Behold, Spicy Corn Soup topped with bacon. The weather in Albuquerque has gotten very, very cold, and this makes me want to cook soup. I really enjoy cooking, and lately I have been feeling creative and trying out lots of new recipes. This one I tried for the first time a few weeks ago when my mom was in town, and we love it. The poblano chile and red pepper add just the right amount of heat to balance the rich creamy texture. Here is the recipe with a few notes from me now that I've made it a couple of times. My main recommendation is that you cook a good bit more bacon to put on top of the soup than the three pieces suggested. The involvement of bacon is really the only way I was able to sell Dan on a soup based otherwise on vegetables, so I can't skimp on that. This soup is great served with corn bread!

Spicy Corn Soup

Bacon (3 slices, chopped. Or, you know, 6 or 7 pieces. More is also good.)

One small yellow onion, chopped

Celery, one stalk, chopped

Poblano chile, one, seeded and finely chopped (I don't use the whole chile if they are large. Mr. Bacon is also not a big fan of overly spicy food, and poblanos are no joke. If you don't like much heat, about a half of one of these will probably be fine. Also, do yourself a big favor and wear gloves when you chop this thing, because it is lethally hot and if you were to accidentally touch your eyes after handling one, you would pretty much need an eyeball transplant.)

Garlic, two cloves, minced

Milk, four cups

Heavy cream, one cup

Boiling potatoes, two, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces. The first time I made this, Dan said he thought it would be improved by more potatoes, so the second time around I used three boiling potatoes, slightly larger than my fist, and he liked that better.

Corn kernels, 3 cups frozen

Red pepper flakes,1/2 teaspoon

Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat. Transfer bacon to paper towels when done and reserve some drippings in pan. Add the onion, celery, chile and garlic to the bacon drippings and saute over medium heat until lightly browned, about six minutes.

Raise the heat to medium-high, add the milk, cream and potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the corn and red pepper flakes and simmer until the corn is tender, about five minutes. (While you're waiting, start adding salt and pepper and testing to see when you get the right amount.)

Transfer about 2 cups of the solids to a blender or food processor and process to a smooth puree. Return to the pan and reheat to a serving temperature. Ladle into bowls, garnish with the bacon, and serve.