I was fortunate enough to be introduced to a recipe developer by a colleague from my previous position and as it turned out they needed a Recipe Tester right away! How serendipitous is that? And cool. The experience is amazing! I know I’ve talked about what it is to be a recipe tester briefly so here is a more detailed synopsis. And no, I won’t be posting any of those recipes here.
You read the recipe thoroughly with a highlighter in hand and highlight any discrepancies or things you need clarified. You ask the Recipe Developer questions re your highlights. The recipe is hashed out. Now switch to a different coloured pen. Start your stop watch, you need to time how long it takes you to prep (mise en place) and cook the ingredients. Follow the recipe to a “T” making notes along the way, there is no “a little this and a little that” when you’re testing! Once you have finished cooking the recipe, stop the stop watch and make a note of the time it took. Baking time is noted separately than the prep and cooking time; there is always a bake time on the recipe but you need to confirm that it’s accurate, one of the recipes I recently tested had to have its bake time doubled!
When the recipe has finished cooking or baking, you review it for appearance, texture and taste (yes, you have to taste the recipe!). Sometimes you are required to take a volume measurement of a product after its cooked for reference. Usually there is more than one recipe tester and the results are accumulated and assessed by the recipe developer. The finished recipes are usually for your consumption but sometimes they are just not your taste so your neighbours get lucky! My recent testing was baking sweets and I divided the bounty up between two friends who were very happy to receive the food!
Just before Christmas my Recipe Developer asked me to participate in a client tasting; I had to shop for the product, prep about 1/2 day on a few recipes and then finish cooking the recipes on the day of the tasting. We had 10 recipes in total. We cooked each recipe to its full volume and then spooned out small portions for tasting, I kept the tasting portions warm while the previous portion was discussed and evaluated. Each recipe was discussed for about 10-20 minutes and the discussion resulted in approved recipes with minor changes or complete revisions. The full portions are prepared to show the size the recipe yields for a family dinner. It’s actually quite an interesting process. Photos of the tested recipes are only used as reference. When the recipes are finally approved, the client will hire a photographer, a prop stylist, a food stylist and hopefully a food stylist assistant ;-)! The food stylist will prepare the final approved recipe and make it pretty for the photo.
I suspect that when you develop a recipe for your blog you work in much the same way that a recipe tester would work. It really needs to be buttoned down otherwise there may be disappointment if someone tries to make the recipe and it doesn’t work out. I really appreciate the detailed photos some bloggers do to show each and every step but I decided at the beginning of my blog that my photos would be only of the final product.
When I started blogging I came to realize how undisciplined I have been cooking, a little of this, a little of that; blogging makes you button down really well, measure, measure, measure and write it down — it has been a great starting point for my recipe testing. I am going to be doing more recipe testing in the new year!
But now, back to what we really eat! I’ve been making a lot of soups lately and this soup came together beautifully; the nutty roasted garlic and the earthy and sweet mushrooms were a great combination. I don’t think I would change a thing but I won’t mind if you do!
Roasted Garlic Mushroom Soup with Cognac
Ingredients:
Makes 4 servings, about 250 mL each
- 35 g or 1 1/2 cups of dried mushrooms (I used Chinese Mushrooms with the crackle-like tops and Chinese Black Fungus)
- 2 cups water
- About 1/4 cup of puréed roasted garlic (1 head)
- 3-4 tbsp EVOO
- Pinch of sea salt
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 85 g or 1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
- 200 g (2 cups) Fresh Cremini and Shitaki Mushrooms, finely chopped
- 2 cups water
- 2 fresh thyme branches
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tsp cognac
- 2-4 fresh finely sliced Cremini and Shitaki mushrooms for garnish.
Directions:
- Rehydrate the dried mushrooms in 2 cups of boiling water (about 2-4 hours). Drain through a fine sieve and reserve the drained liquid. Chop mushrooms finely.
- Roast 1 head of garlic in a small ramekin with about 4 tbsp EVOO and sea salt, about 45 minutes at 350°F. Cool and remove the softened cloves and the olive oil and set aside.
