"Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special." Clarkson Potter. New York. 1999.
"Cream of Mushroom Soup"
2 tablespoons butter
1 tbsp thinly sliced garlic
1 cup diced onions
1 1/2 pounds mushrooms, rinced & sliced
1 tsp salt
1 sbsp fresh lemon juice
5 tbsp unbleached white flour
4 cups water
1 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp dry sherry
1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme (1/4 tsp dried)*
freshly ground black pepper to taste
*If using dried thyme, saute it with the onions and garlic rather than adding it at the end to ensure a more even and mellow flavor.
In a soup pot on medium heat, melt the butter. Add the garlic and saute just until golden. Add the onions and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, salt, lemon juice and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms are soft and have released liquid, about 7 minutes.
Sprinkle in the flour a little at a time, stirring briskly to prevent lumps. Add the water, cream, and sherry and stir well. Bring toa boil; then reduce the heat and cook for about 5 minutes, until thickened. Add the fresh thyme and pepper to taste.
Ok let's see..I used dried thyme so I followed the directions for that. I added some at the end too just for an extra boost which I think added a lot. Instead of heavy cream I used buttermilk as I'm sure a few of you saw in the dairy section. I really didn't taste too much butteryness though, which I thought was a little strange.
Then the vegetable soup that I made two days ago was this:
"Ybor City Garbanzo Soup"
2 tbsp canola or other vege oil
2 cups finely chopped onions
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground fennel seeds
pinch of thyme
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
dash of cayenne (optional)
1 red bell pepper, seeded adn chopped into 1-inch pieces
4 cups water
4 cups cubed potatoes (about 1-inch)
1 1/2 cups drained cooked garbanzo beans (15-ounce can)
generous pinch of saffron
2 tbsp very hot water
1 tbsp white vinegar or fresh lemon juice
Combine the oil, onions and celery in a soup pot and saute on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are very soft and beginning to brown, about 15 minutes.
Stir in the garlic, cumin, fennel, thyme, paprika, salt, black pepper and cayenne, if using. Add the bell peppers and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the water and the potatoes, cover, and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat and simer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
When the potatoes are tender, add the garbanzo beans. Put the saffron threads in a cup and cover with the hot water. With the back of a spoon, crush the saffron against he side of a cup for about a minute. Add the saffron and water to the soup. Swirl some of the soup broth around the inside of the cup to get every precious bit of saffron out of the cup and into the soup. Stir in the vinegar or lemon juice.
Serve Immediately.
I used lemon juice, no cayenne and I followed the recipe other than that.
Anywho I gotta get to work, pronto!
brad