641.5944 Child: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

Yeah, so, my name is Julie. I have a cooking blog. I have a husband named Eric. And I've decided to cook from and write about the Julia Child masterpiece, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Sound familiar?

It was inevitable, that's all. It's not even a coincidence, really. "Julie" and "Eric" - very common names. Food blogging? Yawn. It's been done. So done. Overdone. And how can anyone who knows the difference between hollandaise and bearnaise not be interested in Ms. Child's expertise? So, I had no choice, clearly. Especially after reading My Life in France and falling in love with all things French, and Julia, and food-related.

Mastering the Art of French Cooking is in so many ways, a classic. It offers up traditional French staples, reworked with the "servantless American cook" in mind. It was first published in 1961, so some of the details may seem a bit outdated, but it was a bestseller again in 2010, so obviously, people weren't put off by the copious references to electric skillets. It is not a how-to-cook cookbook, though it does offer ample instructions and illustrations on basic cooking techniques such as proper knife skills, measuring flour properly, trimming an artichoke, and so on. But you do need a bit of cooking know-how, particularly in the recipe I chose, for Coq au Vin, which instructs you to "cover and cook slowly." What does that mean? I need temperatures, heat levels, time frames. This vagueness is just too maddening for me. But other than that, the recipe is clear and easy to follow. And it includes bacon! And wine!

The former is browned in a heavy pan (I used a Dutch oven). Child's first step, however, is to simmer the bacon in hot water to remove the salt and smoky flavor. Wait. Is that the whole point of bacon? I was distraught. Remove the bacon-ness? I consulted the Husband, who responded resolutely and without hesitation: "I would skip that step." I consulted the Internet to find out what other cooks do when making the dish. Some do, some don't. I have to admit, I was curious about what the result would be. But in the end, I skipped the blanching. I love bacon, and I just couldn't see how it could possibly impact the dish negatively, even if its flavor overpowered everything else. It’s bacon!

Once our yummy bacon is cooked, it's removed from the pan and the chicken parts are browned in the hot fat. The bacon is returned to the pan with the chicken, along with a bit of cognac, which you (or your less wussy Husband) light on fire briefly. I'm guessing this is to burn off the cognac's alcohol, which cracks me up, since that step is followed by adding an entire bottle of wine to the pan for the chicken to braise in. A bit of garlic, tomato paste, and herbs are added for flavor.

After about a half hour, the chicken, now a bizarrely purplish hue, is tender, juicy, and rich with hearty flavor. The braising liquid (the aforementioned wine along with some beef or chicken stock) is reduced down to an intensly flavored, thickened sauce. We followed Julia's recommendation and made some brown-braised onions and sautéed mushrooms to go along with the chicken. We also made some sautéed green beans to round it all out. It was a perfect Sunday dinner.

The rest of the cookbook looks promising, and a bit intimidating. It's the perfect cookbook to consult for a foolproof mayonnaise recipe, or for the how-to on poaching a nice, simple fish filet. And some things sound new and interesting, like baked cucumbers and soufflé with poached eggs. But a few recipes just won't make the cut for me, like braised calf's brains, or anything out of the aspic section. (There is never room for meat-flavored jello.) More adventurous cooks will appreciate these French favorites, however. The book is absolutley suitable for anyone interested in cooking French food the French way, as in it there is something for everyone.

So while it’s not likely I’ll ever get through every single recipe, let alone in just one year, I am certain I will use it regularly, and often, even if I just make a few favorite old standbys, again and again.