Butternut Squash Soup to die for.

Butternut Squash Soup

Cook and Work time, 1 hour, 25 minutes.  This soup is amazing and delicious but you will use a lot of equipment.

 Ingredients: 1 butternut squash (3 lbs or less), EVOO for roasting plus 2 tablespoons, kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper, 2 shallots – chopped, 1 quart chicken stock, 2 teaspoons curry powder.

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Cut the squash in half through the stem and remove the seeds.  Drizzle both inner sides with EVOO and season with salt and pepper. Put sides cut side down on a baking sheet. Roast until very soft for about 1 hour. Remove from oven, turn the halves over and let them cool until able to handle. Scoop the flesh out of skins and place in bowl. Discard the shells/skins.

In a large sauce pan/Dutchoven with a lid, heat the 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until softened about 4 minutes. Add the squash flesh, chicken stock, and curry powder and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until squash is broken down for about 10/12 minutes.

Cool the squash mixture for about 5 minutes and working in batches spoon into a blender or food processor.  Puree until smooth.  Place mixture into sieve or strainer over a clean bowl. Force through sieve with rubber spatula or wooden spoon.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Take it easy with these two spices. Once done put it all into a clean sauce pan and simmer for a couple of minutes.

Steven Tyler and American Idol

Ok, a story of how I discovered Aerosmith. I was out of the army and now at Western Illinois University in Macomb. Me and a few friends, all vets, went up to the record store. Awwww, yeah we had smoked a little P and the first Aerosmith album was playing in the store. We bought it and took it to one of my friend’s home where a party would be going on later. We played both sides of the album several times in a row and everybody thought it was amazing and we rocked out and played air guitar for a while.

 A couple of years later I was now living in the wooded section of Glenwood, IL. It was next door to their gun shop. I heard Aerosmith was going to play at Hammond, Indiana’s  Parthenon Theater movie house. I asked and asked and nobody would go with me to see them. They had just come out with their second album but most people didn’t know who they were.  It was 1974.

On the corner near the theater was this great and terrific independent pop corn shop. They sold regular pop corn, caramel corn and rock candy among other confections. It was the first place I ever ate Karmel corn and it was delicious. At the time of the Aerosmith concert though, the town of Hammond was decaying and going backwards. It wouldn’t be long before the theater that had Aerosmith would be torn down.

I went alone and the show was a flop in regards to attendance. I sat in the balcony overlooking the band. There were maybe 200 people in the place. They played the show as if it was the United Center though and I was super glad to be in the house. I never in those days every considered that Aerosmith and Steven Tyler would still be around now. 

 Aah, the United Center only a couple of blocks from Billy Goat Tavern and the famous line from Saturday Night Live, “cheezeborger, cheezeborger, cheezeborger, no fries – chips.”

 Laughed Out Loud.