gfrancie | mushroom soup.

1/2 Lb chanterelles (cleaned and the larger pieces cut up)
1/2 Lb white button mushrooms (sliced)
3 Tbs butter (1 additional Tbs of butter for later)
1 or 2 shallots thinly sliced
1 tsp of salt
2 Tbs of flour
11/2 Cup milk (or cream if you are itching for a heart attack)
11/2 cup chicken stock/broth (or vegetable stock if you aren't into eating things with faces)
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup of grated gruyere or swiss cheese
optional: 1 cup of shredded chicken cooked
chopped parsley

In a large saucepan you will melt down 3 Tbs of butter over medium heat but don't let it sizzle or turn brown. Add shallots and cooked until slightly softened. Add mushrooms and cook until properly softened as well. Remove mushrooms/shallots with a slotted spoon and place to one side on a platter or in a bowl. You want to make sure there is some leftover melted butter. If it doesn't look like much melt down another Tbs of butter. Add salt. Once melted add flour and whisk until it becomes a fine paste. Add milk and continue stirring until it begins to thicken. Add chicken stock and white wine and stir some more. Add mushrooms/shallot mixture and swiss cheese. Reduce heat to medium low and stir on occasion. Add chicken if you wish and chopped parsley and stir a bit more. Keep the heat not too high. I find that using a copper sauce pan you can continue to keep the heat fairly low on the stove and it will still cook rather nicely.
It really comes down to a matter of taste whether you want to have a fairly thick broth that is quite creamy or something a bit more thin.
Add salt and pepper to taste if need be.
It should have a creamy taste with a touch of brine to at the end. Buttery is the key flavor.

When you are about to serve the soup I find that taking some toast and spreading with goat cheese and then dunking into the soup gives it a really beautiful flavor.

You don't need the chicken but I live with a carnivore (aka an Englishman) so we add meat.
This can be pared with something nice like a spinach salad or maybe a nap. Naps are good.

As for mushrooms you can pretty much use whatever you like. I am using fresh chanterelles because they are in season and fairly cheap and quite flavorful. Crimini can be nice too.

I should also note that the fluid amounts are kind of iffy at times. Because there are days when it is perfect so just adjust based on what you are seeing. Because what might work for me may not work for you. I have only put this together three or four times so I may change the amounts for the ingredients.

Tomorrow night it will be enchiladas and sarcasm. hee.