Cauliflower and Cheese Soup

There are no real memories for this (yet) as it is a relatively new discovery but, believe me, it's a perfect soup for a winter's day. I found the recipe online (by John Webber - a tutor at Nairn's Food School) and fiddled with it until it was to my taste. I doubled the garlic and cheese and used Dijon mustard instead of grain. It was velvety, delicious and can be dressed up for a dinner party (home made croutons) or served in a mug by the fire (crusty toast as an accompaniment).

It can be frozen and reheated in the microwave with no loss of flavour too, making it a fab standby for unexpected visitors.


Cauliflower and Cheese Soup
(sufficient for four people):

INGREDIENTS

1 medium onion

2 cloves garlic

40g (1.5 ounces or one-third US stick) butter

1 medium cauliflower

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

900 ml boiling water

50 ml double cream

100g (4oz) grated strong cheddar cheese

METHOD

1. Heat the butter in a large pan.
2. Add the onion and the garlic and leave on a medium heat for 2 - 3 minutes, until they are soft and clear.
3. Whilst the onion and garlic are softening, chop the cauliflower as fine as possible.
4. Add the cauliflower into the onion mix then stir in the boiling water.
5. Bring back to the boil.
6. Reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
7. Stir the soup well and add the mustard and the grated cheese.
8. Adjust seasoning to taste.
9. Blend the soup with the cream in a liquidiser.

Cold Sesame Noodles

Back in the mid/late eighties I lived in New York for while and one of the areas I used to hang around in was Grammercy Park/Union Square. I had friends who lived in a stunning loft converted from a church hall, complete with stained glass windows and one of their favourite family restuarants was Tien-Fu (3rd Avenue between 16th and 17th if you are near there). Having looked it up, 20-odd years later, I find that the full name is Tien-Fu Guong. Don't know if the Guong was there when I was a regular, but hey. Going, going, guong I guess.

One of my favourites on their menu was cold sesame noodles, a platter of velvety scrumptiousness with a hidden layer of cool spring onions and cucumber. Perfect on a hot summer evening.

Over the years I have refined my own version and whilst I am certain it doesn't match up to the memories of the original, it remains one of my favourites. It can be served as a light lunch/supper dish, or with the addition of a couple of poached chicken breasts, an easy dinner. (Guilty secret: I don't poach the chicken breasts, I microzap them in a pyrex bowl with water and salt flakes, and crushed peppercorns. They remain moist, scrummy, and microzapping sounds better than microwaving...)

And I still remember sitting in that amazing space sharing great food with much loved friends.

Cold Sesame Noodles (feeds 4)

INGREDIENTS
Egg noodles (either cooked, cooled and tossed in a little groundnut oil or purchased precooked)
Half a cucumber
4 spring onions
2 chicken breasts, sliced into bite size chunks (optional)
Toasted sesame seeds
Salt flakes

SAUCE
1 cup tahini (sesame paste)
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/2 cup toasted sesame oil
1/2 cup olive oil (or groundnut oil if you prefer)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon honey

PREPARATION
1. If you are cooking the egg noodles, do so well in advance, coat in the groundnut oil, allow to cool and refridgerate.
2. Likewise, if adding chicken breasts make sure they are cooked well in advance and allowed to chill in the fridge.
3. Otherwise, peel cucumber and cut into thin batons about 2" long. Cut spring onions into similar sized pieces and combine both on the bottom of a platter.
4. To make the sauce, combine all ingredients in a liquidiser and blitz until smooth.
5. Place noodles on top of cucumber/spring onions
6. Pour sauce on top of noodles
7. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and and pinch or two of flaked salt

If adding the chicken breasts, place the sliced meat on top of noodles before sauce is added.

Useful note: If serving as part of a buffet, place everything, bar sesames seeds and salt, into a large bowl and mix together (remembering to cut noodles into bite size pieces and thus neatly avoiding unsightly incidents as your guests attempt to eat with one hand!) then add sesame seeds and salt just before placing on buffet.