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When the doorbell rang recently at my Ortega Ridge home, I found Carole Bennett standing there with a large pot of chicken matzo ball soup. My daughter, Lizzy, had just gone through back surgery the day before at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital and, rather than a bouquet of flowers to cheer her up, one of my BFFs sent over a bowl of comfort instead.
With the days getting shorter and the seasonal nesting time beginning, my Chicago roots make me want warm and hearty food. Bennett also hails from the Midwest and grew up in Cleveland. As a young girl, she and her sister used to stand over the pot as their grandmother gently plopped the dumpling-esque matzo balls into the broth that included skinless chicken, carrots and celery.
While a few of our local eateries offer a version of matzo ball soup, with no Nate ‘n Al s or Brent’s Deli in Santa Barbara, this Eastern European delicacy by Bennett — who introduced it earlier this year — is in high demand.
Bennett, who is akin to the Energizer Bunny, runs on high octane. She moved to Santa Barbara 12 years ago after ditching the mover-and-shaker world of the entertainment industry, where she represented top-flight writers, directors and producers. Loving horses, dogs, cooking, wide-open spaces and a slower lifestyle, she purchased a home in 93108 and changed her life profoundly.
Although she no longer fights L.A. traffic or Hollywood bigwigs, her version of slowing down is debatable. She went back to school to earn a Master’s in clinical psychology, then started Family Recovery Solutions, which she serves as a family substance abuse counselor. She also wrote a book, Reclaim Your Life — You and the Alcohol/Addict, which addresses the needs of family members dealing with the impacts of an addictive significant other. Bennett is also a contributor to the Huffington Post and Psychology Today and is a public speaker on the subject of addiction.
Bennett, who seems to never run out of energy or ideas, also started a catering side business, through which she offers a number of delectable delicacies like her grandmother’s soup.
She makes a killer lasagna, poached salmon and desserts that are, literally, mouth-watering just to look at, like brownies, apple crumble, chocolate-covered strawberries and baked apples when in season.
But it’s her chicken matzo ball soup that is the stand-out item. As her professional practice grew, she decided to focus on “just one soup” … and a few desserts — and a company name was born.
Working out of a professional kitchen in Goleta, Bennett can be seen driving all over the area, including the Santa Ynez Valley, in her riding clothes and Mini Cooper. She hand-delivers her soup, along with a crusty baguette, in a meal that usually feeds six to eight people and costs $60.
“What I have found works best is dropping off this healthy, fresh meal to busy families that don’t have time to think about what they are going to eat at the end of the day,” she said. “It also makes a great gift, for new parents, or for someone recovering from an illness or surgery.
“Chicken soup is good for everyone and every ailment.”
A portion of the proceeds from Just One Soup is donated to the Santa Barbara Rescue Mission. She also donates pots of soups for hospice patients or other individuals in need of comfort food.
In early 2013, Bennett launched a second business, The Montecito Nut Company. The savory nuts are stir-fry almonds and fresh rosemary roasted cashews. The nuts come in three sizes — eight, six and four ounces — and cost $15 a pound for the almonds and $20 a pound for the cashews. Each batch is made fresh to order and packaged individually in Santa Barbara.
The gift shop at Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara carries her product and she is also doing special orders as party favors, baskets and holiday gifts. Graphic artist Barbara Boros designed the label. As with her soup, the nuts only require 24-hour notice to have her ringing your doorbell with a pot of soup or delicious gourmet snacks.
Bennett’s secret ingredient to all her recipe? The love she puts into her work!
Click here for more information on Just One Soup, or contact Bennett at 805.452.7400, carole@justonesoup.com or carole@themontecitonutcompany.com.
— Judy Foreman is a Noozhawk columnist and longtime local writer and lifestyles observer. She can be contacted at judyforeman@noozhawk.com. Click here for previous columns. The opinions expressed are her own.