Review of last recipe (photo above) - The only reason to keep this recipe is for the cinnamon croutons.  Talk about a great cinnamon toast recipe.  As for the soup, maybe because I used half and half instead of the cream, it wasn't as tasty.  But I would have thought that the cream would have only added richness, and this soup really was lacking in depth of flavor.  I was disappointed; I did have high hopes (because of the croutons).

TODAY'S RECIPE - PIEROGI
I know I've made this before because I have some handwritten notes on the recipe, and I do remember them being really good (not just my opinion, but that of a Polish friend of mine).  There are two kinds of filling; potato-sauerkraut and potato-cheese.  I think, initially, I only made the potato-sauerkraut, my favorite of the two.

Makes 20

Dough
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
2 eggs, beaten
about 2/3 cup warm water

In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients.  Mix in eggs and enough water to make a soft dough.  Turn out onto lightly floured surface.  knead 8-10 minutes, adding flour, if necessary.  Divide in half.  On lightly floured surface, roll out one piece to a 1/8" thickness.  Cut out 4" rounds, stretching back into shape if necessary.  Spoon a rounded tablespoon of desired filling on to each.  Fold in half and seal by rolling and twisting to form a rope-like edge.  Set dumplings aside in a single layer.  Re-roll scraps and repeat with remaining dough and filling.  Drop a few at a time into boiling salted water and cook just until dumplings rise to the top.  Remove with slotted spoon.  (These can be made ahead of time.  Wrap well in single layers separated with wax paper and refrigerate up to 2 days or freeze up to 2 months.  Thaw in refrigerator at least 8 hours or overnight.)

Potato-Cheese Filling
3 medium (1 lb.) all purpose potatoes, peeled and quartered
salt
1 cup onions, chopped
2 tbsp butter
1/2 lb farmer or pot cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tsp minced fresh dill, or 1/4 tsp dried
generous dash of pepper

Cook potatoes in water to cover with 1/2 tsp salt until tender, about 25 minutes.  Drain and mash (do not add milk).  Saute onions in butter until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add to potatoes along with remaining ingredients.  Cool.  Makes enough to fill 1 recipe of dough.

Potato-Sauerkraut Filling (I wrote make 1/2 of this recipe only, so maybe
only a half recipe of the above filling is the way to go, as well.  Can't
remember ... below is the full recipe.)
1/4 lb salt pork, diced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 lb. sauerkraut, rinsed, drained and squeezed dry
3 medium (1 lb) all purpose potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sour cream
generous dash pepper

In a large skillet, heat salt pork on medium heat for 1 minute.  Add onion and saute for 1 minute, then add sauerkraut.  Cover and cook on low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Meanwhile, cook potatoes in water to cover with 1/2 tsp salt until tender, about 25 minutes.  Drain and mash (do not add milk).  Stir in sauerkraut mixture.  Cool, then add sour cream.  Makes enough to fill 1 recipe of dough (or more than enough).

As far as serving the pierogi, although they can be prepared fried or baked in cream, these are fattening enough without adding cream to the mix, and I have always preferred mine fried.  Saute them in a combination of butter and vegetable oil until heated though and golden brown on each side.  Once plated, I usually add a dollop of sour cream and they are ready for consumption.  Can't wait!

Review of last recipe  (photo above) - It was almost a keeper ... it didn't puff up at all, and I would have wanted the consistency to be creamier.  It was too dense.

TODAY'S RECIPE - CREAM OF PUMPKIN SOUP WITH CINNAMON
                                                 CROUTONS
Not exactly what I want to make in the middle of summer, but such is life since I insist in plowing through the recipes in my file in a particular order.  It does sound yummy.

Serves 8

2 tbsp butter
1 large onion (about 1 cup), chopped
2 cans chicken broth (13 3/4 oz each)
1 can solid pack pumpkin (1 lb)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp pepper
2 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream (will be substituting half and half)
cinnamon croutons (recipe below)

Heat butter in large saucepan.  Add onion and saute until tender but not brown, about 10 minutes.  Add 1 can chicken broth and bring to a boil, cover.  Lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Ladle some of the liquid and onion into blender or food processor and blend until smooth.  Return to the saucepan.

Add remaining chicken broth, pumpkin, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and pepper.  Stir until smooth.  Bring to a boil, cover. Lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring often.

Stir in milk and cream and heat just to boiling, but do not boil  Taste for seasonings and add more if you wish.  Garnish with cinnamon croutons.

Cinnamon croutons:
Blend 3 tbsp softened butter with 1 tbsp brown sugar and 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon in a small bowl.  Spread on 4 slices whole-grain bread.  Place in single layer on cookie sheet and bake in 400 degree preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or until toast is crisp and topping is bubbly.  Cut into small triangles or squares.

Review of last recipe (photo above) - A really interestingly good soup; a keeper!! Photography not all what it should be. The bowl is really white, although it looks pink. The soup, however, is a bit funky looking in person ... like the pic.

TODAY'S RECIPE - POTATO CHEESE PUFF
From Woman's Day, October 4, 1983 issue (which, crazy enough, was my 29th birthday)

Serves 4

1 cup water
2 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup milk
1 package (4 serving size) instant mashed potatoes (have never used instant potatoes in my life)
2 eggs, beaten slightly
1/2 cup (2 oz.) coarsely shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, to taste
1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

Bring water, butter and salt to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in milk and potatoes. Cool slightly. Beat in egg, cheddar cheese and cayenne until well blended. Turn into well greased 1 quart casserole and sprinkle top with grated parm.

