This summer we both saw the Julie and Julia Project and loved it! In fact Papa even bought Gigi the Mastering the Art of French Cooking and another Julia Child cookbook she was so inspired. I should mention that Gigi is a wonderful cook. I should also mention that I am a 50/50 cook, but I can sous chef like nobody's business.
At Gigi's house you get to choose the menu for your birthday dinner. Over the years and birthdays we've had her yummy garlic shrimp, creamy alfredo with red pepper chicken, and garlic zuppe to name a few. But this year Papa upped the ante and requested Julia's Boeuf Bourguignon. In English, this is a fancy name for Beef Stew in Red Wine, with Bacon, Onions and Mushrooms.
So with RB in bed, I rolled up my sleeves and offered my prepping services. Now I know what you're thinking. Beef stew, not so difficult, just throw some stuff in a pot and let it boil away. That's what I was thinking too. Until Gigi informed me that the first step in this particular recipe was to cut the bacon into lardons and boil it. Scusi, what is a lardon of boiled bacon? Then I discovered that the second step was to cut a rump roast into 2 inch pieces. I did my best, but I'm not a butcher. Then those pieces had to be dried one by one with a paper towel so that they would properly brown. Trust me, you don't skip the drying part.
It only got trickier from there. Those simple onions and mushrooms both had their own recipes that took up a whole page before they could be added to our beef stew. 2.5 hours of cutting, boiling, drying, sauteing, peeling, measuring and simmering and 4 recipes later "it" was finally ready to go into the oven and I was ready to crash. Gigi soldiered on and kept a close eye on all our hard work for the next 3 hours.
Now, I've never been to France or even had any food remotely French, but here's what I learned from my first foray into French cooking.
1. The French know their way around a kitchen. That was the best beef stew I've ever had and I almost feel like it's insulting to call it stew.
2. I know why the French drink.
so i'm making steak stew this sunday and upon first reading this thought, "oh, i can do that"...hahahaha...riiiiight. i'm crockpotting it and calling it a day.
ReplyDeleteand i, like the frenchies, drink. :)