Foodie Stories, Cooking Essays: Submit Yours Today!

Food writers, care to share your memories of a favorite foodie moment? Email your cooking story submissions to info@cookingwithmyfriends.com. We'll publish your tale along with a link to your freelance writing, cooking or other type of website. Thanks for reading!

Feature Essay: Not Your Mother's Cream of Mushroom Soup: We've Come a Long Way, Baby!

If you're a middle class American who grew up in the 1960s or 70s, there is a good chance you're familiar with the old culinary standby of American moms everywhere - Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup. Did anyone ever eat a bowl of that stuff plain, as soup? I can't say that I've ever witnessed the famous gelatinous magical mixture transformed into a bowl of soup as nature intended. No, cream of mushroom soup had many uses in the household in which I grew up, but soup wasn't one of them.

Remember that old Thanksgiving standby, green bean casserole? A can of green beans, a can of cream of mushroom soup, and a can of french fried onion rings are all baked together to create that salty, nutrient-free holiday classic I know (and secretly love with turkey and gravy, but don't tell anyone lest I die of embarrassment). How about chicken pot pie? Leftover bits of chicken and veggies, a can of cream of mushroom soup, all mixed together in a casserole. Pop some Pillsbury Pop-N-Fresh biscuits on top, bake, and viola, chicken pot pie in a jiffy. These are just a couple of the classic cream of mushroom recipes I can remember. There must be thousands of others. Any good housewife in the 70s had a stash of versatile cream of mushroom soup in the pantry!... (contine reading)

not your mother's cream of mushroom soup

a stroll down ice cream lane

the art of whipped cream squirting

tv dinners: not salisbury steak anymore

corn

a nice sauce

cookies and milk

yes, i'm a former friendly's ice cream fountain girl

ice cream inspired calls to action

a food entrepreneur's father's day lesson

fat free half and half: what's up with that?

kitchen gadgets: what do you love and what can you live without?