4.52

Rev. Schroeder: Tastes incredibly cheap. (6.88)
Dr. Wainstock: Nutter butter faster bar. Dislike. (5.01)
Dr. Hason: Very perfumy, not as strawberry as expected. I don't trust it. (4.17)
Prof. Merrill: Like strawberry wafer pocky. A perfumy aftertaste. (2.00)

Item #003 : ETI Joker - Avg. Rating 4.53

Rev. Schroeder: Weird nougat vibe. (5.27)
Dr. Wainstock: Smells like booze and rotten almonds. (5.14)
Dr. Hason: A very strange and odd nougat. (4.82)
Prof. Merrill: Ugh, defective milky way... (2.88)

Item #004 : Tofita - Avg. Rating 3.90

Dr. Bechtolt: SO GOOD! MY GOD! Sour cherry, then fermented cherry.. (4.00)
Rev. Schroeder: Everything is right and then everything goes wrong. (4.12)
Dr. Wainstock: Cherry paper. (3.14)
Dr. Hason: Initially good, and then loses its identity. (3.70)
Prof. Merrill: Like going from cherry to pulp and swallowing the pit. (4.55)

Item #005 : Kremini - Avg. Rating 8.21

Rev. Schroeder: Bad cherry pie. Maybe some dead apples and leaves in it. (7.89)
Dr. Wainstock: Tastes like an inviting tree. (8.23)
Dr. Hason: Very autumny and tasty. (8.00)
Prof. Merrill: Christmas delight. (8.70)

Item #006 : Olips - Avg. Rating 5.05

Dr. Bechtolt: Sweeter than most lozenges. Good for a dog with bad breath. (6.25)
Rev. Schroeder: Colored like boogers. Very menthol-y. Good on "E." (7.37)
Dr. Wainstock: The viscuis insides insult my taste. I hate it. (0.34)
Dr. Hason: Forest power will make you feel better. (6.25)
Prof. Merrill: Flavor's fine. The promise of juicy insides is terribly dissapointing. (6.57)

Item #007 : Tadelle - Avg. Rating 6.86

Rev. Schroeder: Doesn't sit right with Dr. Feelgood. Feels gross. (2.69)
Dr. Wainstock: Portable chocolate mousse with nuts. I love it. (9.11)
Dr. Hason: Marbled Belgiun seahorse. Yum. (7.95)
Prof. Merrill: Fancy. Glad I only had to eat 1/4. (7.69)

Item #008 : Relax Kids - Avg. Rating 2.87

Dr. Bechtolt: I can taste colors; Dr. Feelgood put something in my water. (6.90)
Rev. Schroeder: Za za za zowee, mmmm blech! (1.91)
Dr. Wainstock: Tastes like a whore's perfume. (1.11)
Dr. Hason: Flavor's gone in 11 seconds. Rosewater vibe. (3.00)
Prof. Merrill: It feels much better OUT of my mouth. (1.41)
Dr. South: It tastes like Hello Kitty™ gum. (Yummy)

Item #009 : Babol - Avg. Rating 4.77

Dr. Bechtolt: Perfume-y. Bleck, yuck. Yeck. (2.69)
Rev. Schroeder: Super strawb. Bubble gun-y texture. Liquid is enjoyable. Erotic. (8.17)
Dr. Wainstock: Good texture. Tastes like scratch-n-sniff. (3.13)
Dr. Hason: Summertime pool. (5.75)
Prof. Merrill: Too feminine. Like popping zits in my mouth. (4.13)
Dr. South: Tastes like Barbies™. (Cool)

Item #010 : ETI Wanted - Avg. Rating 4.69

Rev. Schroeder: Very rice-y. Really alienating... but something I like about it. (6.79)
Dr. Wainstock: Tastes like a rice cake that stepped in shit. (1.87)
Dr. Hason: Passover macaroon. (2.34)
Prof. Merrill: David Copperfield walking through the Great Wall of Rice. (7.77)

Item #011 : Pop Tip - Avg. Rating 7.79

Dr. Bechtolt: Slightly better than a Tic-Tac™. Mildly herbal. (7.89)
Rev. Schroeder: Caterpillar turing into a butterfly in my mouth. (7.83)
Dr. Wainstock: Peppermint sunrise. (8.08)
Dr. Hason: Nane-licious. (7.17)
Prof. Merrill: It's a mint. (5.00)
Dr. South: It is a round Tic-Tac™. (mmmmmm.)

