Coveted Soup Post
You can always tell when I'm thrilled with the weather, because I don't mention it (okay, I did mention it briefly on 10/16 saying that while I was on hiatus you all missed me whining about the heat). Lol! So, to counteract my wailing about assorted temperatures over the last year, I decided to mention how it's been sheer heaven for the last week or so! Not too hot, not too cold, pretty much perfect. Hopefully I'm not jinxing it by saying anything.
It actually might be time to turn on the big oven and make my little peach pies for my neighbors. This means the return of Chicken and Dumplings, Chicken Pot Pie and soups too! As much as it pained me, I contacted (via email) the person I used to be married to (aka doltoid) to get the Curried Cream of Asparagus Soup recipe. I wasn't sure he'd cooperate, but he actually sent it, along with other unsolicited advice. Sigh. Contact with him takes a heavy toll on my psyche. So onto cooking talk.
I haven't had this soup since we split, so...five years +. Can't wait to make it! Several stores have asparagus on sale this week, so I'll be keeping my eye peeled for ones with thick stalks. Thin ones don't work in this because you need to be able to peel them. Here's the recipe by the way. As I recall, he found it ages ago in a Wolfgang Puck cookbook.
"Curried Asparagus Soup
A great spring soup. Not low cal.
1 lb. large asparagus spears
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/4-1/2 cup flour
1 quart chicken stock
1 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 egg yolk
Peel asparagus spears from tips down(if you don't do this the puree will be very stringy.
A potato peeler works well for this.
(Do not put asparagus peels in disposal unless you want to call a plumber.)
Cut asparagus into 1" pieces reserving tips
Cook asparagus in stock for 10-15 minutes
Place asparagus and stock in blender and puree
Clean pot and melt butter and add flour to make a white roux. Cook roux for several minutes but do not let it brown.
Return stock to pot
Add asparagus tips and simmer for 5 minutes
In a small bowl add 1 cup whipping cream, egg yolk and curry powder and mix thoroughly.
Add this mixture to stock and heat but do not boil as it will curdle and separate.
Serve."
This is incredibly good and can be eaten hot or at room temperature. Frankly, I've eaten it straight out of the fridge!
He actually sent me "his" whole cookbook. It was originally designed and published by me, for family and friends in 1992 with all our recipes. Apparently he rewrote our cookbook in late 2006, removing all references of me and which recipes were mine. He did keep the name of my "private publishing house" though, which I didn't appreciate. It seems he gave this out to his family and new friends passing it off as a cookbook of all "his" recipes. Is it any wonder I go into a tither when I have any involvement with him?
Sorry, back to food. Another recipe I want to make is Gumbo. Found a recipe for this particular version in a thin, little, gumbo cookbook we picked up in New Orleans at the Jazz Festival in '87. Doltoid first made it and changed some things so I had to alter it a bit for my tastes since I don't like ultra spicy things. The end result is scrumptious.
Almost forgot, I keep meaning to tell you about my two favorite soup books. The first is "The Soup Book, Over 800 Recipes" by Louis P. DeGouy. It was published by Dover Books in 1974. You can get a copy for as little as one cent or as much as $29.50. If you're into the history of soup, this has some really old recipes as well as classics.
The other is "The Complete Book of Soups and Stews" by Bernard Clayton, Jr. He also wrote the wonderful "Complete Book of Breads". My copy is a paperback, published in1984, but it was revised in 2006 as a hardcover. The recipes for French Onion Soup and French Red Pepper Soup are incredible. I'm sure both of these can be found in used book stores as well as on Amazon (no relation).
So before you say adieu to asparagus till next season, grab one more bunch of them and try this soup. But remember, don't inhale/consume the whole pot even tho' you want to, it's very rich.
It actually might be time to turn on the big oven and make my little peach pies for my neighbors. This means the return of Chicken and Dumplings, Chicken Pot Pie and soups too! As much as it pained me, I contacted (via email) the person I used to be married to (aka doltoid) to get the Curried Cream of Asparagus Soup recipe. I wasn't sure he'd cooperate, but he actually sent it, along with other unsolicited advice. Sigh. Contact with him takes a heavy toll on my psyche. So onto cooking talk.
I haven't had this soup since we split, so...five years +. Can't wait to make it! Several stores have asparagus on sale this week, so I'll be keeping my eye peeled for ones with thick stalks. Thin ones don't work in this because you need to be able to peel them. Here's the recipe by the way. As I recall, he found it ages ago in a Wolfgang Puck cookbook.
"Curried Asparagus Soup
A great spring soup. Not low cal.
1 lb. large asparagus spears
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/4-1/2 cup flour
1 quart chicken stock
1 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 egg yolk
Peel asparagus spears from tips down(if you don't do this the puree will be very stringy.
A potato peeler works well for this.
(Do not put asparagus peels in disposal unless you want to call a plumber.)
Cut asparagus into 1" pieces reserving tips
Cook asparagus in stock for 10-15 minutes
Place asparagus and stock in blender and puree
Clean pot and melt butter and add flour to make a white roux. Cook roux for several minutes but do not let it brown.
Return stock to pot
Add asparagus tips and simmer for 5 minutes
In a small bowl add 1 cup whipping cream, egg yolk and curry powder and mix thoroughly.
Add this mixture to stock and heat but do not boil as it will curdle and separate.
Serve."
This is incredibly good and can be eaten hot or at room temperature. Frankly, I've eaten it straight out of the fridge!
He actually sent me "his" whole cookbook. It was originally designed and published by me, for family and friends in 1992 with all our recipes. Apparently he rewrote our cookbook in late 2006, removing all references of me and which recipes were mine. He did keep the name of my "private publishing house" though, which I didn't appreciate. It seems he gave this out to his family and new friends passing it off as a cookbook of all "his" recipes. Is it any wonder I go into a tither when I have any involvement with him?
Sorry, back to food. Another recipe I want to make is Gumbo. Found a recipe for this particular version in a thin, little, gumbo cookbook we picked up in New Orleans at the Jazz Festival in '87. Doltoid first made it and changed some things so I had to alter it a bit for my tastes since I don't like ultra spicy things. The end result is scrumptious.
Almost forgot, I keep meaning to tell you about my two favorite soup books. The first is "The Soup Book, Over 800 Recipes" by Louis P. DeGouy. It was published by Dover Books in 1974. You can get a copy for as little as one cent or as much as $29.50. If you're into the history of soup, this has some really old recipes as well as classics.
The other is "The Complete Book of Soups and Stews" by Bernard Clayton, Jr. He also wrote the wonderful "Complete Book of Breads". My copy is a paperback, published in1984, but it was revised in 2006 as a hardcover. The recipes for French Onion Soup and French Red Pepper Soup are incredible. I'm sure both of these can be found in used book stores as well as on Amazon (no relation).
So before you say adieu to asparagus till next season, grab one more bunch of them and try this soup. But remember, don't inhale/consume the whole pot even tho' you want to, it's very rich.
Labels: In the Kitchen, LA and Environs, Recipes
posted by Christine at
1:21 AM
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