Happy Birthday, Julia!

Today is the 101st anniversary of the birth of Julia Child, one of my kitchen heroes. Here are a few of my own tributes to the very first TV Food STAR!

Beef Bourguinon

The VERY Best onion soup!

Happy 100th Birthday, Julia Child!

I'll be blogging again soon. I've had my arm in a sling from a carpel tunnel flare up, and since my job requires that I type and use the computer, that's just about all I've been able to manage! Thanks for your patience and check in with me again soon. In the meantime, cook like Julia!

Chicken Fricasse with Mushrooms

Chicken Fricasse' with Fresh Green Beans on the side

Here's my next installment of cooking like Julia: Fricasse' de Poulet a' L'Ancienne. Roughly translated, this means, Old Fashioned Chicken Fricasse with Wine Flavored Cream Sauce, Onions and Mushrooms. I guess the Ancients were into cream sauce with wine and mushrooms? Who knows.
I must confess that my impressions of chicken fricasse were not memorable. I don't recall having had this dish as a child but do remember hearing it spoken of... in a book? on TV? I honestly don't remember. I came across this recipe while continuing my random experiment of Cooking Like Julia (see here ). My choice was also dictated by the fact that I had a ziploc bag of random chicken parts in my freezer that looked like they needed to be cooked. I scaled down the recipe to feed the two of us, since the offspring are currently off doing their own things.
I kept the spirit of the recipe true to Julia, but added in a little of my own kitchen knowledge, tailoring it to suit our tastes. The final dish was creamy and tasty, with tender chicken and savory mushrooms. This scaled down recipe will make about 3 servings. We like to have one extra for someone to eat for lunch later in the week!

Chicken Fricasse' with Mushrooms
4 - 5 pieces of chicken (I had 2 thighs, 1 breast and 2 wings)
2 T. butter
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
4 baby carrots, sliced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 T. flour
salt and pepper
1 1 /2 c. chicken stock or broth
1/2 c. dry white wine
1 small bay leaf or 1/2 of a larger one
1 T. chopped fresh parsley
8 oz. cleaned and dried white mushrooms, halved
1 tsp. butter + 1 tsp. olive oil
1 egg yolk
1/4 c. half and half or light cream
a little lemon juice
pinch of nutmeg
fresh parsley for garnish
Prepared egg noodles, risotto or rice
Dry the chicken on a few paper towels. Melt the butter over medium heat, in a heavy skillet ( I used a non-stick one). Add the sliced celery, carrots and onions. Cook the vegetables until they begin to soften. Push them aside and add the chicken, skin side down, to the skillet. Raise the heat slightly and let the chicken cook for about 5 minutes, until skin starts to stiffen slightly and just begins to brown. Turn it over and let it cook for another 3 - 4 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and sprinkle the pan with the flour, a pinch of salt and some pepper. Stir the flour into the drippings so that it is completely absorbed. Cook the flour and veggies a few minutes, and then add the broth and wine. Stir well so that the flour mixture dissolves into the broth. Return the chicken, add another pinch of salt and pepper, the bay leaf and parsley. The chicken should be almost covered by the liquid: You may add a little more broth or water if you need to. Bring the dish up to a simmer. Cover and cook, covered, over low to medium heat for 30 minutes. The chicken is done when the juices run clear when pierced by a fork or knife tip.
In a separate skillet, melt 1 tsp. butter, with 1 tsp. olive oil. When the foaming of the butter subsides, add the halved mushrooms and cook until they begin to brown. When they are browned, squeeze a little lemon juice over and add them to the chicken and vegetables in the larger skillet.
At this point, you may put the dish away to be served later that day or as much as 2 days later. Refrigerate the entire fricasse' covered to be reheated and finished as you like.
To finish the dish, remove any loosened skin from the chicken (this is especially easy to do w/the thighs. I used a boneless skinless breast so had no skin to remove from that). Skim off any accumulated fat from the top of the sauce. (Reheat the sauce if you have refrigerated it.) Beat the egg yolk into the cream with a fork or whisk. Take a spoonful of the sauce from the hot dish and add it into the cream mixture. (This is called tempering -- you do it so that the yolk won't "scramble" when you add it to the sauce in the pan.) Mix in the hot liquid and then add another spoonful. Repeat. Once the cream mixture is heated stir it into the sauce in the skillet, mixing well to incorporate and distribute the cream completely.
Grate in a little fresh nutmeg if desired. I think this gives the dish some depth and flavor. Taste the sauce and correct the seasoning. Remove the chicken from the pan and arrange it over some buttered egg noodles, rice or risotto. Pour over the sauce and garnish with some fresh parsley. Garnish with fresh parsley. I prepared fresh green beans to go along with it, but Julia suggests Petit Pois or asparagus. Broccoli would be good as well.

