I highly recommend making homemade cream of mushroom soup. The mushroom is much more prominent and the cream is so light compared to the canned version. Anyone trying the homemade version for the first time will be really surprised at how delicious it is.
I call this a “base” recipe. Cream of mushroom soup is used in so many other dishes, I wanted to have my own version of it. If I ever decide to document green bean casserole for example, I can refer to this recipe for the cream of mushroom ingredient. I hope to do a few more of these in the near future. My own pizza dough is a top priority for a “base” recipe.
THE COLUMN
For the first time in a long time there is not an obvious joke in the introduction. I always try to incorporate one humorous comment in every recipe, but when it came down to it, there where too many interesting things to say about cream of mushroom soup and the joke had to be omitted. I don’t plan on this being the start of a trend. I love incorporating humor — I think it helps my column stand out.
The glare from the light on the soup pot gives the art in this presentation a cloudy look. Next time I use a large pot like this, I think I’m going to raise my lights so they are not so close to the actual pot. The glare is intense and it hurts the quality of the overall presentation.
I am really happy with the layout. I’ve developed a real style for the one-pot dishes. There is a nice flow that leads you from the first stage to the final dish. It is a familiar style of presentation for people who read the column regularly.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I don’t think I’ll ever eat cream of mushroom from the can again. This soup was so fresh and tasty that it just blows the canned version out of the water. It has inspired me to seek out more pantry staples and recreate them for myself. It’s like discovering each dish for the first time.
Eat well, cook often …
