Monthly Archives: October 2011

Apple Kuchen In Disguise

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German grandmothers mixing up sweet yeast dough to form coffee cakes filled with fresh fruit of the season and rich, creamy custard made with real cream have been passing along the kuchen tradition for generations.

If authentic kuchen, which is a German word for “cake,” has been a common thread weaving through your family for decades, you probably won’t appreciate this recipe. The only kuchen my family eats comes to our table as a gift from an expert peach kuchen-maker who works with my husband.

The simplicity of this Quick Apple Kuchen recipe caught my attention as I browsed through an old cookbook I inherited from my mom’s extensive library. The book is so old, it refers to margarine as oleo. Up until 1952, U.S. law required margarine producers to label their product “oleomargarine.” But, the book is not so old that bakers couldn’t find cake mix in their grocery store.

Yes. Cake mix. Kuchen made of cake mix will be considered sacrilegious to many. Since I don’t have a recipe that’s been handed down through the ages, I thought it was worth a try.

It took minutes to combine dry yellow cake mix with butter and flakes of coconut to form a crust. While the crust bakes alone, a rich mixture of sour cream, eggs, sugar and cinnamon gets mixed together. Poured over apple slices that have been arranged over a slightly baked crust, the lightly sweet and creamy mixture bakes to a pudding-like consistency.

My kuchen-clueless family devoured the German imposter. They especially loved the crust that became crunchy with a slight caramelized flavor. The filling of apples and custard is not too sweet with just enough cinnamon to remind you it’s autumn.

If you don’t know better, you’ll love this German dessert in disguise. If you do know better, just give it a try. And call it Quick and Delicious Apple Dessert.

If you’re in the mood for baking with apples, check out the Caramel Apple Bundt Cake in

my column this week. A click here will take you right to that

recipe.

Quick Apple Kuchen

(Slightly adapted from a recipe in “Thou Preparest a Table,” a compilation of recipes from Pekin United Methodist Youth Fellowship in Pekin, New York)
 
  • 1 (18.25-ounce) yellow cake mix
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup coconut
  • 1 1/4 pounds apples, peeled and sliced, about 3 cups of slices
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • Whipped cream, for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9- x 13-inch baking dish. Set aside.

Blend dry cake mix and butter together with pastry blender or knives, just as you would do for pie crust. Use clean fingers to work in coconut. Press the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 10 minutes.

While crust is baking, beat egg, sugar and cinnamon together until well blended. Add sour cream and blend.

Remove crust from oven. Arrange apple slices in a single layer over the top, covering the crust. Pour sour cream mixture over the apples. Return to oven and bake for about 30 minutes, until crust is golden and apples are fork-tender. Remove kuchen from oven and allow to cool. Serve slightly warm, chilled, or at room temperature with whipped cream.

Makes 8 very generous servings for hardy kuchen-loving appetites or 12 lady-like servings appropriate for a luncheon dessert or 16 something-sweet-sized servings that would be appreciated at a brunch.

It’s a good B.A.D. sandwich

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It hardly seemed like Fall on the day my favorite exploring partner and I strolled the streets of the Lincoln Park neighborhood in Chicago just two weeks ago. From our hotel on West Surf Street, a leisurely five-minute stroll down Diversey took us to The Counter for an early lunch.

I hummed along with Macy Gray’s “Beauty in the World” playing in the background as I created a customized vegetarian burger from the list of fresh ingredients on the menu attached to a clipboard. My partner sitting across from me at our table along the front wall of wide open windows designed a loaded beef burger. We started filling our hungry tums with a “Fifty-Fifty” plate — half sweet potato fries and half crispy onion strings. I highly recommend that platter.

Filled with burgers, strings and fries, oh my — we continued our exploration by foot. We did have a destination in mind. About a mile and a half from The Counter, we knew we would find a luscious dessert at Floriole Cafe and Bakery.

The temperature soared to near 80 degrees as we headed west from The Counter on Diversey. South on Halsted, West on Fullerton and south on Sheffield, passing the lovely Lincoln Park campus of DePaul University. We admired the architecture of the stately homes lining the streets along the way. Finally, west on Webster. We passed trendy boutiques and tiny restaurants as we walked the last few blocks to our sweet destination.

There, tucked into a cozy block of old buildings between Racine and Magnolia, was Floriole. Lunch time at the cafe was in full swing. Mothers clad in shorts, t-shirts and running shoes fussing over their children dined beside women dressed in suits and heels at tables on the sidewalk in front of the bakery.

Inside, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and sweet desserts wafted through the air. The glass bakery case was filled with edible temptations — tarts, cookies, scones, croissants and sticky buns. Dainty madeleines dusted with powdered sugar and round pumpkin tea cakes decorated the top of the case.

