French Onion Soup :-)

So I've had a grand request to post the prices of things that I buy so as to show a value of the meal. I'll also offer options to common things so you can substitute. Tonight I went to SAAR's market and yes it sounds like a disease you might acquire by making out with a bird. Don't worry about that.

I purchased 4 yellow onions (I prefer the sweet but those were 98c a pound) @ 34c a lb.
one bottle of lovely merlot from South Africa caled Herding Cats. I really like this wine as it offers a sweet flavour to nearly anything you prepare. It's not your normal bitter/dry/peppery flavour you might expect. This was $5 which was surprising as its a good wine. Don't let the screw cap fool you, this is the wave of the future boxes and caps. Never does it get corked.
One bunch of garlic 33c
ahh add some sugar about err 3 tbs, yeah that sounds good, how about a spill or two of some apple cider (hard variety is best)
Smoked provolone 6.99
one baguette 1.69 yummmmy
cut the baguette into wee slices, pour soup in bowl over it and then cover all with cheese :-)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 4 onions, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 fresh thyme sprigs
• Kosher Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup red wine, about 1/2 bottle
• 3 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 quarts beef broth
• 1 baguette, sliced
• 1/2 pound grated Gruyere

Directions

Melt the stick of butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and salt and pepper and cook until the onions are very soft and caramelized, about 25 minutes. Add the wine, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the wine has evaporated and the onions are dry, about 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Dust the onions with the flour and give them a stir. Turn the heat down to medium low so the flour doesn't burn, and cook for 10 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. Now add the beef broth, bring the soup back to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

When you're ready to eat, preheat the broiler. Arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle the slices with the Gruyere and broil until bubbly and golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.

Ladle the soup in bowls and float several of the Gruyere croutons on top.

Alternative method: Ladle the soup into bowls, top each with 2 slices of bread and top with cheese. Put the bowls into the oven to toast the bread and melt the cheese.

Fresh Hummus The Cheapy Way and Falafel

I plan on getting a flip video or a wee video camera in the next week so I can actually make videos.
Tonight's Meal consists of an all homemade Hummus, Tzakziki, Falafel, and err whatever else we could find.
Dear Safeway, You didn't have most of the things I wanted to make all of the food so here comes the improv version.
Hummus

• 1 16 oz can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans
• 1/4 cup liquid from can of chickpeas
• 3-5 tablespoons lemon juice (depending on taste) (squeeze half a lemon please)
  
• 1 1/2 tablespoons tahini (safeway didn't have this so blah I didn't bloody put it in there)
  
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed (I used 4 I'm an overachiever)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (I used about a tsp of Kocher Salt)
  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil with a dash of sesame oil to give it that maybe tahini flavour
• Dash of cumin for that right nice cuminy taste

If you have a food processor then go ahead and throw that lot in there, I suggest that you crush and chop the Garlic but seeing as I didn't have a food pro I threw the whole lot into a blender and hoped for the best. Picture to follow
Second type of hummus I added .5 tsp of the following

• Pasilla Chile Ground
  
• Hot Madras Curry
• Jalapeno pepper Ground
• Tumeric
• a bit of cilantro

Falafel balls, Mac made these, rolled up falafel and fried them in oil Yummo
All put on wheat pita with onions cilantro, italian parsley, some plain yogurt with diced cucumber :-)