One for me ... one for you

There it goes down. Down into my belly.

Gary, waiting for his glass of wine.



Vegetables in pot for Broccoli soup.

Coffee, Mr. Draper?

So, I'm a total loser tonight. I have evaded two invitations to go out, one doorbell and several text messages to stay at home, watch St. Elmo's Fire and cook for myself. Captain's log: I still think a fantastic costume for Halloween 2009 would be a jobless, womanizing, saxophone-toting, mulletified Billy Hicks. But, I digress.

I like this soup, particularly tonight because it's just me and Gary on a Friday night, and this recipe calls for alcohol (hence the title). So, save a cup of wine for the recipe and the rest can be consumed for medicinal purposes. I drink mine while cooking and watching the first season of Mad Men. So choice.

	1 tablespoon butter
	1 tablespoon oil (olive or cooking oil is fine)
	1 head broccoli, florets divided
	¼ red onion, finely chopped (I didn't have a red one, sue me)
	¼ vidalia (sweet) onion, roughly chopped
	2 sticks celery, finely chopped
	2 carrots, peeled, finely chopped or grated
	1 garlic clove, minced
	2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley
	6 tablespoons flour
	3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
	1 cup white wine or champagne
	Salt and Pepper to taste
	1 teaspoon dried thyme
	1 cup regular cream (WAAAY too much cream, Only 1/4 cup)

1. Melt butter with oil in large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add broccoli, onion, celery, carrots, garlic, and parsley. Cover; cook until onion and broccoli are tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.

2. Add flour and stir until cooked and then add the chicken broth and wine. Cover and simmer vegetables 40 minutes.

3. Season with salt and pepper and thyme. When ready to serve, add cream and cook through - about 5 minutes. As I said in the ingredients list, use a cup of cream if you were the creepy kid who used to drink vitamin D milk at dinner. Otherwise, 1/4 will suffice.

Soup tastes better in a mug, so ladle it in and suck it down. I also feel more like an adult when I actually utilize my coffee mugs. Coffee tastes like poo, even in my adult age, so soup is the only thing that fills them.

I got this broccoli soup recipe from my favorite cooking blog, The Domestic Goddess. None of my recipes are original, in fact. Just the clever commentary that is peppered into the instructions.

http://www.domesticgoddess.ca