No soup for you!

Ok, I'll share if you want some.  And show up in time, since it's tasty enough not to last long.

Broccoli Cheese Soup in a bread bowl, ala Panera Bread.

I copped out and bought the boules, but next time I'll make my own. I decided to make these and didn't want to wait for the sourdough starter to grow, didn't want to cop out and use a pain regulaire (seriously, that's what the bread book calls it, not even the French book at that).

So this is probably the most challenging cream based soup, since it involves creating a roux.  It was lovely--thick and creamy, just a hint of color.  I was very pleased.  Next time...less nutmeg.  It tasted fine, and if you're using pre-ground nutmeg I'm willing to bet the quantity is fine, but with fresh ground...WOW! Strong nutmeg flavor.

And unrelated to the soup...Wow, not impressed with the pictures!  Not sure why the camera was unhappy with focusing, and I just did a crap job of framing up the shots.  Meh.  Here's Puck, with his 'meh' face on.

So this is part of another goal.

I'm aces at baking.  Seriously.  Cookies, cakes, pies, breads, muffins...Sticky and sweet, crisp and buttery. Me, sugar, flour, and butter can go wonderful places.  I can handle frying and baking and grilling a variety of meats and vegetables, too.  Casseroles, pizza, all things I am confident making.

Not so when it comes to soups and sauces.

I spent the last year mastering a basic sausage gravy.  And still end up with something that has to be eaten right away or it crosses the line from 'gravy' to 'sausage jello'.  Which, while tasty, is still kind of eew.

2010 will be the year of soups and sauces, culinarily.  I'm continuing to bake, that's just a given.  But making soups I'm proud of is a goal.  Sauces that don't curdle and break...I'm hoping.

One step closer.

Butternut Squash Soup

The recipe called it a 'curried' soup, given the presence of some curry powder.  I shan't argue, but I think it's more an afterthought than a significant component in the flavor.  Topped with cashews and coconut.  The coconut is wonderful, the cashews don't contribute much.  The recipe is from Food Network magazine by Ina Garten, but the version in the magazine substitutes chicken stock for water/apple cider.  I think next time I'll use vegetable stock instead, and maybe some coconut milk.

It was deemed (by myself and my husband) as good.  :)