Comments on: Whose French Cooking? What French Cooking? http://www.rachellaudan.com/2009/08/whose-french-cooking-what-french-cooking.html A Historian's Take on Food and Food Politics Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:28:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Janne Maggs http://www.rachellaudan.com/2009/08/whose-french-cooking-what-french-cooking.html/comment-page-1#comment-27580 Janne Maggs Thu, 14 Jan 2010 04:56:03 +0000 http://www.rachellaudan.com/?p=1855#comment-27580 Coming from Australia I have never heard of Elizabeth David and only heard of Julia Child through the movie Julie and Julia. However, I was given "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" as a gift last Friday and since then have cooked the Beef Bourginon, Lady Fingers, a chocolate custard to go over the lady fingers, chocolate sponge cake with chocolate butter cream and all I can say is YUM. The recipes are very easy to follow, and with the exception of real stock (I used packaged stock) the ingredients easy to source. I have no training in cookery other than home cooking for 30 years and I love Julia's book. I won't cook my way through the entire book, but I will use it again and again. And yes, I wore my pearls when I cooked. Coming from Australia I have never heard of Elizabeth David and only heard of Julia Child through the movie Julie and Julia. However, I was given “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” as a gift last Friday and since then have cooked the Beef Bourginon, Lady Fingers, a chocolate custard to go over the lady fingers, chocolate sponge cake with chocolate butter cream and all I can say is YUM. The recipes are very easy to follow, and with the exception of real stock (I used packaged stock) the ingredients easy to source. I have no training in cookery other than home cooking for 30 years and I love Julia’s book. I won’t cook my way through the entire book, but I will use it again and again. And yes, I wore my pearls when I cooked.

]]> By: Rachel Laudan http://www.rachellaudan.com/2009/08/whose-french-cooking-what-french-cooking.html/comment-page-1#comment-26283 Rachel Laudan Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:01:06 +0000 http://www.rachellaudan.com/?p=1855#comment-26283 Thanks Daniel. That's a great compliment. For the record, I cooked braised leeks and/or celery, though cut differently to avoid the stringiness, and orange bavarian cream. Nothing else. Thanks Daniel. That’s a great compliment. For the record, I cooked braised leeks and/or celery, though cut differently to avoid the stringiness, and orange bavarian cream. Nothing else.

]]> By: Rachel Laudan http://www.rachellaudan.com/2009/08/whose-french-cooking-what-french-cooking.html/comment-page-1#comment-26282 Rachel Laudan Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:59:31 +0000 http://www.rachellaudan.com/?p=1855#comment-26282 I think it's entirely possible, Paul. I love that recipe for pork chops and use it all the time too. But consider her life, consider the very few references in her books (which are, after all, discursive) to experience in the kitchen (cinnamon toast when racing to a deadline, Christmas pudding in Egypt or a Greek island), consider that most of them are not the kinds of recipes that need to be tested either. I would guess she had eaten most, not all, of them. And she certainly had an enviable gift for flavor that would have allowed her to recreate in her imagination what she had eaten. But I'm waiting for that analysis of her book and the books in the bibliography. I think it’s entirely possible, Paul. I love that recipe for pork chops and use it all the time too. But consider her life, consider the very few references in her books (which are, after all, discursive) to experience in the kitchen (cinnamon toast when racing to a deadline, Christmas pudding in Egypt or a Greek island), consider that most of them are not the kinds of recipes that need to be tested either. I would guess she had eaten most, not all, of them. And she certainly had an enviable gift for flavor that would have allowed her to recreate in her imagination what she had eaten. But I’m waiting for that analysis of her book and the books in the bibliography.

]]> By: Daniel Johnson http://www.rachellaudan.com/2009/08/whose-french-cooking-what-french-cooking.html/comment-page-1#comment-26281 Daniel Johnson Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:47:51 +0000 http://www.rachellaudan.com/?p=1855#comment-26281 "Julia’s allure was the challenge, the hard work, the mastery the guaranteed results that offered entry into a tempting international world." This is the best analysis of Julia Child I've seen in all the mountains written about her lately. She was a teacher and translator of culture, rather than an inspired cook. I wish someone would ask 100 owners of "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" how many of the recipes they have actually cooked. I bet the average would be less than five. She was on TV at a formative time in my life, and my wife and I watched her each week and quoted her often when talking about food. But what did we cook from her book? Crepes and souffles. Almost all of the recipes are burdensome: how to gather the ingredients, the hours of preparation. Her contribution for us was to get us to think about good food and to consider it something to really enjoy. “Julia’s allure was the challenge, the hard work, the mastery the guaranteed results that offered entry into a tempting international world.”
This is the best analysis of Julia Child I’ve seen in all the mountains written about her lately. She was a teacher and translator of culture, rather than an inspired cook. I wish someone would ask 100 owners of “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” how many of the recipes they have actually cooked. I bet the average would be less than five. She was on TV at a formative time in my life, and my wife and I watched her each week and quoted her often when talking about food. But what did we cook from her book? Crepes and souffles. Almost all of the recipes are burdensome: how to gather the ingredients, the hours of preparation. Her contribution for us was to get us to think about good food and to consider it something to really enjoy.

]]> By: Paul Roberts http://www.rachellaudan.com/2009/08/whose-french-cooking-what-french-cooking.html/comment-page-1#comment-26279 Paul Roberts Mon, 31 Aug 2009 08:55:57 +0000 http://www.rachellaudan.com/?p=1855#comment-26279 Rachel, do you really believe that Elizabeth David "had never cooked most of those recipes, let alone tested them?" That is almost as bad as discovering that Santa Claus does not really exist. (Tonight, in Germany, I shall be cooking one of her recipes for pork chops baked in the oven, with white wine/cider, bacon, garlic, juniper berries, and layers of potatoes and onions. This is one of her recipes that fortunately has engrained itself in my consciousness) Rachel, do you really believe that Elizabeth David “had never cooked most of those recipes, let alone tested them?”

That is almost as bad as discovering that Santa Claus does not really exist.

(Tonight, in Germany, I shall be cooking one of her recipes for pork chops baked in the oven, with white wine/cider, bacon, garlic, juniper berries, and layers of potatoes and onions. This is one of her recipes that fortunately has engrained itself in my consciousness)

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