Do-ahead luxury soup with a little flatwork on the side

Sitting here in my overheated NYC apartment, watching the woman across the the way, 1 floor below. All I can see are her hands, an iron, and an embroidered pillowcase. Oh, correction, it's a tablecloth. Which reminds me of Thanksgiving, and our wrinkled linen tablecloth, passed down from Thierry's mom.

Maybe this woman could iron our linens, too?

Let's talk menus. The chestnuts we bring in from the the Dordogne - are the best. Here's why we sell them (they aren't our usual type of product):
1) they are vac-packed 2) organic 3) whole 4) selected, not just processed 5) not in brine 5) delicious out of hand 6) shelf stable 7) great with mushrooms

If that's not enough, try this do-ahead holiday recipe. It is creamy velouté with a surprise of diced garnishes. Maybe some tiny cubed potatoes, bacon...oh my god, now she's doing sheets. I want this woman in my house! Maybe I could accidentally drop an air conditioner in the shaft to get her attention?

AUX DELICES DES BOIS CEPE (PORCINI) AND CHESTNUT SOUP

At once heartily gutsy and richly elegant, this thick, nutty soup offers the home chef creativity with garnishes. Here we use diced chestnuts and cépes. Other garnish ideas are cooked Aux Délices des Bois Herbes de Provence Artisanal Bacon, foie gras, Brussels sprouts, and dried prunes. A splash of Armagnac is always welcome.

Serves 8

1 lb. vacuum packed, ready to eat chestnuts

1/2 lb. fresh cépes OR 2 oz dried and reconstituted cépes OR 2 frozen cepes

1/2 c. diced leek or onion

1 T. minced garlic

Aux Délices des Bois Natural Duck Fat* or butter

½ lb. other fresh mushrooms, such as chanterelle or shiitake, sliced

Sea salt and pepper

8 c. chicken stock and any soaking liquid

1/3 c. heavy or light cream

2 T. chopped fresh chives or other herbs

2 T. Aux Délices des Bois Black Truffle Butter** (optional)

1. Finely dice 6 chestnuts. Set aside for garnish. Dice cépe stems. Slice cépe caps.

2. In a small skillet, sauté cépe stems in 1 T. duck fat until lightly browned. Set this garnish aside.

3. In a heavy pot, sauté onion and garlic in 2 T. duck fat. Add sliced cépes along with other mushrooms. Season with ¼ tsp. each salt and pepper. Sauté until mushrooms are lightly browned.

3. Add the whole chestnuts and stir to coat. Pour in chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Simmer until chestnuts are tender, skimming occasionally, about ½ hour.

4. Purée the soup in batches and return to the pot. Stir in the cream, warm slightly, and adjust seasoning. Divide the diced garnishes among 8 soup plates. Ladle the soup into the plates. Sprinkle with herbs. Float a knob of black truffle butter, if desired, on top.

*sofi Silver Finalist, NASFT 2010

** sofi Gold, best new product 2008

© Amy Farges, The Mushroom Lover’s Mushroom Cookbook and Primer, (Workman 2001)