Instructions
Heat the vegetable oil and butter in a large saucepan or soup pot.
Add the onion and celery and cook over moderate heat to soften the vegetables.
Stir in the flour, mustard and cayenne pepper and cook longer, stirring constantly.
Gradually add the stock and stir to make sure the flour dissolves (using a whisk is preferable).
Add the water and worcestershire sauce.
Bring the soup to a simmer and cover the pan.
Cook the soup .
Add the milk and bring the soup to a simmer.
Gradually add the cheese, stirring to incorporate it and let it melt before you add more.
Serve the soup plain or with herb croutons.
Cheese and Sausage Cornbread (one 8" square bread) 6 breakfast link sausages, fried until crispy 4 TB.
butter 1 cup all purpose flour 3/4 cup cornmeal 1 tsp.
salt 1 tsp.
baking powder 1 tsp.
sugar 2 eggs 1 cup milk 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese Lightly grease an 8" square cake pan.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Fry the sausages, drain them on paper towels and cut them (or use a food processor) into small pieces.
Melt the butter and set it aside to cool.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, baking powder and sugar.
In another bowl, beat the eggs and milk, then stir in the melted, cooled butter.
Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ones and stir only to combine the ingredients thoroughly, but do not beat the mixture vigorously.
Stir in the sausage and cheese.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake the bread or until it is golden brown on top and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
Ronnie Fein is the author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Cooking Basics and directs the Ronnie Fein School of Creative Cooking in Stamford.