What I'm Cooking, pt. 7: Potato and Leek Soup

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Stage 2

Ever since I took typing in 8th grade I have wanted to make something with a leek. In typing class we practiced typing the word 'leek' for a couple days. I think the exercise was to get our fingers off of the main row and experiment with reaching up to the top row on the keyboard.

All that to say, I have been dreaming of this day for 8 and 1/2 years. Whoa. Anyways, I got Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child for Christmas. I first got interested in the book after flipping through Julie and Julia: 365 days, 524 recipes, 1 tiny apartment kitchen in the bookstore one day. The book was actually adapted from a blog by Julie Powell (here).

I could say a lot about what is driving me towards the culinary arts, but I haven't got it all quite figured out yet, so stay tuned. But I have found Mastering the Art to be utterly delightful. Julia and her two girlfriends are wonderful and very funny. They love food dearly and think that everyone should be making and eating things that taste good. So, naturally, they made a book that made French cooking accessible.

The potato and leek soup recipe is one of the first real recipes in Mastering the Art and is described as follows: "Leek and potato soup smells good, tastes good, and is simplicity itself to make." Done and done. Sign me up. The recipe is to literally put chopped up leeks and potatoes into some water with some salt. Simmer for awhile. Add cream before eating. Eat.

And it tastes like a dream within a dream. Absolutely perfect for the crappy weather yesterday. Thank you, St. Julia.

Here's Julie Powell of Julie and Julie blog fame making the same dish: (here)