Soo--oop of the e--e--evening, Beautiful, beautiful Soup"Soo--oop of the e--e--evenin

[megimoo]

An Exquisite rendering of Lewis Carroll's satire in his Alice in Wonderland on the sentimental Victorian song "Star of the Evening, Beautiful Star" by James M. Sayles. And I defy you to keep from weeping along with Carroll's soulful mock turtle, who, after all, was only the "mock."
Alice in wonderland 1999 - The mock Turtle and the Griffin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eo0SwgqmJ4w&NR=1
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Beautiful soup, so rich and green,
Waiting in a hot tureen!
Who for such dainties would not stoop?
Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!
Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!
Beau--ootiful Soo--oop! Beau--ootiful Soo--oop!
Soo--oop of the e--e--evening, Beautiful, beautiful Soup"


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Cheese & Ale Pub Soup (English)

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In the mood for a game of darts on a blustery evening? Head to your local pub...OR make this soup and you'll imagine you're there. Color, texture, taste, ingredients, it's so English you may start singing God Save the Queen. Serve hot to 6-8 people with lots of brown bread and tankards of Bass for a lovely meal. Trifle for dessert would be lovely. Many thanks to John Poore of Brentwood, California, for putting me on the trail of this recipe.

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5 Tablespoons butter
1 cup onions, chopped fine
1 cup celery, with leaves, chopped fine
1 cup carrots, peeled and chopped fine
1 cup parsnips, peeled and chopped fine
2 Tablespoons garlic, minced
1/4 cup flour
3½ cups rich chicken stock
4 cups Bass ale
2 bay leaves
cayenne pepper or hot pepper sauce, to taste
4 Tablespoons cornstarch, diluted in cold water
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 pound Stilton and Cheddar cheese (the proportion of each, to your taste), grated
salt, to taste
Garnish: minced parsley

Melt the butter over low heat in a large pot, then toss in the vegetables, cover, and sweat til the onion is transparent. Stir in the flour (adding more butter if it is too dry) and let cook 2 minutes. Pour in the stock and ale, and stir in the bay leaves and hot peppers. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.

When the vegetables are tender, stir in the diluted cornstarch, raise the heat to medium high, and let cook until the soup thickens. Stir in the cream, then stir in the cheese by handfuls. When the soup has thickened nicely, take off the heat, cover, and let the flavors blend. When ready to serve, reheat and ladle into bowls. Brown bread! Butter! Tankards of ale!
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Roasted Apple-Garlic Soup with Toasted Walnuts

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Talk about a conversation piece--this rich tasting, complex, many-layered soup is a powerful, strangely sweet start to a meal. Serve it before roast meat or chicken--or serve giant servings with lots of bread and salad as a vegetarian meal. It's pretty easy to make. Serve hot to 6-8 people as a first course--to 4 as a meal with accompaniments.

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4 whole heads of garlic, rubbed in olive oil
4 small apples
4 small potatoes, diced finely
5 cups vegetable or chicken stock
2 bay leaves
12 peppercorns
fresh sprigs or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
Garnish: toasted walnuts and green onion, finely minced

Cut off the tops of the garlic bulbs, about 1/4-inch deep, then rub the bulbs lightly with olive oil. Seal the garlic bulbs and whole apples in tin foil--then seal them in another layer as well. Put on a cooking sheet and bake in a 375 F. degree oven for 45 minutes, until they are soft.

While the garlic and apples are roasting, bring the stock to a boil and toss in a bouquet garni of thyme, peppercorns, and bay (if you don't have modern technologies, just seal these ingredients in tin foil and poke little holes in the foil before tossing in). Reduce heat and simmer.

When the garlic and apples are done, unseal and let cool for a few minutes. Squeeze the garlic out of their clove packages and discard the skin. Mince the paste finely, in all directions, then add to the simmering broth. Do the same with the apples, discarding the core and skin. Toss in the finely diced potatoes, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the potatoes are soft and the soup well flavored. Remove and discard the bouquet garni. Stir in the cream. Season with salt and pepper. Let simmer for 5 minutes.

When ready to serve, ladle into bowls and sprinkle with the mixture of minced green onions and toasted walnuts.

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Curried Spring Asparagus Soup
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1 pound asparagus
6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
2 Tbsp. butter
1 1/2 Tbsp. flour
2 egg yolks
1 tsp curry powder
1 cup whipping cream
salt and white pepper
Cut the tips off the asparagus spears and reserve. Now snap off their woody ends and discard these. Dice the remaining spears and put the dice in a saucepan with the stock. Bring to a boil and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Cool for a minute. Puree--solids first then slowly pouring in the stock. Set aside.

