It’s right here!
This weekend, I finally caved, and using my Dad’s two-day visit as an excuse, made Julia Child’s Boeuf Bourguignon. I have been craving this dish since seeing Julie & Julia this summer, but decided to hold off until we got some cooler weather to try it. Let me tell you, it was well worth the wait. Even after three trips to the Co-op and countless hours chopping raw meat (not my favorite thing), fighting with my stove (stupid electric stove), and remembering at the last second that half of my guests do not eat pork (is this Iowa?), this dish did not disappoint.
French things tend to frustrate me. French wines are a mystery, some tasting divine and others tasting like ashes and rawhide. Despite two years of study, the French language continues to mesmerize me with its flowery, hoity-toity beauty and utter, despairing incomprehensibility. The French government taunts me in its ability to offer universal healthcare, paid maternity leave, and government-funded laundry assistants for new mothers … only for citizens of France, alas.
But French food!?? Something else entirely. I’m just learning this, but from what I can tell, French food is a thing unto itself, a time-consuming journey from market-fresh ingredients to rich, perfectly seasoned elegance. The Chef’s Table helped teach me this lesson (one of my most memorable meals to date). As did reading My Life in France. As did making Julia’s wonderful Boeuf Bourguignon
Take a cold stay-at-home day this winter and try this for yourself. I served it with Julia’s suggested sides of boiled potatoes and peas. It's funny -- I couldn't help but imagine Julia's voice in my ear as I seared the chuck roast and browned up the veggies. There were moments when I questioned her (why doesn't she tell me how high to set the heat?), moments when I doubted her (really? boiling bacon?), but in the final moment, the moment when I put fork to lips, I toasted her. This stuff is classic, warming, hearty, and pretty much perfect. Here's a link to the recipe online: www.recipezaar.com/Boeuf-Bourguignon-a-La-Julia-Child-148007