La Cuisine de la France

I went to Paris this past weekend, and as promised here's a little bit about the food, all of the delicious food.

MMM...where to begin? French cuisine is so yummy! Sadly, most of the best stuff involves bread. Think about it... crepes, baguettes, croque monsieurs, tarts, etc. For those things I had to look on in jealousy as my friends ate them.

There was some good I could eat though. Like omelets, the french love their omelets, and it's not a breakfast thing. In fact I never had an omelet for breakfast. I had one for lunch once and I had one for dinner, but never breakfast.

Unlike Spain, french omelets are more like the kind I'm used to.

They also serve French Fries everywhere. Not kidding. I am not sure if french fries are even French? But they obviously don't call them French fries, they call them frites. Whenever I couldn't really find anything else on the menu I could always order a plate of fries. And I did. A lot. It kind of became a running joke. Half of the time they were the only thing I could eat that cost less than $20 and I can't afford to spend $20 on every meal for an entire weekend... So don't judge me :)

And then there was French Onion Soup. Sadly without the croutons but still fantastic! This is another thing I ordered when I couldn't afford anything else. Food in Paris is ridiculously expensive- even in the grocery stores. Even when living off of french fries, omelets, and soup which were always the cheapest things on the menu, I blew through cash like it was going out of style.

And then lastly there are desserts. You can't forget about desserts. They are arguably the best part about French cuisine. In fact, I strongly considered eating only dessert for 3 1/2 days. Maybe next time? Nutella crepes (which I couldn't eat), the best icecream I have ever had, creme brulee, and Macarons galore. Macarons are everywhere these days, even in London. I think its the new food trend. Watch out overpriced cupcakes, macarons are coming in. Macarons are even more overpriced than cupcakes though. They were generally about 3-4 euros for 1 macaroon. It's insane. They are delicious though I must admit.





Oh, and I forgot there is one more thing: coffee. French coffee is yummy. It's really strong but it's good. Forget getting filter coffee though. Europeans apparently aren't too fond of it. The first thing I did this morning was go to Starbucks and get a venti filter coffee, from my favorite barista of course.

My advice for eating out in France if you have food allergies? Plan ahead of time. This is something I didn't do and really wish I had. It's possible to find things to eat, but it can be quite difficult. Another piece of advice I have is to look up some phrases in French that might be useful like: "I have food allergies" and "Does this contain wheat." I am definitely doing that before I go to the French Riviera in a week and a half.

One quick story to illustrate this point: my friends and I went to this one crepe place near my hostel because one of my friends had heard that they make buckwheat crepes that I can eat. When I got there they weren't anywhere on the menu but I figured I'd ask anyway. Well, the waiter didn't speak any English and was none too pleased with my lack of french. Everytime I tried to figure out how to ask in french (with dictionary in hand) he would randomly speed away, yeah while I was trying to talk. It was incredibly rude. I kept saying "sans gluten" which means without gluten but he obviously didn't know what it was, and I couldn't figure out how to say wheat or buckwheat so I kept failing at communication and he kept running away from our table. After this happened about 4 times I got so upset and flustered that we just left. I mean if he is going to walk away while I am trying my best to speak to him in his language then he doesn't deserve my business even if there was something on the menu I could eat. Basically this just shows that knowing some French helps and looking up restaurants in advance helps. Oh well, you live and you learn!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hello everyone! I am sorry that it has been awhile since my last post. As I have mentioned before, I am in London for the semester so I have been busy sight-seeing and traveling and pretending to study, etc. The truth is that although I have been cooking a bit since my last post, there haven't really been any new recipes coming from my kitchen and nothing really worth posting. But, alas, it is Valentine's Day tomorrow and I thought that called for a new post: a sweet post. Because what is Valentine's Day with a whole lot of sugar, right?

Last year I made these scones in a heart shape for me and my roommates for breakfast. The scones were followed by a heart shaped pizza and sparkling cider (because I was only 20 and I'm an angel) and probably loads of chocolate but I can't remember.

This year, two friends and I bought some sparkling strawberry wine and plan to pick up cupcakes from a local bakery to celebrate the occasion (as we are all in a new city and don't have dates) but I decided something homemade would be a nice addition. Why not meringues? They have the most beautiful giant meringues at pretty much every London market and seeing them all the time has made me want to try and make some of my own.

