Peanut Soup

Yield: 1 gallon

Celery, medium dice - 6 ounces
Onions, fine dice - 2 ounces
Green peppers (optional), fine dice - 1 ounce
Butter - 4 ounces
Flour - 3 ounces
Chicken stock, heated - 2.5 quarts
Peanut butter, unsalted, without sugar - 10 ounces
Milk - 1 quart
Salt, to taste - 1 teaspoon
Sugar (optional) - 1 teaspoon

1. Sweat celery, onions, and green peppers in butter until tender. Ass the flour and make a roux. Cooke lightly, but do not brown.
2. Gradually add the hot stock; blend until smooth. This will be quite thin.
3. Place this bechamel in a bain-marie and add peanut butter and milk. Blend well. Cook until heated and smooth. Adjust consistency and seasoning with sugar and salt to taste.

1. OK. So. I think I did something wrong, because the only thing worse than the smell was the taste. Consistency was off too. I don't really know what to say about this one, but something was off.

Some Possibilities:

• Butternut Squash Soup: ginger root, white wine, vegetable oil, onions, celery, garlic cloves, butternut squash, chicken stock, heavy cream, salt, white pepper
• Wild Rice Soup: butter, leeks, carrots, celery, flour, chicken stock, wild rice, heavy cream, salt, chives, parsley, dry sherry
• Autumn Squash Apple Cider Soup: butternut squash, vegetable oil, onions, leeks, carrots, celery, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, cumin, salt, dry white wine, cider, chicken stock, sachet d'epice, star anise, parsley stems, black peppercorns, thyme, pepper
• Shrimp Bisque: shrimp shells, onions, butter, garlic, paprika, tomato paste, brandy, veloute, heavy cream, shrimp, salt, pepper, old bay seasoning, tabasco, worcestershire, dry sherry