This first one is a joke. Please don't try this at home.

I entered this recipe in a contest for French's Fried Onions. Since I don't use the product, I thought it would be fun to enter a fake recipe to see what would happen. I never heard from them. I didn't even get the free can of Fried Onions they promised each participant. -- eric

Hearty Carrot and Gum Soup
A hearty and satisfying soup for those long winter evenings by the fire. Easily adjusted to a vegetarian soup by substituting vegetable stock.

Ingredients
5 cups of quality chicken stock
3 cups diced carrots, washed but un-peeled
1 cup of cube-shaped cinnamon flavored chewing gum, stick gum not a substitute
1 cup of French's Fried Onions – reserved for garnish
2 diced scallions – reserved for garnish
1 cup diced onion
3 large cloves of garlic
1 medium shallot
1/4 cup EV olive oil
1/4 red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon parsley
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger or diced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Salt to taste

In a large stock pot or soup pot, add olive oil and wait until the oil is hot. Add raw onions and sauté for 5 minutes, or until the onions have cooked down a little and become translucent. Add crushed or minced garlic and diced shallot to the mix and quickly stir in. Push mixture to the side of pot, making room for the gum cubes. Add more oil if necessary.

Brown each side of the gum, making sure the cubes don't lose too much of their shape. Add carrots and stir together mixture. Let simmer for a few minutes, then add the rest of the spices. After one minute more add the stock and vinegar bring to boil. Taste for salt and season as necessary.

Cover and let simmer on stove for at least one hour, but can cook longer if necessary.

To serve, ladle soup into bowl. Place a few raw carrot strips across top, sprinkle a generous amount of French's Fried Onions and diced scallions on top of carrot strips and serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6.