I tried to adjust my attitude as I was cooking it. Recipes have surprised me before, so I told myself that this one might only appear to be bland. Maybe that poached egg would transform this soup, like magic.
Not so. Part of the problem was that my egg yolks came out exactly how I hate them--neither runny nor hard, but in that confused semi-state. I set the stupid timer for three minutes, according to Dorie's instructions, but it never rang, so by the time I realized that three minutes must have passed, it was too late. Not only did I cringe at each bite of partly-solid yolk, but since it wasn't runny, it did not thicken the broth as I suppose it was meant to.
The conversation between Matt and myself went a little something like this:
Me: I don't like it. There are too many vegetables in this bowl.
Matt: That's sort of what I like about it.
Me: But it's bland.
Matt: It's okay. I wouldn't necessarily want it again, but it's okay.
Me: I'm still hungry. I need fourteen more eggs.
Conclusion: Indifferent. This left me grumpy and unsatisfied. It didn't taste bad, but it didn't taste particularly good. The eggy disappointment was my own fault, so I'm not factoring that in, because that would have tipped the scale into Dislike territory.
I have to say that recipe looks/sounds pretty blahh...personally I think the best veg. soups/broths are Asian, specifically Thai- as the mix of garlic, lime, sugar, soy, fish sauce, coriander, basil, and hot pepper flavors the vegs. so nicely. Second to that would be roasting the vegs.- and then adding a rich non-veg. stock. But otherwise boiling vegs in water without much addnl. seasoning IMO almost always results in disappointment. so- not too surprised your suspicions were confirmed!
ReplyDeleteactually I don't exactly know what this recipe is so my comment might be overly presumptive. Did you use a rich broth but you still hated it? and BTW did you finish all your fabulous onion soup?
ReplyDeleteIt was chicken broth, and the seasonings were lemon zest, sliced garlic, salt, white pepper, and lemongrass. So it wasn't AS bland as if it were just water, but there was no pizazz. I sprinkled some chopped basil and parsley on top, but it didn't help.
ReplyDeleteI have one bowl of onion soup left. I think I'll freeze it, because I'm out of good crusty bread. mmmm.
I think lemon zest, white pepper and lemongrass are all pretty bland and if any were used in excess the result would not be very good either. I wonder if somewhat timid seasoning is a pattern with this particular cookbook? Sounds like the chicken w/couscous suffered from a similar seasoning deficiency. Also am curious how much cheese she called for in the cheese souffle, which you did not like either.
ReplyDeleteOh, no! Not grumpy. =( Well, I'll have to make sure I have something else to eat tonight when I make this soup, in case a similar situation happens to me!
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't go so far as to say that there's a pattern of under-seasoning in the book, but I would say there's a pattern of under-seasoning in the stew-type, brothy recipes. My worst results seem to be the stews, including the chicken w/couscous and the god-awful Green as Spring Veal Stew. It's weird that the stews could be so bad and the soups could be so good.
ReplyDeleteThe souffle called for 1/2 pound of gruyere. I didn't have a problem with the seasoning in that dish, it was just that, for the effort, I imagined souffle to taste more spectacular than just cheese and eggs. If it only took twenty minutes of work and didn't require that I buy a designated souffle dish, I might have felt more kindly toward it. Hilary had an orange souffle when we were in Paris, and I didn't like that either, so I think I'm just not a souffle fan.
The thing with souffle is probably more their texture than their taste for any "specialness". I have had great luck with a spinach/goat cheese/feta souffle- esp making with a base of creamed spinach w/garlic/shallots. I think they are really good when they are kind of double layered with a heavier layer on the bottom, not all same consistency.
ReplyDeleteAlso Grand Marnier souffles and lemon souffles can be really good so you may find some more life for your dish...
Oooh, spinach and feta sounds good. This one was definitely all one consistency.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry you didn't love this one... hoping you have better luck with next week's ribs! :)
ReplyDeleteThis was hilarious - esp the part about needing 14 more eggs to fill up :) I couldn't even muster the will power to try it, but my family chowed it down. So technically...I did not need to try it :) Nana enjoyed hers but she loves this kind of stuff. Good for you for posting your honest impressions. And good luck with the ribs next week !
ReplyDeleteTricia, is it wrong that I'm glad you didn't even try it? I feel like the only person who cooked this who didn't like it, after reading everyone else's posts. lol
ReplyDeleteSome weeks I've felt like the only one who didn't like a recipe too. I see all the raves and wonder if they are just being nice and I'm just mean to say "ick". We all have different taste buds. I hope the ribs live up to your expectations! At least they should be filling. I'm kind of cringing at the cola thing, but I'll give it a go and hopefully be pleasantly surprised.
ReplyDeleteIt makes it more interesting when a dish doesn't receive rave reviews all around...had to laugh about the request for more eggs, too!
ReplyDeleteI think if I was looking for something to fill me up, this would have been a disappointment. When I read "Warm Weather," I just assumed that I would need something extra! We had a lot of bread! I did enjoy the flavors, but I could see how some people might need more! Hopefully next week will be better for you.
ReplyDeleteYou're so right about some of these recipes being surprising. This week's was a pleasant surprise for me. I was sort of dreading it. I think the duck stock I found at the back of my freezer made a huge difference as the base. It was so flavorful. But, because it's hard to know how it will come out, trying it is the only way to know for sure. Maybe you'll like next week's recipe better.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed it as it was - maybe my expectations were not too high considering it was a vegetable soup. I did use two vegetable stock bouillon cubes which resulted in a stronger tasting broth. I hope you like the next recipe you tackle.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't too thrilled going into this one, but was pleasantly surprised. I must admit that I always season to taste (and only use the seasonings I like for the most part) so I haven't noticed whether or not seasoning is an issue.
ReplyDeleteI actually made all this months recipes last weekend - it made for an interesting meal...
I'm sorry you didn't like it, but I had difficulty with last week's recipe, so completely understand. We can't like everything we cook, but it is great that you tried it anyway.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, your conversations regarding mediocre fares that you dish up to your partner after slaving away on a hot stove, sound like mine and my husband's conversations. I think when we put so much effort into the meal, we are allowed to be critical and have the final say :-)
ReplyDeleteI agree--she who cooked it gets the last word. It's so disappointing when you put in all the effort to buy the groceries, prep, and then cook them, and you don't even enjoy the dish.
ReplyDelete