1. Melt the butter in a heavy pan. Add the onions and stir over moderate heat until onions are transparent. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, another 4 minutes. 2. Remove the mixture from the heat and blend in the flour. Add the stock slowly, stirring constantly. Add the bay leaf and pepper. 3. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and stir in the cream. If desired, garnish with croutons just before serving. >From magazine I bought at used book store: Cookbook Digest, Nov/Dec 1990. MC formatted by Brenda Adams ; mc post 6/17/97 Recipe by: The New York Times Cookbook Posted to MC-Recipe Digest V1 #648 by Badams on Jun 22, 1997