Dear LPG

When I first looked at the recipe I chose to help us mark our Swiss friends' independence, the internet introduced me to Basler Mehlsuppe. 

 I then realised that it was a soup and questioned my choice in the light of the fact June was quite a hot month, but on the day that I made my attempt to try this, it was pretty overcast and dreary outside, so the thought of a comforting soup did not seem such a bad idea.

I always think that a cook like me can do less damage with fewer ingredients, and soup is usually just a case of adding everything into a saucepan with a lot of water while watching it simmer into a reasonable representation of the recipe's picture. But this started with an instruction to fry the flour in butter until it gets brown. At one stage, I wondered if I would have to follow the next instruction (If you scorch the mixture, throw it out and start over), but luckily, I got that bit right. I have stuck cloves in a few things before, but this was also the first time I had impaled an onion, but the result was excellent, and my taste team gave it the approving nod .

As anyone who reads about my monthly cooking exploits knows, I have produced some decent dishes, but there has been a near miss or two. I think my taste team sometimes puts the food in their mouths, offers a kind smile and hides their honest tongue reactions even though they always promise me they are telling me the truth. Still, this soup generated a positive response on an overcast day, while they thought it included many more ingredients than there were.

This was a definite success and left me feeling optimistic about September. Did you know that Armenia celebrates their independence on the 21st of the month? In celebration, I have decided to attempt one of their national dishes, Harissa, and a quick look at the ingredients indicates that this recipe comes with a bit of a kick.
I look forward to sharing my results in the fullness of time…

CB, Lewisham.

CB shares the recipe that she plans for her September kitchen experiment…

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