We chose a table for two, not far from the huge window at the back of the cafe, allowing customers to watch the bakers at work on the other side of the glass.

What did I choose for my dessert?

A tart, just the right size to share with my favorite guy. Spicy gingerbread crust held velvety smooth butternut squash custard. A dollop of sweetened cream shared the top of the tart with two leaf-shaped gingerbread cookies. Luscious and satisfying.

I wished we would have had enough days left in our Chicago vacation to pay another visit to Floriole Cafe and Bakery for lunch. A sandwich described on the blackboard hanging on the wall behind the counter caught my eye. The B.A.D. sandwich included bacon, arugula and date-almond spread with goat cheese on their own yeasted corn bread. I made note of the sandwich in the little red book I keep in my purse.

I love Chicago! So many neighborhoods to explore, so many restaurants to try, so many places to see. Each time I go to Chicago is a brand new experience. I’ll go back soon.

In the meantime, I’ve made my own B.A.D. sandwich. I decided to try adapting my recipe for Apricot-Fig Tapenade. This time of year, I love serving the delectable tapenade with goat cheese and crostini as an appetizer.

I came up with an almond-date spread, spiked with port and flavored with orange zest, garlic and shallots. Bacon from Steve’s Meat Market in Ellendale, Minnesota, Uncle Paul’s bread from 3rd Street Bakery in Duluth, Minnesota, peppery, fresh organic baby arugula and organic goat cheese made in Wisconsin completed my breakfast sandwich. Yup, I made it my first meal of the day.

Works for me!

B.A.D. Sandwich

For each sandwich you will need:

  • 2 slices bread
  • Date-Almond Spread (recipe below)
  • Goat cheese, softened
  • Bacon slices, cooked crisp
  • Arugula
  • Olive oil

Crumble goat cheese over one side of a slice of bread. Try to gently spread it over the bread with the back of a teaspoon. Sprinkle some goat cheese over one side of remaining slice of bread. Spread with a layer of almond-date spread. Arrange slices of crispy-fried bacon over the spread. Pack a generous amount of baby arugula over the bacon. Lay remaining slice of bread over the arugula, cheese side down. Brush olive oil over the top of sandwich. Place the sandwich, oil side down, in a preheated heavy skillet, cast-iron pan or a hot griddle. Brush the top of sandwich with olive oil. When sandwich is brown, flip with metal spatula. Or, grill the sandwich in your panini press. When sandwich is golden, remove from pan. Cut sandwich in half and serve warm.

Tip from the cook

  • I make my own panini press by weighting down the sandwich as it cooks in my grill pan with a heavy cast iron pan.

Date-Almond Spread

  • 1/2 cup raw almonds, toasted
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
  • 8 ounces pitted dates, chopped
  • 1/2 cup port
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 (2-inch) strip orange zest
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • Salt and pepper

Put toasted almonds in work bowl of food processor. Pulse until nuts are finely ground.

In small heavy saucepan, heat oil over medium-low heat. Add shallot and garlic. Sauté for 1 to 2 minutes or until tender. Add ginger, dates, port and zest; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until port is a syrupy consistency and dates are softened, stirring occasionally. Add water as it cooks. Remove and discard zest. Let mixture cool slightly, then transfer to food processor containing ground almonds; process all together until smooth. Transfer to small bowl. Stir in vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let cool. (Make ahead: Cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days.)

Lean Pork, Glazed and Amazing

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Every time I step into a meat market, I think of my mom. I can’t count the times I impatiently waited as she stood in front of the clear glass that separated her from rows of raw meat. As the butcher stood on the other side of the meat case waiting for her order, she examined the ground beef and the red, marbled roasts. She carefully inspected the pork chops and the loins. The beef she would eventually purchase must have just the right amount of marbling running through. The pork must have enough fat to give it flavor and keep it moist as it cooked.

Somehow, my antsy behavior in all of those meat markets I frequented with my mother has made a complete turn-around over the years. I’ve become my mother. Meat markets and chocolate shops (she couldn’t pass up a Fanny Farmer store) are high on my list of places I love to visit.

Last week I had the opportunity to stop into Steve’s Meat Market in Ellendale, Minn. Owner, Donnavon Eaker, was busy helping a customer as I stepped into the smokehouse-scented store.

“Having steaks on the grill tonight?” the petite Eaker asked her customer as she added up the cost of the meat purchase. The happy customer shared her plans for that day’s meat purchase and walked out with a hefty bag of meat.

