12 Cherrystone clams
3 shallots
2 cups water
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
1 cup heavy whipped cream

Place scrubbed clams in a deep sauce pot, sprinkle with olive oil, add water, parsley and minced shallots. Steam the clams open over a medium flame (10-15 minutes), while whipping the cream. Then strain the clam broth into 4 cups, add three shelled clams to each serving, top with a generous tablespoon of the whipped cream, dusted with paprika.

Cold soups are for warm evenings, to be followed by an omelet, salad, fresh fruit and coffee.

All cold soups are two-step cookery, of course, since they require time to chill.

• ½ dried chili pepper
• 3 large avocados
• 2 cups chicken comsomme
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt

Mix the crumbled chili pepper with the meat of 2 avocados, and crush to a pulp with a potato masher.

Force this mixture through a sieve into the top of a double boiler, and add the chicken broth (either a can of consomme or dissolved packets of MBT).

Heat over direct heat until the soup boils, then place over hot water; add the cream, mix thoroughly, cover and again heat to boiling point.

Skin and seed the third avo­cado and cut into small chunks.

At the last moment before serving, add these chunks to the soup, plus salt and pepper.

• 1 pound of snowpeas (or very young fresh peas in pods)
• 1 small Boston lettuce
• 2 small white onions
• 1 handful of fresh spinach (about a cup)
• 1 T flour
• 2 T butter
• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 cups thin cream
• salt, pepper, sugar
• 1 sprig of fresh mint (1/2 tsp dried mint)

Coarsely chop all the vegetables and fresh mint—use peas without shelling.
Melt butter, add vegetables and stir occasionally for about 5 minutes over low heat. Sprinkle flour over vegetables and stir gently until all is absorbed and smooth.

Add boiling water very gradually, stirring constantly to prevent flour lumps. Add the milk, stir smooth, and season to taste with salt, pepper, and a generous pinch of sugar.

Simmer 20 minutes, strain into soup cups, and top with a dusting of paprika.

This is a hearty soup from Middle Europe, to be served with pumpernickel.

• 1 quart beer
• 1 quart water
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 egg yolks

Combine beer and water, bring to a boil, and add sugar and butter. Simmer for 25 minutes.

Beat egg yolks thor­oughly; add cream and beat again very thoroughly. Finally add a little of the hot beer to cream and egg mixture—very slowly, stirring constantly to prevent curdling.

Return the mixture to the saucepan, and heat for 5 minutes, but do not allow the soup to boil.

A typically Russian dish

• 6 cups chicken stock (or 6 packs MBT Chicken Consomme powder dissolved in 6 cups hot water)
• 1 teaspoon cumin seed
• 3 boiled potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup sweet heavy cream
• 1 T flour
• salt, pepper

Combine stock, seasonings and cumin seed in a saucepan, bring to the boil and simmer 10 minutes.

Make a smooth paste of the flour and sour cream; pour a cup of hot stock onto it, beating until smooth, and add this mixture to the pot of stock.

Stir thoroughly, add the sweet cream and potatoes, and simmer 10 minutes over very low heat. Do not allow the soup to boil after adding the sweet cream.

Serve hot.