"Mrs Fairfax made jellies in the store room..." ~ Jane Eyre

Perhaps in my next lifetime I shall be a chef.

I would love to have my own bistro with tables for one on a small street in Paris. My bistro would be named Aimee's. The place would be petite, catering to single young men and women who want to linger over their food and wine as they read, meditate, or daydream without having to be disturbed by the noisy conversations of others.

The specialties of the house would be French onion soup, beef Burgundy, and profiteroles. I would order special half bottles of wine from a local winery that experimented with blending wines together, like a merlot with a cabernet.

A customer would not be permitted to leave without having a cup of cafe au lait on the house.

I would have art all over the walls, such as Vincent's nighttime at a cafe. Cooking is an art, so what goes on each person's plate is in the same genre as what is on the walls. After all, one must be coordinated entirely when one decorates; there is no difference between art on the wall and art on the plate.

There will be plenty of candles on each table, and a fireplace in the corner that will be lit in the wintertime. In the summer, the tables would spill out to the sidewalk where I would have a small shelf of books and periodicals for my customers to borrow.

Music? That is simple. Edith Piaf.

In the spirit of this entry, I decided that each week I will share a recipe I made during the week for you to try.

This week's recipe is Butternut Squash Soup. I made this for my mother and for my sister, Missy, two weeks ago for a ladies lunch the three of us had, and I also made it for Sarah when she came to lunch. I served it with some crispy bread and a Waldorf Salad. All of the women enjoyed it, and it is very simple to make. Today is a perfectly cold October day to try this. Enjoy...
1 butternut squash, peeled
Nutmeg
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt and pepper
1 onion, chopped
6 cups chicken stock
Cut squash into 1-inch chunks. In large pot melt butter. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add squash and stock. Bring to a simmer and cook until squash is tender. Remove squash chunks with slotted spoon and place in a blender and puree. Return blended squash to pot. Stir and season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Serve.