The late, great Marcella Hazan is gone, sadly. She was the ultimate authority on Italian cuisine. Thankfully, her cookbooks live on. She had a recipe for chickpea soup that’s guaranteed to warm body and soul on winter nights (suggest you Google the recipe). Marcella often said that a recipe was “a suggestion”. It was up to the cook to make it personal and original. BSK made the chickpea soup last night and it was fabulous. HG saw BSK add canned San Marzano tomatoes to two cans of Goya Garbanzos, plus chopped onions, garlic, chicken broth—and what else? What made it inimitable? BSK cooked it and turned into a puree with deft use of an immersion blender. HG topped a steaming bowl with a splash of olive oil and a sprinkle of hot sauce. Happiness!! Marcella was a very good cook. HG/BSK lunched on splendid zuppa di pesce at the Hazan apartment in Venice. BSK accompanied Marcella on the fish buying at the Rialto market (BSK was allergic to shrimp at the time and Marcella was affronted by this). Victor Hazan, Marcella’s husband, was a wine authority and the luncheon wines were perfect. As for Marcella, she drank bourbon whiskey (this didn’t please Victor).
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