SOUP

So it all began Friday...

The pressure was on because for the first time I was cooking for company. Not close friends or family members who will still love me if I accidentally poison them, but, no, this had to be a meal to impress. We had a family friend come over for dinner that was visiting from out of town. One of my good friend's mom. The problem with me being in charge of the meal was that our guest was the same person that has always inspired me with her knowledge of cooking. She lived in Italy for several years, and knows all these amazing ways to prepare foods. The pressure was on!



I decided to make a winter squash soup with Gruyere croutons. My special touch was making the bowls from acorn squash. It has gotten cooler here, so the fall theme fit perfectly. The soup was relatively easy to make. Cutting the squash, however, was not so simple. Once again my arm strength was challenged. (Note: definitely cook the squash before attempting to cut, because even after they were partially cooked, they were still hard to cut)

All in all, this portion of the meal was a success. A lot of it was guessing. I sort of combined two recipes, and using the squash as a bowl was risky. I had no idea how durable they would be as bowls, and if they would be cooked well enough to eat as you go. Could have been an interesting scenario if they leaked soup all over the table. I braced myself for the worst, but luckily, it worked out perfectly. I definitely breathed a deep, deep sigh of relief after the meal was over and all had been tasted. Cooking for company is a stressful ordeal, especially when you are making something for the first time.