Bean Soup: Political Delight on Capitol Hill

I must confess while the present temperatures, 15-25 degrees, are not quite agreeable to the needs of my warm-blooded body, the near zero figures have received a warm reception from my chicken soup sipping taste buds, and probably those in and around Des Moines, Iowa, last weekend where the National Weather Service had issued a winter storm and ice warning for Saturday, Dec. 1.

According to the special weather bulletin, a winter storm and ice warning was issued across parts of Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, the eastern Dakotas, Illinois and northern Michigan.

The cross-country storm, which blanketed the area with snow and ice as it pulled away to the east, caused airport delays and traffic nightmares in Des Moines, Chicago and Milwaukee. Also interrupted were the presidential campaign plans of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.

This fast moving winter storm with Senator Clinton in its midst reminded me of a story I read the other day in Craig Claiborne's New York Times Food Encyclopedia.

At that time, like now, the weather was wintry and cold. As I was feeling a bit bored with the customary steaming bowl of chicken noodle soup I decided to try something new to warm my insides. After browsing through my copy of the Joy of Cooking 75^th Anniversary Edition by Irma S. Rombauer and Marion Rombauer Becker and Ethan Becker, I decided on Senate Bean Soup.

While lunch was simmering, I headed back to my cookbooks and other food related books to learn more about the soup as its name had me convinced there must be a "behind the scenes" story for this dish. And there was, of course.

According to Claiborne, The New York Times Sunday Magazine (January, 23 1938), ran an article entitled, "Cookery of a Nation Centers in the Capitol." The article explained how the menus of both the US Senate and House of Representatives featured bean soup. The recipes were said to be identical except that the House of Representatives chef simmered the soup for four hours and added a bit of pork while the Senate chef, George Dietrich, simmered his soup for a shorter time.