Melt the butter over a low heat in a large saucepan, stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes. Add asparagus puree, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until it thickens. Add the asparagus tips, simmer 5 minutes, then remove from the broth and reserve.

Bring the pureed soup to a simmer. Mix the egg yolks, curry, and cream in a small bowl, then whisk into the soup and heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. When ready to serve, ladle into bowls, top with asparagus tips, and serve immediately.

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Danish Barley Soup (Bygvandgrød)
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This is wonderfully filling, easy to make, pretty to look at, and nice going down. It's the barley, of course--such a nice consistency to that ancient cereal grain. I like it with a dark, rich beef stock--which highlighted the vegetable colors so well--but a vegetable stock or even water is also good. Serve hot as a light meal or a substantial first course to 4-6 people, ideally with hunks of bread and lots of butter and cheese. It's great with beer.

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6 Tablespoons pearl barley, rinsed in cold water
3 cups beef or vegetable stock, or water
1 onion, diced
3 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery with leaves, diced
5 mushrooms, diced
3 cups beef or vegetable stock, or water
4 Tablespoons butter
salt and pepper
Garnish: thick sour cream

Bring 3 cups of stock or water to a boil in a saucepan, add rinsed barley, then reduce heat and simmer for an hour, until tender.

Bring the remaining 3 cups of stock or water to a boil in a large saucepan, add the onion, carrot, celery, and mushrooms, reduce heat, and simmer until tender--from 30-45 minutes.

When ready to serve, pour the barley-broth in to the vegetables, toss in the butter, salt and pepper to taste, and bring to a fast boil. Ladle into bowls and swirl big spoonsful of sour cream into each serving. Pass hunks of bread with lots of butter and cheese

[megimoo]

Church Supper Soup
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Ritchie Wallace, in Maine, sent this recipe in--an Italianate beef-vegetable soup, credited to Bonnie Vawter (a pastor's wife) in Missouri, that she found years ago in a magazine. It's rich and substantial, perfect for an evening meal or a pot luck. Ritchie--who lives in the woods of Maine with husband Tim, their great dane Gisburn, and two cats, Hillery and Tawanda--testifies that it helps "stave off the winter cold"...which got down to 19 below about the time she wrote. Serve hot to 12 people.

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1 pound ground beef
1 cup diced onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large (28-ounce) can tomatoes, chopped and undrained
1 can (15-ounce) can red kidney beans, undrained
2 cups water
beef bouillon cubes or concentrate, undiluted, that would dilute to make 5 cups of stock
1/4 cup parsley, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon oregano, crushed between your palms
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups shredded cabbage
1 cup green beans, cut in 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup small elbow macaroni
1 Tablespoon pesto (or 1/2 teaspoon dry basil, crushed between your palms). You can often find pesto in the stores now--and just freeze it to use as you need it for a wonderfully fresh basil flavor.
Garnish: Parmesan cheese, freshly grated into a bowl.

Brown the beef in a large heavy kettle, draining off any fat. Add all the remaining ingredients except the cabbage, green beans, macaroni, and pesto. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the cabbage, green beans, and macaroni. Bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer until the vegetables are tender--about 20 minutes.

When ready to serve, stir in the pesto (or basil), then serve up with a big ladle and point your friends to the bowl of Parmesan as a topping.
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Ronald Reagan's Hamburger Soup
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There's been speculation that this first made news after President Reagan innocently announced his liking for fancy French soups...and was immediately accused of being elitist. Whatever. It's definitely a homespun, plain soup, and not as bad as you might think when you see that there's hominy in it. This corn product--with an Algonquin Native American name--was an important food to early U.S. pioneers. It's a nice firm little ball in the soup--almost dumpling like. Serve the soup as a lunch meal to 4-6 people with lots of cornbread, cold milk, and maybe a big American pie for dessert. Here's the recipe verbatim--note the non-elitist allowance for canned foods and bouillon cubes.

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2 pounds lean ground beef
2 Tablespoons butter
2 cups diced onions
2 cloves chopped garlic
1 and 1/2 cups sliced carrots
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
10 ounces [canned] hominy
1 cup diced green peppers
3 quarts [12 cups] beef broth or water with bouillon cubes
16 ounces chopped tomato (canned or fresh)
2 cups sliced celery
Step 1: Brown meat in butter in six-quart sauce pan. Add onions, garlic, carrots, celery and green pepper. Simmer 10 minutes with the pan covered.

