Paris - I'm off to do some Window Licking

I come from a long line of serious shoppers.  I, myself, am a bit of an aberration: I love catalogue and on-line shopping; I hate having to purchase stuff in actual stores.  Fortunately, I also love window shopping or 'faire du lèche vitrines' (to lick the windows) as the French say or I would be going bonkers.  Both my sis and s-i-l are inveterate shoppers.  They can spot a sale at 500 metres, and will run, blistered, sore feet forgotten, to be the first in the door.  They are not the big buyers in the family, though.  I have 2 older cousins whose sighs of "Isn't this cute?" have gladdened the hearts of many a shop-keeper.  Neither one has a spare inch unadorned in their respective houses.  When they go to that great shopping mall in the sky we will simply slap a 'Gift Shop' sign on the front door and open for business.  I freely admit that the thing that keeps my own buying impulses in check is cleaning - I hate to dust.  When you buy stuff you have to put it on view for other people to admire and tell you how clever you are for having spent money on it.  (Are humans' stupid or what?)  Then it gets dusty  and you have to clean it.....It's a vicious trap and I refuse to step into it. 

On the other hand, my pumpkin soup was a great hit - and to people who thought one could only make pie.... 

Pumpkin Soup

1 medium onion
1 cup pumpkin
1 cup chicken stock
1 tbs butter
pinch of nutmeg
1 tbs fresh thyme
2/3 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup vermicelli
2 tbs cream fraiche or sour cream or yogurt

Peel and chop onion. In a medium sauce pan, sauté onion in butter until transparent. Add pumpkin, stock, thyme and nutmeg. Heat to boiling, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Puree soup - either with blender or immersion blender. Keep warm. In a small sauce pan, heat remaining 2/3 cup of stock. When boiling add vermicelli and boil until done, stirring to prevent sticking, about 5 minutes. When done add vermicelli and stock to soup, stirring to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning. To serve, ladle into soup plates or bowls, top each serving with 1 tbs creme fraiche, a grinding of pepper, and serve.

Now, I'm going to go lick some windows....

Comments

[mimi]

I like going into stores and catching the ambiance, the smells, the sounds, etc. But I've begun to think twice about spending because I'm socking money away for Paris. I'll be the one with my tongue hanginh out...

[Faux Wood Blinds Gal]

Enjoyed going through your blog and drooling over all the great recipes. Tried this pumpkin recipe with sour cream and my husband loved it:-))