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From: prl@cbdkc1.UUCP ( Paul Lyons  x3229)
Newsgroups: net.cooks
Subject: Re: pea soup
Message-ID: <1289@cbdkc1.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 21-Jan-86 08:17:01 EST
Article-I.D.: cbdkc1.1289
Posted: Tue Jan 21 08:17:01 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 22-Jan-86 05:25:08 EST
References: <3322@glacier.ARPA>
Reply-To: prl@dkc1.UUCP ( Paul Lyons  x3229)
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Columbus
Lines: 74

In article <3322@glacier.ARPA> reid@glacier.UUCP (Brian Reid) writes:
>
>In response to an earlier question about why pea soup is too bland, here is
>my recipe for pea soup. I evolved it from one that I read in the Washington
>Post in the 1960's. When I make it it sure isn't bland, but I have a nagging
>suspicion that I add more garlic and more peppercorns than I am admitting to
>here. I go on soup binges from time to time, and I'm in the middle of a
>soupmaking binge right now. Yum.
>
>1 lb    split peas
>1 lb    bacon
>4 oz    butter
>2 stalks celery
>1 1/2 cup       chopped onion
>1 cup   instant mashed potato flakes
>        (or, if you are a purist, 2 cups of mashed potatoes)
>3 cloves minced garlic
>1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
>3 quarts beef broth
>2 bay leaves
>12 cracked peppercorns
>6 green cardamom seeds, cracked
>1 jigger        good cognac
>1/2 tsp chinese hot pepper oil
>
>Soak the peas for 6 hours and no more. Use 1 teaspoon salt per quart of
>soaking water. Drain; discard the soaking water.
>
>Cook the bacon until crisp; drain, dry, and discard fat. The bacon should be
>crisp enough that the pieces will crumble as you stir the soup while it is
>cooking.
>
>In a stockpot, put the cooked bacon, the butter, the celery, and 1 cup of
>the onion. Saute over medium heat until the onion begins to brown.
>
>Add the beef broth, the mashed potato flakes (or mashed potato) and the
>parsley. Simmer for 2 1/2 hours, or until the peas are tender.
>
>Add the remaning 1/2 cup chopped onion, and the minced garlic.
>
>In a tea ball, or tied in cheesecloth, put the bay leaves, the peppercorns,
>and the cardamom seeds. Simmer for another 1/2 hour.
>
>Remove the tea ball or cheesecloth. Add salt to taste, being careful not to
>add more than 2 teaspoons. Because the cooked peas have the ability to block
>your taste buds somewhat, make sure you rinse your mouth with a drink of
>water after each time you taste the soup while seasoning it, else you will
>oversalt it.
>
>Pour in the cognac and the hot pepper oil, stir well, and serve immediately.
>Sprinkle some chopped fresh chives on top of each bowl after serving it. If
>you don't have fresh chives, then stir some dried snipped chives into the
>soup 5 minutes before serving it.
>
>I like to serve soups like this with unbuttered fresh bread.
>
>If you want to fool with the recipe, one of the places to fool with it is
>the spices that you put in the tea ball. Try some combination of Indian
>seasonings (coriander and cumin and ginger and cloves) or try taking out the
>peppercorns and cardamom seeds and putting in mustard seeds.
>
>Outside the tea ball, try adding sesame oil at the end instead of the
>cognac. Try adding rutabagas, chopped into cubes, at the beginning of the
>cooking. Try substituting olive oil for the butter, and adding a half cup of
>grated Peccorino Romano at the end, right before serving. And, of course,
>try using ham hocks instead of bacon.
>--
>        Brian Reid      decwrl!glacier!reid
>        Stanford        reid@SU-Glacier.ARPA

Will someone out there please define just what a stalk of celery is!!!
I am getting confused!!!  The unit of celery that you by from the store
is considered to be one stalk according to what is printed on the bag.
If this is true then the "2 stalks" above seems like a lot of celery!!!