I’m an irrepressible tweaker of recipes. Can’t be helped. I’m sorry. Anyway, to report the first 79 Cookbooks recipe results: the Cauliflower Soup was deemed a great success by my lovely roommate, but I found it somewhat… flat. Perhaps using the higher butterfat dairy and my first impulse of substituting smoked gouda for the stilton would have solved that. Despite this limp recomemdation, I do have to note that the Gumbo Z’herbs from this cookbook is delicious and one of these years I’ll make the Norweigian Almond Cake. And the carrot puree with olives…

My experience offers a reminder that a food processor works best with less liquid than a blender and most recipes calling for “puree” were most likely written with a blender in mind. Do wait and add milk after cooking if you’re going to puree in a food processor.

Cauliflower Soup with Stilton*

Changed: stilton to romano, and whole milk/half and half to 1% milk, added a carrot, vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.

1 medium onion, chopped fine
2 celery ribs, string removed with a vegetable peeler, chopped fine
1 carrot, chopped fine
2 1/2 c cauliflower florets (about 8 oz)
3 T unsalted butter
2 c stock or broth
1 1/2 c milk
1/3 c cheese
Salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a 4 quart saucepan. Add the onion, celery, and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the cauliflower, milk, and broth. Cover, and cook for about 20 minutes or until the cauliflower is soft. Puree in two batches, and return to the pot. (If you were using half and half, you would pour it in here.) Add the cheese, and warm over very low heat, stirring, until just mixed in. Salt and pepper to taste.

Reichl, Ruth. Gourmet Today. Houghlin Mifflin Harcourt, Boston: 2009. p. 114.

*I’m not a fan of blue cheeses. And yes, I’ve tried. Recently.