So Amazing

Last night I made the best Beef Bourguignon I have ever made. I was inspired by Julie & Julia (the book and the movie) to buy Mastering the Art of French Cooking. In the movie it’s referred to as Julia’s Beef Bourguignon. I was skeptical at first. I mean, really, can it be THAT much better than any other BB recipe?
It can. The recipe can be found here:

http://www.recipezaar.com/Boeuf-Bourguignon-a-La-Julia-Child-148007

This is what I did a bit differently. I used 7 slices of bacon, rather than the chunk bacon. I also browned the bacon, not just for 2 or 3 minutes. That gave off enough fat that I didn’t need oil to brown the meat.
My grocery store also didn’t have pearl onions, fresh or frozen. And I hate using canned veggies. So there was no pearl onions in mine.
The finished product was AMAZING. (I served it on top of buttered egg noddles) I have made good beef stews, and I have made good BBs before. This took the cake. It was heaven on a plate. I don’t even like mushrooms, but even the mushrooms were tasty buttery morsels.




Now I know some people might think after a meal this good, who needs dessert? I do.
I followed the BB with Baked Alaska. I have never even tasted Baked Alaska before, but I decided to make it. The recipe (courtesy of Everyday Food). Actually I need to stop here for a moment. Anybody who enjoys cooking, or wants to be a better cook, or is tired of cooking the same thing week in and week out, should start buying the Everyday Food magazine. Every recipe is simple, with easy to find ingredients, and the outcome is always delicious. I haven’t missed an issue since I bought my first one 3 years ago.

Individual Baked Alaska… This is not the official recipe.. this is the recipe in my words
You need: 3 egg whites, pinch of salt, half a cup of sugar, 4 slices of pound cake, and ice cream
1) cut the slices of pound cake so they fit into four ramekins. (I used Angel Food Cake since I couldn’t find pound cake)
2) scoop about half a cup of ice cream on top of the cake.
3) beat the egg whites with the pinch of salt until it forms soft peaks
4) gradually add the sugar and beat until it’s glossy and forms stiff peaks
5) top the ice cream with the meringue, and set in the freezer for at least one hour. (up to 1 day)
6) preheat oven to 450 F. Remove the ramekins from the freezer and place on a baking sheet. Let stand for 10 minutes.
7) place the baking sheet in the oven for 2-4 minutes, until the meringue is lightly browned. (mine took 2 minutes)





Also very very good. The meal was wonderful. I had excellent company, whose mom had recommended the wine used in the BB, a red Chilean wine by GratoNegro.