Text 35544, 103 rader
Skriven 2013-04-01 23:48:00 av JIM WELLER (1:123/140)
     Kommentar till en text av DAVE DRUM
Ärende: French cuisine
======================
-=> Quoting Dave Drum to Jim Weller <=-

 -=> JIM WELLER wrote to DAVE DRUM <=-
 
 DD> jacked the price and pretentiousness out of sight [...] snob
 DD> appeal [...] it often is. So often, in fact, that around here
 DD> such is stereotypical [...] And often (see above) people
 DD> peddling things as "French" hope that no one will look behind
 DD> the curtain to see who is pulling the levers.

Ah, I finally get it. You perceive all French restaurants to be
over-priced, with snobbish waiters, based on your experience in
Indiana. I come across that stereotype all the time in jokes and
cartoons but never took it seriously. I have not had that experience
in Canada even at high end places specializing in haute cuisine.

Historically the French were the second largest ethnic group in Canada
after the English and so today, French cuisine is a key element in
Canadian cuisine, from the finest of haute cuisine down through to
the cabines a frites (French fry shacks).

 DD> I just don't see anything to get all a-flutter about at the
 DD> mention of French cuisine. Your mileage obviously varies.  

Yep. Generally speaking French cooking is superior to English,
Scottish, Irish or German cooking, the other big four styles that
came to Canada during the colonial era. Whenever I compare one of my
mom's every day English recipes to one of Roslind's mom's French
versions, the latter is always the superior one.

For example my mom's basic stew: cubes of beef stewed in water with
onions, vegetables, salt and pepper, the liquid thickened with a
flour and water slurry. Everything added all at once.

Her mom's basic stew: cubes of beef coated with seasoned flour and
browned in lard in a cast iron skillet, then stewed in water
enriched with red wine and/or tomato paste, with onions and garlic,
maybe leeks, vegetables, salt, pepper and assorted herbs. Thickened
with a buttery roux. Ingredients added gradually, depending on their
ideal cooking time, from two hours for pre-soaked dried beans down
to 30 seconds for fresh peas. A little more care and effort, a few
extra ingredients, a lot more flavour.

MMMMM-----Meal-Master - formatted by MMCONV  2.10

     Title: Soupe Savoyarde - Cheesy Winter Root Vegetable Soup
Categories: French, Soups, Cheese, Chicken
  Servings: 6

  2 3/4 oz butter
      1 lg leek, cut into rounds and
           washed
     12 oz carrots, scraped and
           chopped
      9 oz parsnips, scraped and
           chopped
  3 1/2 oz potato, peeled and cut into
           chunks
      1 pt chicken stock
      9 fl oz full-fat milk
      6 sl country bread
  5 1/2 oz grated Beaufort or Gruyere
           cheese

I prefer it made with a high proportion of carrots and parsnips,
both for colour and sweetness (some versions major on leeks, others
include celeriac). Traditionally you put the toast and cheese in the
bottom of the bowl so that it melts under the soup, but you also
find it with the bread and cheese on top, as with French onion soup.

Melt the butter in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan and add the
vegetables, plus some salt and pepper. Turn the veg round in the
butter, making sure it is well coated in fat. Add a good splash of
water, cover the pan and set over a low heat. Sweat the vegetables,
adding a splash of water every so often, for 35 minutes. This
softens them and brings out the sweetness. Add the stock and more
seasoning and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 minutes; the
vegetables should be completely soft. Leave to cool before pureeing
(putting hot soup in a blender is very dangerous), then pour into a
clean saucepan. Heat and add milk according to the flavour and
thickness (you may want to add more, or a little water). Adjust the
seasoning - this is crucial.

Lightly toast the bread . Warm the soup until it is piping hot then
ladle into bowls that can go under the grill. Float the toast on top
and pile on the cheese. Put under a hot grill (set the bowls in a
large roasting-tin to transport them) and cook until the cheese is
melted and bubbling. Serve immediately.

Recipe by: Diana Henry
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
From: Simon Bao
 
MMMMM-------------------------------------------------

YK Jim


... "He who hesitates is frost." - Inuit Proverb

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