lynn in love with julia and boeuf bourguignon

I had so many wonderful Christmas gifts this year! But I'll admit that my favorite were those involved with cooking... and I forgot to tell you my all time favorite present! Remembered how much I loved the movie Julie & Julia?

Well I was so excited when the Huz gifted me with the two volume boxed set of Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking!



First off, isn't this book just beautiful to look at? I love the simple pattern and bright colors of the two books (the 2nd volume is turquoise) and they look wonderful in my home/kitchen from just the aesthetic point of view.

But the real treasure is inside. I have been poring myself over the books since I got them. These book are not just a collection of recipes but a true guide to cooking. Julia totally appeals to my desire for details as she guides us on exactly HOW to cook, not just what to cook! She tells you what are the cookware and why... she details the best kinds of meats, how to know when you cooking oil/butter is hot enough, how to hold the pan, how to cook the onions, how you know when the meat is perfectly medium rare, everything!

I'll be honest, these recipes are NOT for the faint of heart. For a girl who usual cooks most of her meals in 30 minutes or less, I'll tell you it's a real committment to cook Julia's recipes as many require you to have at least 2-3 hours set aside for cooking. I've only made two recipes so far... but I'll tell you they are simply worth it. Her ingredients are fairly simple and the recipes are not hard... but I do believe it is the attention to time and techniques that makes her food SO good!

For my first recipe, I thought I would tackle the oh so famous Boeuf Bourguignon! This is the first recipe that Julia demonstrated on her PBS show "The French Chef," it's the dish that Judith Jones, the editor first tried that convinced her to publish the book, it's the dish that Julie prepared for the the editor in the movie.



Boeuf Bourguignon is basically a beef stew. It's hearty and warm and basically gets better and better each day that it sits and lets the flavors all meld. This recipe is amazing and I ate it for 4 days straight. And boys and girls, it took 2.5 hours of actively cooking and prepping... and then another 2.5 hours to actually stew!

I'm not going to post the recipe here, but I'll send you to a link where you can find the recipe for the stew, plus onions and mushrooms... which you can find HERE.

If you decide to make it, follow the recipe to a T. Also don't skip out on the braised onions. 50 minutes to make, but probably the most amazing part of the whole recipe.

Also, don't be like me and not cook the meat long enough. Make sure the meat you buy is not completely lean because it will not become tender. If after cooking for 2.5 hours, the meat is still tough, keep cooking it until the meat is very tender. At some point, the collagen will break down... wait for that magic moment.

This recipe required real committment, but I'm so happy I made it. It tought me some wonderful techniques along the way. I decided I'm going to attempt one recipe a week! So come along for the ride!

Bon Appetit!