Prescook

Mamãe Teria Razão

Eis algo em que tenho pensado muito desde que a chuva começou a cair e o vento passou a soprar frio em Oregon: Se minha mãe tivesse me dito quando eu era pequena que eu prepararia uma sopinha fumegante quando quisesse me mimar, eu provavelmente teria acreditado que ela estava tentando me fazer terminar aquele jantar nojento.

Agora, porem, vejo quão certa ela estaria.

A Sopa Retorna em Minha Vida Adulta.

Aqui compartilho uma receita mandada por meu tio, que atraiu minha atenção para as sopas nesses últimos anos, ja que aproveita qualquer oportunidade – leia-se aqui uma brisinha qualquer – para experimentar uma nova receita.

Sobre esta, ele escreveu: “Sopa de Aspargos é sempre gostosa mas acho que nunca havia tomado sopa de aspargos frescos, é mais que gostosa!”

Levei alguns meses namorando essa receita vez por outra ate decidir faze-la. O que, afinal, poderia ser mais aconchegante e delicioso que o creme de aspargos brancos da minha mãe? Seu creme de aspargos é como uma lareira em uma noite fria. Como um abraço caloroso. Como um abraço de mãe.

Fim de semana passado, porem, caminhando pelo supermercado, avistei um maço de aspargos verdes e me senti compelida a trazê-lo para casa, imediatamente pensando na sopa – que preparei no mesmo dia.

E, posso falar? De-li-ci-o-sa!

Eu não diria que é melhor que o creme de aspargos brancos da minha mãe. Apesar de também ser aconchegante, cremosa e leve, é uma sopa completamente diferente. Uma sopa igualmente suculenta, mas completamente diferente. E é verde, não branca.

Uma observação: Apesar de a receita pedir creme de leite fresco, eu achei que ela fica tão boa e cremosa quanto sem acrescentar o creme. Usei a magic bullet * para processar, e o creme ficou perfeito. Sugiro tentar sem o creme primeiro.

*Eu ainda não tenho um liquidificador manual (handheld blender). Com meu gosto atual por sopas e cremes, porém, devo providenciar um num futuro próximo.

Creme de Aspargos e Agrião

para 4 pessoas
ingredientes:
1 kg de aspargos frescos finos
1 maço pequeno de agrião
1 cebola
750ml de caldo de legumes
250ml de creme de leite fresco
30g de manteiga
torradas
sal
pimenta do reino

modo de preparo:
Limpe os aspargos, eliminando a parte final do talo, mais dura, e corte-os em pedaços. Lave e escorra o agrião.

Descasque e pique a cebola fininho, deixando-a cozinhar por 5 minutos numa panela com a manteiga e 1/2 copo de água quente. Junte os aspargos, mexa e, após 5 minutos, despeje o caldo de legumes, já quente. Abaixe o fogo e deixe cozinhar por 5 minutos. Os aspargos devem ficar bem macios. Com a escumadeira, retire algumas pontas dos aspargos e reserve para decorar o prato.

Acrescente o agrião, separando algumas folhas, e bata tudo com o mixer manual, até obter um composto bem liso. Bata o creme de leite em ponto firme e incorpore-o ao puré de aspargos e agrião, misturando delicadamente de baixo para cima com a colher de pau. Tempere com sal e pimenta do reino, moída na hora.

Distribua o creme em pratos fundos, guarnecendo-os com as pontas dos aspargos reservadas, algumas folhas de agrião e torradinhas, que podem ser servidas também à parte, em cumbucas.

Mom Would Have Been Right

Here’s something I have thought about repeatedly since the rain started and the wind began to blow cold in Oregon: If my mother had ever told me, when I was a child, that I would concoct a steaming soup when I felt like pampering myself, I might have thought she was just trying to make me finish that disgusting dinner.

Now, however, I see how right she would have been.

Soup Makes a Come Back in my Adulthood

Here I share a recipe sent to me by my uncle, who has brought my attention to back to soups in the recent years, as he takes any opportunity – read here slightly cold weather – to come up with a recipe to experiment.

About this one, he wrote: “Asparagus soup is always tasty, but I think I had never tried fresh asparagus soup; it is more than tasty! “

It took me a few months looking back at this recipe from time to time to decide to try it for myself. After all, what could be more satisfying and cozier than my mom’s white asparagus soup? It is like a fireplace on a cold night. Like a warm hug. Like a mom’s hug.

