When I decided to do this project, I wasn't going to do all of the recipes in order. Some are better suited for warmer weather, or company, or special occasions. I figured I would just pick whatever I was in the mood for. That will work in the beginning but I have a feeling after I have exhausted the popular choices I am going to be stuck with some strange stuff in the end. Brussels Sprouts and Tea Sandwiches, anyone?
So....the name of the recipe is Roasted Potato Fennel Soup. Here is a link to the recipe if you don't have the cookbook. But really...if you don't have the cookbook you need to go get it. Now.
http://www.food.com/recipe/roasted-potato-fennel-soup-288439
I stopped at the store this morning to get my ingredients. Nothing fancy in the soup other than fennel. Also known as Anise. Or in my house, with a 9 year old boy and a husband with a 9 year old sense of humor...its Anus. Yes, let's all get the sillies out now. Anise sounds like anus. Get it?
Well, I was not at my favorite local market. I was at some ghetto Stop and Shop that had no Fennel/Anise. Fortunately I was able to text a friend who was at another grocery store up the road and she got me some. She stuck it in her mailbox and I picked it up on my way home.
The reason I didn't ring her bell is that the entire house, with the exception of my friend, is contaminated. With the FLU. Ugh. I'm embarrassed to say it, but I took that fennel and threw the bag away (in the garage...not even taking in in my house) that she put it in, washed the crap out of the fennel and then went to town with the anti-bacterial soap. As my lady Sweet Brown so eloquently says...."Ain't nobody got time fo flu!"
I plan on dropping off a container of soup on her doorstep tomorrow. But I refuse to touch the doorbell. Eww. Back to the soup.
So here are my red potatoes about to hit the oven....
After they roasted and I sautéed the fennel and onion, I added it all together with the broth. Pretty easy. It cooked for about an hour, then I added the milk. OH....the milk. Ina was calling for cream. I just couldn't do it. So there will be times when I substitute. Nothing crazy. No way I would use Splenda for sugar or applesauce for butter. That's just sacrilege. I just may lay off the heavy cream if I think I can get away with it.
Here is the finished product....
Thankfully, it was really good. G (the husband) really loved it and thought it was the perfect thing for a cold, rainy day. It had a good texture and little flecks of the red potato skin in it. Ina loves to suggest that everyone use a food mill to puree their food. Unfortunately I do not have one. Surprising, since I have loads of kitchen gadgets that rarely get used. Mango pitter. Avocado slicer. You get the picture. What I did use was an immersion blender...one of those magic wands you stick right into the pot to puree it. No problems there, but I still feel less than whole without one of Auntie's food mills that she got at her local East Hampton hardware store.
For the kid's part....I made the deal with him that he had to have one bite of everything that I made from this cookbook and he agreed. So, let's get to his review. And I quote...."It looks like mutant barf!" Yep. That was about it. Apparently he thinks it tastes like eggs even though he hasn't touched an egg since he was about two years old. Fortunately he did not spit soup out all over my floor and managed to swallow it. And there you have it.
Recipe number one in Cooking With Auntie Ina was a success. Was it the best soup EVER???? No. Was it good? Yes. Will I make it again? Yep. So far, so good. I knew you wouldn't let me down, Auntie I!
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