I’m super excited about this journey with Mastering the Art of French Cooking: The Food Allergy Remix! I had originally written this post in summer 2020, but like most things in 2020, this project didn’t come fully to fruition. Therefore, it’s time for a do-over. Isn’t that kind of what 2021 is about anyways? So allons-y (French for let’s go)!
I bought Mastering the Art of French Cooking two years ago on January 1, 2019 and the cookbook remained in my bookshelf. Sometimes I’d peruse through it, ooo and aah, and then put the book away and cook something else. It was kind of like watching an exercise video while sitting on the couch. I asked myself why I never attempted any of the recipes in Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Why did I just look at the cookbook in admiration and then put it back on my bookshelf? After cooking of bunch of Mastering the Art of French Cooking recipes, why did I wait so long to post this blog?
After some deep French soul searching, I concluded what my hesitations were:
1. The idea of recreating these classic French recipes and making them to be free of the top 9 allergens (dairy, eggs, wheat, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, sesame, peanuts, and soy) seems like such a daunting task. There were days when I thought cooking without these ingredients was totally achievable and other days when I questioned my sanity. In the end, however, I realized that I might as well give it a try. If I fail, I fail. Whatever! C’est la vie. There are bigger things in life to worry about, which is one of lessons I learned in 2020.
2. Julia Child was a really good cook. I don’t think I am not really good. Even Julie Powell, the person who wrote the blog that inspired Julie & Julia, was a cook before she started her blog. While most people enjoy eating whatever I cook or bake, I have some internal inadequacies about calling about myself a cook – even after all the cooking classes I’ve taken and meals I’ve made throughout the years. Then I decided it was time to get over myself and learn from past experiences. From my past experiences as a marathon runner, I always say that anyone who runs is a runner. It doesn’t matter if you run 1 mile or 26.2 miles – you’re still a runner. So I’m adopting the same point of view with cooking. I cook a lot. I’m not saying that I’m Nigella Lawson or Ina Garten, but I am a decent cook. So end of story, moving on. One of the goals through this project is to become an even better cook.
3. My photography skills are not good, and that’s putting it mildly. How I managed to get a A in two photography classes in college remains a mystery. Therefore, improving my photography skills is something I’ll work on as this project continues.
A Review of Mastering the Art of French Cooking: A Non-Book Reviewer’s Review
Feel free to take this review lightly, as I am no Michiko Kakutani (former book editor at The New York Times). Overall, I must say that Mastering the Art of the French Cooking is by far the coolest cookbook I’ve ever read. It really caters to the cook in everyone - whether you’re a novice or an expert. I think everyone can learn from this cookbook, not only about French cooking, but also about cooking in general. From the right cooking tools, to different cooking techniques, to an education about French cooking, this cookbook seems almost like a culinary fairytale. Like the movie Julie & Julia, there is something enchanting about Mastering the Art of French Cooking.
Recipe #1: Potage Paramentier (Leek or Onion and Potato Soup)
The original recipe is relatively straight-forward. It’s basically just chopping up vegetables, creating a soup with the chopped vegetables and adding whipped cream. Personally, what I liked about this recipe is that I become more familiar with leeks, the main ingredient of the soup. There was a choice of onions or leeks. I chose the Robert Frost playbook and went with the road less travelled. Bring on the leeks!
So what is a leek? A leek is a vegetable and is in the Allium family of foods. Who else is a member of the Allium family? Onions, garlic, shallots, scallion, and chives. What I like about leeks is that they don’t taste as strongly as onions and the smell of a leek isn’t as pungent as that of an onion. They complement a meal as opposed to overpowering it.
Nutritionally, leeks are a good source of vitamins A (think night vision), vitamin C (think immune system) and vitamin K (think normal blood clotting and helping physical wounds to heal).
Making this Dish Top 9 Allergen-Free
Well, it’s no surprise that the French love dairy. Therefore, the only task to make this meal top 9 free was to cook a non-dairy whipped cream. I decided to not reinvent the wheel. I went to another great cookbook for the food allergy community. It’s called The Allergen-Free Baker’s Handbook, authored by Cybele Pascale. I made a dairy-free whipped cream using rice milk, castor sugar and heating it. I turned out beautifully. A different consistency than “normal” whipped cream, but it did the job. With this whipped cream, I recommend having this soup chilled, which the French call vichyssoise. Who says you can’t have soup in the summer? However, you don’t need to have this soup with the whipped cream. It’s still good without the whipped cream.
Overall Thoughts
This recipe was a great way to start out my French cooking journey. The recipe involves effort, but it’s not complicated. And importantly, c’est délicieux! (It’s delicious!). Here’s an easy way to do this meal: chop up a lot vegetables and potatoes, add some vegetable or chicken broth, salt and pepper. Then stir until warm or hot. If you want to chill the soup, let the soup return to room temperature, then put in the refrigerator. Viola!