Designing the Impossible Potato Leek Soup

Dark blue slices cut through a flat, billowing sheet of clouds in the dawn sky, lighting it into the face of a shivering fall pumpkin. I lay on the down comforter trying to remember, the feel of the shag carpeting, the smell of my room, my parents house. I begin to deconstruct it, remove the decor, peel the wallpaper, down to the wood placed by the previous owners. Each time I remove an object, I imagine the decisive moment of its placing. The driving force, invisible and gravitationally compelling: houses need walls, walls need wallpaper, beds have bedspreads, cultural ideals passed through generations by bucket brigade. The bucket of "baby blue is an acceptable color for a bedroom" splashed onto the bedroom of my youth. I slice leeks down the center and imagine a room painted from the center out in the spectacular bright yellows and smooth greens of the leek. The thought makes my heart open but my head ache. Too bright. Culture will set your mind free of indecision, but parameters allowed to set too long unquestioned will broaden the moat of shame around your castle.

The rules that built my parents house frame my expectations, but in the end we each become our own architect fitting our lives to accommodate growing technology. To replace the existing structure takes work and understanding of its original function. These are the thoughts that drive me to deconstruct my parents house.

The apartment is filled with the aroma of leeks, onions, peppercorns and bay leaves. The cats are curled up with Christina on the couch. Our walls are decorated with beautiful paintings into which a person can steal an intimate moment with their own psyche. Last night we huddled into the glow of candlelight across from each other at the restaurant table. A gold rimmed coffee cup, the size of a children's tea party set turned upside down between us. The cardamom sweetness of the Turkish coffee still lingered on my breath. We waited for the coffee sludge to fall before flipping it over to read the grounds. I held the cup close and stared into the shapes like it were one of Christina's paintings.
"What do you see?" she asked, leaning forward.
"I see a pregnant unicorn".

Potato leek soup
2 giant leeks (use the greens for the stock and the whites for the soup)
6 peeled carrots
1 yellow onion
3 cloves garlic
6 bay leaves
a handful of marjoram
1 tsp peppercorns
1 tsp chicken base (optional)
in a wide pot, build a soup stock using the ingredients above (about 8 cups of water). Allow to simmer uncovered for about an hour. In the meantime, dice potatoes and leek whites (leave skins on potatoes for added nutrition).

"Spice Trail" tangine spice (recommended) (if you live in the Twin cities, you can get this from chef Sameh Wadi of Saffron, who took the title of Iron Fork in the 2009 competition.)
cumin and turmeric (optional)
5 cups diced yukon gold potatoes
salt
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp olive oil

Melt butter and olive oil in a soup pot. Add potatoes and leek whites. Season with seasonings (have fun with this). Drain soup stock into potatoes. Cook 30 min until potatoes are tender and blend with a hand blender (leave some chunky if you like). Garnish with fresh crisp celery (much better than crackers, seriously!)

Christina's vote: "Genius!"