Today, I thought I would make a Halloween-themed pumpkin soup, so headed to the supermarket to buy one of the many pumpkins piled at the entrance to the vegetable section. But I have just been thwarted by genetic modification. ‘Carving’ pumpkins are hollow, useless, seed-filled, fleshless gourds that I am never going to be able to do anything with, other than carve a slightly wonky face into their skin.
Today is about turning unfortunate circumstances around. It would have been a rather yawny, predictable food-bloggery thing to do, to write a pumpkin soup recipe so close to Halloween. The internet is, quite literally, flooded with cinnamon- flavoured, creamy, orange horrors. I actually hate pumpkin soup – it’s too sweet and baby food. I am going to save it for when all my teeth fall out and my tongue is cracked and coated with the greasy film of age.
Even before I discovered the pumpkin was barren, empty and useless I wasn’t feeling that positive about it. When I cut the pumpkin lid out, it emitted a sour, slightly dead stench. Pumpkins are big, show off, bloated, ginger balls of foetid air. Give me a head of celery instead.
I found some interesting things out about celery, which should have men hot footing it to the greengrocers as soon as they have finished reading this. It contains androsterone, a pheromone released by men’s sweat glands that has arousing properties. I’ve always been a bit sceptical about pheromones – thinking them the province of people who consider rohypnol a good start to a first date, or soap dodging men making excuses for themselves. However – expert swordsman Casanova swore by celery to keep himself going and career femme fatale Madame de Pompadour took it daily to combat frigidity. Libido never seemed to be a problem for her really, given her job as a courtesan but then maybe, without celery, she would have been rather average at her work. I also read somewhere that celery is good for the nerves, as well as being an aphrodisiac. Like a vegetable version of champagne.
This soup is great in the summer. I don’t like chilled soups, they feel wrong , but a thick pulse based broth isn’t really the ticket either. I know it isn’t summer here now – but it is in Australia, so don’t be smart with me. It’s always summer somewhere.
Arousing Soup
1 onion, chopped
1 head of celery
2 small or one large potato, diced
1 vegetable stock cube made up with 400 ml boiling water or 400 ml home made stock if you are a saint
200 ml white wine or champagne (the latter will ensure ‘belt and braces’ full aphrodisiac effect)
½ teaspoon curry powder. There’s something rather beautiful about the union of celery and cumin.
Chop the whole head of celery – weird little leaves and all, discarding the root. Place a small amount of olive oil in a saucepan and briefly fry the curry powder until it starts to scent the kitchen. Add the onions and the celery, stir, cover and turn down the heat. The longer you sweat the celery before adding liquid, the better it will taste. At least fifteen minutes but nearer twenty five minutes would be ideal. Add the potatoes and fry briefly, add the wine and let it bubble, then finally add the stock. Cook until the potatoes are soft (about another fifteen to twenty minutes) remove from the heat and blend until smooth. It takes a lot of blending to get rid of the stringiness that celery can have. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Use protection.
hongkonggourmet 