Vincent Price’s Mushroom Soup

I discovered this recipe years ago and recently reisurrceted it, making just a few changes and adjustments. Since I planned to served it prior to a prime rib dinner, I used beef broth instead of chicken. I also added cream to finish it, and topped it with a dollop of sour cream before serving in my Grandmother Richardson’s china soup bowls. 

The original recipe contained a note saying it was Vincent Price’s favorite soup. Vincent Price just happened to be one of my grandmother’s favorite actors. An online source said he was also a gourmet cook. 

Making the soup ahead is a convience but it also allows the flavors to meld in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, I reheated it, adding more broth and the cream. 

 

Vincent Price’s Mushroom Soup 

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, grated 

1 clove garlic, split

1 pound (button) mushroom caps, sliced thin

3 tablespoons tomato paste

3 cups chicken or beef stock/broth + more for reheating or to achieve desired thickness

2 tablespoons sherry or  Italian vermouth, sweet 

1/2 teaspoon salt

Dash pepper

Heavy cream, optional – just enough to add a creamy note to the soup

Sour cream, optional – for garnish

1. In a heavy soup pot,  saute onion and garlic gently and discard garlic.  
2. Add mushroom and sauté 5 minutes.
   
3. Mix in tomato paste and stock/broth.  Stir and add vermouth, salt and pepper.  
4. Let simmer 10 minutes.
   
5. Optional finishing: add enough cream for a creamy appearnce + additional stock/broth as desired.
6. Garnish bowls of soup with a dollop of sour cream if desired. 

Recipe without photos . . . Vincent Price’s Mushroom Soup 

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, grated 

1 clove garlic, split

1 pound (button) mushroom caps, sliced thin

3 tablespoons tomato paste

3 cups chicken or beef stock/broth + more for reheating or to achieve desired thickness

2 tablespoons sherry or  Italian vermouth, sweet 

1/2 teaspoon salt

Dash pepper

Heavy cream, optional – just enough to add a creamy note to the soup

Sour cream, optional – for garnish

1. In a heavy soup pot,  saute onion and garlic gently and discard garlic.  
2. Add mushroom and sauté 5 minutes.  
3. Mix in tomato paste and stock/broth.  Stir and add vermouth, salt and pepper.  
4. Let simmer 10 minutes.
5. Optional finishing: add enough cream for a creamy appearnce + additional stock/broth as desired.
6. Garnish bowls of soup with a dollop of sour cream if desired. 

St. Andrew's Ham Loaf and Spicy Mustard Sauce

Portion sizes at the annual St. Andrew’s Catholic Church Ham Loaf Dinner are huge. Yet, after we finished leftovers, we hadn’t had quite enough. So, we headed for Zey’s Market, the grocery store that prepares the three-meat mixture used in the church’s famous loaf. Their family size version even includes a recipe. After preparing the loaf, I divided it in between two smaller loaf pans and put both in the freezer to enjoy later. When it was time for ham loaf, I also prepared some the church’s standard sides—Creamed Potatoes, slaw, rolls and of course the requisite mustard sauce. Jill’s Mustard Sauce originated with Jill Royer, the force behind the church dinner that began in the early 1960s.  

St. Andrew's Ham Loaf     Make 1 large loaf or 2 smaller loaves

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup (after crushing) corn flakes

1 (3-lb.) ham loaf mix (made up of 1 lb. each ground beef, pork & ham)

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1. Mix eggs and milk. Stir in crushed corn flakes and let soak until mixture is very soft.
   
2. Next mix in ham loaf mix, brown sugar and mustard; mix thoroughly without over mixing. 
   
   
   

   
3. Add to greased or sprayed baking pan(s) or dish. 
   
4. Bake large loaf for 1 hour; smaller loaves for about 45 minutes in a preheated 350° oven — Ham loaf is officially done baking when a meat thermometer inserted in the center of the loaf reads 160°.  
   
   
   

   

   Ham Loaf & Spicy Mustard Sauce served with Mom's Slaw w/ Celery Seed Dressing, Creamed Potatoes (made by adding White Sauce to boiled potatoes) and Fluffy Rolls.

A word or two about the Mustard Sauce — I knew I had a hand written recipe card in my recipe box this sauce. Details of where it came from or who gave it to me are long gone. As I reviewed the recipe I was rather astonished at the amount of dry mustard in proportion to the rest of the ingredients. Dry mustard by itself has no flavor or taste but when combined with liquid, it releases the essential oil responsivle for its piquant zing of flavor—which is a nice way of saying “the stuff is HOT”! Worried that perhaps the zing might be a bit much, I checked with a couple of church members and they verified amounts; I even found a similar recipe online that used 1 1/4 cups of dry mustard instead of 1 cup. So I proceeded according to the directions that follow. 

