Remembering Julia Child (and Boeuf Bourguinon)

As it may be for many (or most) of you, I have a great fondness for Juila Child. My first exposure to her TV series began in high school and continued through college. My friends and I laughed until our stomachs hurt watching the SNL segments parodying Julia, especially since we've been doing it ourselves when cooking. My love of reading and collecting cookbooks sprouted from reading (and drooling over) Mastering the Art of French Cooking and The Joy of Cooking.

I miss her shows but am glad there are occasional reruns of them. I've always found her (and Jacques Pépin, another fave) to be a reassuring presence on the small screen. But now, I can find her on the big screen as well, thanks to Meryl Streep.

A couple of months ago, I went to a private screening of the upcoming movie titled Julie and Julia, starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams. i won't get into what the movie is about other than that it is partly about Julia Child. Meryl Streep plays the part of Julia Child with the superb skill she is famous for. Watching the movie, one forgets that it is not really Julia up there. She is that good. The story is heartwarming and inspirational. This is the all-time feel good movie. And one remembers why Julia Child remains a strong favorite for many (or most) of us.

When the movie comes out on August 7, do go see it. You won't regret it. BUT, make sure you have a hearty meal beforehand. AND, make sure you have all the makings for Boeuf Bourguinon at home because, trust me, you will walk away from the movie with an uncontrollable craving for it. I certainly did and ended up making it the next day.

Here's the recipe from Julia's book. Don't let the long list of ingredients and directions scare you away. It's really quite easy to make. It just takes time and loving care. And the results are well worth it...even turning the oven on to 450 degrees during the hot months of the summer.

Boeuf Bourguignon

(from Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Simone Beck, & Louisette Bertholle)

Serves 6

Note from the authors: Boiled potatoes are traditionally served with this dish. Buttered noodles or steamed rice may be substituted. If you also wish a green vegetable, buttered peas would be your best choice. Serve with the beef a fairly full-bodied, young red wine like Beaujolais, Côtes du Rhône, Bordeaus-St. Émilion, or Burgundy.

Ingredients

For the stew:

• 6-ounce chunk of bacon
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 lbs lean stewing beef, cut into 2-inch cubes
• 1 slice carrot
• 1 sliced onion
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 3 cups red wine (full-bodied, young red wine like Beaujolais, Côtes du Rhône, Bordeaux-St. Émilion, or Burgundy...or Chianti)
• 2-3 cups brown beef stock or canned beef bouillon
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 2 cloves mashed garlic
• 1/2 tsp thyme (I used 2 sprigs of fresh thyme)
• 1 bay leaf, crumbled
• Blanched bacon rind (from the bacon chunk)

For the braised onions:

• 18-24 white pearl onions, peeled
• 1-1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1-1/2 Tbsp oil
• 1/2 cup brown stock, canned bouillon, dry white wine, red wine, or water
• salt and pepper to taste
• A medium herb bouquet (4 parsley sprigs, 1/2 bay leaf and 1/4 tsp thyme tied in cheesecloth)

For the sautéed mushrooms:

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp oil
• 1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, washed, well dried, left whole if small, sliced or quartered if large)
• 1-2 Tbsp minced shallots or green onions (optional)
• salt and pepper (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Remove rind from the bacon chunk, and cut into lardons (1/4 inch thick and 1-1/2 inches long)
3. Sauté the bacon in the oil over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon. Set casserole aside. Reheat until fat is almost smoking before you sauté the beef.
4. Dry the beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Sauté it, a few pieces at a time, in the hot oil and bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the bacon [set aside].
5. in the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the sautéing fat.
6. Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with the salt and pepper. Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly with the flour. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and return to oven for 4 minutes more. (This browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust.) Remove casserole, and turn oven down to 325 degrees.
7. Stir in the wine, and enough stock or bouillon so that the meat is barely covered. Add tomato paste, garlic, herbs, and bacon rind. Bring to simmer on top of the stove. Then cover the casserole and set in lower third of preheated oven. Regulate heat so liquid simmers very slowly for 3 to 4 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.
8. While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms. Set aside until needed.
9. For the onions: When the butter and oil are bubbling in the skillet, add the onions and sauté over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, rolling the onions about so they will brown as evenly as possible. Be careful not to break their skins. You cannot expect to brown them uniformly.
10. Pour in the liquid, season to taste, and add the herb bouquet. Cover and simmer slowly for 40 to 90 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove herb bouquet.
11. For the mushrooms: Place the skillet over high heat with the butter and oil. As soon as you see that the butter foam has begun to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add the mushrooms. Toss and shake the pan for 4 to 5 minutes. During their sauté the mushrooms will at first absorb the fat. In 2 to 3 minutes the fat will reappear on their surface, and the mushrooms will begin to brown. As soon as they have browned lightly, remove from heat.
12. [If using shallots] Toss the shallots or green onions with the mushrooms. Sauté over moderate heat for 2 minutes.
13. When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan. Wash out the casserole and return the beef and bacon to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms over the meat.
14. Skim fat off the sauce. Simmer sauce for a minute or two, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2-1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons of stock or canned bouillon. Taste carefully for seasoning. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables.
15. (Recipe may be completed in advance up to this point.)
16. For immediate serving: Cover the casserole and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times. Serve in its casserole, or arrange the stew on a platter surrounded with potatoes, noodles or rice, and decorated with parsley.
17. For later serving: When cold, cover and refrigerate. About 15 to 30 minutes before serving, bring to a simmer, cover, and simmer very slowly for 10 minutes, occasionally basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce.

