December 12, 2007

Silky Smooth Soups But No Cuisinart

I mentioned in my last post that it was wonderful to be back in the city if only for the wealth of ingredients that are now at my fingertips. One such ingredient that I picked up on a whim is pomegranate molasses, which immediately inspired me to make a roasted cauliflower soup so that I could drizzle it on top. I’ve never used pomegranate molasses before but once the idea was in my head I had to make it happen, so here it is! I started by cutting up a head of cauliflower, drizzling it with olive oil and sprinkling some salt and cumin on top. I roasted it in the oven at 450F until it began to brown. Then I used my super duper high speed blender to puree the cauliflower with some chicken stock. A couple minutes later I had a silky smooth mixture that I topped with pomegranate molasses and presto, I had soup. I couldn’t live without that blender. It was one of the essential kitchen items that had to come with me when I moved. Unfortunately, some of my other toys didn’t make the move and I’m missing them now. Somehow I managed to forget my microplane zester and I miss it everyday. I’m also missing my jelly roll pan, a spaghetti pot and worst of all, my Cuisinart! Unfortunately, I’ll never get that back. Somehow, (and I still don’t quite understand how that happened) Dad threw it out! Yes, that’s right, a relatively new Cuisinart that I had just purchased less than two years ago and that had been sitting safely in storage, or so I thought. In one of Dad’s “throw out” phases, he tossed it. Instead of throwing out their 30 year old Cuisinart with the broken buttons, he threw out my pristine machine that had been waiting patiently to be used again. Sigh.

I try not to think of my poor baby wasting away on a trash pile somewhere, and so to distract myself, I’ll tell you about another soup- Jamie Oliver’s Pumpkin Soup which I made for the November Cooking Club on FoodTV Canada’s blog. I always make squash soup during the fall and winter months, but rarely from a recipe, I usually just throw in whatever I feel like, so actually sticking to Jamie's recipe was new for me. I'm glad I did though, I really liked the addition of chestnuts! I couldn't find any canned chestnuts so I had to roast my own and to get the sage I had to dig it out from under the snow but it was all good! Of course, I used my blender to whip this soup creamy too, it’s my favourite way to do it.



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19 comments:

Manggy said...

I too have no food processor. I'm thinking of grinding some almonds to make almond meal later but I think I'll have to make do with a blender. Wish me luck.

Not cold enough here for soup, but those look really tasty. And Jamie Oliver is teh bomb :)

Peabody said...

OH NO! That is just so wrong what your dad did.

K and S said...

oh no!! sorry to hear about the Cuisinart, this soup looks like great comfort food though.

Chibog in Chief said...

these two soups looks stunningly delicious!! i dont have food processor too..but im asking one for my christmas present :-)

Renee said...

Oh, Cuisinart :( Maybe he'll buy you a new one for the holidays?

Pomegranate molasses, though...I just got some for mid eastern food, but never thought of using it to garnish soup! That's a great idea...

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

Hopefully your Cuisinart was adopted and went to a good home. I am still looking for pomegranate molasses!

Dana said...

I keep seeing pomegranate molasses everywhere, but I have yet to use it in anything! Garnish on soup is a great idea.

Deborah said...

I just got a food processor a few months ago, and now I don't want to live without it. I think your dad owes you a nice new Cuisinart!!

Marvin said...

the soups look gorgeous. i would never have thought to pair pomegranate with cauliflower, but it sounds mighty tasty! and even though your cuisinart is gone, at least you have one more thing to ask for for the holidays!

Maria said...

Sorry about your Cuisinart. That is a sad mix up!! But the soups look great!! I will have to look for some pomm. molasses!!

The Cookbook Junkie said...

My husband threw out my food processor too (he denies it but I know he did!) It wasn't a Cuisinart but it was a food processor/blender/juicer combo.

I found a receipt for a cheap food processor that I'm getting for Christmas which will be exchanged for the proper replacement. (the receipt was right on the counter - I wasn't snooping!)

Cookie baker Lynn said...

That Cuisinart was probably a total blessing for some dumpster diver. Really not cool for you, though. :-(

MyKitchenInHalfCups said...

That just can not be true! Was it wrapped in black or what . . . maybe he was possessed that day . . . how ever could that have happened? Maybe he just kept it for himself.

I've been wanting to try the pomegranate molasses, your soup probably will speed that up now.

Inne said...

yum, soup! I've never come across pomegranate molasses, so I'm curious what they would taste like.

Aren't dads just unbelievable!?! I remember when I still lived at home I planted a bunch of herbs in the garden, only to come home one day and find them all gone. Dad's explanation? 'but I thought they were weeds...'

Madam Chow said...

I almost screamed when I read about your Cuisinart! I'm stunned, stunned!

Erin said...

My heart hurts at the idea of losing my cuisinart. I have been reading about this pomm syrup everywhere lately it seems. funny how fast something can be the new 'it' thing. I like the idea of using it with cauliflower. An cumin is one of my all-time favorite spices.

Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) said...

Now, I could live without my blender if I had my Cuisinart and my immersion blender! The soup looks lovely, and who knows, maybe someone will bring you another for the holidays (perhaps he who threw out the old one?).

David T. Macknet said...

Oh, how I can relate. We moved to the UK ... and all we've got here are an immersion blender & a spice grinder. It certainly makes life different - and probably improves our knife skills - but it's so hard to go without all the cool little gadgets!

Ed Bruske said...

If you like pomegranate mollases, and we certainly do, try this:

http://theslowcook.blogspot.com/2007/12/quick-braised-swiss-chard-with.html