Is Life Just a Vichyssoise?
Is life just a cold mashup of common things? Or is it comforting, wholesome, and deeply satisfying? Perhaps it’s either or both, depending upon our perspective!
An off schedule post
This is an off-schedule post. That means something different or interesting is going on that warrants paying attention to. So, my friends, read on to find out more!
Introduction
I love using analogies to tell stories, and I love telling stories that help people in their quest to…Live their best life! Today’s post is an interesting story that suggests life is either good or bad, depending on our perspective and what we make of it. And, in summary, if we decide we need to change, it’s as simple as making that decision and then acting on it! As you read on, enjoy the story, but don’t miss the lesson in it.
A soup story
Let me tell you how this post came about. I’ve written in the past about how interesting and amazing it is when things come together perfectly, and that is really the case here. Many of you know that I also love to cook (because I love to eat! Duh!), I published a cookbook just last year (see Note 4 to get your own copy!). I also collect a lot of recipes and cook a variety of foods and have been doing so for many years. The other day, I was sorting some of my latest recipe additions and adding them to my collection (over 8500 now!) when I stumbled onto a problem.
You see, I keep all my recipes on paper in three-ring binders, and I place them in a recipe holder when I cook, so I have them readily available to view while I’m preparing my next delicious dish. Many are also stored electronically, but magazine and newspaper clippings, while I could have scanned them, were just placed in the binders. I have an index in an Excel spreadsheet (You purists will tell me I should have them in a database such as Microsoft Access, so I concede the point already), sorted by food category and then by several other criteria so I can find any recipe in a jiffy. And if I can’t, the Excel search function will do it for me. For example, a grilled cheese sandwich would be stored as Main Dish, Sandwich, Cheese, Grilled. A pimento cheese sandwich would be stored as Main Dish, Sandwich, Cheese, Pimento. I also categorize recipes by country of origin. What is interesting, and pertinent to today’s post, is that many countries have very similar dishes that may be called different names and are prepared in a similar manner. I’m thinking this is mostly a result of migration over the years and people bringing their favorite foods to their new homes. Do you see what a technical career does to a person? Everything must be in logical order! Aaarrrggghhh!
Ok, so I found a new soup recipe, a leek and potato soup that looked delicious, so I saved it and pondered when I could make it. When I went to file it, I found that leek and potato soup was called different things, but I did not know the difference between them. One recipe was called cold leek and potato soup, one recipe was called vichyssoise, one was called potato and leek soup, and a couple were called leek and potato soup. As you can imagine from what I just told you about my sorting system, they were stored in different locations under different names, even though they are essentially the same foods. And, the point is, I’m not sure I could have found what I wanted to prepare a leek and potato, or potato and leek, soup. Oh, and maybe I want to make a cold soup or a warm soup. Ugh…I trust you see the problem…
Well, after some research, I now know the difference between all of these, how to sort them, and what I’m going to do now is tell you about it and make the point of this post.
What is vichyssoise
Have you ever heard of vichyssoise? No? Well, let me educate you! Vichyssoise is a thick, creamy soup made with leeks, onions, potatoes, cream, and chicken stock as its main ingredients. It is then pureed and served cold. Hmm, OK, Cold? Well, the only other soup I’ve been around that’s served cold is gazpacho, which is a southern Spanish soup made with raw vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and garlic, all blended and served, as I mentioned, cold. While I enjoy just about any food you would put in front of me, I’ll just say that I’ll eat gazpacho, but it would not be a choice of mine. I think it’s just a mental block saying that soup should be warm, not cold. Cold soup is what I get when I let it sit too long before eating it…So, when I heard that vichyssoise is served cold, like gazpacho, I just thought, meh…
It turns out that there is an interesting story about vichyssoise. Perhaps my reason for saying “meh” is more a matter of my lack of culture than anything. Here’s the story. The soup was developed in the 1910’s by a French chef named Louis Diat, who recreated a warm soup from his childhood in Vichy, France, that is called potage parmentier. His mother would make this warm soup, and he would add cold milk to it during the summer. Later, as an adult and after becoming a chef, Chef Diat, while in New York, served the soup cold at the Ritz-Carlton’s rooftop garden in 1917, and he initially called it Crème Vichyssoise Glacée, or "Iced Cream of Vichy." Huh, who knew? Interestingly, vichyssoise can not only be served cold, but it can also be served at room temperature or even warmed. It’s also considered an American-born, French-inspired food. Yikes!