Warm and friendly Donnavon Eaker took time to visit with me. She told me a little bit about how she wound up where she is today. After spending a couple of years working in the Twin Cities, Eaker and her husband, Steve, were young and eager to move back to the area of Minnesota where they grew up. Steve Eaker, a trained meat-cutter who had been butchering with his grandfather since he was a youngster, and wife, Donnavon, bought a small grocery store and meat market on Ellendale’s main drag. That was 39 years and many smoked sausages ago.

Steve’s real love was sausage-making. Eventually, Steve Eaker made hundreds of smoked and home-cured meats and sausages available to meat-loving customers. Over the years, Steve became known nationally for the smoked sausages and cured meats he produced. Framed state and national awards cover the walls of Steve’s Meat Market, recognizing standard of excellence in his meat products, including grand champions and best of show.

I stood amidst shelves lined with olive oils, soup mixes, bread mixes and other gourmet specialty food items as I visited with Donnavon, mostly about pork. I wondered why the pork roasts I make never have the juicy flavor of those Sunday roast pork, sauerkraut and dumpling dinners my mom used to serve. Donnavon knew the answer to my problem.

It seems I can place the blame for the dry pork roasts that come out of my oven on today’s pork consumers. “Today’s consumers demand a different product,” said Donnavon. According to this veteran in the business of meat, today’s shoppers don’t want thin ribbons of fat running through their pork loin roast. They don’t want to see a nice thick layer of fat covering the top. They want lean. Lean means no fat. No fat means little or no flavor. Not much juiciness, either. It’s hard to keep a very lean piece of meat moist while it cooks. After a brief stop for some fun-loving banter with a couple of camouflage-clad guys shopping in the store, the feisty business-owner continued to address my pork challenge.

“Today’s consumers demand perfection. Boneless pork roasts with hardly a bit of fat and chops with no bones, all the same size — that’s the kind of meat product they want to buy,” said Donnavon. She continued. “Families are smaller today than they were 20 and 30 years ago. People want smaller hams. They want smaller cuts of meat because they are eating smaller portions than they used to,” said Donnavon. “Hogs raised by contract farmers for large meatpacking companies get strict instructions on how and what to feed the animals within a specific time period to control size and produce lean muscles on hogs.”

So, what’s a person who misses her mother’s roast pork, the old-fashioned kind that sported fat, supposed to do? Again, Donnavon had some expert advice. “Just add a piece of pork that is a bit more fatty. For instance, when you prepare your Slow Cooker Pork Chops and Kraut, add a slice of pork cut from the shoulder. It’s less expensive than loin chops and contains some fat. It will add flavor and moisture to your finished dish.” Steve and Donnavon learned a lot about meat, sausage, curing and smoking meat and offering first-rate customer service as they worked their business together. Tears come quickly to the bright eyes behind the glasses perched on Donnavon’s nose as she talks about the death of her dear husband five years ago. Since that time, their youngest daughter, Rachael Lee, has worked the business with her mother, continuing the same attention to perfection that her father always demanded.

I left Steve’s Meat Market feeling as though I had a new friend. I chewed on Sweet Bologna Sticks as I headed north on Interstate 35W, a perfect blend of beef and pork sweetened with brown sugar and maple syrup, spiked with secret spices and balanced with just the right amount of salt. And, I thought about how much my mom would have enjoyed a shopping trip to the Ellendale meat market. On Sunday, my husband made dinner. Pork chops, bone-in, lean, with a chokecherry glaze. Polenta on the side. Delicious. He adapted a recipe we found in a cookbook I bought at a used-book store in Chicago last week. “Cooking with Caprial: American Bistro Fare,” by Caprial Pence.

This is his version. We didn’t have a fatty cut of pork to add to the pan for added moisture and flavor, as suggested by Donnavon Eaker. Still, the pork chops and polenta were luscious.

You are going to love the easy-to-make glaze. It was the first time my personal chef made polenta. He was surprised at how uncomplicated it was to prepare in just minutes.

