Wednesday, March 3, 2010

celery soup and 21st century existentialism


So there I was in Montmartre, sitting in this fabulous three-storey artist's "studio" sipping green tea with said artist and two musicians - one of whom is my new landlord. Ok, we weren't discussing existentialism exactly (more the latest Porsche 911, which one of them was about to take delivery of!) and there wasn't a ruffled floral skirt in sight, but it was pretty close to my romantic notion of living in Paris.

Yes, I've found a little studio - small but perfectly formed - in a lovely old building on a quiet cobbled street in Montmartre. This was my last appointment yesterday, having viewed beforehand: a squat above a Chinese restaurant in the 15th, a window-less cat's coffin in the 4th and an apartment with a fireman's pole in the living-room in the 16th! So when the Montmartre musician asked if I was interested in his studio, I was like: Helloooo? Take this cheque as a deposit toot sweet! And then we went off and had tea with his friends.


I'm back home now, exhausted after all that zipping around (and relieved to have found somewhere to stay), about to tuck into a bowl of celery soup. Bonne nuit.

Ingredients
Serves 2-3
6 sticks of celery, chopped fairly thinly (reserve some leaves to garnish)
2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 oz/50 g butter
1½ pints/850 ml vegetable stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Melt the butter in a pan and add the onion, celery and potato and stir to coat everything with butter. Put a lid on the pan and allow the vegetables to sweat for about 10 minutes on a low heat. Add the stock and some seasoning, cover and simmer gently for about 30 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked. Remove from the heat and blend the soup in a liquidiser or food processor then pass through a sieve to remove any fibrous bits. Return to the pan to reheat and taste to check the seasoning. Garnish with the celery leaves.

17 comments:

Jackie McGuinness said...

Oh you are so lucky to be embarking on this adventure. Make sure you post lots so we can all follow along!

Sarah said...

Jake - will do!

Jen S. said...

Congrats on the new place. I am excited to follow you through your culinary adventures in Paris.

Megan H Carroll said...

lucky girl...

Anonymous said...

Have you found your perfect garret? Expecting good blogs soon. "Gonna write a classic, gonna write it in an attic" (Adrian Gurvitz). Also handy for moolighting a few shifts at the Moulin Rouge! x

Suzie said...

Pleased you found a pad, sounds idyllic.
Off to the butcher for the neck of lamb tomorrow this looks delicious

Kathie said...

Glad to learn you've resolved your housing situation in advance. How soon do you decamp from Savoie for your Paris studies?

Do you have a celery soup recipe to share with us? It's been one of my favorites since childhood, when my mother would make it from scratch!

Boa noite e boa sorte (to translate Edward R. Murrow's sign-off)!

Sarah said...

Kathie, I start school on 22 March. I've added my celery soup recipe at the end of the post. It uses potato because I like my soup quite thick.

Julie said...

Hello Sarah,

The cooking school session will start in few days... I'm ready to follow your great adventure!
I send you my last article about "girly beauty"... http://www.lecahierdejulie.com/2010/03/vernis-arty/
See you. Julie

Kathie said...

Sarah, thanks. That's basically the same way my mother made cream of celery soup -- mmmmm!

Nova Walsh said...

Good luck with your move! Sounds very exciting. Can't wait to hear all about it. Beautiful pictures too - the soup looks fantastic!

Janet said...

Congrats on finding a home away from home. Montmartre is a lovely part of Paris. Great views, too. Good luck with the move and will look forward to your impressions of school.
Take care.

Tina said...

Hey this sounds great, what a nice place you found - I love reading about your adventures.

PatsyAnne said...

I can't believe you will be "moving away" - hopefully you will continue to post - every morning while at work, I go to your blog, hoping and praying for a new entry... I can't help myself for wishing your the BEST in your move, your course, your life - but please remember "us" - your cyber family... we don't need a Christmas card in the mail, we need blog entries to know you are well and thriving... hugs to you!!!
Patricia

Sarah said...

Thank you all for your kind wishes!

Patricia - Don't worry. I will not forget my "cyber family". There will be so much to write about. Thank you for following my blog!

Anonymous said...

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Jen S. said...

You should always have a little existentialism with your Paris.