Potato Leek Soup

Few cookbooks strike a balance between gracefully written prose and a depth of culinary knowledge such as Deborah Madison’s “Vegetarian Cooking For Everyone” has done.  It truly is a capstone of vegetarian cookery and remains a constant reference for me when I am faced with the challenge of preparing a delicious and wholesome vegetarian meal.  I like this cookbook because it helps the reader with basic cooking skills in the beginning few chapters and it is in no way a "diet" book.  Pages 1 through 48 contain information suitable for the curious beginner to become a confident home cook.  She takes the time to discuss basic cooking methods, foundations of flavor, and standard ingredients to complete your pantry at home.  Many of the recipes in this book are a fantastic source of side dish ideas.  Try Brussels Sprouts with Mustard Butter and Caraway for a simple and satisfying side dish.  Simply put, there is an exorbitant amount of information in this book, but all of it is accessible and lacks pretensions.  This 1997 hardcover book is a mere 750 pages long and includes a scant amount of pictures.  The low priority placed upon photography doesn't bother me though.  My opinion on pictures in cookbooks are two-sided and prove somewhat of an inevitable irony.  On one hand, pictures act as a source of inspiration and pull the reader's interest into attempting a recipe...especially really good pictures like the shots found in Thomas Keller's books.  On the other, pictures stifle imagination and may deter some readers from attempting recipes or coming up with their own plating style.  Rest assured, there is no need to fear the lack of photography because Madison's descriptive text will boost your motivation and lead you to success.    

Deborah Madison
Madison started her culinary experience at Chez Panisse under the chef-owner Alice Waters—an adamant pioneer of buying local and cooking with the finest and freshest seasonal ingredients.  Madison is also the author of “The Greens Cookbook" a recipe collection depicting the menu at her restaurant which shares the same name.  Later in Madison's career, she moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico to take over operations of the Santa Fe Farmers Market.  She has served on its board for a number of years.  Aside from the practice of buying local as a cornerstone of Madison's philosophy, she has also been active in the Slow Food movement and founded the Santa Fe Chapter.  Following are just a few of her awards and recognitions that illustrate how profound her imprint has been on the industry:

Awards and Recognition
1987: André Simon Memorial Prize

1994: M. F. K. Fisher Mid-Career Award
2005: inducted into the James Beard Foundation's "Who's Who of Food and Beverage in America"

She has received at least three James Beard Foundation Awards.  Madison's books have received awards from the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) and Les Dames d'Escoffie.  Her first two books both were named the Julia Child Cookbook of the Year by the IACP, Vegetarian Cooking For Everyone being one of them.

Potato & Leek Soup
3 large, or 6 medium leeks, white parts only, finely chopped

1 1/2 pounds boiling or Yellow Finn potatoes, scrubbed well (I used Yukon Golds, reserve some of these for the garnish)
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and freshly milled pepper
7 cups of water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Milk or water to thin the soup, if needed (I used about a 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream)

My Variations
I opted to slice, not finely chop my leeks.  I also included more of the green parts of the stalks, rather than white only.  I cut a medium dice on my potatoes so that they would cook faster.  I also added some garnish and heavy whipping cream to this soup at the end.

Garnish
The garnish for this soup is roasted potatoes and leeks.  In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of diced Yukon Golds (unpeeled), 1 1/2 cups sliced leeks, two tablespoons of canola oil, kosher salt and pepper to taste, and toss.  Roast on a preheated sheet pan large enough to accommodate all of the garnish without over crowding.  I also added heavy whipping cream at the end to enrich this soup.



Cooking Methods Used
Sweating - lightly cooking vegetables in a small amount of fat in a pot under medium to medium-low heat.
Boiling - allowing liquids to reach 212 degrees.
Simmering - bringing boiling liquids quickly down to roughly 190 to 200 degrees (always simmer your soups...do not boil!)
Roasting - A dry heat cooking method usually pertaining to savory foods being cooked in an oven.  Hot air surrounds the food and promotes caramelization.