I have a confession though- they kind of failed. First, i didn't have parchment paper so i decided oiling the pan would be fine. Second, I think I overcooked them because I was working on a paper and not keeping track of time. When trying to get them off of the pan, I kind of massacred the whole thing. This goes to show that parchment paper or one of the non-stick sheets really is necessary. I ended up trying a couple that I actually could get off the pan and they actually did taste good. They didn't have the chewy texture on the inside like I wanted (due to over-baking them) but the flavor was right. So, all in all I don't think the recipe is the problem, I think it was my carelessness. So I am going to give you the recipe anyway and hopefully you will have better luck with it. It just wouldn't be Valentine's Day without a celebratory blog post.

Valentine's Day Classic Meringues

Ingredients

4 whole egg whites

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Before you begin, preheat the oven to 215 degrees F and cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Start by separating all of your eggs and placing the egg whites into a mixing bowl (either metal or glass but not plastic). With a hand mixer, beat on medium until stiff peaks form.

Once stiff peaks form, start to add the granulated sugar in, a little bit at a time. It should take you about 5 or 6 additions to add all of the sugar in. Each time you add more sugar, beat the mixture for about 4 seconds before adding more.

Once all of the granulated sugar is incorporated, turn off the mixer. Now add 1/3 of the powdered sugar and fold it into the egg whites. Keep doing this, 1/3 at a time, until you have added all of the powdered sugar.

Next place spoonfuls of the mixture onto the parchment lined baking sheet, leaving a little room for the meringues to expand. Try, if you so desire, to swirl the drops so that the meringues turn out pretty. Now all that is left is to bake for about 75 minutes. The meringues should sound crisp when tapped on. The texture should be crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. Let them cool either on the baking sheet or on a cooling rack before eating!

Yep, that's it. That's the basic recipe. To spice things up you could add an extract like vanilla, or almond, or maybe even peppermint for the holidays? Or maybe to make it pretty you could add some food coloring before baking when you are folding in the powdered sugar. I scattered multi-colored sprinkles on top before baking and they turned out really cute!

My Meringues- not beautiful but cute in their own quirky way. (Forgive my lack of a decent backdrop for pictures)

Meringues at Borough Market. This is what I aspire to be able to make!

They say (or someone says) the quickest way to a man's heart is through his stomach, so if any ladies have forgotten a Valentine's gift, last minute baking is always an option. And men... girls love a guy who can cook.

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

XOXO

Boeuf Bourguignon ala Julia Child

Considering that I love to cook, it might be somewhat shocking that I had never seen the movie Julie and Julia- that is until the beginning of this break. When I got home, we ordered it on On Demand and I fell absolutely in love with it. Not only because of its culinary content, but also because of my love for Meryl Streep and the adorable relationships between the characters. The day I spent making our Christmas dinner party menu, my mom even bought me the movie as an early christmas present so we could watch it while we were cooking. A few days before Christmas, my mom and I went to her friend Sandra's house to drop off some baked goods, and she was actually making Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon from Mastering the Art of French Cooking. After seeing the movie, I was left with the impression that the dish was impossibly difficult and time consuming. But Sandra said it was manageable and that she would copy the recipe for me. Making the dish became my goal for the break-I was determined. And then I was even more excited when I opened up my presents Christmas morning and among them was THE cookbook. A couple days after Christmas I went out of town so I couldn't make it for awhile, but today I finally got around to make it. It was time consuming but also relaxing and somewhat therapeutic. I've been a little sick the past couple of days so it gave me something to do while trapped in my house.

So dragging myself out of the house, I first went to Marshalls and used Christmas money to pick up my first Le Creuset cast iron casserole dish in a beautiful blue- I was probably far too excited about a pot than someone my age should be but oh well. The best thing about it is that it can go from stove to oven and then is pretty enough to go straight to the table as a serving dish, which is important in a small kitchen with hardly any storage and where you have to hand wash all of your dishes.

Then, I went to Harry's Farmer's Market and picked up what I needed, including locally raised, grass fed beef. If you read my about me, I know what you must be thinking- you don't eat beef, right? Well... I have recently decided that I am going to try meat again for a little while but limiting myself to only organic, local, and grass fed. I made this decision for two main reasons- health and so that I can cook with more variety and actually eat it.

