Andre Soltner on Mother Sauces

"Mother sauces were the first things I learned when I started my apprenticeship in 1948. They’re the foundation of cooking, especially French cooking. But we don’t call them mother sauces in French; we call them les fonds, the basics. According to Escoffier, the first person to codify them, there are five of les fonds: espagnole, hollandaise, béchamel, tomat, and velouté. From each of these, you can make fifty or more other sauces. I spent the three years of my apprenticeship learning them."

Mount Vernon Colonial Peanut and Chestnut Soup

Got this recipe when we dined in Mount Vernon last week. It was an interesting soup - not something I'd eat every day, but one of those occasional "shake it up" recipes.

1/4 c margarine
1-1/2 tbsp flour
1 qt chicken broth
1 qt water
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup unsalted peanuts chopped
1/2 cup water chestnuts, chopped

Melt margarine in a large saucepan. Stir in flour to make a roux. Cook on medium heat while frequently stirring until roux is light tan in color. Once the roux is ready, add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Then add peanut butter and stir. Hold on stove at a low heat until ready to serve. The longer it heats the thicker it gets. Garnish with chopped peanuts and water chestnuts.

Chipotle's Guacamole

2 ripe Hass avocados (In the restaurant, we use 48 per batch, multiple times per day)
2 tsp lime juice
2 tbsp cilantro (chopped)
¼ cup red onion (finely chopped)
½ jalapeño, including seeds (finely chopped)
¼ tsp kosher salt