Cream of S'room

When I got up this morning there was real chill in the air, delightful compared to the deadly hazy, hot and humid weather that plagues DC in the summer. My plants are loving life. So here is a recipe that is both comfort food, warm and satisfying Cream of ‘Shroom Yield: Makes 8 servings 2 tablespoons butter or margarine 3 leeks, halved, washed very well and thinly sliced (white and pale green parts only) 2 pounds mixed wild mushrooms, such as Portobello, Crimini and Shitake sliced 2 tablespoons of chopped garlic 31/4 cups (or more) of your chicken or vegetable stock 4 cups of your Béchamel Dry Sherry to taste Melt the butter in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and sauté until tender and slightly translucent, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high. Add the mushrooms and sauté until the mushrooms are soft and dry, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add your chicken stock and Béchamel, stirring until smooth and incorporated. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the broth has a nice mushroomy aroma, about 30 minutes. Cool slightly. Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return soup to pot add the Sherry and simmer for another 2 minutes. I will admit that I always add a shot or two of hot sauce When I was at dear old Bethany, Cookie made a great Cream of Mushroom Soup with Grilled American Cheese on White Bread on freezing days. It might have been -20 degrees and you had to tramp up and down the hills with your breath freezing to your face but that soup made the trip to the dinning room worth it. Now lets’ face it, soup is mostly water and can take on any flavor that you want. Remember that if you like it, it is good. Don’t worry about the other person. I strongly recommend that you find the flavors you like and then USE THEM. If you like beans and pasta make soups that have beans and pasta. Your chicken, vegetable and veal stocks will impart different basic flavors