Amy Frykholm

It was bitter cold in Chicago--pellets of ice flying at my face; everyone ducking under layers of wool. Misery. But one night, I went to Rick Bayless's new little cafe called Xoco, and I had a bowl of soup that made all of that cold seem perfectly harmless. It was called Caldo de Carnitas, and I cannot stop thinking about it. The broth was spicy and rich with the flavor of roasted serrano chile peppers. The meat, I think, was pork marinated and then slow roasted in anchiote seeds, a little allspice, a little anise maybe. Then there were buttery chunks of chayote squash and tiny tender potato-masa dumplings. After I ate that soup, I was so fortified against the cold, I didn't even notice that wind blasting away at me. I am going to try to make a version of that soup tonight, even though I cannot (so far) find anchiote seeds in Leadville, Colorado.