Saturday, May 12, 2007

Chronic Liar's Pea Soup

In my recipe folder I have a stained, photocopied recipe for pea soup with a picture of Eric Clapton in his kitchen and allegedly Clapton's signature. It was passed on to the Finlander by a chronic liar. I've always called it Eric Clapton's Pea Soup, but until I have more proof I'm going to switch to Chronic Liar's Pea Soup. It seems like I have a higher responsibility for accuracy when I put something in print. I always pull out this recipe in the spring when the mint is up. It's not your average pea soup recipe. It's pretty good.

1 lb. frozen peas
1 small lettuce
A few sprigs of fresh mint
A few sprigs of fresh parsley
1 tsp. sugar
1 medium onion
1/2 cucumber
2 ounces butter
2 1/2 pints chicken stock
1/3 pint milk
2 tsp. curry powder
Salt & Pepper

Peel & chop cucumber and onion -- clean & chop lettuce mint & parsley. Heat butter in large saucepan (keeping in mind the post below). Add lettuce, cucumber, onion, mint & parsley and stir till butter is absorbed. Add stock, peas, sugar, salt & pepper. Simmer until peas are soft. Pour the liquid into a blender and puree, adding the curry powder. Then reheat adding the milk and correct the seasoning.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I wish I enjoyed peas, that soup sounds great.

Plus the story is fantastic.

I do enjoy this tuna/pea salad that my mother makes, I have no idea what it's called, but as a kid a used to pick out the peas, but i was a lazy child so I just started taking it all in.

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I am very interested in writer's process and where they write.. don't ask why, but I do enjoy you sharing your "SPACE" with me..

I read Steven King's book on writing.. he talked about his room.. he used to have a giant desk in the middle of a room.. until one day he bought a smaller desk and put it in the corner of the room and turned his "office" into a family room of sorts.. the point was that you are not the center of your writing or your world..

Ok - I lied I listened to it on CD so I don't have my facts straight and i'm sure it wasn't as effective as reading it.. but I hope you can get what I am getting at.

Charmi said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Charmi said...

There is something about cooked peas that is just not too appetizing, I must admit. Raw peas are less offensive. These peas have great company, so they're not bad at all.

I know the space you're describing in King's book. I read it last summer or something like that. I've had my desk in the family room, but writing needs a place where you can shut the door, and even lock it at times