**Hey again, so just updated this recipe to ensure that it is gluten and dairy free. It required only very minor changes so I do not think Julia would be too upset. Enjoy! (12/12/10)

Ok, enough explanation. Here is the recipe:

Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon

A 6-ounce chunk of bacon (including rind)

1 tablespoon olive

oil or cooking oil

3 lbs lean stewing beef, cut into 2 inch cubes (rump p

ot roast or chuck pot roast)

1 large sliced carrot

1 sliced onion

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons sweet rice flour

3 cups red wine

2-3 cups brown beef stock

1 Tablespoon tomato paste

2 cloves garlic, mashed

1/2 teaspoon thyme

A crumbled bay leaf

*18- 24 brown-braised onions (recipe follows)

* 1 lb mushrooms sauteed in butter (recipe follows)

First, remove rind from bacon (put it to the side) and cut the chunk of bacon into lardons, or sticks 1/4 inch thick and 1 1/2 inches long. Simmer the bacon and the rind in 1 1/2 quarts of water for 10 minutes, then drain and dry.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

In the cast iron dish, saute the bacon in the oil over medium heat for 2-3 minutes to brown it slightly then remove into a side dish with a slotted spoon, leaving the grease in the dish. Now, dry the beef in paper towels so that it can brown properly and saute it a few pieces at a time in the hot oil and bacon grease until all sides are browned. Add the browned beef to the side dish with the bacon.

In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Take off of the heat. If a good amount of grease remains, pour it out and then return the beef and bacon to the casserole dish with the browned vegetables. Toss with salt and pepper, sprinkle on the flour, and toss again. Set the dish uncovered in the middle position in the oven for 4 minutes then take out, toss the meat and return to oven for 4 more minutes. Remove from the oven and turn the temperature down to 325 degrees F.

Add the wine to the dish then enough of the beef stock to just barely cover the meat. Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs, and bacon rind. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove. Then cover the casserole dish and set in the lower third of the oven. Leave in for 2 1/2-3 hours and the meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms:

Oignons Glaces A Brun

18-24 peeled white onions (about 1 inch in diameter)

1 1/2 tablespoons vegan butter (Earth Balance)

1 1/2 tablespoons oil

1/2 cup brown beef stock

salt and pepper to taste

A medium herb bouquet: 4 parsley sprigs, 1/2 bay leaf, and 1/4 teaspoon thyme tied in cheesecloth with kitchen twine

When the butter and the oil are bubbling in the skillet, add the onions and saute over medium heat for about 10 minutes, rolling the onions occasionally so that they brown as evenly as possible. Then, pour in the stock, season to taste, and add the herb bouquet. Cover and simmer for 40-50 minutes until onions are tender and liquid is evaporated. Remove herb bouquet and set onions in a side dish.

Champignons Sautes au Beurre

2 tablespoons vegan butter (Earth Balance)

1 tablespoon oil

1/2 lb fresh button mushrooms, stems removed and halved

2 tablespoons minced shallots

Place the skillet over high heat with the butter and the oil. When the foaming of the butter subsides, add the mushrooms. Toss and shake in the pan for 4-5 minutes or until lightly browned. Toss in the shallots and saute for an additional 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add the mushrooms and shallots to the side dish with the brown-braised onions. Set this side dish aside until you are ready to add these vegetables to the stew.

Back to the stew... when the beef is tender, pour the contents of the casserole dish into a sieve set over a sauce pan, so that he meat and vegetables are separated from the stock. Wash out the dish then return the meat and vegetables to it. Distribute the sauteed mushrooms and brown-braised onions over the meat.

Place the sauce pan with the drained stock over the stove, skim the fat off of the top, and simmer the sauce for a couple of minutes, removing fat as it arises. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to lightly coat a spoon. I too thin, boil it down rapidly, and if too thick, add more stock. Taste carefully for seasoning and when ready pour a little of the sauce over the meat and vegetables.

Cover the casserole and simmer for 2-3 minutes basting with the rest of the sauce a little at a time. Serve from dish with potatoes as a side dish. May i suggest Ina Garten's Dill Fingerling potatoes?...

Dill Fingerling Potatoes

1 1/4 lb fingerling potatoes

2 tablespoons butter

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed pan then add the potatoes, salt, and pepper and toss well. Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes shaking and tossing occasionally until potatoes are tender when tested with a small knife. Take off of the heat and let them steam with the cover on for 5 minutes. Then toss with the dill and serve.

To finish off the meal, all I did was serve some leftover green bean bundles with the stew and potatoes and it seemed to be a hit! A long day in the kitchen, but nothing in itself was too challenging so I enjoyed it.