French fries, French soup and German mustard

I've been on a serious french fry bender for the past few weeks. It all began after eating the perfectly thick and crispy fries served at the Betty Ford (no not the rehab, the name of an actual bar in Barcelona..yes, very ironic) served with a phenomenal ranch dipping sauce. After eating those fries or the frozen fries I keep in my fridge (for junk food necessary emergencies), at least three times a week for the past two weeks, a very important question came to mind. Was I eating the french fries because I loved them? Or was I really eating the fries for the variety of sauces I could dip them in?

I have a serious sauce problem, in fact if one were to open my fridge they would notice that about 80% of it was filled with various types, from spicy to sweet, garlicy to salty, I've got them all. In fact I have so many that they have even caused a few arguments, hilarious, but none the less arguments in my relationship. So the first step is admitting I have a problem...done, but this is one problem I would like to keep.

On Monday night I complemented my plate of freezer fries with ketchup, Tabasco, Thai sweet chili dipping sauce and last but not least, my all time favorite German mustard. Perhaps I shouldn't even start on the German mustard, but I'll just touch on the subject. See, some people like French mustard, some even like American mustard but I, well I like my mustard German. It's strong and spicy, adding just the right amount of kick to any dish, and it complements steak perfectly (to be honest I think it even complements a lone spoon, but don't tell anyone that). Each time my friend Sarah goes back to Germany I make sure she remembers my mustard, this time I even received beer and fig flavored mustard....yum. I'll cut my ode to mustard short because I don't think most people share the same excitement for it as I do...it's a shame really.

After all this sauce talk I've realized that the sauce does make the french fry, but what kind of world would we live in if we didn't have french fries to enjoy sauce on! The perfect semi-flavorless food that go well with just about any type of condiment may be just as important as the sauce itself. So I have come to the realization that I like both equally, because without one the other would be nothing....it's a chicken and egg story.

I just had to get that out of my system, now on to the recipe. It has nothing to do with french fries, although it requires potatoes, and no sauces are necessary, but it does result in a similar, overall satisfying feeling. I learned this recipe about a year ago from my boyfriend, Josep. He likes to make it in the winter when budgets are tight and fingers are cold. It's really simple and quick but tastes like a million bucks, pretty much it's a great way to fool people into thinking you've studied the art of gourmet French food, even if you can barely peel a potato. I've experimented with the soup recipe from Josep a bit and have added a few touches like the use of a bay leaf, garlic and substituting water with chicken stock.

Vichy Sois

Olive oil

1 bay leaf

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

4 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 large leeks, trimmed and sliced

5 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup heavy cream

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium sized pot.

2. When the oil is hot add the bay leaf, garlic and onion and cook until soft, about 10-15 minutes.

3. Add in the potato cubes and sliced leeks and cook for 10 minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper.

4. Pour in the stock and lower the heat, stir and cover. Let simmer for half an hour or until potatoes are soft.

5. Remove from heat and blend together with a hand blender until smooth (be careful it tends to splatter and will be very hot!).

6. Stir in the heavy cream and add in salt and pepper to taste.

7. Serve hot with a swig of olive oil on top and fresh bread.