Soup first, then dessert

Anita Solomon, Providence’s legendary restaurateur and cook, shares two recipes from the famous Lloyd’s Restaurant, run by Anita and her late husband Elliot. Readers should know that there never was any “Lloyd” associated with the eatery. The couple once lived on Lloyd Avenue.

According to Anita, the recipe for cabbage soup was a well-guarded secret when the restaurant was open.

Cabbage Soup

Ingredients

2 pounds cabbage

3 10 3/4-ounce cans tomato soup

1 35-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes

1/4 cup light brown sugar, more if you like it sweeter

juice of 1 lemon

1 pound of lean hamburger, sauteed

2 cloves of crushed garlic

salt and pepper to taste

Method

Finely shred cabbage.

Mix all ingredients together and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook for many hours. Cabbage should be very soft and tender. The next day, cook again - simmer, simmer, simmer. If the soup gets too thick, add a little water, more tomato soup or both.

When you’ve finished your soup, you may have dessert.

Lloyd’s Toffee Coffee Crunch Pie

Ingredients

Baked 9-inch pie shell

1/2 pound (2 sticks) margarine

6 to 8 ounces brown sugar (3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons to 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons)

2 eggs

1 envelope liquid Choco-Bake

Topping:

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon instant coffee

Crushed Heath bars

Method

Whip together margarine, brown sugar, eggs (use pasteurized egg product such as Egg Beaters if desired) and chocolate. Whip until very thick, like frosting. Put into baked pie shell and refrigerate.

Whip together cream, confectioners’ sugar and instant coffee powder until firm. Spread over pie filling. Sprinkle with crushed Heath bars. Refrigerate.