Sunday, January 16, 2011

Jade: Bitemymushrooms

Things that make me happy: staying in on a rainy day with the windows half open..and loving how all the colours outside seem so much brighter after a heavy downpour...Maybe the scientists have it all wrong..maybe instead of boring water vapour, clouds are actually made of sighs...and swallowed sobs..and when it all gets a little too sad, because even fluffy white clouds have their limit, they explode into millions of raindrops..washing away layers of frustration, leaving in their place clarity and fresh perspectives; The smell of nail polish..because it reminds me of the night before chinese new year and my 4-yr old self, perched at the end of my mum's bed, staring wide-eyed as she applies coat after coat of vibrant polish, hoping if I was still enough, she would paint my nails too...but mostly because it reminds me of how once upon a time, I couldn't wait to be all grown up; My dad's tatty old shirt that I'd rescued from the charity pile...with it's yellowed stains from where I've spilt countless cups of tea and the kind of worn softness that you can only get after about the thousandth wash..the same shirt i wore when my cousins and I played dress up..the one I belted with a ribbon because i thought it would look cool as a dress..the one that never fails to make me feel like a kid all over again; Hot mushroom soup made from scratch on a chilly Sunday...oversalted..but comforting nonetheless...because like all the best things in life, it has just the right amount of flaw.

Cream of mushroom soup~ I have a sneaking suspicion my mushrooms had gone bad.....but it baffles me how fungus can sprout fungus...

4-5 large chestnut mushrooms, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
white wine

1. Heat up some olive oil in a saucepan, sauteed the garlic and onion until tender
2. Add the mushrooms and a generous glug of white wine
3. Once the mushrooms have softened, add the stock, milk and bayleaf and simmer gently for about half an hour, lid on
4. I used a stick blender to give the whole mix a good blitz...feel free to use a blender and good luck with the washing up
5. Season to taste....I have learnt less is more when it comes to salt....ladle into a pretty soup bowl and serve with your favourite bread :)

No comments:

Post a Comment