The nice “pop’soup” with… popcorn…
The nice “pop’soup” with… popcorn!
“Pumpkin, sweet potatoes, onions…” Évelyne Cheminade looks mischievous as she starts listing the ingredients for her soup. As if she was hiding something. The director of the Phild’Eve wool store, rue de Saintes, provided the recipe for the Saint-Cybard merchants’ association team. A winter soup with gourds, “with a nice orange color”all that is more classic. “Curry, carrots”continue before stopping. “And to replace the croutons, we’ll add popcorn!” »
A small grain (of corn) of madness, validated by Jérôme Berthe, the chef of the restaurant L’Espérance – and president of the traders. “But hey, we’re not going to win with that, and that’s not the goalpartly defeatist Evelyne Cheminade. Some make a very complicated soup. » Perhaps even a little too much for this Charentaise who finds her happiness in a traditional dish of carrots, leeks and potatoes. “When you add meat to a soup, it becomes a hot pot! »
Russian Solyanka, “a mother’s recipe”
She may not get along with Timur Arakhov. This 25-year-old Russian is going to put meat in his soup… lots of meat. “Pork and different types of ham! » A heresy for a Franchouillarde. It’s still a classic recipe in Russia: solenka, a soup that doesn’t stir. And she is close to Timur’s heart, for a year in France, away from his relatives. He has never left since his mission for the European Solidarity Corps (the equivalent of civilian service) and is awaiting news of his asylum application.
He has become a volunteer at Téra Maison de l’Europe, and it is for the association that he will translate into French “My mother’s recipe, so I can go shopping. She is the best cook in the world. I want to share this Russian culture with the people of Charente. To prepare this “rather heavy” (understatement) soup, Timur Arakhov guides you step by step: “You need pork on the bone, several types of ham, potatoes, onions, salted cucumbers, tomato sauce, olives, lemon, dill – a herb that we use many in Russialist. We make a broth with the meat, then add everything gradually. And we finish with fresh cream. »
Chestnuts-celery, in homage to the grandmother
Like Obélix, Frédéric Quessard fell into the pot when he was little. That of his grandmother Ginette, of whom he keeps fragrant memories: “In the winter we cooked rice pudding, plum pies and soups”. A soup party, could not miss. The 49-year-old gourmand will be arriving specially from Vars this Friday evening with his pot tightly tied up in the trunk. Under the lid, aromas of chestnuts and celeriac.
My mother is the best cook in the world. I want to share this Russian culture with the people of Charente.
“When it comes to celery, people are immediately put off. I want to introduce this vegetable that has a bad reputation. » His recipe begins, as often happens, with onions sautéed in a good dose of butter. “I add my diced celeriac, a little ginger. I cover half an hour with water. Then I add three kilos of chestnuts. I bought them from a small producer in Ruffec. It took me three hours to peel them. » A pinch of smoked paprika to flavor everything. And when it’s time to serve: “I’ll sprinkle with chopped nuts!” »
Soup festival, this Friday 2 December at 6.30 pm, place Mulac in Saint-Cybard. FREE ENTRANCE. Free entertainment (Fanfare).
A soup in solidarity with Victor-Hugo
The soup will not flow freely only in Saint-Cybard. This Saturday and Sunday, during market hours, a soup bar will be set up for the first time on Place Victor-Hugo. Maxime Guionneau, greengrocer, supplied the vegetables to the restaurateur Lapierre, who takes care of the kitchen. The 200 ml cup will cost €2. All proceeds will be donated to the Telethon.