One way or the other Red Hokkaido Squash Soup

From what I gather by looking around, it's time for squashes and pumpkins. Really? Yes, I would say so. What do we get out of it? For example, I bought a Red Hokkaido squash. Well, I didn't have to go that far and travel to Japan to get it. From it we can get vitamin A and vitamin C, calcium, potassium and iron to mention just a few. Furthermore it is low in calories and sodium. That is, if you are caring about nutrition facts and ... eh ... calories. However, I guess we have to mess around with the calories anyway. But at least you can say, the calories didn't come from the squash.
We are going to have some soup. One day I was invited by some friends ... eh ... just a moment, I invited myself and ... we had some pumpkin soup. Some time later I tried to recreate that soup without having the recipe. 

I may have gotten it slightly wrong, but I will give you some alternative ideas, too. So you can have it one way or the other ...

Dark Secrets and a Rustic Meaty Medieval Beer Stew

Moors and dense and dark forests. That's the perfect backdrop for some myths and legends. Witches, werewolves, wraiths, giants, fairies and dwarfs - creatures that dwell in those mysterious tales ... just around the corner. That's what the local newspaper wrote about the region of Schaumburg, not the one in Cook County in Northeastern Illinois. Rather the Schaumburg in the Northern part of Germany, just slightly to the west from Hanover.
The first tale I like to relate to you is about the blood linden tree (Blutlinde). According to the legend it took place around 1400. An evil squire accused a young girl or practicing sorcery. The trial took place at the castle of Schaumburg.
The girl was presented to the judge and also has professed her innocence under torture. Now it was upon 'divine judgement' that guilt or innocence was to be perceived. The night before the judgement a storm was raging and the linden tree at the gate of the castle fell down.
The next morning the accused girl in haste plugged a branch from the fallen tree, pushed it into the soil and said: "As surely as this branch will sprout and grow, I am truly innocent." 
The young girl was taken to the water pools to be put to the water test for the 'divine judgement'. Would she float guilt was proven. On the other hand, if she would sink down, she would be innocent. As you see, no chance of winning.
The young girl sank and hastily they tried to pull her from the water, but to no avail. Life had gone out from her. An innocent girl had been murdered.
The branch of the linden tree, though, sprouted and grew into a giant tree. Up to today you can hear the whispering  of it's leaves and the swooshing of the branches.
Today you also have a good view from the castle on the valley below, especially when you dare to climb the high tower. These days there is also a restaurant there, where you can buy fruit wines.
But back to the past ... same place, some years later, this time the 12th century. Apart from the owner of the castle of Schaumburg there is said to have been yet another resident - a knight. The story goes that he was clad in black and raided passing traders. The people around the area called him 'the Black Knight'.
Finally back in the 21th century a local brewery took up the legend of the black knight and brewed a beer and named it after that knight calling it 'Schwarzer Ritter' (black knight).
Now it happened that I had a guest post here on my blog recently. It was about a Canadian Beer Cheese Soup. Of course I don't just let others write posts with recipes for me without testing them myself. So I had to get some beer and as a result came across the 'Schwarze Ritter' beer, a dark brew.
Then I thought by myself I want to cook something else with it, maybe something that could fit the time and the area as well. What came out of it was this Rustic Meaty Medieval Beer Stew.

Let's do this stew. No one gets hurt, I promise.

Ingredients:
500 g beef shin, cut in small chunks
2 fresh coarse pork sausages
1 tbs butter
5 slices of bacon
2 onions, cut into rings
500 g carrots, cut into round chunks
1 kg potatoes, cut into random chunks
1 large leek, cut into rings
1 l beef stock
1 bottle 'Schwarze Ritter' dark beer (330 ml)
A bunch of parsley (or even dried), chopped up
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
You see, all natural ingredients, no additional artificial flavourings and preservatives. No fancy things, just basic ingredients. You can use any dark beer you can get your hand on.
Barbecue the beef and the sausages in your griddle pan unless you are in the mood to set up your barbecue outside. After all, here it's still to cold for that.
Once the meat has got sufficient colour and even some marks from the barbie you can put it aside on a wooden board or as you may see fit.
Get yourself a large pot ready and melt the butter. Place the slices of bacon at the bottom and let them work a little bit. I like to time things as I go. 
Now I give my attention to the onions and toss them together with the bacon. It might be necessary to reduce the heat a bit. We don't want to blacken anything here.
Time to work with the carrots, peeling them and cutting them into the aforementioned chunks. Well, this might be a good opportunity to train your knife skills. Maybe that's why I chose this amount of carrots. Into the pot with them. Spoon through with your favourite wooden spoon and devote your attention to the potatoes.
The peeling of the potatoes might feel a bit like a punishment. Maybe you can find someone else to do it for you. No? Ah, no worries, I managed alone as well. Off they go into the pot all the same. Spoon.
Now, what's left to peel or chop? Right, chop the leek in rings after you have thoroughly cleaned it. They will find their place in the pot.
While you are already at it, add the meat and the parsley as well.
Pour over the beef stock and the beer. Spoon through one final time before you bring the whole content of the pot to the boil. Then let it simmer with the lid on for about one hour or longer. The potatoes should be cooked through and soft, but still retain their shape.
You may want to let it simmer further on afterwards a bit longer while the lid is removed. It all depends on whether you like to have more or less liquid in your stew. 
If you want to use any leftovers later on in a pie or so, you can cook away some liquid away later. 
However, at this point it would be time to plate up your Rustic Meaty Medieval Beer Stew and eat it. 