- Sauté the shallots in the butter until soft. Add the all of fresh mushrooms and rehydrated mushrooms to the shallots and cook until soft.
- Add the reserved rehydrating liquid and 2 additional cups of water. Add the thyme and lemon zest and bring to a boil.
- Using your immersion blender, blend until very smooth, add the roasted garlic cloves and roasting EVOO. You may wish to press it through a fine sieve so that it is silky smooth. Set aside until you are ready to serve.
- When ready to serve, reheat the velvety smooth soup.
- Melt 1 tbsp butter in a frying pan, add the remaining sliced Cremini and Shitaki and sauté until soft. Remove from heat and add the 2 tsp cognac and stir well.
- Serve the hot soup in a warmed rimmed soup bowl, garnished with the softened mushrooms and drizzled with the cognac butter.
Haha, now you have some experience in this you know that everyone’s going to be reading your own recipes through and expecting them all to be perfect and clear all the time, right? 😀 Nah, just kidding – they’re already great!
By the way, not related to the recipe, but I didn’t quite understand what you meant with “Sometimes you are required to take a volume measurement of a product after its cooked for reference.”. It sounds really interesting and involved!
Fabulous looking mushroom soup. I think I made a similar one before. I like a bit of booze in my mushroom soups. Brandy works wonderfully as you’ve discovered. A bit of port works well too – gives it an ever so slightly sweet edge!
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Thanks for your comment Charles; don’t you find that no matter how many times you re read your post you can always find something to change or correct when you go back to it at a later date? I have found some errors in my recipes and people are rather good about letting me know so I may correct them.
By taking a volume measurement you can estimate if there is enough of it for the recipe, for example I might make a mushroom sauce and before I add it to pasta I measure it so I know that the recipe yields 8 cups of sauce or 1 L. By knowing how much volume of sauce the recipe yields, you can adjust the pasta portion accordingly.
I love the idea of adding port to the soup, it would make a lovely change for sure.
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Eva, it sounds and looks amazing. Soups are rarely so elegant and sophisticated. I cannot even imagine how it tastes… I must try adding roasted garlic to a soup one day.
I am also an undisciplined cook (much more undisciplined than you! no comparison!). This is why I often fail baked goods I guess 😉
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Hi Sissi, thank you so much. The roasted garlic changes the flavour from the harsh garlic flavour we are so accustomed to, to a much more mild, slightly sweet and nutty flavour which in my opinion goes very well with the earthy flavours of the mushrooms.
I have been cooking and baking a very long time, I suspect that it is the difference between you and I, discipline does come with practice and experience in the kitchen. I’m sure when you get to my age, you will be as an accomplished baker. OXOX
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Eva, I don’t think there is a big difference in age between us 😉 I have been cooking and baking for about 20 years (actually I started to bake before I started to cook!) and for the last ten years very intensely, so I think it’s really a question of character and personality and maybe a different approach to cooking… I am lazy and try to make cooking and baking as easy as possible. Respecting the amounts for example is often too fussy for me 😉
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Hi SIssi, anyone who blogs particularly of the unique Asian recipes that we have come to enjoy on your beautiful blog would not be considered lazy in the least, but I appreciate what you are trying to say. I suspect that there is quite a difference in age, but I will smile sweetly and accept your generous compliment!
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oh boy this looks fantastic. I love the roasted garlic flavor added to the soup instead of just minced garlic. I bet that hint of cognac along with it makes for the perfect dish!
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Thanks so much Jessica, it’s so nice of you to say. The roasted garlic is more subtle which allows the mushroom flavours to come through. The cognac is just the icing on the cake!
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If 200 gm of fresh cremini mushrooms are equivalent to 2 cups, how is 35 gm of dry shitake mushrooms equal to 1 1/2 cups. Is the latter the volume that you get after soaking the dried mushrooms? It’s just a bit confusing.
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Hi Maria, I went back to the recipe and this is what I meant:
35 g or 1 1/2 cups of dried mushrooms (I used Chinese Mushrooms with the crackle-like tops and Chinese Black Fungus)
These dried mushrooms are fairly large and take up a lot of space so the volume the weight takes up is more than chopped cremini.
