80 DAYS TO NEW YEARS! (#34)

Say Cheese

I’m afraid this cheese might not leave you with a smile.

​History tells us that many German immigrants settled in the Midwestern part of the United States. Today the Midwest is saturated with second and third generation Germans. It is often said that people refer to Midwesters as Germans. If you have ever visited this area, you’ve probably noticed that the locals have many characteristics that are unique to Germans—fair skin, blond, straight hair, and a body structure on the larger side.
 
Last week, while in Rochester, Minnesota, I blogged about the local beer cheese soup. I wasn’t willing to give it up—not even for the price of freezing in the streets where the temperature was 17 and windy…brrrr—just writing about it makes me shiver. If you missed it, it’s not too late—you can still get the story here.

​As you recall, I reached out to my co-writer, Chef Johannes Klapdhor, asking him to kindly share his beer cheese soup recipe, so we don’t have to make the trip to the Midwest to enjoy it.
 
It was this past Sunday when I put my apron on and followed chef’s recipe. Twenty minutes later the aroma of the beer and cheese wafted through my kitchen.  Fifteen minutes longer and I could serve the soup. But not before I tasted it. Delicious, I thought as soon as the spoon hit my tongue. I loved everything about it—the color, the texture, the consistency, and of course the aftertaste. However, it didn’t resemble the soup they serve in Rochester.

I reached out to Siri, asking her for a beer cheese soup recipe. “Here is what I found,” she said and displayed a long list of relevant recipes. I glanced through the list and noted that there were several recipes called Wisconsin Beer Cheese soup.
“Okay, Michelle,” I started a conversation with myself. “Chef Johannes was born and raised in Germany—his recipe must be the authentic one…the Midwestern recipe was probably Americanized a bit.”
 
To make sure my theory was more than an assumption, I gathered all the new ingredients and followed the Wisconsin recipe. One hour later, the soup was ready. It was not too complicated to follow, but more involved than the one Chef Johannes shared. And the taste? Hmmm, I was not sure. Although, I’ll be honest, it was similar to the one in Rochester—but not the same.
 
My stubbornness surfaced. I was not happy.  I set the two soups aside and didn’t bother with it again until dinner.  Only then did my creativity take over and I decided to merge the two soups together. First I combined a small quantity of the soups together in equal parts. In one word, this was the winner!
 
Out of curiosity I plugged the ingredients into a software program offered by Recipal, and nearly fell out of my chair. Clearly this is not a soup to eat if you’re watching your weight or cholesterol.

​I reviewed the nutrition facts and made my way back to the kitchen. I merged the remaining soups and put it into two, tall takeout containers. I called a skinny friend of mine, telling her that I had some fresh soup for her.
 
Now when I’ve removed this fatty hazard from my house, I think that by not sharing any of these recipes with you, I’m doing you a huge favor. Whether you’re overweight or not, this soup will clog your arteries, and I would end up feeling responsible for that.  
 
Obviously, you can still find similar recipes on the Internet—there are hundreds of them out there. But, before you take the risk, please read the nutrition facts I have attached, and make sure you know what you’re going to introduce into your body.

Like I said, not every cheese puts a smile on your face.
 
Michelle