Mushroom Barley Soup from Chicago, IL

Mushroom Barley Soup w/ Cheese Toasties & Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

January 18^th would have been my dad’s 64^th birthday. To celebrate my late father I decided to make one of my dad’s winter staples: mushroom barley soup. When I was younger I wasn’t a fan of this dish. I was a very picky eater early on and was not happy with the grayish color that the mushrooms gave the soup. Fortunately, now that I am a mature 27 year old, I’ve gotten over the color and have come to appreciate the creamy richness of this soup. On a cold winter day in Chicago there is nothing more satisfying.

Whenever my dad made this soup it was accompanied by what he called Toasties aka bread with melted sharp cheddar cheese. They are extra delicious when you toast the bread & cheese in the oven and are great for dipping in the soup.

For desert: oatmeal raisin cookies. I chose these for dessert because they were my dad’s favorite. Simple and delicious. Miss you pops!

P.S. One of my favorite things about this recipe is the secret ingredient that gives the soup its rich creaminess: Pet Milk! There is a short story by a Chicago writer named Stuart Dybek called “Pet Milk.” Bria and I used to read this story out loud to each other and wonder what we could do with pet milk besides putting it in coffee or making King Alphonses.

Music that I cooked this meal to: The White Album by the Beatles

Mushroom Barley Soup:

2 stalks of celery cut into pieces

3-4 carrots sliced

1 medium white onion chopped

handful of chopped parsley

a few bay leaves

2-2 ½ lb. chicken

1/3 cup butter

1lbs of fresh mushrooms chopped finely

1 cup of barley (not quick cooking)

1 can of PET MILK (evaporated milk)

salt

pepper

Simmer 10 cups of water, the chicken, carrots, celery, onion, parsley & bay leaves for 30-40 minutes. Remove the chicken and use for another dish. Saute chopped mushrooms in butter. Set aside.

Add 1 cup of barely to the prepared stock and simmer until cooked (about 45 minutes). Add sautéed mushrooms and can of Pet Milk. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with a teaspoon of parsley sprinkled over the soup and toasties on the side.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies:

cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3 cups old-fashioned oats

1 cup raisins

1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350°F. Blend first 5 ingredients in medium bowl.

Using electric mixer (if you don’t have one a spoon will work), beat butter, vegetable shortening, and both sugars in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in eggs, and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in oats, raisins, and walnuts. Drop batter by tablespoonfuls onto buttered baking sheets, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart. Flatten cookies slightly. Bake cookies until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Leave out to cool.