Garlic Soup

Recipe books are hardly page turners. You skim, you browse, you find something interesting and note it for later cooking, but you almost never read one. The Whole Beast: Nose to Tail Eating is the exception. Fergus Henderson writes recipes the way recipes should be written. They aren't the normal dry, narrative essays that read like a third grade class wrote it. They're written naturally, with funny side notes, and turns of phrase that have no business being so good.

I was first introduced to this recipe book when my friend shoved it into my hands a few weeks ago, saying "Merry Christmas," (We seem to be trading meet related gifts back and forth. Pork related to be more spastic) I flipped through it, liked what I saw, but really only got a good look the other day. Reading though the stocks and starters and soups sections, I focussed in on a recipe for garlic soup. Intrigued, I set to work on it. A simple, albeit smelly, recipe. Simmer eight heads of garlic in two quarts stock until they are soft. Squish them through a sieve and reincorporate them into the stock. Small servings with a hunk of day old bread to sop up the soup. Use homemade stock when possible. I used store bought, which was a mistake. 

I woke up today a big ball of stink, but feeling more healthy. I didn't mind it. The soup was creamy with that subtle sweet that cooked garlic gets. I say embrace the stink. If anyone snickers, I've got some soup for them to try.

Leek Soup

Leek and Cauliflower Soup with Bacon Bits on Top

I had a large amount of leeks and cauliflower with not much to do. So I chopped them all up, added some ginger and simmered it all in chicken broth and cream. I took out the ginger and blended it all together. I couldn't taste much of the ginger so I put some of it back in. Toped it off with some bacon and some very sharp white cheddar. And then enjoyed it tremendously. I think next time I need to cook the cauliflower a little longer, or get a better food processor, because it was just a little too crunchy. But all and all pretty good.