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Soup for you! And how By JANET K. KEELER © St. Petersburg Times, published May 14, 1998
Al Yeganeh made it plain during his brief Home Shopping debut that he doesn't need no stinking sitcom to sell his soups. The quality of his creations stands on its own, he said.
A little reality check here. Despite his disdain for his unsavory depiction on Seinfeld, the show is making Yeganeh a richer man. A top rating in the 1998 Zagat Guide to New York Restaurants is adding connoisseurs and curiosity seekers to the line of regulars at Yeganeh's Soup Kitchen International at 55th Street and Eighth Avenue in Manhattan. But only a national cable shopping channel can bring Yeganeh's food to Main Street U.S.A. Gerry Hoeppner of Home Shopping says Yeganeh's link to Seinfeld attracted the network's interest. He is quick to add that the "awesome" soups are what sealed the deal. Awesome soups, awesome sales. Since his March 27 appearance, more than 3,000 units of Yeganeh's soup have been sold. At $40 a pop, well, you do the math. Home Shopping will break into its regularly scheduled program tonight immediately following the Seinfeld finale for a live segment with Yeganeh. Same deal as March: A four-variety package of soups, 20 ounces total, for $39.95 plus shipping and handling. There are two to three servings of each soup. Yeganeh's offerings set several records for the network. Nearly 600 units were sold before the Soup N, er, Man appeared on air. A Home Shopping high. More soup packages were sold than any other gourmet food product in one airing, and the product brought in more new customers to the network than any other gourmet food. Maybe Yeganeh should send a little thank-you note to the man he once called a "clown idiot." Hoeppner says that Yeganeh tested recipes for about 10 months to determine which ones would give the best results for mass marketing. The first press releases for Yeganeh's Home Shopping appearance listed Mulligatawny, an East Indian meat soup flavored with curry, as one of the offerings. It was substituted with the better-known Beef Goulash. "He often says, "Soup is my life. Soup is my passion,' " Hoeppner says. "He is a perfectionist." Here's how Yeganeh's perfectionism fared with a group of curious journalists: The Seafood Corn Chowder got the highest marks in our taste test. Pureed corn lent a sweetness to the thick soup, which was loaded with shrimp, scallops, clams and mussels. And not even overcooked. Several tasters commented that the soup emphasized seafood over corn, and they liked that. Coming in a close second was the Turkey Chili with Beans. It was thick and spicy and a little mysterious. Several tasters were unable to discern the different flavors, probably because of the astonishing 39 ingredients melding in the pot. Any recipe whose ingredient list starts with "one small fresh turkey" and takes at least five hours to make, had better make "your knees buckle," as Jerry would say. If you're interested in duplicating this soup, we've included his recipe. The Beef Goulash was third in taste, but first in aroma. "Old World rich" was the way one taster described it. Another imagined how great a bowl full of the flavorful beef dish would be on a chilly day. Someone thought the beef a little tough, another quite tender. Go figure. The Chicken Vegetable got mixed results. Those who liked it loved it, and the folks on the other side of the fence hated it. There were two reasons for the disparate reactions. One was the strong taste of tarragon that permeated the broth. Definitely a love-it or hate-it response. The fact that the Chicken Vegetable was not your mother's soup was the second reason for the diverse opinions. The greens floating in the broth and the unusual spicing appeal to a more adventurous palate and not to those looking for the traditional cold-curing stuff. The four-pack offered by Home Shopping comes rock-solid frozen and packed in an insulated foam box. It's best to thaw the soup completely before heating. Extended cooking will alter the flavor and texture of the soups, which are prepared and flash-frozen at Yeganeh's master kitchen in Massachusetts. How close are the mail-order soups to the real deal in Manhattan? On a recent trip to New York, Times TV critic Eric Deggans ate the turkey chili at the Soup Kitchen. He minded his manners and got two large pieces of French bread, a tangerine and a banana with his soup. He reports that the taste of the mail-order chili is remarkably similar to what he enjoyed at the source. Hoeppner of Home Shopping says he had the same experience with the seafood chowder. The soup is expensive but worth a try. Repeat purchases might be more attractive if buyers could specify varieties. The Seafood Corn Chowder would be a wonderful opener for an elegant dinner party, but most people aren't going to buy four boxes of the variety pack to get enough chowder to feed eight. The Beef Goulash is robust enough to stand up to a full-flavored red wine and be the centerpiece of Sunday night dinner. Actor Larry Thomas' portrayal of Yeganeh on Seinfeld was exaggerated for the sake of comedy, but the cast's kudos for his soups were not. Kramer called him "one of the great soup artisans in the modern era" on the infamous 1995 episode. He was right. SAYONARA, SEINFELD: TONIGHTThe "show about nothing" begins its farewell tonight at 8 on NBC with an hourlong highlights show, leading into the final episode at about 9. Al Yeganeh, the real-life New York soup purveyor who inspired the "Soup Nazi" character, will sell his products on the Home Shopping Network immediately after the sein-off, about 10 p.m Al Yeganeh's Turkey Chili with Beans6 cups turkey stock: 1 small fresh turkey (10-12 pounds) 2 large onions, cut in half 2 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces 2 stalks celery, cut into 3-inch pieces 1 sprig fresh thyme 1 sprig fresh oregano 2 bay leaves 3 cloves garlic 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns * * *Place all ingredients in stock pot and fill with cold water until turkey is just covered. Bring to a boil and simmer for 11/2 hours until turkey is cooked. Remove turkey. When cool enough to handle, debone and return bones to stockpot, reserving meat. Discard skin. Cover and continue cooking for another 21/2 to 3 hours. Strain stock and reserve. 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 large red onions, finely diced 8 cloves garlic, minced 1 stalk celery, diced 1 large carrot, diced 2 medium-size cooked potatoes, peeled and mashed slightly 3 tablespoons chili powder 3 tablespoons chipotle puree 2 tablespoons ground cumin 1 tablespoon Spanish paprika 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 3 cups peeled and diced tomatoes 6 cups turkey stock 3 cups cooked kidney beans 1 green pepper, diced 1/2 red pepper, diced 1/2 yellow pepper, diced 1/4 cup red wine 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro 2 cups finely diced, cooked turkey (see above) 2 cups coarsely chopped fresh mustard greens 1 cup corn 1 teaspoon wine vinegar Salt and freshly ground pepper Tabasco sauce (optional) Garnishes: fresh guacamole, low-fat sour cream mixed with yogurt, chopped scallion and cilantro, grated Cheddar cheese, thinly sliced red onion, chopped hard-boiled egg * * *Heat oil in a soup pot. Add onions and garlic, sauteing until
onions are translucent. Add celery, carrots and potatoes. Sweat
vegetables over medium heat for 30 minutes, until the vegetables
are soft, stirring occasionally. Add chili powder, chipotle, cumin,
paprika and cinnamon, cooking over low heat for 10 minutes and
stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes, stock, beans, peppers, wine
and cilantro, simmering for 35 to 40 minutes. Add turkey, mustard
greens, corn and vinegar. Cook for 15 minutes. Season to taste
with salt, pepper, Tabasco and lemon. Serve with one or two garnishes.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings.
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here he was, hawking his stuff on the Home Shopping Network, looking
uncomfortable and businesslike alongside the bubbly host. The
exuberant guy must have mentioned 100 times that the line to the
serious guy's Manhattan eatery is sometimes 100 people long.