HOWEVER, IF I MAKE IT AGAIN, I WILL DEFINITELY CUT THE MUSTARD DOWN BY AT LEAST A FOURTH (maybe more). Although it is the perfect sauce for ham loaf, it is just a bit hot even for me . . . and I welcome hot and spicy! 

 

Jill’s Mustard Sauce  Makes 1 1/2 pints (could be cut in half for smaller batch)

1 cup dry mustard (such as Coleman’s® brand)

1 cup white vinegar

2 eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

Pinch salt

1 jigger sherry (2 fluid ounces)

1. In a large heatproof saucepan, mix dry mustard and vinegar. Cover and let set overnight.
2. Next day, mix in eggs, sugar and a pinch of salt.
3. Place heatproof saucepan on top of a saucepan of boiling water to create a double boiler (water should not touch bottom of saucepan). 
4. Boil mixture, stirring often, until it’s the consistency of a thin custard and coats a metal spoon—about 10 minutes.
5. Add a jigger of sherry.
   

Ham Loaf recipe without photos . . .

St. Andrew's Ham Loaf     Make 1 large loaf or 2 smaller loaves

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup (after crushing) corn flakes

1 (3-lb.) ham loaf mix (made up of 1 lb. each ground beef, pork & ham)

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1. Mix eggs and milk. Stir in crushed corn flakes and let soak until mixture is very soft.
2. Next mix in ham loaf mix, brown sugar and mustard; mix thoroughly without over mixing. 
3. Add to greased or sprayed baking pan(s) or dish. 
4. Bake large loaf for 1 hour; smaller loaves for about 45 minutes in a preheated 350° oven — Ham loaf is officially done baking when a meat thermometer inserted in the center of the loaf reads 160°.  

Beef & Pepper Stir-Fry

This is one of our latest endeavors and it was quite tasty served over Thai brown rice noodles . . . 

Beef & Pepper Stir-Fry

½ cup low-sodium soy sauce (regular soy is WAY too salty for this recipe)


3 tablespoons sherry 



2 tablespoons packed brown sugar 


1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger 


1 teaspoon sesame seed oil (or use vegetable oil) 


2 cloves garlic, minced 


1 lime, halved 


1 lb. top round steak, sliced very thin against the grain 
(partially frozen steak is much easier to cut into thin slices)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil 


1 medium yellow onion, sliced 


1 large red, yellow or orange bell pepper, cored and sliced into strips  (or use a combination of pepper to equal 1 large) 

¼ to ½ cup chicken broth


1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 package pad Thai brown rice noodles or linguine—cooked according to package directions

1. In a 1-cup measuring cup, mix the soy sauce, sherry, brown sugar, ginger, sesame oil, garlic and the juice of half the lime.
   
2. Pour half of the marinade into a bowl with the sliced beef and toss to coat. (Reserve the rest of the marinade to use as a sauce in step # 7.) Allow meat to marinate for at least 3 hours.
   
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high to high heat. When it is very hot, throw in the onions and cook for a minute; add the bell peppers. Cook for two or three more minutes. Remove the vegetables to a plate.
   
   
   
   
4. Into the hot skillet, add the remaining tablespoon of oil.
5. Add the meat, evenly distributing it over the surface of the skillet—shake excess marinade as meat is removed from the bag (discard used marinade). Allow to cook undisturbed for 1 minute, then turn with tongs. Cook for another 45 seconds to 1 minute.
   
6. Add the onions and peppers back into the skillet. Reduce the heat to low.
7. Mix remaining marinade with ¼ cup broth and cornstarch. Pour into skillet and simmer on low for a few minutes as the sauce thickens. If sauce becomes too thick, add additional chicken stock. Turn off heat when sauce is the thickness you prefer.
   
8. Drain the noodles, then add half of them to the stir-fry. Toss and add more noodles as desired.
   
9. Serve with wedges/slices of the remaining lime.

Recipe without photos . . .

