Grilled Brats and Mushroom Soup

I will begin with last night’s dinner.

I made a homemade mushroom soup and grilled brats.

For the brats first they get cooked in beer with a little Italian seasoning in it. Boil them for an hour or so the flavors meld together. Then light the grill and wait for just the right moment so you don't burn the brats. Meanwhile the brats are simmering and I'm making the mushroom soup. I start with 3 pounds of fresh mushrooms. I remove the stem and throw it out, then peel the outer layer off the mushroom so it is nice and creamy white. I used regular white mushrooms, baby portabellas, and criminis.  After the hour or so to prep them I melt 6 sticks of butter to which I add the mushrooms. It doesn't matter if they brown or not since this is soup so I cook them all at one time. Flipping the shrooms and stirring them almost constantly so they don't burn and cook evenly I cook them till they are nicely colored and tender. This doesn't take a long time; it depends on how many you are cooking how long it takes.   I add 1 quart of heavy whipping cream to the shrooms and let it simmer for half an hour stirring frequently so as not to scorch. Normally at this point I thicken with cornstarch cold water mixture but I'm at cousins and she is out so I substitute 1 cup of sour cream. It thickens it some and didn't affect the flavor at all. This soup is so rich a small portion is more than enough, we usually use about a half cup for a serving.

Meanwhile the brats have gone to the grill and are being expertly prepared by the grill master, Josh, since I'm in the kitchen since I can't be inside and outside at the same time. 

This is my first attempt at doing something like this so who knows what will transpire. I hope to have some interesting foods to share with you.  My kitchen is nicknamed The Cast Iron Cauldron and I'm the witch in charge of it. My brews can be exotic or plain and simple. You will never know what to expect from one day to the next.  Bon Appétit!