oups are great to eat on those cold winter nights, and this is one that will be sure to warm you up! The secret is partly pumpkin pie and partly spicy curry, and a touch of coconut milk to give it a rich, smooth taste without all the fattening cream of most home-made soups. Believe me, my Spicy Sweet Potato Soup is guaranteed to smell like heaven and feel like warm velvet. As for how it tastes, well, you won't be disappointed!

--Holly Beal
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1. In a 2-quart saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and ginger and saute until soft, about 3-5 minutes. Add sweet potatoes, parsnips, spices, broth, and water. Stir gently to mix.

2. Heat mixture to boiling over high heat, stirring occasionally. Once boiling, cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring every few minutes, until potatoes and parsnips are very soft, about 20 minutes.

3. Transfer half of mixture to blender. Puree until smooth. Pour pureed soup into large bowl. Repeat with other half of soup.

4. Return soup to pan. Add coconut milk; stir well to mix. Reheat on low, if necessary.

Makes 6 main dish servings.

Total preparation time: 15 minutes
Total cooking time: 25 minutes

Spice Up Your Life: Cardamom

Cardamom is a spice that comes from an Asian plant named Elettaria cardamomum, currently grown mostly in India and Sri Lanka. The seedpods of the plant (which are fat, pale green, and triangular in shape, see photo below), are either used whole or the pods are opened and the seeds ground up to give foods an exotic spicy flavor. Cardamom is a staple of Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine, and is growing in popularity in North America as an addition to foods such as cookies and sweet breads. Cardamom is more expensive than your average spice, but is very potent--a quarter teaspoon can add significant flavor to a recipe. Try adding a bit of cardamom to your marinade, shake a little into your waffle batter, or cook some rice with a couple of whole cardamom seed pods. You'll love the exotic flavor and subtle spiciness of cardamom!