Adriana's Pumpkin Soup.

Meet my friend Adriana. She is the consummate hostess, loves to have fun and is an extraordinarily good cook. She is also the wife to a very sweet guy and has the cutest two little munchkins. Most importantly, however, she makes the best pumpkin soup, which she serves at an annual party that also involves chili (and she's Texan, so you know it's good), cornbread, brownies, icy cold beer and pitchers of sangria. She agreed to share the soup recipe with me I think because I make a fool of myself each year eating bowl after bowl of it in the corner of her kitchen while everyone else is out socializing and not making gluttons of themselves. And I am going to share it now with you. I've had lots of versions of pumpkin soup, and I like many of them, but some are just too sweet, too watery, too blah, too something. This one is just right. Before I give you the recipe, however, would you take a look at Adriana and Corey as Governor Palin and Joe the Plumber? (And yes, that is a "Joe + Sarah" tatoo on his arm.) Too freaking cute.

Pumpkin Soup

1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. chopped celery
3 T. butter
1/2 c. white wine
2 c. canned pumpkin
1 t. salt
1 T. sugar
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. pepper

1/2 t. cumin (optional)
3 c. chicken stock
1/2 c. heavy cream

Saute onion and celery in butter until translucent. Add white wine to simmer. Lower heat and add remaining ingredients, except cream. Cook for 1/2 hour. Turn off the heat and add cream. Puree soup till smooth.