Because the internet can never have too many cooking blogs...

So yeah, it's official, I start the new job Monday morning and I've already processed out of the old job.  It's nice not to be under the gun and having to pack up all my stuff yet again for another odyssey into the great unknown.  Anyway, that's all of the job stuff for now.  Let's get down to the real reason for this entry.

I may have said it once before, but I do love to cook.  I'm also fortunate to live with someone that loves to eat what I cook.  In that regard, things work out rather well.  Until now, however, I've never gone into great detail about just how I make the dinners that have Ms. Darkstar raving on her blog about how tasty it is.

Naturally, once it was known I would be home (although we didn't know at the time it would be permanent), I received a list of things that I would be required to cook.  Tonight's meal would consist of French onion soup, and key lime pie for dessert.

A couple of the things I truly love, food-wise, are French onion soup and clam chowder.  I've had many different preparations of each, in different places, and I've tried several recipe variations at home.  Another thing about me is I love to tweak a recipe, adding here and subtracting or omitting there and seeing how things turn out.  This recipe started out from Top Secret Recipes, specifically Top Secret Restaurant Recipes Volume 2, with a few modifications by yours truly.

A quick note, and full disclosure: I absolutely LOVE Penzey's Spices.  I first discovered them when I was living in Saint Paul, MN about eight years ago, and was in hog heaven when I found out they had a store here in Dallas.

I'll try to keep the more exotic blends (ones that can't be replicated by a trip to the local grocery store) to a minimum, but for heaven's sake, do yourself a favor and get their catalog, try a few things, and see if they don't have what I consider to be the best spices and dried herbs I've ever tried.

I mean, c'mon, spicey goodness in your mail box?  What's not to love about that, for crying out loud?

Of course, one should pace oneself, so don't be like me and point to the catalog and announce you'd like one of everything, please, even if in your little heart of hearts you truly mean it.


So ... on to the soup.

 Most of the traditional recipes for this soup call for chicken stock, while the recipe I "followed" calls for beef broth.  I compromised by adding some beef bouillon granules to the chicken stock (use unsalted or low sodium, whether it's stock or broth.  It makes it easier to control the flavoring).  The recipe calls for three different cheeses, but I prefer to use the traditional Gruyere, because the nutty flavor of the cheese compliments the sweetness of the finished soup.  The Parmesan cheese serves double duty, as you will see in a moment.

That may look like way too much onion (that's three white onions in that bowl), but they will cook down.  Don't let the amount spook you.  This recipe will cook down to about four servings (or two servings with seconds).

First thing you do is melt down the butter (one-half of a stick, or 1/4 cup) in your soup pot.  Do this over medium-high heat, and wait for the butter to stop foaming.  If you're the adventurous sort, like I am, let the butter brown a little bit before dumping in the onions.  Stir well to coat them with the butter, than cook them until they start turning brown.  Be VERY careful not to burn them.  It's a good idea not to stray too far at this stage and stir often.  When the onions have a little bit of brownish color to them and have reduced in volume in the pan, add the stock and a small sprinkling of the bouillon granules, along with 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder.  (I had a picture of this but my stupid phone decided not to save it after I took it.  Bah.)

The crouton toppers are fairly simple.  I used a loaf of demi-French bread I got at Target (seems to be the best size without a lot left over), made four slices about 1 inch thick, and topped each with a mixture of Parmesan cheese and dried parsley.  These went into a 350-degree oven until they were browned and crispy (recipe says 10 minutes, your time will vary, just keep an eye on them and pull them when they're browned).




Let the soup simmer uncovered for about an hour, adding three tablespoons of the Parmesan during the last ten minutes of cooking.  And now, it's time to finish and serve.

I bought these crocks at my local restaurant supply store.  They're not all that expensive and, because they're oven-safe, they can go under the broiler for the finjal step.  Unless your serving dishes are safe in this way, DO NOT place them in the oven.

To finish the soup, ladle it into your crock or bowl, place a crouton on top, and top it with the Gruyere you've grated beforehand.  Place it under the broiler until the cheese melts and browns slightly on the top.

If you don't have a broiler or don't have oven-safe serving dishes, an alternative is to use a cook's torch (I've seen these at Target and places like Bed, Bath and Beyond in addition to restaurant supply stores) to melt the cheese.  Just keep an eye on it so you don't burn the cheese or start a fire.  Always practice safe cooking.

I served our soup with a 2010 Hogue late-harvest Riesling (don't you just love my fancy plates?) and Ms. Darkstar was simply overjoyed that she didn't have to cook anymore -- oh, and the soup was great, too.








Dessert is a simple key lime pie, from a recipe off a bottle of Nellie and Joe's Key Lime Juice and available on their website.

Thanks for reading all the way to the bottom of this page.  Tune in tomorrow as I torment you further with my culinary adventures and prepare a simple country-fried steak and mashed potato dinner.

I need to let dinner digest a bit.