Following the demise of a nouvelle cuisine that wouldn't go away, home-style foods are back in vogue and soups are playing a leading role.

Nouvelle revived the importance using local, untreated, seasonal ingredients and soups are one of the best ways to present these ingredients in way that is always palatable. Local chefs are reaching beyond the kitchen garden to prepare truly sensational soups, worlds apart from the Soup du Jour of yesteryear!
There's literally no resisting a cozy evening with friends (or that one special friend!) chatting over a heartwarming bowl of soup.
What could be more intimate and welcoming?

When traveling in Italy, keep in mind that minestra doesn't just refer to vegetable soup: each region's got its own ideas on the subject and you're likely to find soup with pasta, fish and even meat.

There is truly a soup to suit any taste, as both seafood and garden vegetables are so delicious when served piping hot. A good bottle of full-bodied red wine at room temperature is the perfect match for just about any soup, its velvety smoothness the perfect complement to the texture of soup.