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Sunday, February 12, 2006

Fabulous French Onion Soup

FABULOUS FRENCH ONION SOUP!

(THE ROULE’ OF OPPOSITIONS)
Gary

I have been in love with this recipe for a long time and often, when I am on the road, make it for friends wherever I stop. Everyone agrees it is the best French onion soup they have ever had. It stems from my understanding the evolution of differences in men and women and how the blending of opposites and contraries can often be quite exquisite.

French onion soup for two:

One large red onion, one large yellow onion.
Red wine, good tasting of course and white wine.
An organic chicken stock base and a beef stock if you can find it or Nestle’s has a company, Miner’s, that makes great soup stocks. I only use the paste as it is easier to work with and I never use any that has msg.
Two totally different cheeses: one with strong flavor and one without.
Multi-grain bread.
Salt and caraway seeds (Russian of course).

Good water. Why make something good with bad water?

Here goes:

Slice the onions thin or as thick as you like. No I don’t have a magic trick to make you not cry when peeling these. The ying yang of onions is that you love them and they make you cry.

Always make sure your pan is really hot before adding anything. The secret to anything good is searing in the good qualities.

In a preheated wok or frying pan add some great olive oil, and heat until it sizzles. Add onions and stir always. When they are looking hot add a teaspoon each of the soup stocks and stir in with a little wine. They should caramelize and make your kitchen smell delicious as they do.

When they look translucent ( I love that word and don’t know what it really means, but I dated someone once I thought was translucent, didn’t last long), add some more wine and some water, not much of either, just enough to slow them down some and make you want to listen to good music at the same time.

Allow the mixture to cook down and add caraway seeds and some more water, enough water to make a good stock (for two I use two and a half cups of water..). Let this simmer slowly now until you feel like it is causing you to float a little with anticipation.

After about twenty minutes and a little more wine for you and a dash for the pot it should be looking pretty darn good. Shred your cheeses and mix them together so they marry each other. They should want to because you have been subliminally seducing them with all the aromas and music and happy thoughts.

I hope you have two beautiful soup crock type bowls. Mine are enough each for one person with a handle for sliding them in and out of the toaster oven. I don’t own an oven just one of those little toaster oven things that has two official settings.

Ladle the soup into each crock leaving enough room for the bread and cheeses.

I trim the crust off the bread and cut them into shape to fit into the crocks and then dump mounds of cheese on top. I preheat the toaster oven and then set the crocks in and set it to bake. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

When the cheese melts and starts to get brown and crispy on top I stop that process and remove them to the table.

Pour two glasses of wine and set the roses aside that you have lovingly placed on the table. You don’t need them right now. You have just made love to your food and now you can lovingly watch your partner ooze cheese without embarrassment as you too are oozing.

Follow this up with several delicious hours of wine and lovemaking!

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