When it comes to soups, I easily can say I have a hands-down favorite. My vote for this soup is heavily influenced by nostalgia: It was one of the first real meals my mother fed me when I was a baby.

The recipe was handed down to my mother, and adapted at each stop, from a man named Fran, whose daughter was my first babyhood friend. I don't really remember Fran -- he died when we still were tiny -- but he lives within me every time I make this soup. We always call it Italian Escarole Soup, but it's also known as Italian Wedding Soup, because it is a traditional course at Italian nuptials. It is simple to prepare, but has enough flourishes -- herby meatballs and a last-minute addition of cheesy egg ribbons -- to make it special enough for guests.

Italian Wedding Soup is highly adaptable; try other greens like kale (as seen in the photo) or chard, add grated lemon rind to the meatballs and lemon juice to the broth for brightness, or consider spicing it up with crushed red pepper added with the onions and garlic.

Italian Wedding Soup

3/4 pound ground organic meat (chicken, turkey, pork or beef) 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs 3 large eggs 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese, divided 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried) 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided 1 medium-size yellow onion, diced 4 medium-size cloves garlic, minced 8 cups chicken stock 1 bunch greens trimmed and torn into bite-size pieces (about 6 lightly packed cups) Lemon juice, optional

Combine the ground meat, bread crumbs, 1 egg, 1/4 cup of each cheese, oregano, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly, and then, form the mixture into

3/4-inch to 1 1/2-inch balls. You should have 20 to 30 meatballs, depending on how large you form them.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs in batches, and cook, turning, until browned all over, for 3 to 5 minutes. (If they still are a bit pink in the middle, don't worry; they will continue to cook in the broth.) Set them aside on paper towels to absorb excess oil.

In a 4- to 6-quart soup pot, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic, and saute until the onions are tender and the garlic is soft, but not browned, for about 5 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Add the greens, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the meatballs and cook for another 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the remaining 2 eggs and remaining cheeses in a small bowl and stir with a fork to blend. Slow pour the egg mixture into the hot soup,

stirring constantly. Cover and simmer just until the egg bits are set, for about

1 minute. Season to taste with salt and black pepper, maybe even a squirt of lemon juice, and serve immediately in a low bowl, if possible, so the meatballs are visible.

To reheat, simmer gently over low heat.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

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