The Best Onion Soup



The best onion soup ever!
We like it so much, I've even bought special bowls to serve it in.

Who knew? My mom cooked like Julia too!
I never knew, until I decided to make onion soup yesterday. I've been making onion soup since I was about 12 years old. My mom made it several times a year, and since she deemed it easy to make, it was one of the first things she taught me how to cook. Yes, I know, that's a little nerdy, wanting to learn to cook at such an early age, but the truth is, I've always loved being in the kitchen with the grown up ladies.

As I've mentioned recently, I've been perusing "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" by my cooking hero, Julia Child, since her 100th birthday celebration ( more here ). Since it was sitting right in front of me, I looked up Julia's onion soup recipe and GUESS WHAT? It is almost exactly the same as the one my mother taught me, many years ago, in our kitchen in Tampa, FL. Mom's ingredient portions were a little different, and she used all butter, but mostly it was the same! That actually makes sense, if you think about it: After all, we lived in Paris (yes Paris, France) when I was born, and that was at the same time Julia was there, learning to cook. I've secretly dreamed that maybe Mom might have met Julia, but that was pure fantasy on my part!  Maybe it happened?!?!! Or more likely, Mom learned this recipe from her French baby nurse, who helped her for several months after I was born. We lived in a little tiny house, outside Paris, in a suburb near the Loire valley. "Madame" as Mom always referred to her, came every day, and helped with me and general housekeeping duties, including some cooking. It's very likely that it was from Madame that mom learned this recipe.

I've called this scaled down version of the recipe "Onion Soup for 2" and by that I mean two main course servings. The recipe actually makes about 5 cups of soup, enough for 4 as a starter course.

French Onion Soup for 2

3 yellow onions, medium to large size, sliced



Onion Soup, simmering on the stove.

1 clove garlic, smashed and rough chopped

3 T. butter

1 T. olive oil

1/2 tsp. sugar

1 T. all purpose flour

1 clove garlic, chopped (optional)

4 1/2 cups beef stock or bouillon (canned is fine, that's what Mom always used and Julia endorses her decision)

1/2 c. dry white wine

coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

2 - 3 thick slices day old, toasted and dried french bread, cut bite sized cubes

2 - 3 slices Swiss cheese

2 T. grated Parmesan cheese

In a heavy bottomed pot, melt butter with olive oil over low heat. Add the onions, 1 tsp. salt and sugar. Cook until onions begin to brown. This process takes rather a long time, at least 30 minutes. You must do it over low to medium heat so that the onions brown and do not burn. Stir occasionally during the process, making sure the onions don't stick and are cooking evenly.

When the onions have browned, add the sliced garlic and saute for another minute or 2 (this is my addition, and not absolutely necessary. We like a little garlic taste, but it's optional.) Sprinkle the onion mixture with flour, and stir it in completely. Continue to cook for a minute to brown the flour a little bit. Add the beef stock or bouillon and the white wine. Season the soup with a little more salt and some pepper -- taste the broth to determine how salty it is so you don't over-season. Bring the mixture to a boil, turn it down, and let it simmer, covered, for at least 1 hour. Keep the heat low so that the mixture barely simmers along, developing the rich flavor characteristic of good onion soup. Julia recommends cooking the soup for 2+ hours, but I find that one is plenty. If you leave it on low or put it in your slow cooker, you can probably simmer it for hours, filling your home with a comforting, homey smell.

This soup can be eaten as it, but we like to gussy it up a little, the way it is most often served in America, and often in France. To serve the soup, place some bread in the bottom of a bowl, like this:

Place some swiss cheese on top of the bread and carefully ladle the hot soup over the bread and cheese. Sprinkle each bowl with a little Parmesan and let the soup sit for about 5 minutes until the cheese has melted and the soup has cooled just a little bit!

Bon Appetit! 

