Happy Birthday Jane Austen!

I love Pride and Prejudice. I read any "what if" or extended version of the story I can find. I do not think there has been any author in history who has left so many wondering what happened after the wedding.

Most of the followers, believe Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth lived happily ever after… what do you think smooth sailing like Captain Wentworth and Anne Elliott? Or just as bumpy life of miss understandings as their courtship?

In Pride and Prejudice, there is line about when there is enough white soup made, Mr. Bingley will send his invitations for the ball.   

I found different versions of white soup you might like to try. Either sounds like they would really good as a starter for a holiday meal.

White Soup

2 ½ pints of veal or light beef stock.

2oz blanched almonds

10z white bread, weighed without crusts

1 egg yolk

¼ pint each double and soured cream or milk salt, pepper,

lemon juice,

Cayenne pepper

2 oz toasted or fried almonds to garnish.

Serves 6

To make the soup, put the almonds and bread into a blender, add some of the stock and liquidize to a smooth paste.
Using a sieve, strain into the remaining stock, pushing through as much as you can. Beat the egg yolk with the creams or cream and milk and add to the soup. If possible leave for an hour or two; this will improve and mellow the flavor.
Reheat, keeping the soup well below boiling point so as not to curdle the egg. Add salt, pepper, lemon juice and Cayenne pepper to taste and bring out the flavor. Serve garnished with almonds.

This second recipe is actually a vegetarian version I found another blog called Out of the Ordinary, I personally like this recipe better than the first.

3/4 cups blanched almonds, flaked or slivered
1 piece of white country bread or baguette (1/2 a cup, maybe? Maybe a little less) de-crusted and soaked in water
2 T olive oil
1/2 a head of cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 can (15 ounces) small white beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup white wine
2 bay leaves
2 small shallots – finely diced
2 cloves garlic – finely diced
1/2 t. sage
1/2 t. thyme
1 t. rosemary
1 t. basil
red pepper flakes
1/2 t. mustard powder
salt/pepper
dollop of butter
dash of white wine vinegar

pomegranate seeds and pistachio kernals for garnish.

1. Warm the olive oil in a large soup pan. Add the shallots, then the garlic, then the herbs. When everything starts to brown slightly, add the mustard powder, the pepper flakes and the white wine. Stir and cook till it’s syrupy and the pan starts to dry out again.

2. In a blender, combine the almonds, the bread (which has been squeezed dryish) and 2 1/2 cups water. Blend for quite a while till it’s pretty smooth.

3. Add the cauliflower – stir to coat and cook till it starts to brown. Add the beans. Stir and cook for a few minutes.

4. Pour the almond/bread mixture over the veg and beans. Add 1/2 t. salt. Stir and cook. Add enough water to make sure everything is covered with liquid, and it’s not too thick. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer about 20 minutes, till the cauliflower is just soft.

5. Add a dollop of butter and a dash of vinegar.

6. Remove the bay leaves, and blend the soup till it’s velvety smooth.

7. Return to the pot. Add enough water to make everything the consistency