soup recipe

[biggerbirdbrain]

It all sounds so pastoral and lovely. Makes me want to go and get some there. The Blue Bell dairy in Brenham Texas probably doesn't go to those lengths, but their ice cream IS delish, too. A thousand flavors it seems.

[a non-amos]

I found a couple improvements for this recipe.

Thin it down a bit with chicken stock.

Add cubed ham.

The ham makes it even a bit more filling than what it had been, so you might want to scale the recipe down a bit.  A little goes a long way, even on a hungry appetite.

Now, what to do with all these leftovers . . .

[birdy]

As someone who is trying to control cholesterol and lose weight (not that hard - trying, that is, not the losing - that's very hard), I probably couldn't afford to use this recipe.  For some other recipes, like baked custard, I've been using my usual skim milk but substituting evaporated skim milk for part of it.

Anybody have an idea if this would work with the soup?  My theory (and for Monte Python fans, I will assure you that "This is MY theory") is that removing some of the water makes the evaporated milk thicker, even if it doesn't have the butterfat content.

What leftovers?

[technomc]

Hi Birdy,
Leave out the evaporated milk altogether...and use it to make fudge.
Recipe below-
I only ever think of using evaporated milk for sweet dishes...


Melt 800g of chocolate with 500g of evaporated milk, and a knob of butter...when thoroughly mixed add whatever you like [cherries, nuts, ginger etc] spread out in a flat tray. leave to cool and set, eat...YUM..

[birdy]

Get thee behind me, Satan! (And there is still too much behind for Satan to get behind)

[anonsi]

So....How much is a "knob of butter"?

[birdy]

My mother used to use a chunk of about 2 tablespoons, but it was a different recipe.

I've seen a recipe like this for fudge, but I think they used condensed milk, which is sweetened.  But in any case it's on my "forbidden" list.

[bobbi]

Kiwi standard drinks party tucker is to mix a packet of onion soup powder with a tin of evaporated milk. Stir well. Serve as dip with crisps, crudite veggies etc. A dash of Kaitaia Fire (Kiwi equivalent of tabasco) improves this but is not necessary.

[birdy]

Our version of that is a packet of onion soup mix with a pint of sour cream (or when we're being good, with a container of slightly drained no/low fat yoghurt).  I would have thought that the evaporated milk would make it too runny.

[bobbi]

Nope, the thickener in the soup seems to be enough to hold the evaporated milk together despite no heat being applied. I think its popularity hinges largely on the great Kiwi tradition of camping holidays at camping spots with no electricity. No refrigeration is required.

I personally loathe camping. Unless there's room service or similar, I'd rather stay at home! Hubby says I'm a spineless wimp! And worse, I've raised two girls who are equal city slickers.

[birdy]

I can stand roughing it as far as food is concerned (I went on my only camping trip for a whole weekend with a box of crackers, a jar of peanut butter, and a few apples), but I really do want a shower and flush toilet.  Not that I can't make do with a bush when I'm b--ding, but not for extended periods, please.

[technomc]

You are right Birdy...
The fudge recipe should be condensed milk, not evaporated..
I hope you didn't try it yet Anonsi...

A knob of butter is a couple of ounces...

[rogue_mother]

A, I highly approve of the addition of ham to the recipe.  Are you sure that six cloves of garlic are enough?

This substitution is only because they do not sell real cream here in the states.

I recently acquired a kitchen gadget from my parents, who are weeding out the clutter in their basement, that reconstitutes cream from milk and butter.  If I knew the proper proportion of butter to milk, I could make the right cream without having to mix heavy cream and half-and-half.

[bobbi]

oof, my hips expanded half an inch just reading that!

[a non-amos]

Contrary to popular opinion, not all of my cooking is hazardous to the waistline.

As a matter of fact, I have lost 10 pounds since November.  That includes a trip to New Orleans to sample (at length) some of their incredible cooking.  Yes, it was that good.

Coming back home was a bit of a cullinary culture shock.  Not good.  I decided that we needed to eat something really good.  At least I thought so, and I assumed my wife was in a similar situation.

I came up with a new (somewhat healthy) recipe.  Actually, this is not a recipe.  It is a meal crafted around a recipe.  I never trust my own opinion on such matters, but I am told that this beats or at least competes well with the best of what we enjoyed in New Orleans.  This has nothing to do with soup.  Does it merit its own topic?  Opinions?

Is it O.K. for an engineer to also play music and sail and cut gemstones and make toys and brew a few beers every now and then and organize paleonology expeditions . . . and also cook???  Maybe if there is a little time left over for Chi?