Bon Appétit!

TWD: Honey Peach Ice Cream

Hmm. How to make ice cream when one does not have an ice cream maker. That was my dilemma.

Not to worry...plastic baggies, check...salt, check...ice, check. Honey Peach Ice Cream, here I come.

The directions I found online says to use one gallon and one quart bags, but I didn't want to make this in two batches and had one and two gallon bags. So, that's what I used.

I filled the larger bag about a third to half-way with ice. Sprinkled in about one cup of table salt (didn't have nor could I find rock salt - they're the same thing anyway). Plopped in the bag filled with the custard and start to shake, shake, shake.

It worked!! Didn't take very long either, about 10-15 minutes. I had to work quickly in transferring the frozen custard to containers and making it freezer-ready. It was still very soft and the mixing in of the small peach chunks wasn't helping the custard's soft freeze state.

Ahhh...ice cream. It's a beautiful thing.

Next time, I would decrease the amount of honey. I will also skip adding in the diced peaches mid-way through the freezing process. Instead, I would just sprinkle it on top before serving.

Next time, I will also "redesign" my freezing equipment and use a stockpot and a plastic container. I think that will be easier and less messy. The baggie method was pretty fun, though. Everyone should try it at least once. :-)

If you do decide to try it, make sure you wear gloves. The bag gets very cold. It might also be a good idea to shake the bag over the kitchen sink. Have fun!

Thank you to Tommi of Brown Interior for this week's selection.

TWD: Parisian Apple Tartlet

Very quick.  Very simple.

So quick and simple, that I question if it can even be called a "recipe."

As for the taste, I found it rather bland.  That's saying something because if it has apples in it, I am bound to love it. 

I think next time I will brush the apples and the edges of the puff pastry with an apricot glaze.  It might also help to cut the apple half into slices (while keeping the round shape) rather than into 4 big chunks.

Next week, honey peach ice cream...can't wait!

Pasta with Sun-dried Tomatoes

Now that spring is here (well, summer really, since we no longer seem to have spring nor fall in NYC), I've entered my pesto obsessive phase which has led me to a pasta obsessive phase, which got me remembering this fabulous pasta salad I used to get when I lived in Newport, RI many moons ago.  (Yes, my mind goes off in tangents all the time.)

This yummy pasta salad had black olives, bacon, broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes and this secret dressing that I could never quite figure out.  Not that it really needs it...I mean, please, with bacon it would be great with any dressing.

It's been years since I've made it.  Actually, I had forgotten about until I watched The Barefoot Contessa's Pasta Bella episode on the Food Network.  I had all the ingredients except the broccoli which is essential.  It adds a lovely bit of crunch and freshness to the dish.  I did, however, have what I needed for Ina Garten's Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, which would have to do until I got some broccoli.

This is quick and simple and makes for a satisfying spring/summer lunch - or picnic.  Next time I make it though, I think I'll use roasted garlic and add some olives to the dressing.

Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

From The Barefoot Contessa (Episode: Pasta Bella)

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb fusilli (spirals) pasta
• Kosher salt (I used regular salt and decreased the amount to 2 Tbsp)
• Olive oil
• 1 lb. ripe tomatoes, medium diced
• 3/4 c. black olives, such as kalamata, pitted and diced
• 1 lb. fresh mozzarella, medium diced
• 6 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
• 1 c. freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 c. packed basil leaves, julienned

For the dressing:

• 5 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
• 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar (I used balsamic)
• 6 Tbsp. good olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, diced  (might want to cook it slightly if you don't like raw garlic)
• 1 tsp. capers, drained
• 2 tsp. Kosher salt (I used sea salt)
• 3/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water with a splash of oil to keep it from sticking together. Boil for 12 minutes, or according to the directions on the package. Drain well and allow to cool. Place the pasta in a bowl and add the tomatoes, olives, mozzarella, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes.

For the dressing, combine the sun-dried tomatoes, vinegar, olive oil, garlic, capers, salt, and pepper in a food processor until almost smooth.

Pour the dressing over the pasta, sprinkle with the Parmesan and basil, and toss well.

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TWD: Tartest Lemon Tart

I don't know if this is typical and happened to anyone else but my tart bubbled over...furiously bubbled over.  The surface was uneven in color and texture and didn't look like the numerous other lemon tarts I've had up 'til now.  

My shoulders slumped with what I first thought was another mishap (remember my cake that wasn't from last week?) but I remembered how scrumptiously delicious the filling was before I filled the tart shell (so delicious that I was licking every utensil that came into contact with it as though my life depended on it - so very glad my mother wasn't there to witness it). Well, something that good is bound to remain as good no matter what I inadvertently did to ruin it. 

So, to test that theory, I scraped up the bit that spilled over and delivered the spoonful to my eager tastebuds.  Oh, yeah.  Yummy in my tummy.  My fears were unfounded.  It may not look perfect but it tastes perfect.  The next bite with mascarpone was even better.  I'm afraid this one won't make it to the office.

I know this will be a very addictive addition to my list of favorites.  So easy to make, quick and oh, so good.  Thank you Barb of Babette Feasts for choosing this tart for this week's selection.