Bake in preheated 400 oven for 25-30 minutes until golden, puffed and set. Serve at once.

Nutritional information/serving: 236 calories, 9G protein, 17G carbs, 14G fat, 163 mg cholesterol, 505 mg sodium

Review of last recipe (photo above)- Yes, photos will now be added to my blog! Didn't really want to, as it's more work, and frankly, this is my journal (sadly or humorously, without any followers), but since I've now posted my blog address on twitter, I feel I must go the distance. Will decide if, in the future, the recipes that I don't recommend will be photographed or not (as "punishment" to the bad recipes?). In this case, it's a fine tasting batch of potatoes, but nothing I would ever make again, so the recipe is being tossed (and the photo will stay).

TODAY'S RECIPE - CREAM OF LETTUCE SOUP WITH CURRY
From Bon Appetit March 1983 ... Again, a recipe request from a reader who honeymooned in Northern Cali where they visited Gregory's Restaurant in Albion CA (south of Mendocino; passed through that town last fall on a trip from Portland to San Francisco, though don't remember the town at all). It doesn't appear that this restaurant exists anymore.

8-10 servings

1 head romaine lettuce, cored, rinsed and dried
1 med head iceberg lettuce, cored, rinsed and dried
1 head Boston lettuce, cored, rinsed and dried OR
1 bunch watercress, rinsed, dried and stemmed
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter
3 shallots or 1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
3/4 tsp curry powder, or to taste
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp ginger
3 cups double-strength chicken broth
1 cup whipping cream
3 egg yolks

Shred greens very finely using a sharp knife, and transfer to a large glass or ceramic bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice and salt, and toss gently. Let stand for 30 minutes.

Melt butter in a dutch oven or other large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add shallots and stir until transparent, about 3 minutes. Add flour, parsley, curry powder, white pepper and ginger and stir 3 minutes. Blend in broth and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add greens and simmer 15 minutes. Cool slightly, then puree in blender or food processor in small batches. Return to saucepan.

Blend cream and yolks in medium bowl. Bring broth mixture to boil. Gradually stir about 1/2 cup hot broth into cream mixture, then return to broth, and stir over medium heat until thickened. Do not boil or yolks will curdle. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve.

Review of last recipe - I can't say enough about this soup; it was fantastic!  I had forgotten to buy Calvados so didn't need to add the cider vinegar (next time, however, I will get the Calvados).  I used Jazz apples (not sure if they are available year round), and was so surprised to find this soup so yummy!  It'll be great to make it in the fall.

TODAY'S RECIPE - POTATOES IN GREEN SAUCE

Serves 6

6 tbsp olive oil
2 1/2 lbs boiling potatoes, peeled and sliced medium thick
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 tbsp parsley, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 3/4 c boiling water
salt and pepper

Heat olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat.   Add sliced potatoes and cook, turning frequently, 10 minutes.  Sprinkle with onion, parsley and garlic.  Pour in boiling water  and shake skillet gently; do not stir.  Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes, shaking the pan several times to prevent sticking.  Transfer potatoes to serving dish using slotted spoon.  Season with salt and pepper.  Top with about 2 tbsp cooking liquid and serve.

Review of last recipe - Potato lace/potato pancakes ... how can you go wrong?  Had these delicious bits with sour cream, and although the recipe is easy and tasty, this is just not something that I ever would think of making.  Maybe I see it as too high in calories?   Oh, by the way, the last soup recipe did not get any better overnight in the fridge.

TODAY'S RECIPE - CREAM OF CHICKEN SOUP WITH APPLES
Just as it would be tough to make a barbecue recipe in winter, I'm faced with a soup recipe on the 4th of July (hot and humid here). 

What is really fun about this exercise, in general, is that many times, there's a caption with the recipe, and with the help of the internet (obviously not around when my recipe collection began), I can research whether a restaurant or chef still exists.  In this case, the recipe probably came from Bon Appetit's section where readers would write in and ask for recipes for dishes they had partaken at their favorite restaurants so they could duplicate them at home.  This one come from Woerne's European Pastry Shop and Restaurant in Seattle, WA, where this was the occasional "special soup" on the menu.  The owner, Guenther Woerne was born in Vienna, and moved to Seattle via Canada when he was in his 20's.  He died in 2008.  It appears his pastry shop/restaurant was located near UW, and until it closed in the 80's or 90's, was a favorite hangout for students (probably a precursor to Starbucks).

4-6 servings

3 tbsp butter
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrot
1 cup chopped celery
1 tbsp butter
3 medium sized red apples, cored and sliced
4 1/2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp butter
5 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp applejack or Calvados
1/2 tsp dried marjoram, crumbled
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper
2 cups diced cooked chicken
1-2 tsp cider vinegar (optional)

Melt 3 tbsp butter in heavy large saucepan over high heat.  Add onion and saute 2 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is transparent, about 4 minutes.  Add carrot, celery and 1 tbsp butter.  Increase heat to medium-high and saute until vegetables are slightly tender, about 7 minutes.  Add apples,  Reduce heat to low, add flour and 2 tbsp butter, and stir 2 minutes.  Blend in broth, applejack, marjoram, salt and pepper.  Increase heat to medium and cook until soup thickens.  Stir in chicken.  Taste and adjust seasoning, adding vinegar if soup is too sweet.  Serve hot.