Friday finally

It's three degrees this morning. Bill Watterson may have summed it up best. “I like these cold, gray winter days. Days like these let you savor a bad mood.” Paul Douglas says for the last couple weeks, Minnesota has resembled a well-manicured Siberian gulag. These guys look about as happy as most people I've run into lately.

Yesterday, I had an appointment across town. About the time I was walking out the door, the guy called and said, "Yeah, I had something come up and I can't make it." I thought, "Sure, dude. You just don't want to walk across campus and get in a cold car when it's fifteen below." Not that I blame him.

I made Andouille sausage soup last night. I was worried because it was more of a gumbo process than a soup. The roux was very thick, the recipe called for about three cups of various onions, and then that spicy sausage. It gotr rave reviews, though. I threw in a handful of rice so it was a good hearty soup for a cold night.

Here's the recipe:

Andouille Sausage Soup

    1/2  cup olive oil
     1/2  cup flour
     2  cups julienned yellow onion
     2  cups julienned white onions
     2  cups julienned red onions
     8  pearl onions, -- peeled
     1  pound Andouille sausage, -- cut into 1-inch pieces
     2  tablespoons   minced shallots
     2  tablespoons   minced garlic
     1 leek, white part only, -- julienned
     3 bay leaves
     1  tablespoons   chopped fresh thyme
                      Salt and pepper
                      Pinch of cayenne pepper
    2 1/2  quarts chicken stock
      1  cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
     1/2  cup chopped green onions
      2  cups cubed French bread, fried in olive oil --
 until  golden brown
     1/4  cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
     1  tablespoon finely chopped parsley

In a large saucepan, combine the olive oil and flour.
Stirring constantly cook for about 10 minutes for a blond roux.
Stir in the onions and cook for about 10 minutes or until
the onions are golden.
Add the andouille, shallots, garlic, leeks, bay leaves, and thyme.
Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne.
Stir in the broth and bring the liquid up to a boil and reduce
to a simmer. Simmer the soup for about 1 hour.
Skim the soup occasionally
to remove any fat that rises to the top.
Remove the bay leaves.
Stir in the grated cheese and green onions.
Ladle the soup in a shallow bowl.
Garnish the soup with the croutons, cheese, and parsley.