Enter now the Italian version of leek and potato soup, called zuppa di porri e patate. Part of the “issue”, not a problem per se, but an issue, is that I subscribe to or have subscribed to numerous magazines and online publications from several countries, such as the USA, Italy, Germany, Japan, the UK, one that includes all of Europe, and Australia. Keeping all these lingos straight is a job, as you can imagine. Just think of a tyre, as opposed to a tire and you get the idea.
No wonder I was having so many problems! So I laid my collection of leek and potato (or potato and leek) soup recipes side by side, and did some research to understand what I had. And now, you see, I could sort them in a logical order by their proper name so that all leek and potato (or potato and leek), hot or cold could be grouped together so I could look at all of them at once. Not only did I get my recipe book in order, but I learned something in the process. This is what I call a win-win day.
The point
So here is the point of all of this, and I’ll ask you to consider carefully what I’m about to say. When you think of your life, how would you describe it to someone close to you? Not a stranger, casual friend, or a business associate, because we tend to use a lot of happy talk around others. But what I mean is perhaps your sibling, maybe your spouse, a very close friend, or mentor? If they asked you, “How is it going? How is your life?” What would you honestly tell them from your heart?
Is your life like a vichyssoise? A mash-up of various ingredients and experiences served cold? If this is the case, I’d like to think it can be transformed, like Chef Diat’s childhood soup, into something wonderful and served on a white tablecloth to New York’s elite at the Ritz-Carlton. If this is the case for you, perhaps you suffer from homeostasis, which we described in a post from a few weeks ago as the tendency toward a relatively stable equilibrium between interdependent elements, especially as maintained by physiological processes (Note 1). Or said another way, in a term we can understand, resistant to change. Perhaps even if we know we need to. For example, I suffer from this particular condition when it comes to one area in my life. My weight. I’d love to lose 30 pounds. I know exactly what to do. Doing it is another matter. And I know it. I’m avoiding doing what I need to do to lose those 30 pounds. Guess what? I’m not the only one!
Or, perhaps your life is like some of my recipes from an Italian source (Note 2). “Recipes from Italy,” one of the online sources I subscribe to, describes Italian Leek and Potato Soup as “A classic with a naturally creamy texture. Simple, wholesome, and deeply satisfying.” Yes indeed, this is what we all want from our lives.
Summary
While I’ve never eaten it, I’m guessing that vichyssoise is a very good soup. But when I think of a cold soup sitting in front of me, it does not seem appealing. However, when I think of a classic comfort food that is simple, wholesome, and deeply satisfying, is inviting and makes me feel warmer, well, you see, this is what I want for my life.
I spend a lot of time with these posts talking about self-reflection. That is to honestly look at ourselves in the mirror and see if we like what we see. Many people do like what they see, and that’s great. The ones I’m concerned about, the ones I developed Afterburner Success Partners for, are the ones that say, “Well, I’d like to do better, but I don’t know what to do, I don’t know where to start.”
If you need to make a change, if you suffer from homeostasis, then I encourage you to acknowledge it, speak to someone who cares about you, and seek their advice. I might suggest a good start would be to shell out about 12 bucks to buy my book and see what you can learn from it. I’m guessing a lot.
I’d like to encourage you to enjoy a wonderful bowl of comforting leek and potato, potato and leek soup, or whatever you choose to call it, today. Or, maybe a classic chilled vichyssoise is what you really want. No matter, they will all comfort your soul!
Perhaps you know someone who would like to change or would enjoy hearing this story. If so, I would encourage you to forward this post to them.
That’s all for today!
Is Life Just a Vichyssoise?
Afterburner Success Partners
What’s in it for Me
We must always be aware of our knowledge related to what we want to do and ensure what we think we know is true. Then, we must act in a determined manner. Doing so will ensure we get what we want, and that’s what’s in it for me.
Call to Action
Honestly consider if you need to make some changes. Or, perhaps you must want to learn a few things. Purchase any of the books noted below. Take the Afterburner Success Partners course. Tell a friend.
Recommended Resources
Buy and read any of the books mentioned in the notes below.
Up Next
Back to regular posting schedule.
Notes
Please note that as an Amazon Affiliate, I may earn a small commission on the sale of any of these recommended resources.
Oxford Languages dictionary.
Recipes from Italy: https://www.recipesfromitaly.com
Everyday Cooking for Everyday People Like Us, by David Giustozzi: https://amzn.to/437OhVQ
Achieve Your Dreams: A Complete Guide to Live Your Best Life by David Giustozzi: https://amzn.to/3IxEFgy