Mushroom Soup Umaminess

 Well, there should be a word. So I am coining it, as of now.  Umaminess.  The n'th degree of umami.   In my favorite little market the other day I was astounded by a new batch of shitake mushrooms that had just arrived.  Specimens so robust, so plump, so big and fresh looking, it was impossible to resist them; practically jumping out of the bin and into my cart.   Well, I had been wanting mushrooms for soup; and, in my humble opinion shitakes are the kings of mushroom flavor.   They are admittedly pricey, but when vegetables look really really good, it is totally worth it.  Besides which, I am a mushroom admirer, see my various posts on the subject.  The fungal fascination.

In her blog, Ruth Reichl had mentioned Elizabeth David's book, An Omelette and a Glass of Wine, which I then got from the library and have been reading.  A collection of various articles she had written over the years. In that interesting book David very briefly discusses soups thickened with bread;  particularly a mushroom soup recipe of hers which appears in French Provincial Cooking.  Now I was not willing to wait for another book, and could find no such recipe online. (note below)*  So, it was time to improvise darlings.

Always on the lookout for ways to utilize the remains of my loaves of bread, this was a match made in heaven for the soup of shitakes.  The method is not too difficult.  Briefly, just saute some onion in a bit of butter, add your mushrooms, saute some more, then add stock and the bread cubes, some fresh thyme or marjoram, simmer, blend.

Braised Beef with Pioppini Mushrooms and Dumplings, from Book Reviewed Culinaria Germany

I have to admit to being given this book, Culinaria Germany, almost a year ago, and never having been particularly interested in the cuisine of Germany, (sad to say) hadn't gotten around to really digging into it until this week.  What made me pull the heavy tome off the shelf was reading Cynthia Bertelsen's review of Culinaria Russia, which she entitled: A Picture Cookbook for Grownups.  It made me realize that I owned one of that series of big fat picture cookbooks and needed to get it out immediately.

This is a fantastic book, and if the rest of the Culinaria set is as good, I want them all.  With it's lavish photography,  fascinating historical background generously mixed in, the geographical and cultural notes with meticulous attention to detail, the FOOD, and RECIPES, what more could anyone want?  Since I love history, I love good travel photography, and then of course food and recipes, you know I love.  Bertelsen says in her review:  "I don’t know about you, but for me the best “foodie” thing since sliced bread is the Köneman Culinaria regions-of-the-world series, Christine Metzger, editor (now published apparently by H. F. Ullmann)."  And, I would have to agree.

Unfortunately for those of us in Hilo, Hawaii, where bookstores fold to be replaced by ever more drug stores, I may have to wait.  These are heavy books and the postage would be astronomical if ordered online.  They are at least on my wish list.

I determined to work my way from front to back, but kept getting sidetracked, jumping around with so much to absorb, leaving various bookmarks.  The book is organized according to the country's regions, the first area being Thuringia.  And, it is here that dumplings first begin to be mentioned in all their splendid variety, appropriately in a section entitled "Dumplings with.... "  Now I do have an old recipe favorite, Chicken Paprika with Dumplings, which I haven't made in quite a few years (it too needs to come back into circulation) but that was the extent of my dumplings acquaintanceship.