Culinary enthusiasts enjoy soup demo

A evening cooking demonstration on the intricacies of preparing soup was held Jan. 9 at the South Lorain Branch Library, 2121 Homewood Drive.

The program was led by former professional chef Mark Peters, a library associate at South Branch who prepared some of his favorite recipes in passing along his culinary expertise to some future soup enthusiasts.

Starting off with a fun quiz on their “soup IQ” guests learned there was much more to soup than they could have imagined with varieties ranging from bisques, cold-served vichyssoise and gazpacho to classic favorites chicken noodle and tomato.

Peters kicked off the evening by preparing his version of potato leek soup complete with garlic, bacon and ham followed with a twist on America’s favorite selection, chicken noodle soup.

In preparing potato leek, Peters showed guests how to cook a roux, a traditional soup thickening agent made from oil and flour to add texture and balance to the soup. Leeks are a mild vegetable and it is a preferred ingredient in soups due to the way it reacts with the various ingredients when it cooks due to its size.

“I think you should adjust recipes to your own taste. If there is something you like, feel free to add it to a recipe,” Peters said.

Encouraging people to be creative with recipes and experimenting with different ingredients. Peters said he tends to cook more based on ratios rather than strict measuring.

“Don’t feel that you have to stay within the strictest confines of a recipe especially with soup. Because soup isn’t that delicate where one little missing thing is going to ruin the soup. I think most soups were invented by people using leftovers or what was left in the refrigerator,” he said.

KEVIN MARTIN — THE MORNING JOURNAL Library Associate Mark Peters prepares leek as part of the main ingredient in his potato leek soup at a demonstration held at the South Lorain Branch Library at 2121 Homewood Drive in Lorain on Jan. 9.