Cooking Like Julia

As I mentioned on the occasion of Julia's 100th birthday (here), I've had out my "Mastering the Art of French Cooking", reading it for pure pleasure and inspiration. I have the Anniversary Edition, given by my loving son a few Christmas's ago. It includes a lengthy introduction written by Julia herself, toward the end of her life, as well as a section written by her editor Judith Jones. If you love to cook this is a must own cookbook. I was given "The Joy of Cooking" when I first set up housekeeping over 30 years ago, and while that book is invaluable as to the mechanics of cooking, this book is invaluable if you want to cook with style.

Yesterday, I prepared Saute de Boeuf a la Parisenne, which simply translated means Beef Saute in the Parisienne Style. The Parisienne style is apparently, with cream and mushrooms. This is, essentially, a French version of Beef Stroganoff and was written before sour cream was widely available to the home cook. 

Julia's introduction for this recipe praises it's quick preparation and the advantages of prepping ahead for serving to company. I totally agree that it came together very quickly, but must comment that it is not the prettiest dish I've ever prepared. However, having said that, I must also admit that the taste was ABSOLUTELY DIVINE! I had some beautiful, new potatoes, freshly dug by my step-father on his nearby farm, so I opted to use those, as opposed to rice or risotto. Julia mentions all three as possible accompaniments to this dish, and I think buttered egg noodles would work as well.

I used exactly the cut of beef suggested by Julia and made only one small adjustment. The original recipe called for Madeira, which is fortified wine from Portugal, or dry white vermouth. When I went to the grocery store, they did not have Madeira. I thought I had dry white vermouth at home, but I was mistaken: I had sweet vermouth, which is used in making Manhattans. The two can NOT be substitued for one another. SO, I googled substituting something else for Madeira and discovered what I believe was a good alternative. It's amazing what you can find on the internet!

The directions to this dish are very particular, a trait shared by all of Julia's recipes. She was first and foremost a teacher, long before the days of celebrity chefs! Her advice for drying the mushrooms and the beef thoroughly before cooking is invaluable to the success of this dish. She also specifically mentions allowing the foaming of the butter to subside before adding the ingredients, an indication that the pan is at the correct temperature to begin cooking. That's a great tip, especially for a newer cook.

Remember what I said? It's not the prettiest dish I've ever made! Let me also say that I halved this recipe, so the prepped mushrooms and beef pictured below are less than the amount in the recipe.

Saute de Boeuf a la Parisienne, served over lightly mashed new potatoes

Beef Saute with Cream and Mushrooms
First, prepare the vegetables:

1/2 lb.cleaned,  fresh mushrooms, dried on a paper towel( halved and quartered)

2 T. butter                                                                             

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

3 T. minced shallots or green onions

1/4 tsp. salt and a pinch of pepper

Heat a large, heavy skillet and melt the butter and oil. When the foaming of the butter begins to subside, add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes, stirring and tossing to brown them on all sides. Add the onions or shallots to the pan and cook for another 2 minutes (I used sliced green onions). Remove the vegetables to a dish.

Next, prepare the beef and sauce:



Drying the cut beef, not too pretty, but necessary!

2+ lbs. tenderloin of beef; the tenderloin butt and the tail of the fillet are usually used, excess fat and white tendon removed, cut into pieces that are about 2" long and 1/2" thick, drained and dried on a paper towel

2 T. butter

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

1/4 c. Madeira OR 1/4 c. dry white vermouth OR 1/4 c. dry red wine + 1 T. balsamic vinegar (this is the sub that I found by googling, and I had both things in my pantry)

3/4 c. beef stock or canned beef bouillon

1 c. heavy whipping cream

2 tsp. cornstarch blended with 2 T. of the whipping cream

Salt and Pepper

1 T. butter

To Serve:

Cooked, slightly mashed new potatoes OR steamed rice OR risotto

Top with some fresh parsley for garnish or a few snipped chives

In the same pan you prepared the vegetables, melt the butter and oilover moderate heat. When the foaming subsides, add the prepared beef, in  a single layer. (My pan was large enough to do this but if you use a smaller pan, saute the beef in batches so that it sears correctly.) Season as you cook with a little salt and pepper. Cook the beef for only 3 - 5 minutes, so that it is browned but still rare. Remove the beef from the pan and set aside. Pour the wine and beef stock into the pan and scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Boil it rapidly so that it reduces to about 1/2 cup of liquid. Whisk in the cream and the cream and cornstarch mixture. Simmer 1 minute and add the mushrooms and onion back into the sauce, for another minute or 2. The sauce should have formed a liaison (thickened slightly, Julia's own description). Taste the sauce for seasoning and add a little more salt and pepper if needed.