Beef & Pepper Stir-Fry 

½ cup low-sodium soy sauce (regular soy is WAY too salty for this recipe)


3 tablespoons sherry 



2 tablespoons packed brown sugar 


1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger 


1 teaspoon sesame seed oil (or use vegetable oil) 


2 cloves garlic, minced 


1 lime, halved 


1 lb. top round steak, sliced very thin against the grain 
(partially frozen steak is much easier to cut into thin slices)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil 


1 medium yellow onion, sliced 


1 large red, yellow or orange bell pepper, cored and sliced into strips  (or use a combination of pepper to equal 1 large) 

¼ to ½ cup chicken broth


1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 package pad Thai brown rice noodles or linguine—cooked according to package directions

1. In a 1-cup measuring cup, mix the soy sauce, sherry, brown sugar, ginger, sesame oil, garlic and the juice of half the lime.
2. Pour half of the marinade into a bowl with the sliced beef and toss to coat. (Reserve the rest of the marinade to use as a sauce in step # 7.) Allow meat to marinate for at least 3 hours.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high to high heat. When it is very hot, throw in the onions and cook for a minute; add the bell peppers. Cook for two or three more minutes. Remove the vegetables to a plate.
4. Into the hot skillet, add the remaining tablespoon of oil.
5. Add the meat, evenly distributing it over the surface of the skillet—shake excess marinade as meat is removed from the bag (discard used marinade). Allow to cook undisturbed for 1 minute, then turn with tongs. Cook for another 45 seconds to 1 minute.
6. Add the onions and peppers back into the skillet. Reduce the heat to low.
7. Mix remaining marinade with ¼ cup broth and cornstarch. Pour into skillet and simmer on low for a few minutes as the sauce thickens. If sauce becomes too thick, add additional chicken stock. Turn off heat when sauce is the thickness you prefer.
8. Drain the noodles, then add half of them to the stir-fry. Toss and add more noodles as desired.
9. Serve with wedges/slices of the remaining lime.

Mushroom (Crimini) Ragout

Ragout (ra-Goo), a thick stew of meats or, in this case, vegetables, seemed to be a perfect dish to go along with my resolution to put more emphasis on a plant-based diet. Since crimini (baby portabellos) are so “meaty,” we didn’t even miss the meat!

I served our ragout over creamy polenta but will also try it over noodles, rice or maybe even as a baked potato topper.

Mushroom (Crimini) Ragout   2 to 3 main dish servings

3 tablespoons olive oil + 1 tablespoon butter (or use all olive oil)

About ½ cup finely chopped leeks (or onions)

¼ cup chopped (or sliced) red peppers

1 garlic clove, minced

8 oz. crimini mushroons, sliced about ¼” thick

Kosher salt and pepper to taste

About ¼ cup sherry (or use stock)

¼ cup+ stock or broth – chicken, beef or vegetable

¼ cup heavy cream or sour cream – to finish sauce or omit if preferred

Chopped parsley for garnish

Drizzle of olive oil

1. Heat olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add leeks and red pepper and sauté; add garlic near the end.
   
2. Add crimini + salt and pepper. Continue to cook as mushrooms release their water content and until most of that liquid is absorbed.
3. Add sherry and cook until most is absorbed.
4. Add stock or broth and also allow most of it to be absorbed.
5. Add heavy cream or sour cream right before it is ready to serve. Cook on low only until creamy and any excess liquid is absorbed.
   
6. To serve, spoon over creamy polenta (or noodles, rice, baked potato, etc.), top with chopped parsley and a drizzle of olive oil.

Recipe without photos . . .

Mushroom (Crimini) Ragout   2 to 3 main dish servings

3 tablespoons olive oil + 1 tablespoon butter (or use all olive oil)

About ½ cup finely chopped leeks (or onions)

¼ cup chopped (or sliced) red peppers

1 garlic clove, minced

8 oz. crimini mushroons, sliced about ¼” thick

Kosher salt and pepper to taste

About ¼ cup sherry (or use stock)

¼ cup+ stock or broth – chicken, beef or vegetable

¼ cup heavy cream or sour cream – to finish sauce or omit if preferred

Chopped parsley for garnish 

Drizzle of olive oil

1. Heat olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add leeks and red pepper and sauté; add garlic near the end.
2. Add crimini + salt and pepper. Continue to cook as mushrooms release their water content and until most of that liquid is absorbed.
3. Add sherry and cook until most is absorbed.
4. Add stock or broth and also allow most of it to be absorbed.
5. Add heavy cream or sour cream right before it is ready to serve. Cook on low only until creamy and any excess liquid is absorbed.
6. To serve, spoon over creamy polenta (or noodles, rice, baked potato, etc.), top with chopped parsley and a drizzle of olive oil.