Everyday Systems

Are heavy whipping cream and heavy cream the same thing?

I am embarrassed to be asking this, b/c I'm a fairly decent cook... but I have cooked "low fat" most of my life, so have no clue about cream in any form! But I know Wosnes or Noel or one of the other good cooks on this board will be able to answer me.

Thanks in advance!

I don't actually know if they're officially the same thing, but they work the same functionally.

Make sure you chill the metal bowl you're using before you get out the whisk, if you're making whipped cream. Your wrist won't get so tired. The secret to good whipped cream is cold cream and a chilled metal bowl.

I have never been able to find anything that only called itself 'heavy cream' at least not since I've lived here. I only find (heavy) whipping cream.

We go through quite a lot of it - make ice cream or chocolate mousse with it, pour over fruit or desserts, in mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs or french toast.

If you can possibly find it, go with pasteurized rather than Ultra-pasterurized. The quality of UP isn't as good, nor is it as healthy.

Noel and Dandelion beat (no pun intended!) me to it.

Thanks, all! I actually have "whipping cream" that I bought to make chocolate mousse (another round - I made some before and really liked it). But now that it's getting colder, I'm looking at soup recipes. And I was wondering if that whipping cream and the heavy cream called for in some of the recipes were the same.

I used to not eat soup much, but am starting to like it more and more. And the soups I tend to like are thick ones - my two stand-by recipes are black bean (which I could stand a spoon up in) and a sturdy 15 bean. However, I used to avoid chowders and other soups that had cream in them, or try to make them with milk. That usually wasn't very good - thin and unsatisfying. But I never had cream in the house anyway, and just worried about "all that fat." (Generally, we're talking about a tablespoon per serving at most. I'm over it.)

So this year, I'm going to try some other soups that ::gasp!:: actually use real cream and see how they go. I'm thinking cream of butternut or broccoli for starters, and we'll see from there.

You know, I don't generally put cream in my squash soups, but it would be good. I like ginger and honey in winter squash based soups, and serve 'em in a bread bowl. Hearty and delicious.

NoelFigart wrote:You know, I don't generally put cream in my squash soups, but it would be good. I like ginger and honey in winter squash based soups, and serve 'em in a bread bowl. Hearty and delicious.

Okay, I want your squash soup recipes...

I have friends who own a cafe and are known for their clam chowder. It's basically clams, butter and cream. I don't have it very often, but it's great.

I love soup and always have. There are times I'd be happy eating soup for lunch and dinner. I like all kinds of soup -- thick, thin, creamy, brothy, hearty or lighter. Love 'em all!

KCCC wrote:

NoelFigart wrote:You know, I don't generally put cream in my squash soups, but it would be good. I like ginger and honey in winter squash based soups, and serve 'em in a bread bowl. Hearty and delicious.

Okay, I want your squash soup recipes...

Lessee...

1 medium butternut squash (or similar sweet winter squash. Pie pumpkins are also great for this), peeled and cubed
enough chicken stock to cover the squash. Probably a quart and a half, but I never measure.
2T Butter
1 medium onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2T grated ginger
1/4 c honey
1t nutmeg
salt to taste. If you're using homemade unsalted stock, it's gonna be at least a tablespoon. With commercial stock, you won't need any at all.

In a large pan or dutch oven melt butter on medium high heat. Saute celery, onions and ginger until the onions are translucent or until you breathe in and say to yourself, "My GOD, that smells GOOD" (This sounds goofy, but it's actually a fairly specific stage in the cooking once you get used to making the dish, rather like doing up a masala for curry).

Add squash, honey, nutmeg and enough stock to slightly cover ingredients, stirring to mix well. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cover. Cook until squash is tender, then mash with a potato masher until soup is smooth.

Serve in a bread bowl with a walnut garnish if desired. (While I have never tried it, about a half a cup of cream in this would be quite tasty, and I intend to do that experiment sometime soon).

The soup sounds delicious. And I learned what a bread bowl is:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bread_bowl

Over here (UK), it would be a bowl with bread in it, I think.

