June 29th  2011    Tim Candler

    I have been asked to participate more in the process of actually cooking the meal. Opinion, advice and a B+ at washing the dishes is no longer sufficient now that the Artist is suddenly busy from these incessant demands from our wretched customers.

    Onion Soup, I thought.  And I did so because onions laid out like corpses on the front porch were rotting before they could dry crisply. And probably when these sad creatures were picked through and the bad parts cut out  and the good parts sliced, I had about nine pounds. (time: around 2 hours)

    In general, Onions should be fried uncovered and slowly in butter with a hint of clove until they are dark and black in parts. However, given closeness to death and other such considerations, I used Olive Oil.  Which is apparently either exceedingly bad for old people or exceedingly good for old  people depending upon which marketing board provides the science with grant money.  As well, Onions when cooked, veer in the direction of sweet, so pepper is important.  (time: almost 2 hours)

      And then you need to start thinking about a liquid.  I did find a single cube of bouillon.  It contained 34% sodium, which I have always understood to be better known as salt and indeed I read the words "sea salt" on the list of ingredients, which for some reason cheered me a little, though why sea salt should be somehow less harmful to wellness than road salt I do not know. (time: about 20 minutes)

    Fortunately there were also the dregs at the bottom of a Marmite jar, which I flushed out with hot water.  Four finely diced potato boiled in water, bouillon cube and marmite essence until the potato were so well done they were on the edge of losing their integrity. (time: about I hour)

    I added the potatoes, water and all, to the fried Onions and popped them in the oven where they bubbled at electric mark 340 for about three hours.  Served with the Artist's own bread, along with cheese, left over baked Patty Pan Squash and Carrot, and other odds and ends. 

    On reflection I'd give the soup a D of some sort because heavy Onion soup is winter food.  But I am looking forward to trying creamed Chard stalks and poached egg over baked potato and it would be nice to have some bacon to help the roux, but god knows what bacon can do to a person in these temperatures.

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