Pork — lean, glazed and amazing. But, this consumer really doesn’t mind a bit of fat.Chokecherry-Glazed Pork Chops with Parmesan Polenta

  • 2 pork chops
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced, divided
  • 2 shallots, minced, divided
  • 1/3 cup finely ground corn meal
  • 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (my chef used Sartori Montamore cheese that we buy at our local food co-op)
  • 1/4 cup dry red wine
  • 1/4 cup North Dakota chokecherry jelly (We bought our jar at a farmers market. Use any chokecherry jelly or currant jelly)
  • 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season pork chops with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, ovenproof saute pan until smoking hot. Add the chops and brown on both sides over high heat, about 2 minutes on each side. Slide the pan into preheated 350-degree oven and bake until internal temperature of pork chops reaches 145 degrees, about 15 minutes. While pork chops are cooking, prepare the polenta. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small saucepan. Saute half of shallots and half of garlic in the hot oil for 2 minutes. Add chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Slowly whisk in cornmeal, being careful mixture does not get lumpy. Cook the polenta over medium heat until the mixture is thick, just a few minutes. Add the cheese and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Keep polenta warm while the pork chops finish up. Remove pan of chops from the oven. Transfer chops to a plate and cover with foil. Add remaining shallots and garlic to pan and saute over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add red wine and boil until reduced by half. It will take just a minute or two. Add jelly and cracked pepper and stir until jelly melts. Put pork chops back in pan and turn to coat both sides with glaze. Remove from heat. Serve warm chops with polenta. Makes 2 servings.

Tip from the cook

  • If you are a lover of pork, you will enjoy the recipe for Slow Cooker Pork Chops and Kraut in my column this week. Click here to get right to the recipe. You will also be able to view a short video of Donnavon Eaker talking about pork.

Breakfast at Green City Market — The Best Ever!

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Located along the south end of Lincoln Park along Clark Avenue, Chicago’s Green City Market bustled with activity on Saturday morning. Young parents pulling wagons loaded with children eating an apple from one hand and a warm apple cider doughnut from the other, urban-dwelling dogs steered with leashes held by their health-conscious owners and shoppers of all ages seeking fresh, locally produced food grown by farmers who practice sustainable methods contributed to the buzz of activity.

The close to 2-mile walk from my hotel had worked up my appetite. I was in search of a late-morning breakfast. I could have chosen a paper-thin Green City Crepe stuffed with caramelized onions, Prarie Pure butterkase cheese and greens from Klug Farms.

But I didn’t.

I could have chosen a smoothie made with fresh fruit and apple cider and an apple cider doughnut. I didn’t do that, either.

I could have had a large, rose-tinged fresh Michigan peach, the last of the season, with a thick wedge of quiche from Floriole Bakery. Nope, not that, either.

So many choices. Overwhelming, really.

After perusing the whole market, I decided on The Best Grilled Cheese Ever with a glass of fresh apple cider.

I can’t remember the last time I ate a grilled cheese sandwich. But, I know it was nothing like the Best Grilled Cheese Ever. Made with Prairie Pure’s signature Butterkase cheese, bread made with organic ingredients from Bennison’s Bakery and fresh summer butter from Nordic Creamery (you know me and butter!), it was irresistible.

Buttery crunch and warm, creamy cheese that strings out with each bite was created on a panini grill in just the amount of time it took for me to walk over to the Seedling booth to get a glass of their fresh apple cider.

The luscious sandwich has rekindled my desire for grilled cheese. When something is created with just three ingredients, each of those must be of the best quality. The one I ate at Chicago’s Green City Market on Saturday definitely combined some of the finest bread, cheese and butter produced in the Midwest.

And, if you think tomato soup is the only food to partner with a grilled cheese sandwich, just try a glass of fresh apple cider sometime. Make it your breakfast. It’s The Best Ever!

What’s your favorite food or beverage to go along with a grilled cheese sandwich?

 


 

 

Weekend Baking: Apple and Banana Oatmeal Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

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Years ago I made an oatmeal cake that was moist, dense and delicious with a thick layer of cream cheese frosting slathered over the top.

When we had out-of-town friends staying with us last week, I thought of that cake that I haven’t made in years when I served baked oatmeal for breakfast one morning.

I flipped through my recipe file and found the cake recipe that I’d clipped from a newspaper many years ago.

I added a seasonal touch to the cake with the addition of chopped, locally grown apples. Since I had a ripe banana in the freezer, I stirred that into the batter, too.

A bit of cinnamon added to the cream cheese frosting turned the cake into an autumn treat. Oatmeal, tart apples, cinnamon and banana paired with cream cheese — can’t get much better — unless you add some toasted chopped pecans.

I shared the cake with others and discovered that a short length of cinnamon stick poked into each piece of cake worked well as a support for plastic wrap, preventing the plastic from sticking to the frosting and ruining its attractiveness.

Once you taste this cake, you may choose not to share.

 Apple and Banana Oatmeal Cake

  • 1 cup quick oats, uncooked
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1 banana, mashed
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 cups diced, peeled apples

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour and 9- x 13-inch pan. Set aside.

Pour boiling water over oats in a bowl. Allow to sit for 20 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add soaked oats, buttermilk and mashed banana. Blend well.

Add eggs and vanilla. Beat to incorporate.

