This week, for mostly the fun of it but also at the behest of my pal Karen Karbo, I have decided to cook like Julia Child every day - one recipe a day! Bon Appetit!
Karen knows that Julia was an amazing person and she has written a fabulous book, Julia Child Rules: Lessons on Savoring Life.
I decided to go with Rule #10: to "make every meal an occasion" - which meant, I felt, that I should cook dinner like Julia every night. That would certainly be an occasion, I felt. Not grilled cheeses! Not leftovers! Not kitchen sink frittatas!
So for the next 7 days, I will be cooking a recipe of hers every night. Maybe more than one! Sacre bleu!
[My brain is exhausted trying to conjure up my high school French... and it's not coming. So I am wearing out the exclamation point key on the keyboard and I DON'T CARE]
Tonight: Quiche Lorraine
So I decided not to buy all ingredients for every dinner in one day. One, I didn't want to carry all that in the house without Michael's help, and he was busy with tennis after school. Two, in Europe, food is bought every day or two. They don't have huge American fridges to store mass quantities in, so they shop a lot. They get fresher food that way.
They get to argue with shopkeepers.
They get some exercise walking around town to the boulangerie, the patisserie, etc.
Mais Oui! [more French is leaking out! Yay!]
I trundled off to Publix and Got all my recipes - well, 3 of them anyway - into a folder. Then I took them out and stared at them in the car.
I marched into Publix like Julia, I felt.... although I am almost a foot shorter..
There were delightful people working there who said hello - they are known for their customer service at this store - but there were no surly french shopkeepers to argue with. I decided not to let it ruin the mood.
I spent a lot of time on the wine aisle, and of course, the dairy aisle.
I imagined Julia in this dairy aise, gazing at all the almond milk, soy milk, fat free milk, etc. with utter disgust. LOL She lived to be 93!
Then I came home and did many, many other tasks, and finally I found myself making the quiche.
It was supposed to be French Onion Soup, tonight. However, I thought I had beef stock, or broth, and I did not.
Unlike American quiches, there is no cheese. None. Just eggs, cream, bacon, butter, and a few seasonings.
I added spinach, to make it a one dish meal.
[IDIOTE! STUPIDE AMERICAIN! I could hear Julia screeching at me from the grave. SPINACH? In a QUICHE LORRAINE?!?]
Julia is, I am sure, flipping over in her grave.
Nevertheless, I put it in. It increased the cooking time to double time.
Eventually it came out. Beautiful! Magnifique!
yes, the crust got a little too... done. who cares?
Michael loved it. He said the eggs were like he remembered from the orphanage. Not sure if that is good, but he meant it as a compliment.
Mother said it was so "delicate" - unlike a regular quiche. More like a custard. Reminded her of her childhood.
There is not one single bite left of the quiche!
Bonne Nuit mes amis!
Bon Appetit!