200 g (2 cups) Fresh Cremini and Shitaki Mushrooms, finely chopped
These are not dried but because they are finely chopped fit into two cups.
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What a fun job!
The soup looks terrific, Eva.
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I wouldn’t change a thing either! It looks and sounds delicious 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
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Thank you so much Giovanna, I appreciate your comment.
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That’s fantastic that the recipe testing is done so thoroughly. I’ve had cookbooks where I’m sure that they haven’t bothered proof reading let alone recipe testing.I wish they’d gone through a similar process!
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Hi Lorraine, I’m sure many cookbooks don’t do the testing as rigorously, we’ve all had the DUD recipes. It’s actually quite fun to do.
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Sounds like you are enjoying your new found career and having a great time. Recipe testing does require a great deal of discipline and organization skills which you obviously are good at.
Soup looks yummy, mushrooms, roasted garlic and cognac, great combo.
The Chinese Mushrooms with the crackle-like tops is known as “fa goo” in Cantonese (translation: flower mushroom).
Curious, why did you use Chinese Black Fungus as well?
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Hi Norma, thank you so much for the info on the Chinese Mushroom, I’m going to update the post. I used the chinese black fungus because I adore the texture! I can just snack on them raw!
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I don’t have the discipline to be a recipe tester. Although maybe I would view it differently if it was my job. But at home, I am absolutely a bit of this and a bit of that kind of cook.
Lovely use of roasted garlic and Cognac. I don’t think I’ve ever used either in soup. I have most of a bottle of Cognac still. Might need to make some mushroom soup 🙂
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Thank you so much Genie. I have to admit doing the recipe testing is much more disciplined than the way I normally cook, but that’s what blogging has also helped me with, taking time to measure and write things down.
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What a wonderful experience for you, Eva. A lovely mushroom soup… I might just have to make this one! Divine.
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Thanks so much Liz, glad you enjoyed this recipe, hope you make it soon.
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It really is quite a process from development to testing to final execution, photography and styling. The science of food. I’m so glad you’re enjoying it Eva. I like seeing step-by-step photos as well but it’s really all a matter of time — when a recipe takes several hours from start to finish and there is only ideal light for an hour that’s when it becomes difficult for me because the photo sessions can go on for days… I sometimes marvel (truly) at how prolific and detailed some bloggers are while still delivering a quality product and write-up — it really becomes a full-time preoccupation.
I really like the earthy look of this soup Eva — the mushroom garnish is beautiful and the butter topping is such a clever way to deliver flavor and satisfaction when not using cream/butter throughout the recipe.
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Thank you so much Kelly, I’m having a wonderful time exploring different aspects of this new line of work!
Thank you too for your lovely compliment on the mushroom soup, it’s all about moderation, isn’t it? A little cream or butter goes a long way particularly if you are not used to having creamy soups.
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You certainly have landed some plum jobs, Eva. Well done!
I love cooking with cognac. I used it last night in a steak sauce. I’d really enjoy this soup.
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Thank you kindly Maureen. Steak sauce with cognac sounds wonderful, I’m wondering if it was finished with a little butter?
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Recipe development sounds fascinating. And so much work goes into good ones I see.
What a delicious sounding soup. I’ve got to expand my mushroom variety usage. The dried ones you used are unknown to me taste wise. So much garlic! I made Chicken Marsala today and used 2 (mine were very large so I could have gotten away with one) cloves of garlic, as the recipe called for … I feel like I could wipe out a whole group of vampires. And white/button mushrooms … so boring. 🙂
I don’t use thyme very often but it’s a great herb. I grew some plants from seeds a couple of years ago and it was so tasty that I dried the remainder. I should really make some Jamaican beef patties which is one recipe where they really sing.
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Thank you for your lovely comment, Maria. The mushroom flavours are earthy which is a very nice balance with the sweet Shitaki. I too love thyme and it seems to go so well with mushrooms.
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