I make a couple of soups with cream in them - and a great alfredo sauce. Lemme know if you'd like details on the alfredo

One soup I'm making this week is 'Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana'

http://www.tuscanrecipes.com/recipes/ol ... scana.html

I'm going to make Chicken Velvet Soup. It's comfort in a bowl.

http://www.momsmenu.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3093

Sounds comforting. I could use some after the day I had today. Chili will have to do.

wosnes wrote:I'm going to make Chicken Velvet Soup. It's comfort in a bowl.

http://www.momsmenu.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3093

Oh, that sounds lovely! I will be making that tonight.

Another yummy version of butternut soup is:

2/3 x Butternut (Big)
1 x Big Onion
Feta Cheese (around 2 wheels)
1/2 bunch fresh parsley
250ml Pouring Cream

Chop and boil butternut & onion in enough water to cover - season with a little salt and black pepper. Boil till about 1/2 in water in pot and butternut is soft.

Mash (or liquidize if you don't want any texture) till smooth.

Mash in Feta Cheese

Add cream just before serving, heat through and add chopped parsley.

This recipe is compliments of a friend - Magda.

Too solid flesh wrote:The soup sounds delicious. And I learned what a bread bowl is:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bread_bowl

Over here (UK), it would be a bowl with bread in it, I think.

And here's a nice version (I recommend the book mentioned here)...

http://kneadingthebread.blogspot.com/20 ... -soup.html

ThomsonsPier wrote:And here's a nice version (I recommend the book mentioned here)...

http://kneadingthebread.blogspot.com/20 ... -soup.html

What fun! It looks good to make with children.

How about you soup chefs starting a SOUP topic and writing out your fav.soups? Winter is coming and who couldn't use a new soup recipe or two??I tend to throw what I have at hand into the soup pot and then make up a name for it and, depending on what spice and herbs I've used, I even make up a country of origin ( this for the kids who always liked a story to go along with their serving of soup!) the problem with my system is, we never have the same soup twice! I think I've settled down in my cooking and would appreciate having recipes. Since it seems we have a lot of great cooks out there, this would be a great place to start! Whatdaya think?? Anybody????

Grammy G wrote:How about you soup chefs starting a SOUP topic and writing out your fav.soups? Winter is coming and who couldn't use a new soup recipe or two??I tend to throw what I have at hand into the soup pot and then make up a name for it and, depending on what spice and herbs I've used, I even make up a country of origin ( this for the kids who always liked a story to go along with their serving of soup!) the problem with my system is, we never have the same soup twice! I think I've settled down in my cooking and would appreciate having recipes. Since it seems we have a lot of great cooks out there, this would be a great place to start! Whatdaya think?? Anybody????

Here's a start:

http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=4378

wosnesThank you!!! I am going to make soups that not only taste good but that I can replicate! Can't decide which to make first! This is to be a cold wet weekend here..perfect for s-o-u-p!! (and some of the "5-Min.-a-
day" bread)..yum!!

A few more favorites...soup, bread and fruit is not only my usual lunch, it's my favorite lunch. Thought they're all in storage right now, I have 10 soup cookbooks. Soup is good food!

This one makes a LOT of soup. I usually cut it in half. Don't let the ingredients list scare you, it's mostly herbs

Pasta Vegetable Soup

8 cups water, divided
1 1/2 cups onion, chopped
1 cup dried lentils
1 cup sliced carrot
1 cup sliced celery
1 tablespoon brown sugar (or sweetener of choice)
1/2 teaspoon dried whole basil
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dried whole thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried whole oregano
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bay leaf
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes, chopped
1 (9 ounce) package frozen cut green beans
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 cup small seashell macaroni, uncooked
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese (optional)

Combine 4 cups of the water and the next 16 ingredients in a large soup pot; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes. Add remaining 4 cups water and vinegar, bring to a boil. Stir in macaroni, and cook an additional 8 minutes or until macaroni is tender; discard bay leaf. Ladle soup into bowls; top with cheese if desired. Yield: 17 cups (or, enough to feed a small army!)

Adapted from Cooking Light magazine



Potato Cabbage Soup

4 cups coarsely shredded cabbage*
2 medium potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup sliced celery
4 cups water
2 1 lb cans chopped tomatoes, undrained*
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar (or sweetener of choice)
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste

In large soup pot, combine cabbage, potatoes, onion, carrots, and celery. Add 3 cups of the water (might need more to cover veggies), cover and cook on medium heat for 15 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes to 1 hour, until vegetables are tender. Makes 8 servings (1 1/4 cups each serving)

*Lately I've been using 2 cups of cabbage and 1 can of tomatoes. Still makes a good soup!