Last weekend, though, as I strolled in a grocery store, I laid eyes on an asparagus bunch and felt compelled to pick them up, immediately thinking of the soup, which I prepared as soon as I got home.

And let me share it here: It is de-li-cious!

I would not say it is better than mom’s white asparagus soup. Although it is also warm and thick, creamy, and light, it is a completely different soup. A completely different luscious soup. And it is green, not white.

A side note: Although the recipe calls for cream, I found the soup to be as satisfying without it. Processing it in the magic bullet * creamed it to perfection. I suggest you try it plain before adding the cream.

*I do not yet have a handheld blender. With my current flair for soups, though, it may be in my near future.

Recipe: Asparagus and Watercress Cream

4 servings
Ingredients:
2 pounds fresh green asparagus
1 small bulk watercress
1 onion (I used onion powder)
3 cups vegetable broth (I used water and added salt)
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons butter
salt
black pepper to taste
croutons 

Procedures:
Cut the hard end of the asparagus (the one at the opposite end of the flower). Cut the rest of the stem in 1-inch pieces. Rinse and drain the watercress. 

Peel and chop the onion. Cook it with the butter and 1/2 cup water for about 5 minutes. Add the asparagus, stir and, after 5 minutes more, add the broth (already hot). Remove a few tips to decorate at the end. Turn down the heat and cook for 5 more minutes. The asparagus should be soft.

Add the watercress, saving some leaves to decorate, and, using an immersion hand held blender, process until creamy. Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Carefully fold it into the soup as not to deflate the whipped cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve the cream in bowls, decorate with the asparagus tips, some of the watercress leaves and croutons.

Enjoy!!

Reading

Today I am studying, working hard to read and respond to the reading of another chapter for my ESOL endorsement, which will help me become more aware of the intricacies of teaching learners who have a first language other than the one they use in their academic lives.

The text is fascinating, and so meaningful to my work that I stop every other page to get something ready for lessons I’ll teach during the week; or I open a new tab on my browser to research a new material to bring to class, or just jot down notes of ideas I hope to remember when the time comes to use them.

This, however, slows down my process as a student, and makes it challenging to finish the assignment, which is to read the chapter from the book (10 more pages to go), then read an article (4 pages) and make notes to guide the discussion. Sadly, the discussion happened last week, and I did not get my act together in time to participate. Gladly, the discussion is online, so I still intend to post my ideas to the thread.

A fan to air my thoughts

However, with all that happening in my brain, I get overloaded. Right now, hearing my computer fan trying to refresh its components, I feel I can relate to that. Baking is my fan.

So some 40 minutes ago I got up and decided to use what was left of a pumpkin pie filling and try an idea I have read about: substituting “cooking oil” (or canola oil) for olive oil in a cake recipe. The recipe was the Harvest Time Pumpkin Bars from Better Homes and Gardens, which I tried at a friend’s house and absolutely loved.

Love at first bite – and second, and third…

When I first ate it, although I could not stop myself from taking a bite after another, I tasted the oil, and that got to me. When I made it for the first time, I thought of maybe substituting oil for butter, but then it would not be a very healthy alternative… I decided to just leave the recipe intact. When I brought it to school, it caused to others the same marveling it had caused me.

Today, during my baking break, as I was preparing only 1/4 of the recipe, I thought it would be the time to experiment. Because olive oil has so much personality, for the 1/4 recipe I used 3 tablespoons olive oil instead of the 1/4 cup the recipe would call for when divided.

Olive oil becomes a favorite in my baking book!

I absolutely loved the result! The aftertaste has a hint of olive oil, which is actually quite pleasant. Next time, however, I will use 1/3 of lemon-infused olive oil. I think this will make it pretty special.

In time: To prepare the batter, I simply whisked the egg, oil, pumpkin puree, and sugar together, then added the dry ingredients and whisked some more. Also,  instead of the heavy cream cheese topping of the original recipe, I mixed confectioner’s sugar with a dab of water and brushed on the top of the cupcakes. Then, just to make it prettier, I finished with a little more confectioner’s sugar.

Now back to the textbook!