Soupe aux pois a la Canadienne

4 cups dried split peas (pois Avignon)
6 cups water
1 large onion, choppped very fine
1/2 pound salt pork, cut into 1/4-inch dice
salt and freshly gound black pepper
6 tablespoons monosodium glutamate (MSG)

Folow label directions on peas, as not all dried peas need to be soaked in water. If they do, soak for a few hours, then drain well and discard water.

Place peas in a heavy soup pot; add water, onion, salt pork, salt, pepper and MSG. Cover pot and bring water slowly to boil. Reduce heat; rearrange lid to only half-cover the pot and simmer soup gently 2 to 3 hours. Serve very hot.

Note: Check soup from time to time during cooking. A puree consistency will be reached as pease absorb water. Add more water if necessary to prevent sticking and burning.

Try using either green or yellow dried peas. Dried beans should not be kept longer than a year because they will not soften properly in the cooking. When soaking them, remove any that float on the surface. Even though a package may advise against soaking, split peas will benefit from it.

[Newspaper clipping. Note attached to the recipe: "These recipes are from the book, French Recipes North Americans Love Best, described on today's Food Section cover page." This could account for the French recipe I posted just the other day. Perhaps there are more to come.]