I made this a few years ago, then lost the recipe and had to do a search for it. It's very good.

Pistou Vegetable Soup

Soup:
2 15-1/2 ounce cans white beans (navy or Great Northern)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and diced
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 15-1/2 ounce can diced tomatoes OR 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup cabbage, shredded
3-4 leaves kale, shredded
1/2 teaspoon thyme
Salt and pepper to taste

Rinse and drain beans. Puree half (1 can) of the beans in a food processor or blender until smooth; set aside. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Sauté onion until transparent, about 2 minutes, then add garlic and sauté another minute. Add carrot, celery and potatoes, and sauté for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes (and their liquid if using diced tomatoes), beans, bean puree and simmer for 5 minutes. (If mixture is drying out, add some of the broth.) Add broth, cabbage, kale and seasonings; cook until vegetables are tender; about 20 minutes.

Serve soup with one big soup spoon full of pistou stirred in and crusty bread on the side.

Pistou:

2 cloves garlic
2 ounces romano cheese -- cut in 1" pieces (can use Parmesan or Asiago)
1/3 cup pine nuts, heaping (pignolia)
1 cup basil leaves
1/3 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Combine first 3 ingredients in food processor and process until combined. Add basil and pulse until combined. With machine running, add olive oil in a slow stream. Scrape out of work bowl and use, or freeze in ice cube trays. Remove pistou cubes from ice cube trays and store in a plastic bag in freezer until needed.

Hint: make the pistou before pureeing the beans; cover and set aside. Without rinsing the food processor, puree the beans. Get a little extra basil flavor in the soup!

All the cream I saw at Safeway last night (even their organic brand) was ultra pasteurized.

I've been able to find "plain" heavy cream at The Fresh Market. One thing about the ultra-pasteurized -- it lasts a lot longer than the unpasteurized!

LOL, I so rarely post here, but I love winter squash soups (am going to try the cream thing next time). Just wanted to add that I roast my chopped up squash with a clove or two of garlic and an onion before I cook it up in my soup - adds a whole 'nother dimension to the flavor!

i decided to print this whole conversation because there is so much great info here. I can't wait to make soup!!!
About heavy cream..I know the discussion was about making soups but..my Mom (and now I do this too)..always added a bit of Cream of Tartar to her cream when she was whipping it. The peaks hold a bit better, I think. Iwas making whipped cream with my 3 yr. old granddaughter. she was whisking away and, when it began to thicken began shouting,"It's changing! It's changing!" When we had "clouds" , she was so excited she just dipped in with both hands and almost covered her face with it! i will never be able to make whipped cream without thinking of Zoe covered to elbows in whipped cream and lovin' it!

Yes, UP does last longer. It's unfortunate how much about food is about profit rather than quality. I keep asking for it where I buy my food and hope they get the message. I'm lucky to be able to go to a farm where I buy my milk and cream.

Dandelion, thanks for the Zuppa Toscana recipe. I received kale and potatoes in my CSA box today, and can't wait to make it!

Let me know how you like it

It's chilly here and they're using another 'S' word - Zuppa Toscana is on our menu for the weekend

I made the Zuppa Toscana for dinner tonight. It was sooooo goooood! (Also, it was very easy to make ) Hubby had three servings (S day!!) Granddaughter asked to take some back to her dorm!! I will be making it on a regular basis, I'm sure!! Thanks!! Potato Cabbage Soup is next!

I just saw the link to the Zuppa Tuscana. Sounds great -- I'll be making that later this week!

We had it Saturday night - and I"ll have it for lunch at work tomorrow

Glad you liked it!

We had it Saturday night - and I"ll have it for lunch at work tomorrow

Glad you liked it!

I made Zuppa Toscana for supper last night, and it was delicious! I used turkey Italian sausage, and that broth and the bacon made it taste wonderful. This is the first time I've ever cooked with kale. Thanks for a recipe I'll be using again.