Step 2: Add beef broth or water with bouillon cubes. Add chopped tomato and pepper. Simmer soup on low heat for 35 minutes. Add hominy. Boil hamburger soup for 10 minutes more. Makes 4 quarts.
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Snowy Day Broccoli-Cheese Chowder

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A wonderfully tasty soup from Bethany Gronberg, Omaha native, created on a snowy day in Virginia Beach in anticipation of watching Nebraska and Miami in the 2001 Rose Bowl National Championship (alas, those cornhuskers were crushed). It's rich and creamy, very stick to the ribs, perfect for a snowy day. Serve hot to 4-6 people as a substantial first course--or as a meal with a sandwich or salad on the side.

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2 Tablespoons butter
2 leeks, white and light green parts, finely chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 cups potatoes, cut into small cubes
1 bay leaf
4 cups broccoli, peeled and chopped into bitesize pieces
1 and 1/2 cups milk
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Garnish: finely sliced green leek rounds and 1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and garlic and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes, until the leek is soft. Pour in the stock, add potatoes and bay leaf, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Scrape in the broccoli, return to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer another 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

Remove bay leaf and puree about half the solids with the liquid in a blender. (Bethany prefers pureeing the whole thing, but I like the color and texture of some potato and broccoli chunks--you decide!). Return to the pot, stir in the milk, and heat over medium, stirring, until it's just barely bubbling. At this point, you can take off the flame until you're ready to serve.

When ready to serve, bring the soup to a bubble, stir in the cheese until it's melted, season to taste (may already have enough salt from the stock and cheese), and ladle into bowls, sprinkling with a bit of grated cheese and topped with a few leek circles.

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Portuguese Fish Chowder
(Caldeirada a Moda de Guincho)--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After bubbling on the stove most of the night before, it is heady and rich--a proper meal, piping hot, for 6-8 people.
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3 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons olive oil
4 onions, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 cup madeira
3 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 whole cloves
2 large bay leaves
2 Tablespoons parsley, minced
1/2 teaspoon tarragon
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
2 quarts water
1 lb.white fish fillets
1 lb. swordfish or mackerel
1 Tablespoon salt
Garnish: garlic toast, parmesan cheese, and parsley
Saute onion and garlic in the butter and oil til lightly browned--about 15 minutes. Stir in the next 10 ingredients and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for an hour. Uncover and simmer until the liquid is reduced, at least 2 hours!

Add the fish, breaking it into chunks, and simmer for 5 minutes, until just cooked through. Let cool, cover, then refrigerate overnight.

About 20 minutes before serving, begin to reheat slowly. Season to taste. When ready to serve, ladle into bowls and top with toasted bread, handfuls of parmesan, and fresh chopped parsley.

To make garlic toast: Melt 4 Tablespoons butter in a large skillet and saute 1 minced clove of garlic for a minute, then add 12-16 1/2-inch slices of French baguettes and brown lightly on both sides. Drain on paper towels.
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Portuguese Green Soup:
the Real Thing...and a Fancy Version
(Caldo Verde)

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Delicate, beautiful, and restorative. How do I know? It was my 50th birthday soup: after waking up to a pouring rain in Castelo da Vide, horribly sick from goat stew, daughter Meg and I made the long, twisting drive to Evora; at day's end, she insisted on buying me birthday dinner in our tiny hotel dining room. Caldo Verde--it was just what the doctor should have ordered. Serve this recipe hot as a first course to 6 people.

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THE REAL THING

Maria do Carmo Torres of Lisboa, Portugal, has been kind enough to contribute the following recipe, in the true spirit of Caldo Verde being a soup of the people:
Make a light broth with potatoes, as light as possible.
Take dark green cabbage, or kale--in Portugal called "couve galega"--roll the leaves tightly and sliced them as thinly as possible. Scald briefly so they are brilliant green. The cabbage should be abundant to give body to the broth.
When ready to serve, add the scalded cabbage to the broth with a little olive oil and let it boil for about 5 minutes, so the olive oil can cook.
Serve with slices of the smallest Portuguese pork sausage you can find--each region in Portugal has its own, most of them spiced with paprika (colorau)
Maria, who when not working loves to cook, listen to music and opera, go to the movies, and read (and who admits to being "owned" by a she-cat), says: "this kind of soup is to be eaten in winter. You can see that it serves as a poor peasants' food, with all ingredients coming from the kitchen garden. Along with the caldo, you can also serve corn bread (broa). Bom apetite--have a good meal!"

