Thursday, January 11, 2007

Books - Encyclopedia of Herbs & Spices

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copyright 2007 by Ms. Huis Herself
Please read this at musenmutter.blogspot.com
because that is the REAL site. Thank you!
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Sorry no post yesterday. I was just feeling lazy! So, to make up for it, here is a LONG post, complete with recipe.

This is the cookbook I was using the evening I decided to do the January Book Challenge. It belongs to Mr. Kluges who found it at a second-hand bookstore. TONS of information and pictures about herbs and spices in the first part, lots of recipes in the second. We've only tried a couple, but every time I look through it I get hungry. (And then wonder where I can get some of the unusual ingredients.)

This is the yummy recipe I was making when I decided to include this book... hope you enjoy it. Since butternut squash is an exotic vegetable here in Ireland, I feel very worldly when I make it. :) It's sounds spicy, but it's really not (or not the way I make it - you could of course up the spices yourself). Don't skip the horseradish cream - it adds a lot in terms of richness and flavor.

Butternut Squash Soup with Curried Horseradish Cream
(serves 6)

1 butternut squash
1 cooking apple
2 Tbl. butter
1 onion, finely chopped
3 3/4 c. chicken or vegetable stock
1 tsp. chopped fresh sage
2/3 c. apple juice
salt & pepper
curry powder, to garnish

Curried Horseradish Cream
4 Tbl. double cream [regular cream is fine.]
2 tsp. horseradish sauce
1/2 tsp. curry powder

1. Peel the squash, remove the seeds, and chop the flesh. Peel, core and chop the apple.

2. Heat the butter in a large saucepan [or Dutch oven]. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, until soft. Stir in the curry powder. Cook to bring out the flavor, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.

3. Add the stock, squash, apple, and sage. [I usually add the sage later with the apple juice since it's fresh, but I'd definitely add in ground/dried now if that's what you're using.] Bring to the boil, lower the heat, cover and simer for 20 minutes until the squash and apple are soft.

4. Meanwhile, make the horseradish cream. Whip the cream in a bowl until stiff, then stir in the horseradish sauce and curry powder. Cover and chill until required.

5. Puree the soup in a blender or food processor. [Or just mash in the pan with a potato masher if soft enough - much less cleanup!] Return to the clean pan [I don't know if they expect you to wash it before putting the same stuff back in, but that' s just crazy.] and add the apple juice, with salt and pepper to taste. Reheat gently, without allowing the soup to boil.

6. Serve the soup in individual bowls, topping each portion with a spoonful of horseradish cream and a dusting of curry powder. Garnish with a few lime shreds, if you like.

Enjoy!

3 comments:

ewe are here said...

I'm delurking on a couple of blogs this week... ;-)

Anyways, just wanted to say 'hi'. Oh, and butternut squash is probably my favorite vegetable, although I've never had it as a soup. I tend to cut it up, boil it, then mash it. And my toddler loves it as well!

Kashka said...

Ms. Huis! You have a lurker who's into K's Choice! Soooo jealous.

And, I've probably told you this, but I was raised in such a squash-intense home that I didn't know until I went to college that some people made pumpkin pies with pumpkin.

Ms. Huis Herself said...

Pumpkin pies with PUMPKIN? Get out of town! *grin* That'd be like making split pea soup with peas or something!

Kashka, you make me laugh.