As me and my girlfriend ramp up for our trip to Italy this summer, I have been especially interested in the remaining Italian dishes in the book. This one particularly grabbed my attention because we plan to eat at the famous Royal Danieli Terrace when we visit Venice. Fish stews don’t necessarily attract my attention but this was still quite a nice dish, comprised of about every kind of fish and seafood you could imagine. I doubt I will ever go back to it, but it was still a worthwhile adventure.
Prior to adding the final thickener of egg yolks, parmesan, and parsley, I thought that this was a fantastic soup as I was making it. Afterwards, I found it a thick, slimy, sludge. I actually would do this recipe again but leave it as a clear broth!
I will eat black beans as well as black bean soup, but it certainly isn’t my favourite. This recipe didn’t change my mind exactly but it certainly did reinvent the traditional black bean soup. An incredibly simple dish that elevates itself by straining the mashed beans through a sieve to create a velvety texture. Along with the infusion of Sorrel leaves, this is a really nice soup that holds its own amidst the many excellent soups in this cookbook.
Contrary to what you might expect from the name, this soup is not dominated by Poblano Peppers. It is, as Vincent aptly described, a kind of Mexican minestrone. And it was delicious. Simple, fresh fare. I found the avocado added not really necessary and I would personally add a dollop of sour cream over Parmesan, but other than that, a really great soup. The Price’s definitely have a great track record with their soups!
I have done this soup a couple of times and always enjoy the result. It’s quite unlike any French Onion Soup I have come across in either North America or France but it is quite delightful and unique. Generally, I find French onion soups to have large chunks of onion, but in this one the onion is minced, essentially liquifying the onions and making the soup more of a broth. The white wine paired with the bacon fat is a delicious combination that just dances across the taste buds. Personally, I find that bacon fat is better used fresh. For some reason whenever I try to store it, it always tastes stale. I would also caution not to use too much of the bacon fat in the recipe or it could over power the soup and make it also a little oily to the palette. Success.
The title sounds very light and refreshing but with all the cream and chicken stock this soup was a bit on the heavy side. Pretty tasty but not my favourite as I already have a hard time with cold soups.
Not my favourite soup, the fish and seafood didn’t quite give the stock the flavour I was hoping for, I’m not sure why. There are other fish soups in the book, so I will soldier on and try again another day.
The other week, I treated my girlfriend to a surprise dinner at The Four Seasons….that is, The Four Seasons a la Vincent and Mary Price with this cold carrot and potato soup as the starter. It was tasty. It was my first experience with a vichyssoise and I’m not a huge fan of cold soups in general but I liked the thick, creamy consistency of this soup.
Vincent Price says this is a soup hearty enough to act as a main meal and he isn’t kidding. The combination of the split green peas, celery leaves, and celery root give it a nice freshness while the pork hock and hot dogs give it a savory naughtiness. I used ball game franks but you could just as easily elevate this recipe with some high quality sausage like kielbasa. An excellent debut recipe for the Holland section.
A Treasury of Great Recipes 