At this point, you can add the beef and turn it off and save the dish to be served later, OR heat it briefly and serve immediately. When reheating, cover the pan and heat only 3 - 4 minutes, being very careful not too cook it too long. You just want to warm the dish. The beef should be rosy red in the middle when you serve it. Add 1 T. of butter at the very end of the cooking, to add extra richness to the dish ( I eliminated this step, and it was plenty rich, believe me!).

Serve the beef in a casserole or on a platter, surrounded by steamed rice, risotto or lightly mashed new potatoes. Decorate with parsley or snipped chives.

Serves 4 - 6

Julia recommends serving this with some fresh green beans or peas. I opted for a salad, since I've got tons of lettuce in my garden. She also recommends a Bordeaux wine. We had a bottle of Pinot Noir, so that's what I served.

Bon Appetit!

ALMOST Julia's Beef Bourguignon

We got a great deal, TWICE, on an entire beef tenderloin, which we had cut into steaks. There is not too much waste with a whole tenderloin, but you always have that little end piece, not big enough to cut into a steak, but the meat is way too good to throw away. I had two of those little packages in my freezer, and my husband asked for some boef bourginon. Even though it's hot as blazes outside, I agreed, since we hadn't had it in ages. I fixed it early in the morning and then dumped it into my crock pot, which he had retrieved from summer exile in the garage. Turned that baby on low, and headed off to work. Returning home, the heavenly smell filled the house. All that was left to do was cook up some noodles, warm the bread and dump lettuce and tomatoes (from my garden!!) into salad bowls.

I kind of followed Julia Child's recipe, but mine is not so complicated. I also cut way down on the amount of cognac that I used, since the hubby is not to fond of that spirit. Let me say upfront that it is ABSOLUTELY NOT necessary to use tenderloin in this recipe. As a matter of fact, the original calls for beef sirloin or chuck ("stew"). Since this is a slow cooking meal, there is plenty of time for the meat to tenderize as it cooks. Don't leave out the tiny, pearl onions, even though they are a little pricey -- they make the dish special.

We like this over buttered egg noodles with a little fresh parsley, but growing up, my mom always served it over rice. I've even seen it served over mashed potatoes or simply as a stew, with lots of crusty bread to soak up the sauce. Whatever your family prefers, that's the right way to make it!

Beef Bourguignon

3 slices bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 - 1 1/2 lbs. beef, cubed into bite size chunks

1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

2 carrots, halved and sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 heaping T. tomato paste

12 oz. fresh mushrooms, some halved, some sliced (white, baby portobellos or a mixture of both)

1 can beef consomme' + 1/2 can water

1 cup hearty red wine such as cab. sauv.

1/4 c. + 2 - 3 T. flour

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper

1 bay leaf

2 -3 dashes worcestershire sauce

3 T. fresh thyme or 1 tsp. dried thyme

2 oz. good cognac (more if you love it!)

12 - 16 tiny pearl onions, frozen or from jar (not pickled!)

12 oz. cooked, buttered egg noodles with 2 T. fresh parsley

In a large, deep frying pan, cook the bacon until crisp. While your bacon is frying, dry your beef cubes off a little, by placing them on a paper towel or two. This will aid in the browing process. Remove the bacon to a paper towel, and all but 2 T. of the bacon fat. Add the beef cubes to the hot bacon fat. Stir them around, so that they brown on all sides. When they look nice and brown, turn the heat down a little and add the onions, garlic and carrot. Stir in the worcestershire sauce and a little salt and pepper. When the onions begin to brown and soften, add the 1/4 c. of flour. Mix this into the meat/veggie mixture until ALL the flour is absorbed. If there is still fat/liquid in the pan, add a little more flour, 1 spoonful at a time. When the flour is incorporated, add the consomme', water,wine, tomato paste and mushrooms. Turn the heat up a little bit, bring the mixture to a boil and add the pearl onions, bay leaf, cognac and thyme.

At this point, you may put the mixture in your crock pot and cook it on low for at least 5 hours OR put it into an oven proof casserole and cook on 300 degrees for at least 3 hours. I like the crock pot way the best!