Sift flour with baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. Add to batter and stir just until dry ingredients are no longer visible. Stir in apples.

Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven 35 to 40 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted into middle of cake comes out clean. Remove cake from oven. Cool completely in pan.

When cake is cool, frost with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 6 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1 tablespoon whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3 cups powdered sugar

Beat cream cheese with butter until smooth and creamy. Add milk, vanilla and powdered sugar. Beat until frosting is smooth and spreadable.

Hungarian Mushroom Soup

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The first time I saw the word Hungarian describing mushroom soup, I was perplexed. I am a descendent of grandparents who came to the United States from Hungary when they were young adults. My mother was 100% Hungarian. I don’t remember ever seeing mushroom soup on the dinner table. No, I’m sure if I’d grown up eating Hungarian Mushroom Soup, I would have always enjoyed eating the earthy fungi.

The truth is, I’ve never cared for mushrooms. The texture, the taste — not for me. Since last August, that’s all changed. My transformation from mushroom-challenged to fungi-infatuated began with an unexpected hunt for chanterelles when I was in Duluth. It developed further when a farmer in Frazee, Minnesota shared some of his freshly-harvested shiitake mushrooms with me. A recent weekend at Fall Mushroom Camp at Little Elbow Lake Park on the White Earth Indian Reservation clinched it. Done deal. I’ve become a lover of fresh mushrooms. Stuffed, stir-fried, paired with pasta or simmered in soup, I eat them. I’ll admit, it’s a remarkable transformation.

At Mushroom Camp, I thought it best to try to learn to identify just two or three edible wild mushrooms. I focused on Shaggy Manes, Lobster Mushrooms and Honey Mushrooms. Now, after spending time at Camp with very experienced mushroom foragers as my teachers, I feel confident I can safely harvest and eat these three mushrooms.

Morning walks with my dog, Gracie, have become forays. I wear my hiking boots so we can veer into the woods when I spot oak trees, a honey mushroom’s favorite place to propagate. With my “mushroom eyes” turned on, I hunt for honeys.

I was surprised to find honey mushrooms growing right in my own yard. I discovered a large cluster of the mushrooms growing at the base of an oak tree.

As I circled around the tree, I continued to find more honeys.

In no time, I had a small basket filled with honey mushrooms from my yard.

I made a pasta dish with some of the mushrooms. That recipe is in my column this week. Then, I dug out my Hungarian cookbooks in search of a recipe for soup. Last week I hosted my Simple, Good and Tasty Book Club for our monthly meeting. We decided on a mushroom potluck dinner. One of the members brought Hungarian Mushroom Soup. The recipe I’m sharing with you is an adaptation of that recipe combined with a couple of variations in my Hungarian cookbooks.

I served my Hungarian Mushroom Soup with Bacon, Green Pepper and Tomato Sandwiches today. Full of creamy mushrooms, dill weed and paprika, the soup is marvelous.

I looked back at some pictures I took when I was in Hungary a few years ago. Sure enough, I spotted honey mushrooms in a shot I took at Central Market Hall (Nagy Vasarcsarnok) in Budapest.

I’m not sure why the woman selling them looked so unhappy — maybe just tired after foraging for all of those wild mushrooms.

 

 

 

 

 

I’m hooked on mushrooms. I find it thrilling to forage for them — it’s a wonderful way to enjoy a Fall day of sunshine and crisp air.

And, my Hungarian taste buds relish this Mushroom Soup.

Hungarian Mushroom Soup

  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
  • 1/2 cup chopped carrot
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1/2 pound mushrooms, stems removed, sliced (honey mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms or cremini mushrooms work well)
  • 2 teaspoons dried dill weed
  • 1 tablespoon sweet Hungarian paprika
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 4 cups vegetable, chicken or beef broth, divided
  • 1 cup milk
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup sour cream, plus extra for serving
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

Melt butter in soup pot. Add chopped onion, green pepper and carrot. Saute 5 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Add garlic. Saute 2 or 3 minutes more. Add mushrooms. Saute 5 minutes.

Add dill weed, paprika, soy sauce and 2 cups of the broth. Bring soup to a simmer. Cover pot and simmer for 15 minutes. Whisk milk and flour together until mixture is smooth. Pour into soup, stirring well to blend. Cover pot and simmer soup for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add remaining 2 cups broth and lemon juice. Stir. Heat to a simmer. Take pot off of heat and add sour cream, stirring until completely blended into the soup. Return pot to heat and warm soup until hot. Do not allow the soup to boil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle hot soup into heated bowls. Add a small dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of parsley to each serving. Makes 6 to 8 servings.