[megimoo]

Caldo Verde, The Fancy Version .
1 onion, minced fine
1 garlic clove, minced
4 Tablespoons olive oil
6 potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
2 quarts cold water
6 oz. dry, garlicky sausage (linguica, chorizo, even pepperoni), sliced paper thin
2 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 lb. collards, kale, or turnip greens, washed, trimmed, rolled up and sliced into extra fine shreds (in a pinch, slightly defrost frozen kale and finely shred it with a sharp knife)
In a large saucepan, saute the onion and garlic in 3 Tablespoons of oil for about 3 minutes. Add the potatoes and saute, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes. Add water, cover, and boil gently over medium heat for 20 minutes, until the potatoes are mushy. Meanwhile, fry the sausage in a skillet over low heat for about 10 minutes, until most of the fat has drained out. Drain well and reserve.
When the potatoes are soft, remove from the heat and either mash them in the pan with a masher or puree them--then add the sausage, salt, and pepper. Return to medium heat, cover, and simmer for 5 more minutes.

When ready to serve, add the shreds of greens and simmer uncovered for about 5 minutes--until they are tender and the color of jade. Mix in the last Tablespoon of oil, taste for seasoning, and ladle into large flat soup plates.
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Mexican Lime Soup with Chicken
(Sopa de Lima)
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This is a nontraditional recipe of a traditional Yucatan (that is to say, Mayan) soup. It's wonderful--heady, light, but filling. Not spicy hot at all, either--just perfectly tangy and piquant. Serve hot to 6 as a substantial first course--or to 4 as lunch. To go traditional, substitute 3 chicken gizzards and 6 chopped chicken livers for the chicken breast.

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2 Tablespoons lard or corn oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
3 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped (or 1 14-oz. can tomatoes)
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2-3 canned serrano chilies, chopped
6 cups chicken stock
juice of 1/2 lime and its shell
1 chicken breast, boned and skinned
salt and pepper, to taste
Garnish: 6 tortillas, cut into thin strips and fried crisp; 1 lime
In a large saucepan, heat the lard or oil, then saute the onion until soft. Add the green pepper and stir for a minute, then add the tomato and, turning up the heat, cook down for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the serrano chilies, the stock, and the lime juice (reserving the lime shell)--bring to a boil, then reduce heat, add the lime shell, and simmer for 2 minutes.

At that time, halve the chicken breast, pound down, and put into the soup to simmer, covered, for 10 minutes, until tender. (If you decide to go traditional, simmer the gizzard beforehand in salted water for about 30 minutes--then trim and slice and add to the soup with the chopped livers, which you'll simmer from 5-10 minutes.)

While the soup is simmering, heat lard or oil in a skillet to a depth of about 1/4 inch. When hot, saute the tortilla strips in batches, flipping until they are crisp, then draining on paper towels. Also, cut 6 little decorative slices of lime from the remaining lime.

When the chicken is done, remove it and slice into fine strips. Return to the soup and season with salt and pepper to taste.

When ready to serve the soup, ladle into flat soup bowls, Squeeze fresh lime into each bowl, top with crispy tortillas, and put the little reserved lime slices on the flat rims of the bowls. Serve hot immediately.

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Julia Child's Potage crème aux oignons
(French)

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Unexplainably sweet, delicate, garden fresh, and comforting, this relatively healthy "cream" soup uses pureéd rice to give the illusion of richness without the calories or fat. It's a classic soup from Julia Child, from her Mastery of French Cooking, Volume Two--a wonderful soup to comfort you on the recent death of this magnificent "lady of the ladle" at age 92. See more about Julia Child. Serve hot to 4-6 people as a first course...or light meal with salad and bread.
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4 Tablespoons butter
3-4 cups sliced onions
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 Tablespoons flour
2 cups hot water
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup dry white wine (like extra dry vermouth)
1/3 cup raw white rice
1 bay leaf
Salt and white pepper to taste
2-3 cups milk
1/3-1/2 or more cups heavy cream
2-4 Tablespoons soft butter
2-3 Tablespoons fresh minced chervil or parsley
Melt the butter over low heat in a heavy soup pot, then stir in the onions. Cook slowly until they are tender but not browned, some 15 minutes. Add the curry and cook for 1 minute; stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, without browning. Remove the pot from the heat and whisk in the hot water, the stock, and the wine. Put back on the heat, bring to a simmer, and sprinkle in the rice. Add the bay leaf, season to taste, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Puree the soup in a food mill--or roughly in a blender so it retains some texture. You can hold the soup at this point.
When ready to serve, bring to a simmer, thin with your preference of milk and cream, and carefully correct the seasoning. Reheat again to a simmer, remove from the heat, and whisk in the butter enrichment, then the herbs.


