I recently came across an enlightening article/blog posting
that I wanted to share with all of you… And expand a bit. The story is about
the top 15 culinary dishes that one should master by the age of 30. I
immediately forwarded it to my daughter, Gracie, in a slight panic. Having a
limited number of days on this earth, there are so many things I want to share
with Gracie. When I first got sick, I started writing letters to Gracie. Well,
they were more like bossy instructions and rules. How do you cram a lifetime of
advice into a few short years for your child? With ALS, one can perish within a
year, three years, five years. I didn’t know which one I had. I didn’t know
which dice I rolled. I started cranking out these letters to Gracie. When I was
diagnosed with ALS Gracie had just finished the 10th grade of high
school… she was 15 years old. So my first letters to her were how to avoid peer
pressure, focus on her studies, look forward towards college, get her drivers
license, and get a part-time job. Surprisingly, we got through high school
unscathed. The summer before she started college, I literally would not shut up
with my advice. Gracie was on her way to Paris to live on her own for the first
time. I was not going to be able to help her physically because at this point I
was totally paralyzed. All I had was my big fat mouth. Do this, do that, don’t
do this, don’t do that, pack this, pack that. I thought she was going to run
away from home because I was so obnoxious. Finally, Gracie said to me, “Mommy,
I got this.” I finally realized that my fears were just my fears and not
Gracie’s fears. She was confident and ready to tackle this new chapter of her
life. She was now 18 years old and had been in the school of Ellie her entire
life.
As the months rolled by Gracie was living in her own
apartment in Paris, going to college full-time, had a part-time job, a
successful relationship with a cute French boy, learning French and
surprisingly to me, had not burned down her apartment. Yes, this was a huge
concern to me. Why? Because I was not there to watch over her as she lit a
candle, turned on her heater, turned on her stove, turned on her hair
straightener, or lit incense. I would wake up in the middle of the night racked
with fear thinking, “Did I teach Gracie not to put a metal object in her
toaster?” She looked at me and said, “Mommy, I told you, I got this.”
And then more months rolled by and a horrible horrible
thought crossed my mind. I started to think, “Oh my God, did I fail my daughter
in the most important aspect of her life? Was I so selfish that I didn’t stop
and take the time to step-by-step show my daughter what life is all about? How
will we ever make up for lost time? Oh my God, she needs to drop out of college
and focus on this one skill alone.” Yes, of course I’m talking about
cooking! I freaking panicked. Does Gracie know how to make French toast? Does
Gracie know how to make chicken piccata, spaghetti and meatballs, bearnaise
sauce, veal Marsala, a fucking omelette!?? Of course Gracie has eaten all of
these dishes but did I actually show her how to make them? Of course Gracie has
seen me cook her entire life but did I actually show her step-by-step? Oh my
God, I don’t think I did. Of course Gracie has been in the kitchen with my
mother watching my mother make Beef Bourguignon, salmon with dill sauce,
meringue, Eggs Benedict, pot roast, peach cobbler, salad Nicoise, roasted
chicken and every other recipe under the sun but did my mother actually show
her how to do it all? Jesus Christ, what the fuck is wrong with us? How is
Gracie going to survive in this world without knowing all of this? How is she
going to get a husband? How is she going to cook for her children? How is she
going to have a successful dinner party?
I called Gracie one afternoon and said, “I’ve been thinking…
I think you need to drop out of the American University of Paris and enroll at
the Cordon Bleu cooking school.” I was dead serious. Dead serious. She refused.
She said she already knew how to cook. Really Gracie? Where did you learn how
to cook? It certainly wasn’t from your selfish mother or grandmother, that’s
for sure. We were too busy making sure our beef bourguignon was perfect, we
were too busy making sure our sole meunière was perfect, we were too busy
making sure our pies set, and obviously we were too busy to actually show you
any of it. I have failed as your mother! Gracie looked at me and screamed,
“Mommy, I know how to do it all because I watched you! I went to the grocery
store with you for the past 18 years. I went to every Friday farmers market
with you for the past 18 years. I know how to choose vegetables, fruit and
meat. I have listened to you talk about recipes with grandma for the past 18
years. I know how to use a knife properly. I know how to preheat an oven. I
have watched 4 billion cooking shows with you. I listen to you talk on the
telephone about your new Gourmet magazine or a new cookbook. I watched grandma!
I learned through osmosis so relax because I got this.” I cannot tell you what
a relief it was to hear that. I took a deep sigh and said, “Hallelujah thanks
be to Allah.” Just kidding, I said thank you to Jesus.
Then I started to quiz her… “Okay Grace, how do you make a
roux, how do you poach an egg, how do you pound veal, how do you bread chicken,
how do you make royal icing, how do you temper chocolate?? Guess what? My kid
knew all the answers! She also said, “And guess what mommy? I also know how to read
so if I want to make something I can open a cookbook and read a recipe.” Okay
smarty-pants.
