Cathy Burnham Martin's Blog, page 13

Photo by Jill Wellington

“If thou art a man, admire those who attempt great things, even though they fail.”

— Lucius Annaeus Seneca (4 BC-65AD)
Roman philosopher and statesman

Creamy Mushroom Soup

Celebrate the Day of the Mushroom! (No, no Rabbit holes, Alice.) I am a huge fan of roasted, grilled, stuffed, and sautéed mushrooms. Have some soup!

Creamy Mushroom Soup
Use cremini, shiitake caps, baby portobella, or a mushroom combination to enjoy this Super Simple, superbly luscious soup! Do not fear the amount of onions. They are sweet and cook down substantially.

4 T butter
4 T bacon renderings (or more butter)
2 T olive oil
2 large sweet onions, chopped (2-3 heaping cups)
3 green onions (green & white portions), thinly sliced (¼ c)
1 T minced garlic
2 lbs fresh mushrooms, sliced (see Note)
2 tsp dried thyme
1 c pinot grigio or a dry red wine, as you prefer
6 T cornstarch
4 c (32-oz/2 lbs) chicken stock or broth
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper, & ½ tsp ground white pepper
2 tsp “Better than Bouillon” Beef (or 2 beef bouillon cubes, crumbled or chopped)
1 c half & half or heavy cream
½ – ¾ c chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Melt butter & bacon renderings with oil in wide soup pot over med heat. Sauté onions with garlic for 4-5 min. Stir in mushrooms & thyme; let cook 4-5 min, stirring occasionally. Whisk cornstarch into wine till smooth; stir into mushrooms. Stir in stock, one cup at a time, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to med-low. Add seasonings & bouillon. Cover & let cook 10 min, stirring occasionally till thickened. Stir in cream and half the parsley. Ladle into serving bowls & sprinkle additional parsley on top. Makes about 12 cups.

KISS Note: My favorite mushroom combination is 2 heaping c sliced baby portobellas (8-12 oz), 1 heaping c sliced shiitake caps only (5-6 oz), 4-5 heaping cups sliced cremini/button mushrooms (16 oz), and an 8-oz can mushroom stems & pieces, including its liquid. I always sauté some to use as a garnish atop each serving.

“The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials.”

— Chinese proverb

“Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me.”

— Carol Burnett (1933 – )
American comedian and actress

Celebrate National Big Word Day! Being a Mary Poppins fan from childhood, I choose:

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

“Today’s accomplishments were yesterday’s impossibilities.”

— Robert H. Schuller (1926 – 2015)
American author, motivational speaker, and televangelist

“Fame is a vapor; popularity an accident; the only earthly certainty is oblivion.”

— Mark Twain (pen name for Samuel Clemens) (1835-1910)
19th Century American author and humorist

“Daring ideas are like chessmen moved forward. They may be beaten, but they may start a winning game.”

— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
German poet, statesman, and critic

“Drama is life with the dull bits cut out.”

— Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980)
English writer, director, and filmmaker

Photo by Susan Wilkinson

“Art is a house that tries to be haunted.”

— Emily Dickinson (1830 – 1886)
American poet