October 17, 2012... Day 11. Still horribly sick with the cold that just won't go away. Constant coughing, persistent sore through, and no end in sight. Tylenol and comfort food are my only sources of relief. Would write more, but the energy I've spent trying to type has wiped me out.. I must rest. Winter is coming.
Ok, so maybe I'm exaggerating a bit (and watching too much "Game of Thrones," a decidedly un-Disney program, I might add), but I'm still in the death grips of what I've named the Florida Flu... The worst cold I've ever had in my life, the onset of which coordinated perfectly with the day I was flying home. Nothing says fun like bad cold at 40,000 feet, except for maybe spotting a creature on the wing of the plane ("Twilight Zone..." I'm almost done, I swear).
The part about craving comfort food? That part is true, though. And what I wanted, more than anything, is soup. Nice, simple, delicious, hearty, soup. The reason I went with this soup was simple... I had all the ingredients on hand but the pumpkin and ginger, so I didn't have to do any major shopping. Yes, it sounded awesome, yes it looked easy to prepare, but in the spirit of full disclosure, this recipe appealed to my total lack of desire to be seen in public, as well as my need to be disgustingly lazy. And it was for these same reasons that I used canned pumpkin instead of a whole pumpkin, which was my only major change to the recipe. Peeling, seeding, and chopping a 4 pound pumpkin? I wasn't really feeling it. I was, however, feeling opening 2 cans of pumpkin puree and calling it done.
I must say, this recipe totally hit the spot. I didn't expect to really taste the ginger (I may have added slightly more then what was called for...), but actually it was a really nice compliment to the pumpkin. I don't really get the point of the milk foam on the top... It didn't add to the flavor, though it did look cool, but I've never made anything with a foam before and it was an interesting experience. That said, it's not really necessary.
My big warning is that this recipe makes a lot of soup. Enough to feed a small army. Were I to do it over again, I'd half the recipe, for sure. However, I fed my son a bowl and a half for lunch, then afterwards he asked to take a nap. He was out for 3 hours. So... Parents, do with this information what you will.
Ok, so maybe I'm exaggerating a bit (and watching too much "Game of Thrones," a decidedly un-Disney program, I might add), but I'm still in the death grips of what I've named the Florida Flu... The worst cold I've ever had in my life, the onset of which coordinated perfectly with the day I was flying home. Nothing says fun like bad cold at 40,000 feet, except for maybe spotting a creature on the wing of the plane ("Twilight Zone..." I'm almost done, I swear).
The part about craving comfort food? That part is true, though. And what I wanted, more than anything, is soup. Nice, simple, delicious, hearty, soup. The reason I went with this soup was simple... I had all the ingredients on hand but the pumpkin and ginger, so I didn't have to do any major shopping. Yes, it sounded awesome, yes it looked easy to prepare, but in the spirit of full disclosure, this recipe appealed to my total lack of desire to be seen in public, as well as my need to be disgustingly lazy. And it was for these same reasons that I used canned pumpkin instead of a whole pumpkin, which was my only major change to the recipe. Peeling, seeding, and chopping a 4 pound pumpkin? I wasn't really feeling it. I was, however, feeling opening 2 cans of pumpkin puree and calling it done.
I must say, this recipe totally hit the spot. I didn't expect to really taste the ginger (I may have added slightly more then what was called for...), but actually it was a really nice compliment to the pumpkin. I don't really get the point of the milk foam on the top... It didn't add to the flavor, though it did look cool, but I've never made anything with a foam before and it was an interesting experience. That said, it's not really necessary.
My big warning is that this recipe makes a lot of soup. Enough to feed a small army. Were I to do it over again, I'd half the recipe, for sure. However, I fed my son a bowl and a half for lunch, then afterwards he asked to take a nap. He was out for 3 hours. So... Parents, do with this information what you will.
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Pumpkin-Ginger Soup
As is served on Disney Cruise Lines
°o° 3/4 cup butter
°o° 1 stalk celery, chopped
°o° 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
°o° 1/2 cup flour
°o° 2 1/2 cups vegetable stock
°o° 1 (4 pound) pumpkin, peeled, seeded, and cubed (or 2 cups pumpkin puree)
°o° 1 (4 pound) pumpkin, peeled, seeded, and cubed (or 2 cups pumpkin puree)
°o° 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
°o° 3/4 cup apple juice
°o° salt and pepper to taste
Milk Foam
°o° salt and pepper to taste
°o° 1/4 cup whole milk
°o° 1/4 cup heavy cream
°o° Nutmeg garnish, optional
Melt butter in a large stockpot, add onions. Cook for about 2 minutes. Add celery and ginger, cooking an additional 2 minutes or until onions are translucent and celery is soft. Whisk in flour, stirring constantly, forming a rue. Slowly add vegetable stock, whisking constantly to break up lumps. Bring to a boil, allowing mixture to thicken. Add pumpkin. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring often to prevent scorching. Add heavy cream and apple juice, stir well. Cook an additional 20 - 30 minutes until mixture is heated and pumpkin has softened.
Working in batches using an immersion blender or regular blender, blend the soup until creamy. Add additional stock if soup is too thick. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, if desired. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and serve warm.
To make foam garnish, add milk and heavy cream into a small saucepan and warm, being careful to not boil the mixture. Using an immersion blender, whip mixture until foamy. Place small amount of foam in the center of soup before serving, garnish with fresh grated nutmeg, if desired.
Serves 10
Working in batches using an immersion blender or regular blender, blend the soup until creamy. Add additional stock if soup is too thick. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, if desired. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and serve warm.
To make foam garnish, add milk and heavy cream into a small saucepan and warm, being careful to not boil the mixture. Using an immersion blender, whip mixture until foamy. Place small amount of foam in the center of soup before serving, garnish with fresh grated nutmeg, if desired.
Serves 10
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