Item #012 : First - Avg. Rating 5.09

Dr. Bechtolt: Quite possibly the best chewing gum ever invented by Man or Whale. (9.69)
Rev. Schroeder: Berry cocktail? More like berry cock-tease. (4.20)
Dr. Wainstock: Don't like the crystals. (4.10)
Dr. Hason: An army of flavor is marching. I am weary. (3.23)
Prof. Merrill: Too sweet. (4.25)
Dr. South: Pooey. (N/A)

Item #013 : Missbon - Avg. Rating 8.40

Rev. Schroeder: Very coffee-y. Eating a coffee candle. High on the bean. (7.41)
Dr. Wainstock: Tastes like the water-cooler at work. (8.12)
Dr. Hason: Mmmm. Coffee. (8.32)
Prof. Merrill: Perfection. (10.0)

Item #014 : Ulke Viva - Avg. Rating 5.46

Dr. Bechtolt: I can't feel my legs. (6.90)
Rev. Schroeder: Nane-lusious. (4.90)
Dr. Wainstock: Surprisingly mild. Tastes like Fantasm-balls. (1.94)
Dr. Hason: More pretty to look at than to eat. (4.00)
Prof. Merrill: Like a candy cane. (5.01)
Dr. South: Two thumbs way up!!! (10.0)

Item #015 : Cokonat - Avg. Rating 3.97

Rev. Schroeder: Coko-rut. (6.23)
Dr. Wainstock: Tastes depressing. (3.33)
Dr. Hason: Not really chocolate; too light. (2.40)
Prof. Merrill: Didn't we try this already? It makes my mustache hurt. (3.93)

Item #016 : Delete - Avg. Rating 7.00

Dr. Bechtolt: I can't feel my arms. (9.00)
Rev. Schroeder: Delete Altoids™. Insert Delete™. (8.48)
Dr. Wainstock: rm - rf tastebuds (3.03)
Dr. Hason: Such an adventure. (8.00)
Prof. Merrill: Power-mint with secret gum filling. (8.48)
Dr. South: SCH#%$!@&MMMM!!!! (5?)

Item #017 : Cin - Avg. Rating 3.07

Rev. Schroeder: Jelly-za. How can I sound like Jar Jar Binks? (6.84)
Dr. Wainstock: Tastes like pastel AIDS. (0.01)
Dr. Hason: Found in the aisle of Toys-R-Us™. (2.11)
Prof. Merrill: Tastes like it is for kids. (3.31)

Research conducted by: (L -> R) Dr. Shayla Hason, Prof. Mike "Dr. Poop" Merrill, Dr. Scott Wainstock, Dr. Jona "Dr. Boogers" Bechtolt, Dr. Kystal South, Rev. Steve "Dr. Feelgood" Schroeder

For additional photographs see the Flickr group

The always inspiring, supportive, and incredibly nice Shayla brought this soda loving man a treat from her recent traveling adventures in Turkey. Cola Turka (amazing Turkish flash intro on their website btw) is made by Ülker which appears to make many different kinds of chocolates and such and also has a TV station...maybe. The design for Cola Turka almost, and I repeat ALMOST has the vibe of an American grocery store generic cola in that it is simple, but it is soo much better. The white text on red and red text on white is classy and the stars are like super awesome clip art.

While getting deep on Cola Turka, I found a cool commercial that ya'll can check out.

I debated briefly whether or not to crack open the Cola Turka, but being a believer in the concept that things are meant to be experienced and not looked at (aka impatience) I promptly opened my Cola Turka not 24 hours after being presented with it. The taste was pleasant, it's closest relative being RC Cola, but not quite exactly RC. I would definitely drink Cola Turka again. A truly radical present, thank you very much Shayla.

Last night I stumbled upon this amazing product at 7-11 Rap Snacks. After checking out the selection--Sour Cream & Onion, Red Hot Riplets, Sour Cream & Extra Cheddar, Platinum Bar-B-Que, Bar-B-Que with Honey and Southern Crunk Barbeque--I went with the Crunk. Each flavor promotes a certain artist, so with my selection I had YoungBloodz. The back of the bag contains some artist bio information along with the claim "The Official Snack of Hip-Hop!"

(Also, apparently they are associated with Rock Snacks, which are naturally "The Offical Snack of Rock!" The Rock Snacks web site promotes "Stay Away From Guns" "Stay Close To Rock Snacks!", "Say No To Drugs" "Say Yes To Rock Snacks!")

So how did the Southern Crunk BBQ taste? Uhh, pretty good--kind of distinctive, but not really all that great with beer. After all, what good is a snack if it doesn't go with beer?!