"There once was an ugly duckling..."

How ood is that?

About a year ago I wrote a blog on swede, saying it was not the world's most handsome vegetable. Recently tho, I've made a new veggie friend and I tell you, he makes the swede look like the Brad Pitt of the vegetable universe.

I'm talking about celeriac, which is a root vegetable with a bulbous hypocotyl. Oh yes. I'm not sure what that is, but it sure makes the celeriac look like one of those Ood creatures out of Doctor Who. It also makes it a pain to peel. But once you're past that... Well, you know the story of the ugly duckling? That's what happens to the celeriac. Metaphorically.

Take it slow in 2013

It's the start of a new year and we all know what that means. We're all making resolutions, vowing to be fitter, faster, better, more organised and a million and one other things. Here at Union of Genius we have something a little different to suggest.

Take it slow.

The year that was...

Hello soup chums,

I hope you all had a marvellous festive period and ate as much as your tummies could hold. I know I did, and so do my jeans...

With still another week til Union opens again on January 7th, here are some highlights of our souper year to tide you over.

International Soup Swap

Love Soup? Swap soup! Come to the Forest Cafe on Sat January 26, 2013 12-3pm (This is NOT being held at Union of Genius - we're too wee.)

We're teaming up with the Forest Cafe and Elephant Juice Food Company to hold the UK's first Soup Swap day. If you love making soup, eating soup and talking soup, this is the day for you. Here's how it works.

1. The Making. You make enough soup for 6 people, freeze it into 6 containers and bring it with you to the Forest Cafe. 
2. The Mingling. You mingle with other soup lovers and talk about soup. Take the chance to try some hot soup from the cafe while you mingle.
3. The Telling. This is optional but we encourage each of you to stand up for a few minutes and tell us about your soup.
4. The Choosing. Each person gets to choose 6 different soups to go home with. We may add a little prize for the most popular soup.

There will be no charge to take part but we will be encouraging people to donate to Streetwork - the nominated charity.

Check out our event page on Facebook for more ideas and chatter or leave a comment below and we'll get back to you. The fun starts at midday on 26 Jan at the new Forest Cafe on Lauriston Place.

The soup of Ezo the Bride

Oh hi there.

Tomorrow marks the arrival of our third new soup of the week, and one that Elaine’s been dying to make for ages. It’s ‘The Soup of Ezo the Bride’ and it’s bloody delicious.

Brewlog

Hello soup fans.

This week's bloglette is about Brewlab, on South College Street. Run by chums Dave and Tom, the artisan coffee bar opened at the end of August and has been heaving with coffee-craving clientèle ever since.

Beauty and the Beast

The tip of the wholesale iceberg...

Dear Soup Fan,

As you may have guessed, we soupmongers at Union of Genius have been very busy down the soup mines of late.

Yup, for the last six months we've been making soup like there's no tomorrow. Or rather, like there's a tomorrow where several hundred hungry people, both on your own doorstep and that of six or seven neighbours, are ringing your bell and telling you they need soup.