Article: Hearty Winter Soups
- eacarter00
- jerrib
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» eacarter00 - Love it!
Jerri:Just had to drop a line saying I love your articles, and they're a big part of why I signed up for Suite 101 in the first place! I'm still working on mastering the conversational tone of your articles, and I love your graphics, too!
Out of curiosity, do you ever just use cornstarch to thicken your soups? I, too, love to make soups in a "whatever I have on hand" sort of way, but I find a little cornstarch mixed with cold water is such an easy-to-use thickener. Does the roux add more flavor perhaps? I'll have to try it next time.
Thanks for the great articles!
-- posted by eacarter00
» jerrib - Re: Love it!
In response to Love it! posted by eacarter00:Thank you, Elizabeth. We all have our own style of writing. Just be yourself and write like you are talking to someone. That's always the best kind of writing.
You are getting a good start on your topic and will be taking some of the mystique out of Japanese cooking for me. I am learning from you. I am by no means a master chef. I just enjoy cooking what I like. I've been cooking since I was a kid and am now a grandma, so I have lots of experience.
I don't use cornstarch, but I imagine I would use it in oriental recipes as it makes a clear soup or sauce, as related to creamy using flour.
My mother always thickened her pie fillings with flour instead of cornstarch - they had a creamier consistency that way. But some folks would not think of using flour as thickening in a lemon pie. I love it; it's more creamy.
As for the roux: Melt the butter and add flour to the butter. (I've fixed the instructions a bit better in the article.) If you want a richer taste cook the butter and flour until golden. That will impart a richer flavor. You do not want to just put the flour in without cooking it a bit in the microwave.
Hope to see you around here more; I will certainly be enjoying your cooking, too.
-- posted by jerrib
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