Mon mari was a little, um, testy today.
He was doing the last of the floor tiles in the den, and, as usual, having to rearrange a few things before he got started. There were 2 small bookcases with some odds and ends that haven't found a permanent home yet.
One of those items was a golf trophy I won in Andorra.
He, quietly came into the hall, trophy in hand, and inquired as to why I might have seen fit to unpack such a decorative but useless, item, forcing him to move it for the 4th time this week.
I calmly explained that, obviously, while he was lounging in hospital, I spent days, if not weeks, searching through every box in the barn, looking for this trophy. Out of all the things I needed to unpack, this was the most important. I spent at least 100, valuable, hours looking for it.
Or....
Maybe he had stuck the stupid trophy inside my stock pot when he packed up the pantry 18 months ago and, when I unpacked the kitchen, I found it and didn't feel like going to the effort of finding a box and repacking it.
Just a thought.....
In honor of American Thanksgiving....
I made soup.
I brought wild rice back from the US with me so it had to be:
Turkey Wild Rice Soup
First, one must make the stock. The key to a rich stock is to let it simmer over very low heat for a very long time to let all of the goodness eke out of the bones. It's what gives a good stock a luscious 'mouth-feel'. Use a turkey carcass from a roasted bird or buy wings, necks, and/or legs for the stock. I used a leg and a thigh - and had more meat than I wanted for the soup - turkey salad sandwiches.
The stock:
turkey carcass and some leftover turkey meat or 2 - 3 turkey wings or 1 turkey leg and thigh
the tops from a bunch of celery or 2 ribs celery
2 carrots
1 onion
bouquet garni
3 bay leaves
8 - 10 cups water
salt or 1 chicken base/stock cubes
Cut the vegetables into large chunks. If you are using celery tops, use them all, including the leaves. Put turkey, vegetables, herbs and water in soup pot or Dutch oven. If you are using a turkey carcass you may need to break it up to get it in and covered with water - and you may need more water than 8 cups. You can reduce it later.
Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer over very low heat for several hours, the longer the better. There should be bubbles breaking the surface occasionally, not steadily.
When done, strain stock into another pot or large bowl, discarding vegetables, bones and skin. Pick the turkey meat off the bones and reserve for soup. If time allows, chill stock and remove fat.
Refrigerate turkey if not making soup immediately.
The soup:
8 cups turkey stock
2 - 3 cups turkey. cut into small pieces
3/4 cups wild rice
4 carrots
3 ribs celery
1 large onion
2 tbs cornstarch (maizena, corn flour)
2 tbs dry sherry
3/4 cup milk
Bring stock to a boil over medium heat. Lightly rinse the wild rice and add to stock. Cut carrots in half, the long way then thinly slice. 1/8" (3 cm). Add to stock. Thinly slice celery, add to stock. Chop onion, add to stock. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
Taste the soup, add salt, pepper, or a chicken stock cube/paste if needed.
Cut the turkey into small pieces and add to soup. Dissolve cornstarch in sherry and a bit of milk. Increase heat under soup to a hard simmer. Stir in cornstarch mixture, stirring until it clears and thickens the soup slightly. Stir in the milk, heat through and serve.
Note: The cornstarch is meant to thicken it very slightly, you may not really notice it when it's hot, but it makes it more unctuous. 
In addition to this, for the weekly menu for November 27 we have a some retro food: Macaroni and Cheese, Tomato Soup, Spaghetti Pie, as well as the usual fare...
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