So, when I came across this blog article today about the top
15 culinary dishes that you should master by the age of 30, I knew I wasn’t
alone in my craziness. Other people knew the importance of cooking. These were
important things to know… To get you through life. To have a successful life.
Don’t laugh because you know I’m right. I have this friend who shall remain
nameless (Jenny) and I am convinced that the reason she is still single is because she
doesn’t cook. How archaic of me? No, it’s the truth. Cooking brings the family
together, cooking makes a house a home, cooking soothes the soul. They don’t
call it comfort food for nothing.
So, the top 15 culinary dishes you should master before the
age of 30… I decided to go dish by dish until we thoroughly exhaust each one of
them. The best ingredients for each, the best preparation, secret tips from
experts, and different recipes for each. How fun! I’ll do all the research and
you guys sit back and enjoy and we can learn together. And unbeknownst to
Gracie, starting the new year, every week we are going to spend our Wednesdays
mastering each one of these. God, I’m such a good mother.
Okay, first dish to master… Beef Bourguignon.
Let’s start with the spelling…b-o-u-r-g-u-i-g-n-o-n.
Beef Bourguignon originated as a French dish in the Burgundy
region of France. The basic ingredients are always beef, beef broth, red wine,
herbs, onions and mushrooms. However, over time, recipes have advanced and new
ingredients are added. The dish originally was a peasant dish and the red wine
was used to tenderize the meat. Nothing warms a winter day better than a piping
hot bowl of beef bourguignon, a fresh baguette slathered with butter and a
glass of red wine. But this dish will not come easily… You have to work at
this one. This one takes a little practice and patience. If you want something
fast, go to Taco Bell.
The best way to start your beef bourguignon is with the
ingredients… The best ingredients. Don’t just run to your grocery store and
collect all of the ingredients. Think this out and shop wisely. Let’s start
with the beef. I have consulted all of the experts and they have recommended
blade roast, chuck, beef rump roast or beef cheek. The secret is to get beef
with plenty of marbling. It’s best to get your beef from the butcher.
For the wine, the experts vary with their suggestions. Julia
Child suggests a Beaujolais. Chantal LeRoux of Food & Wine suggests a Pinot
Noir. Tradition calls for a Burgundy.
For the vegetables, go organic. The carrots should be crisp,
fresh, long and lean. The mushrooms should be either white or cremini button
mushrooms. I have seen Porcini and shiitake mushrooms used as well. The onions
need to be pearl onions. The herbs should be fresh. Homemade broth is best. If
you have to buy it commercially, make sure it is organic and low-sodium. For
the rest of the ingredients, referred to your specific recipe.
Okay, now for some beef bourguignon secrets.…
Always pat dry the beef before you brown it.
Marinate the beef overnight in the red wine. Reduce the red wine first.
Sauté pork belly or pancetta and add towards the end of cooking.
Render the bacon fat and then use the grease to brown the cubes of meat.
Use an entire bottle of wine.
Use already peeled pearl onions.
Marinate the beef overnight in the red wine. Reduce the red wine first.
Sauté pork belly or pancetta and add towards the end of cooking.
Render the bacon fat and then use the grease to brown the cubes of meat.
Use an entire bottle of wine.
Use already peeled pearl onions.
Okay, now for some beef bourguignon recipes…
Not that I am unfaithful or disloyal to Julia Child, but my
favorite recipe for beef bourguignon is The Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garner,
recipe. One time, years ago, David was super mad at me for something that was
obviously not my fault but I felt like I needed to “smooth out the bumps” so I
thought the best thing to do was to make homemade Boeuf Bourguignon for my
French husband. Good news, it worked and somehow I also got a ring out of it.
So now we call it The Barefoot Contessa’s Good Luck Beef Bourguignon. I think
the secret to its success is the slice of French bread. You’ll see…
Next up, the classic… Julia Child. This recipe is from her
book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and it is a “must master” recipe.
Read the recipe about 400 times and then watch the video 400 times and then
prepare yourself to be patient with this recipe.
The next recipes are definitely recipes to check out to master
Beef Bourguignon! Good luck!
Rachel Khoo of The Little Paris Kitchen. Video HERE.
Boeuf Bourguignon from Sunday Suppers. Recipe HERE.
Boeuf Bourguignon from Anthony Bourdain. Video HERE.
Boeuf Bourguignon from Thomas Keller. Recipe HERE.
What are your secrets to mastering Beef Bourguignon?
* Something you don’t know about me? I am currently in the French Alps at my husband’s family’s house hiding out in the guest room. The rest of the family is enjoying a big fat French dinner. Gracie is hiding out with me. Why, you ask? Summer of 2013, David’s family hated me and I’m not sure if they still do so I think it’s safer if I separated myself a bit. Safer for the whole family. David said he was going to have to drink an entire bottle of alcohol to get through this week with me and his family. This ought to be fun. Stay tuned…