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AND IS JULIA FULL OF SOUP?

Mais oui, beaucoup de soupe. "There is," she said from the start, "hardly a man alive who does not adore soup, particularly when it is homemade. Hot soup on a cold day, cold soup on a hot day, and the smell of soup simmering in the kitchen are fundamental, undoubtedly even atavistic, pleasures and solaces that give a special kind of satisfaction."

So how many recipes for soup and stock do you think she prepared for her television shows and in her books?

236.

236! That's a LOT, when you consider the universe of French cuisine. But please note: Julia had her favorites. That 236 number is deceptive because, from 1961 to the year 2000, she made the same ones over and over and over again. For example, nearly every cookbook showcases:

The same 4 potato and leek soups, from potage Parmentier to vichyssoise.
The same cream soups--lush, fatty veloutés and pureed rice diet versions.
The same pistou, bisques, consommés, and fish soups (bouillabaisse, bourride, matelote, chowder).
AND (there should be a drumroll here)

Onion soup, the classic Soupe à l'oignon--in plain, gratineed, and deluxe versions.
Talk about a fixation. Sometimes she'd let you add red wine instead of white. Sometimes she'd omit the cognac. Over the years she upped the percentage of onions to broth...and acquiesced in spelling out directions for using canned stock and bouillon cubes.
Bottom line: she adored this soup. She never tired of preparing it on television or for her home table. The French, she said, specially honored this dish with the singular noun--à l'oignon, not aux oignons as was the rule for other vegetables. "Not 'onions,'" she said with a flourish, "but The Onion."

JULIA'S LAST MEAL?

She'd always fantasized about it. Foie gras to start, she'd say, and oysters, a little caviar; pan-roasted duck; the finest wines; Roquefort and Brie; a rich dessert with Château d'Yquem. But her nephew David, at her bedside, said no--said, rather, it was...onion soup. Of course.

So, please, won't you join me in honoring this darling woman who changed the face of American cooking? For heaven's sake, stop at the store on the way home tonight and pick up some yellow onions, broth, dry white wine, cognac, crusty bread, and some good Parmesan or Swiss cheese. Get out your knives, roll up your sleeves, charge the atmosphere with the smoky, heady fragrance of Soupe à l'Oignon; and shout out loud, in the immortal words of The French Chef, Bon Appetit!


* * *


JULIA'S SOUPE A L'OIGNON--the classic version
(6-8 servings)
From Mastering the Art of French Cook, Volume One

3 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon olive oil
5 cups thinly sliced yellow onions
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar (to help carmelize the onions)
3 Tablespoons flour
8 cups light beef stock, at a boil
1/2 cup dry white wine (like extra dry vermouth)
Salt and pepper to taste
3 Tablespoons cognac
Garnish: 6-8 croutes of hard toasted French bread rounds; 1-2 cups grated Swiss or Parmesan cheese
Melt the butter and oil over low heat in a heavy soup pot. Stir in the onions, cover, and sweat til tender, about 15 minutes. Remove the cover, turn the heat up to medium, and stir in the salt and sugar. Cook 30-40 minutes, stirring often, until the onions have turned an even, deep, golden brown. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 3 minutes.

Take the pot off the heat and whisk in the boiling stock. Add the wine. Season to taste. Put back on the heat, bring to a simmer, and simmer, partially covered, for 30-40 minutes or more, skimming as needed. Correct seasoning (you can set it aside uncovered at this point until you are ready to serve.

When ready to serve, with the soup at a simmer, stir in the cognac. Place the toast pieces in the bottoms of each bowl, pour the soup over it, and pass the cheese separately for your guests to help themselves.


* * *
...Let not the dark thee cumber;
What though the moon does slumber?
The stars of the night
Will lend thee their light,
Like tapers clear without number.

Requiescat in pace, Julia Child (1912-2004)[/SIZE]

[Gingersnap]

I would live off of soup if I was single. I'm making baby lima bean soup with ham right now.:)

[megimoo]

I would live off of soup if I was single. I'm making baby lima bean soup with ham right now.:)Try some smoked ham hocks for the flavor if you can gey them.While on topic have you ever smoked your own meat or fish .If you have what sort of smoker and wood did you use ?

[Gingersnap]

Try some smoked ham hocks for the flavor if you can gey them.While on topic have you ever smoked your own meat or fish .If you have what sort of smoker and wood did you use ?

Yes. I have. I don't know what the name of the unit is but it's just a big 55 gallon drum kind of thing with a bunch of racks inside. We usually use fruit wood and hickory. You can't beat apple wood or cherry wood for most things. :)