There Are Pandas, and Then There Are Pandas.
And this isn't either of them! The Pandas we're talking about here, are watches, not bears. And what got me thinking about them (again) was a link posted this morning by @cm.rook who pointed a few of us to the very attractive (and not terribly priced) Yema "Rallygraph" Panda which, in it's most traditional arrangement, looks like the one on the left, but can also be had in the version on the right: The model on the left is a true Panda, while the model on the right is called a reverse Panda. The reason for that distinction is clear--Panda bears, only come in the first arrangement. Now at this point, everyone should be thinking about the most well-know Panda, The Rolex Panda, which is actually a Daytona, and among Rolex Daytonas, the most famous of which is the Paul Newman Daytona, which was famous first, because it was Paul's, and second because it sold at auction for $17.8 million (US Dollars). The story of that auction is well-known so I'll only...
Nov 8, 2019
Vichyssoise:
Yields 3 quarts 1.5 pounds leeks, white and light green part only 1.5 pounds starchy potatoes, peeled (but I never peel them) 2 oz butter 9 cups chicken stock 16 oz heavy cream Salt and pepper to taste Knöphla (recipe follows) Cut the leeks off at the light green part. Remove the root end, slice in half lengthwise, and cut into thin slices. Soak in a bowl of cold water and swish around to remove the grit between the layers. In a pot to hold the soup, sweat leeks in butter without letting them brown. Cut the potatoes into thin slices. Add the stock and potatoes, bring to boil, and simmer until vegetables are tender. Put into a blender and blend to a smooth consistency. Hot liquid expands in a blender so be careful. I usually have to do it in a few batches. Add more stock if the soup is too thick. From here you can chill the soup, season, add the cream, season to taste again, and eat with garnished with chives. Cold. That’s how the French rock it. It’s pretty good like this, but also just as good served hot. When I use it for my Knöphla Soup base I add the cream/dairy after it has blended, return to a pot and heat, boil knöphla in a separate pot, and add the knöphla to the Vichyssoise when they are done.
Knöphla:
1.5 cups flour 1/2 tsp baking powder (can increase to about 1 tsp for lighter dumplings) 1 egg, beaten 5 to 6 tbsp whole milk 1/2 tsp salt
Combine all to make a stiff dough, adjusting flour or milk until proper consistency. It should feel similar to pasta dough.
Divide into a few pieces and roll into a 1/2 inch diameter rope. Cut into about 1/4 inch pieces. Toss gently in a bowl of flour to keep separate.
In salted boiling water, cook knöphla for 8-10 minutes. They will float when done, but I usually let them cook a little longer. Drain. Add it blended, warm Vichyssoise soup.
Two of my favorite soups combined into one.