Happy Monday, everyone! We are officially back to our regularly scheduled programming! This week's meal was about recreating the famous "boeuf bourgignonne" that was made so popular by the "Julie & Julia" movie, and that everyone considers one of Julia Child's master recipes. We then created a lovely feast around it that was worthy of being blogged and that we could share with all of you. I'd like to point out that when I created this menu, I intended on it being something that Jennifer and I would do together to cut down on time and effort. But then Ozzy tripped me on the stairs, I sprained my ankle, and I spent Sunday drinking wine with my foot propped on a chair and hobbling around on crutches. So this week - it was all Jennifer. And she did a spectacular job!
Cocktail - Pomegranate Sparkler
So Stew Leonard's came out with this new sparkling soda in a pomegranate-black cherry flavor. We mixed that with some Prosecco and Cointreau and voila - a lovely sparkling cocktail! A perfect brunch drink, and a lovely way to start off a French meal. (And perfect for that "I'm not really a drinker" person in your crowd.)
Appetizer - Classic Cheese Souffle
Argh. Our first souffle that didn't turn out fabulous. Conceptually, it was fine. However, the flavors were not as good as the other souffles we have made, and I think that's what disappointed us. This seemed to have too much egg and not enough cheese. We ate the whole thing, but just wasn't blown away. I would say - reduce the eggs, add some sharp cheddar, and maybe add some garlic. It tasted too much like an egg fritatta. Oh well. We'll shelve souffles for a little while. (Who am I kidding? We've got a chocolate Grand Marnier one ready and waiting... we're not shelving anything.)
Appetizer Wine - 2011 Clos Saint-Michel Chateauneuf-du-Pape
This French white blend was rich, fruity, and well balanced. It was bursting with flavors of peach and toasted almond with lots of white fruit and citrus. It was a fabulous match to the dense cheese souffle, because on its own, it was slightly sweet for our tastes. A lovely wine.
Entree - Beef Bourgignon
Okay... how do I say this? It was just beef stew cooked in red wine. (Julia Child fanatics are looking up my home address right now to attack, I know.) Jennifer followed the recipe exactly (ok, added more wine), and the house smelled wonderful. We served over egg noodles (definitely recommend that) and after we all took our first bite, we kind of looked at each other shamefully. Finally, we had the guts to go "why didn't we just throw everything in the Crock Pot and call it a day?" And that's the thing - we have no idea why this recipe had to be so complex and so time-consuming when in the end - it's just a beef stew. A tasty one, mind you. Although, we do love those brown braised onions!
Side Dish - Brussel Leaf and Baby Spinach Saute
This was one of the best green side dishes we've made! We were looking for a salad dish that wouldn't take away from the rich flavor of the stew but simply just accompany it and be delicious. This was incredible! It was insanely simple, but the mixture of the vinegar and sweetness of the maple syrup was such a delicious combination that I cannot explain. Your kids will eat these up in a heartbeat! You'd never know it was brussels sprout due to the sauteing and the almonds lend a fabulous crunch.
Side Dish - Yorkshire Pudding
We needed something to sop up the sauce, and buying bread would just be boring! These were yummy and obviously popped up like crazy! (Watch your cook time, though... they started to get burnt well before the 35 minutes were up.)
Final Plate
Entree Wine - 2009 Chateau Domeyne St Estephe
Wine Spectator - 94/100
This full bodied French wine from the Bordeaux region was absolutely delicious! It had plenty of luscious ripe fruit with toasted oak and spices. It lingered nicely on the tongue and had no grainy tannins which made it the perfect drinking red! Stock up on this one, guys!
Dessert - Prosecco-Raspberry Gelee
Okay, so to dumb it down, this recipe is basically Jello with Prosecco and fruit. And it was great! Why haven't we done more of these before??? When you take a bite, you immediately go "ohhhh"... and it still maintains the effervescence from the Prosecco, which is just a cool party trick! This would be perfect in the form of "Jello shots" for a New Year's Party. We cannot wait to try this out with other ingredients and fruits! Give this a shot - you will not be disappointed!
So there you have it. Our lovely French meal inspired by Julia Child (who kind of let us down a little, but that's ok.) Next week is a special occasion. After spending all year planning and executing what I would like to think were some epic birthday menus for John and Jenn, it's now my turn! I get to sit back and be completely surprised!
Next Week - Christie's Birthday Dinner
Christie--
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about your ankle. I've spent enough time on crutches to last a lifetime.
Thanks for the Julia Child review. I've been planning to try beef bourgignon--now I probably won't bother.
Will be making onion soup wontons this week--a test run for Christmas.
Thanks, Lynne! Doing much better, but probably another week or so of being a little gimpy. Skip the bourgignon, go for something else. Or throw it in a Crock Pot and make it a mid-week meal. Excited to hear about the French Onion Soup Dumplings! You're going to LOVE them!
DeleteWe loved the dumplings. I made a batch for Jeff and me and then prepped some to cook the next day. The next day dumplings were a little soggy. I'll have to make them Christmas Eve morning for our Christmas Eve dinner at Jeff's sister's place.
DeleteI used an omelette pan to cook them in. It will be easier to use a cookie sheet but I wonder if they will stick. What did you cook them in?
Take it slowly and carefully with your ankle. Hope to see you at the dog park soon.
Glad to hear the dumplings were a success! I would definitely reccomend making the soup in advance (or even buying it from Whole Foods) and assembling at the last few hours or so. (Great way to get other people involved... you know, the ones who "want to help" but then never end up helping.. haha.) Jennifer used an escargot pan to make them, but I don't have fancy stuff like that in my kitchen, so I used a pie pan and just loaded them up in there and it worked out perfectly! Good luck!
DeleteThanks Christie,
DeleteI'll have to look up an escargot pan. I've never made them.
My plan is to do the dumpling cooking Sunday and assembling on Monday for Christmas Eve dinner.
Hope you have a great holiday.