Thou might desire a piece of rustic bread to go with it. Why not have it! 
Enjoy it folks and have a nice life! 
See thee!

...

Wait! 

Not so fast! 

Where are you going?

I decided it isn't over yet. Another quick one. 

About one year ago ... to be precise at February the 5th in a small place far far away from a lot of things ... to be more precise, in a small town (village? hamlet?) in the Northern part of Germany a young man (just assume for a while - for the sake of dramatisation - it's right to say so) set out on a journey (if you like to call it that way) to boldly do ... eh ... now I confused myself ... again.
It's always the same. Now I write on this blog for exactly one year and still have drop outs and I don't know what to say.
Try and fail, try again and fail a little better. Fine!
Cooking Around the World is now officially 1 year old!!!

What do you say?

The Dark Side, Pasta and Random Recipes #19

Oh what a day? The original plan was to stay in bed through the whole day. At least that is what came into my mind yesterday. However, as things are, there are certain responsibilities. Even little dogs don't feel satisfied, when they can't get out, may it only be to do their business. Well, otherwise it would have been quite ...
Yet, here I am, writing and writing and hopefully a bit of thinking in between and writing up my entry for Random Recipes #19 for August at Belleau Kitchen. Dom has done a fabulous job last month for this huge round-up and now we are going back to basics and cooking random recipes again.

Considering the beginning of this day, I can be really proud. It's just barely over the middle of the month and I manage to take part in Random Recipes.
OK, what do they say about pride? "Pride comes before a fall!"
Right then, before being totally satisfied, I have to go through with it, complete the cooking of the recipe and finish writing up this post.
Considering it from another point pride would not be classed as a good quality. The same is true for anger. Oh no, some things really can make me angry. It would be true to say that yesterday there was a day containing 'some things' like that.
But beware ...
"Anger, fear, aggression. The dark side are they. Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny." At least that is what Yoda, a good friend of me, once said.
What has Random Recipes to do with Star Wars now?
Well, don't be quick to judge. I will give you a few reasons in a minute ... or less ... or more ... not quite sure up to this point.
Aha, for being in such a mood as he his, he is doing quite some talking ...

So ... Random Recipes: "Randomly select a cook book" 
Here we are: Classic Essential Pasta by Anne Wilson. It has just 64 pages. Now that would be about the size of a cook book I would start to write with, if someone would ask me to do so.

"Open the cook book to a random page"
And ... the winner is ... Fusilli with bean sauce. Ha, that should be an easy one.

"Cook the exact recipe on that page... do NOT cheat... you are only cheating yourself"

In fact, I had a look already at the beginning of the month. When I came to this recipe I thought, well, that might be a recipe too easy or too boring to do.

Was I thinking of cheating?

Maybe I would forget the randomly selected recipe until I would actually do the challenge. My memory might not be as good as an elephant's one, but I did remember. Therefore no chance to do the random part again.

So it may be then: Fusilli with bean sauce.

What did I need? The pasta, broad beans, speck, leeks, olive oil, cream, lemon zest, salt and pepper. After I have gathered all things together it's time to start to cook ...

... not yet, not. First of all some background music. Here it is, were we come back to Star Wars. The soundtrack of Return of the Jedi Knights is already in the CD player ... PLAY!

Again a quick glance at the recipe ... or did I study it carefully? Anyway!

Broad beans have not been my favourites when my mother used to cook them when I was a kid. Nevertheless, I can try again. After all, the way you prepare them is it what makes it to like or hate it.

The recipe calls for peeling the beans. Great! First put the frozen beans in hot water, then in cold water and then peel them. But, hey, no fear, have a try!

Simply remember Yoda: “Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.”

Besides that: "No! Try not. Do, or do not. There is no try." OK, then I just go for it!

That was a lovely job ... not! Up to now, my sympathy for the beans is not rising. It takes some time to complete the task.
By the time I was finished with the beans. The CD was already just before a certain track. The video fitting to that you can watch on YouTube. 
Just one word concerning that video: no parallels are to be taken from that one.    
After finishing the beans, the remaining part was no great challenge. The speck goes together with the sliced (with the right knife, I love slicing) leeks into the pan while the pasta is started as well. 

 

We are getting closer to the finish line ... just the lemon zest, cream, salt and pepper and shortly afterwards the ... eh ... well ... beans.    
Then mixing the sauce with the ready pasta and then we are ready to eat.
 

 
The end result was not bad, although I wouldn't class it as an essential pasta dish. It tasted fine, but doesn't make it into the category: Well, I have to do that one again, absolutely.   
It was a pleasure, as always, to take part in random recipes.    
What more is there to say: “The dark side clouds everything. Impossible to see the future is.” - Yoda.    
As far as I am concerned, cooking and writing up a bit here on this blog has always helped me so far to conquer the dark side or bad moods. You can't be cooking all day, though, but ... at least ... you can do it every day!   
Another small note: All parallels or relations to any appearing characters in this post are just ... ah ... well ... random ... just as the recipe.  No worries!