Sideshow

Soup--as comforting as a warm hearth on a wintry night--is the perfect beginning for holiday dinners at home. This delicious soup can be made with any mushroom, but use shiitakes if you can get them. Another bonus is that this dish is only about 100 calories per serving if you use low-fat milk and omit the cream. The whole thing can be made in about 40 minutes.

CREAM OF SHIITAKE MUSHROOM SOUP

1 quart plus 1/4 cup whole, low-fat or skim milk

1 small onion, peeled and stuck with 2 cloves

6 to 8 black peppercorns

Dash salt

Bouquet garni (4 to 6 parsley stems, 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf thyme and 1/2 bay leaf, tied in cheesecloth)

1/4 cup rice flour or barley or oat flour

7 to 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms

6 tablespoons whipping cream

2 tablespoons Madeira

Place 1 quart milk, onion, peppercorns, salt and bouquet garni in saucepan and bring slowly to boil.

Mix together rice flour and remaining 1/4 cup milk to form smooth paste. Pour into just-boiling milk, stirring briskly until lumps disappear. Simmer over very low heat 20 minutes.

Cut tough ends off mushroom stems. Reserve few mushroom slices, if desired, for garnish. Chop remaining mushrooms coarsely, then process in food processor as finely as possible.

Strain milk mixture through fine sieve into bowl and then back into saucepan. Add chopped mushrooms and continue simmering 5 minutes. Add whipping cream and Madeira. Pour soup into hot bowls and garnish each with reserved mushroom slices. Makes 4 servings.

Here is the best recipe I know to win over those who think they don’t like Brussels sprouts. The sprouts are cut at the bottom so they cook evenly inside and out. The dish may even be served without the final time in the oven--just bring the cream to a boil, pour over the sprouts and serve.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS GRATIN

1 pound Brussels sprouts

2 ounces bacon (about 4 slices)

1/2 cup whipping cream

1 tablespoon fresh bread crumbs

1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Cut thin slice off root end of each Brussels sprout, then cut X in trimmed ends. Blanch sprouts in large pan filled with boiling, salted water until sprouts are tender-crisp, about 5 minutes. Drain. Refresh sprouts in ice-cold water and drain again. (Do not let sprouts remain in cold water for more than 1 minute or they will become soggy.)

Saute bacon until tender but not crisp. Drain bacon and coarsely chop. Mix together sprouts and bacon. Spoon mixture into buttered gratin dish. Pour cream over top and dot with bread crumbs and butter pieces. Bake at 400 degrees 20 minutes or until hot. Makes 4 to 6 servings.