Spanish garlic soup

A very pretty dish to serve and very tasty. Rember that if you are afraid of having garlic smell on your breath, garlic requires unity. If everyone eats some, no one will smell it.

Ingredients:

2 whole heads of garlic, crushed or finely chopped.
2 cans of chopped tomatoes .
2 chopped onins
half a slightly stale/dry baguette.
Salt, pepper.
Eggs (1 per bowl.)
Bay leaf and oter herbs/spices.
Extra virgin olive oil.
400/500 ml chicken or beef stock.

Procedure:

1. Fry onions and all of the garlic in olive oil until golden in colour.
2. Add tomatoes and fry until the tomatoes are mostly dissolved.
3. Add bay leaf and herbs, chicken or beef stock.
3. Salt and pepper to taste.
4. Boil for another 5 minutes and add crubled up baguette. Boil for another 15 minutes. Add more stock if necessary, but the consistency should be fairly thick.
5. Pour some of the thick soup into a bowl and gently crack an egg onto the surface. Bake in a hot oven for a further 7 or 8 minutes, until egg is ready.

The egg creates a nice seal, once broken releasing this marvellous soup. Like most mediterranean foods, this goes well with a good wine. Also provide some good bread to go with the soup.

Mussel soup with white wine

Mussel soup An excellent, refreshing soup for a hot day. Needless to say, it tastes the best by the seaside, where mussels are the freshest.

Ingredients:

15-20 cleaned mussels, live in their shells if possible.
Fish head (salmon or other good fish)
Parsley
Onion
Leek
Garlic
Carrot
Pumpkin
Salt and pepper
Bay leaf
Dry white wine

Procedure:
1. Boil a strong, fragrant broth with the fish head (or just fish,) herbs, bay leaf,vegetables, salt, pepper and garlic.
2. Remove everything from the broth besides the carrot, pumpkin, a little bit of garlic and some onion. You can add some other vegetables if you wish, according to taste.
3. Blend vegetables and broth into a smooth cream.
4. Bring to a boil and add mussels.
5. Add a glass of wine or more, as you like, but make sure not to make it too sour. Boil for another 10 to 15 minutes.

Serve hot, garnished with a pinch of fresh parsley and accompanied by a bottle of good, white wine.