Category Archives: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

Croutes – hard-toasted French bread

Perfect garnishing for onion soup 12 to 16 slices of French bread cut 3/4 to 1 inch thick Place the bread in one layer in a roasting pan and bake in a preheated 325-degree oven for about half an hour, … Continue reading

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Filed under Bread, Garnishings, Mastering the Art of French Cooking

Aigo Bouido [Garlic Soup]

You would think this would be a obnoxious soup, but the garlic becomes almost undefinable and just an exquisite aroma. For 6 to 8 people 1 separated head or about 16 cloves whole, UNpeeled garlic Drop garlic cloves in boiling … Continue reading

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Filed under Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Recipes, Soups

Sauce Bechamel / Sauce Veloute

Served this sauce enriched with beurre (butter) over a thick salmon baked in herbs, olive oil and a hint of lemon. A heavy-bottomed, 6-cup enameled, stainless steel, lined copper, porcelin, or pyrex saucepan 2 Tb butter 3 Tb flour Wooden … Continue reading

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Filed under Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Recipes, Sauces, Spreads, Salsas

Soupe a L’Oingnon

Today I was convinced that following a [French] recipe to the “T” is of utmost importance. I did not shortcut on time for simmering or cooking, nor did I shortcut color on browning. The result: a deep, rich flavor characterizing … Continue reading

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Dry White Wine

When a recipe calls for dry white wine, what do you normally use? I have been cooking with cooking wines for years and occasionally with the real deal, but until faced with French cooking, I never bothered to question the … Continue reading

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Filed under Comments from Faith, Ingredients, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Wines and Spirits for cooking

Hard Peaks

I attempted the Reine De Saba (Chocolate and Almond Cake) and my favorite part was pulverizing the almonds. Tip…use a tablespoon of sugar per cup of almonds so that they wont become oily and unusable when pulverizing. The part that … Continue reading

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Filed under Comments from Faith, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Sweets

Potage Parmentier – Leek or Onion and Potato Soup

I prepared this ahead of time and added butter and minced herbs just before serving. The aroma! The simplicity! You can use a pressure cooker (15lbs for 5 minutes, release, simmer uncovered for 15 minutes), but I made mine on … Continue reading

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Filed under Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Recipes, Soups