Tomorrow… I leave for MAUI!
Over a week filled with palm trees, walks along the Pacific Ocean, enough [ahi tuna] poke to give me mercury poisoning and hopefully some beachside happy hours, hikes, and much needed relaxation. Of course seeing my family and long distance kittens will be wonderful, too! (KW, please join me next time…) Even with an 11-hour flight to start off the trip, I can’t wait!
Of course summer has abruptly come to a screeching halt here in the Northeast, already requiring a light jacket for brisk early mornings. I always manage to take my vacations during the most beautiful weather of the year in New York, and I’m almost certain my return will cause an early blizzard to welcome me back. Alright, maybe the weather won’t be that extreme, but with pumpkin coffee/beer/donuts having made their way to the stores at the end of August… I will surely come back to NYC in full-fledged fall-mode.
Summer is by far my least favorite season. After months of oppressive heat, thick humidity, hiding inside and constantly running the A/C, autumn is always much welcomed. Growing up where the leaves didn’t change makes me appreciate the upcoming season all that much more and I really get into the seasonal goodies of October and November – hot apple cider, cinnamon sticks, craft pumpkin beers, baking anything with apples, throwing open windows & bundling up in sweats, taking long walks, and finally, finally being able to make soup without sweating.
I love soup. (Oh wait, I’ve mentioned the soup thing more than once?) I also love mushrooms. Not surprisingly, I’ve had a recipe in hiding forever, just waiting patiently for me to finally bring its majesty into fruition: Ruth Reichl’s Mushroom Soup. Former New York Times food critic Ruth Reichl has also churned out several cookbooks and memoir-style books, incorporating recipes into her stories. If all of her recipes are as amazing as this one, I will definitely be making more.
I wouldn’t categorize it as healthy since this cream based soup is reminiscent of the Campbell’s cream of glop in a can; however this version is homemade with fresh ingredients and love. I’ve had a lot of soup in my lifetime and I can say without a doubt this one is the best. A rich, earthy, stick-to-your-bones kind of soup that’s utterly delicious and easy to make? I have a new year round autumn go-to soup recipe.
Mushroom Soup
Adapted from Ruth Reichl’s “Comfort Me with Apples”
½ pound of thinly sliced/chopped mushrooms
¼ stick of butter
1 small onion, diced
3 ½ TBS of flour
¾ cup beef broth
¼ stick of butter
1 small onion, diced
3 ½ TBS of flour
¾ cup beef broth
¼ cup red wine
2 cups half and half
2 cups half and half
Salt & Pepper to taste
Melt butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add onion and saute until golden. Add mushrooms and saute until brown. Stir in flour gradually (it will get very thick) and then slowly whisk in broth/wine. Add a little salt and pepper. Heat half and half on the stove (or in the microwave) until hot, but not boiling, and slowly add to mushroom mixture. Whisk again to ensure that everything is getting to know each other on a personal level. Simmer for ten minutes. Adjust seasoning accordingly, dish up a bowl with some bread.
Leftovers will be hard to find.
ALOHA!
2 comments:
First, I am so excited that you will be here (warning, I may not let you leave) and I can't wait for us to indulge in lots of local favorite foods. But, speaking of soup, we will go to Coconuts for the fish chowder, despite the less than fall weather here on Maui. And, maybe one day you can fix this awesome mushroom soup for me, too!
Safe travel and counting the hours until you arrive!
This stuff was great, and that's coming from someone who isn't even that crazy about mushrooms.
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