Butternut Squash Soup

1. Melt the butter over moderate heat in a large heavy saucepan. Add the onion and rosemary. Cook for about 5 minutes until the onion is soft. 2. Add the squash, chicken stock, cream, salt, pepper and hot pepper sauce. Reduce the heat and cover. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 2 hours until the squash is very soft. 3. Use a food processor or blender to puree the hot soup. Add additional stock if the soup is too thick. 4. Toast and chop the walnuts. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the walnuts. .SH NOTES As a variation, you may chop some or all of the walnuts in the food processor or blender while the soup is pureed. This will give the soup a slightly different taste and texture. Author's Notes: Here is a rich soup which is easy to make and popular with guests. I like this best with cheese, bread and red wine as a winter meal, but you can serve it as a first course. The original recipe came from Food & Wine magazine a couple of years ago. Difficulty : easy. Precision : measure the hot pepper sauce.