Pumpkin Soup in Pumpkin

[elainegrey]

Go Phillies! Over dinner Christine and i tuned in to the dramatic top of the ninth inning and enjoyed that edge-of-the-seat moment of the 3-2 pitch, two outs, and -- what was it? -- two on base, with the Phils trailing by two. Mwuhahaha! A double!

I spent much of yesterday in a light deprived daze. I did not have the presence of mind to go walk on the treadmill for fifteen minutes during my afternoon lethargy. I did buy a candy bar. Idiot. Hopefully, i will set up my bike on the trainer today and ride in the afternoon. The threat of today's storm hung over the office. My boss proposed we cancel Tuesday meetings. He and his massive pickup truck seem averse to coming out in the rain. Not that i'm complaining: 511 reports that the currently the driving time is 40 minutes for the "usual" 26 minute commute.

Edward wants to go out. How to tell a cat, "No, actually, you don't."

I've spent this morning basking in my light but i will admit to a very slow mental warm up.

I did spend time trying to track down the following pumpkin soup recipe. I can't believe it's not on my hard drive somewhere as i knew i'd submitted it to a company cookbook for a departing colleague. Fortunately someone else still had a copy & sent it to me. I don't think i'll be stuffing a pumpkin with bread with my current diet, but an acorn squash could cook this afternoon.

Pumpkin
French bread
Swiss cheese
cream
salt, pepper, nutmeg
"The temperate insanity of fall led me to the best thing I've ever invented
- pumpkin soup. Pumpkin. Say it again, slowly. Pumpkin. Now think what a
soup of that sound tastes like: fat and happy. Here it is, the thickest,
richest, most wonderful soup ever made. Once you've had it you'll think
twice before consigning pumpkins to the graveyard of grinning faces. Go
out and buy a fairly small pumpkin with a flat bottom. Cut off the top as
you would if you were going to carve a jack-o-lantern, and hollow it out.

Spread the seeds out and dry them to eat later.

Now get a good loaf of French bread, slice it, and toast it lightly. Grate
a goodly amount of one of the Swiss cheeses (Emmenthal, Gruyere, or
Appenzeller). Layer the toast and cheese inside the pumpkin until it's
almost full. Then fill the pumpkin up with cream. Now add salt, pepper,
and nutmeg, replace the top of the pumpkin, and bake in a 300-degree oven 2-2 1/2 hours. Bring the whole pumpkin to the table, When you serve it be sure to scoop out the pumpkin flesh with the cheese and cream. Serve with a light second course."

note: I found this recipe on USENET in the mid 90's and made it regularly in the autumns I lived in Philadelphia. The USENET post author adds this note, " This one is from Ruth Reichl's Mmmmmm cookbook (1972; it is totally politically incorrect, but wonderful. One could probably partially defat it with reasonable results.)." Indeed, I've made it by substituting nonfat yogurt for the cream. I wouldn't scrimp on the Swiss cheese, personally. I haven't felt the enough urge to make it since being in California; it seems perfect for the northeast. Enjoy!