Beef Stew in Red Wine, with Bacon, Onions and Mushrooms
This great Sunday Feast did not happen so casually. If you can't guess then let me tell you. It started in September of last year when I received the "Julie and Julia" movie for my birthday.
- First of all the movie also inspired the idea of this very blog whereby I write about the everyday life of my creative side. If Julie could write a blog while creating a year full of recipes from MtAoFC, I could also write a blog. (Think about the many creative thoughts, connections, everyday occurrences and artistic projects we encounter in one day and also take for granted.)
- As an Amazon junkie who buys and sells books I requested a few Christmas gifts from my French Husband. Used dog eared books, one being Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 1 was requested. I wanted an older printing of the original book first published in 1961.
- Well my love came through with a beloved copy of my request, along with another book, "Julie and Julia" by Julie Powell. (from which the movie was made)
- So there I am leafing through the pages of French terms, like le beurre doux (unsalted butter), lard de poitrinefume (bacon), couper en des (dice), farine (flour), few of which I can pronounce. All so intriguing, so inviting and yet uninviting to me - I am up for the challenge. I will learn from Julia, follow her French recipes step by step, with no short cuts or tweaking.
- By the way our kitchen posseses almost every cooking utensil, vessel, and appliance useful to most full fledged cooks. I believe I can whip up any recipe whereby I have almost all the ingredients. I love the challenge of testing new recipes. I tweak the recipes that I can to my produce a dish with less sodium and fat.
- Back to leafing through the book - My French Husband is into a tv show and I keep grabbing his attention to ask how to pronounce several french terms and words. He is doing his best to be supportive. Stretching his memory to the nuns who taught him Parisian French as the 1st language in school, he tries to accommodate me. How can I prepare a french recipe without knowing how to pronounce the name of it? That is my frustration.
- The first recipe I created is also the first recipe in MtAoFC: Potage Parmentier (Leek or Onion and Potato Soup) as Julia states in her book; "the soup smells good, tastes good, and is simplicity itself to make." Stir in cream and chill it for a vichyssoise.
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| Julia Child "The French Chef" |
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| Potage Parmentier (Leek and Potato Soup) |
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| Boeuf Bourguignon (Beef Stew in Red Wine, Onions, Bacon & Mushrooms) |
- It is all good - so let's proceed to the beef: Boeuf Bourguignon. First to gather all the ingredients including full bodied red wine. After cutting bacon into lardons, simmering in water, draining, drying and sauteing, then sauteing vegetables, beef cubes coated in flour (a few at a time until brown) and eventually placing in oven covered by wine, beef stock, tomato paste, garlic, herbs and bacon it was ready to simmer for 3 to 4 hours. Later you add small white onions and mushrooms, skim off fat and summer until the sauce can coat a spoon lightly. I served Boeuf Bourguignon over boiled potatoes, parsnips and carrots along with my crusty 5 Minute Artisan Bread. It was a great, great entree that Julia would be proud of.
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| Clafouti aux Pommes (Apple Flan) |
- Oh I almost forgot to mention dessert: Clafouti aux Pommes (apple flan). This is a French traditional simple desert for family meals. A pancake batter of sorts, poured over fruit in a fireproof dish then baked in the oven. It looks like a tart and even Julia suggests using an electric blender.
- Another art form: Culinary arts, 5 star gourmet restaurants, award winning chefs, culinary schools, and cooking shows have created a food industry which I my mind is an entertainment industry as well. My french chef hat is off to these special artists.
- I believe the reason I love cooking so much is two fold: the creativity part (assemblage, experimenting, visualization, anticipation, presentation) and also the reward of smelling, tasting, consumption of this creation that also nourishes ones body.
- I wonder where the Julie Julia path will lead me next. After posting this blog I think I will try another great french classic: Soupe A L'Oignon Gratinee (onion soup gratineed with cheese).
- WOW! My French Husband just hand me something I really need, 6 pages of French Culinary Words, to improve your French, straight from http://www.ffcook.com/. Now isn't he a big help!
- Incidentally I am also reading the other book, Julie & Julia. Julie Powell provides much detail and many more situations regarding her life, her friends and the Julie Julia Project than the movie by the same name. My best to Julie who survived one year of insanity.
Bon Appetit!Maria Liberto Bessette
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