I have an obsession. I love buying cookbooks. And not just the easy-to-make weeknight recipe books but super hard and complicated cookbooks produced by amazing chefs that have some of the best restaurants in the nation (some of them ~ the world). When I buy these cookbooks I read through them with post-it notes flagging countless recipes I want to cook. But I rarely cook them. I’m not even a very good cook. I also have run out of space for them on my bookshelf. So before the cookbooks take over my house I think I should use them… cook with them.
So here’s my project: to cook every recipe in my fancy-smancy cookbooks. And to document them here, as I hope my blog obsession will force me to actually cook these recipes so that I can blog about them.
December 29, 2009
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The Julie/Julia Project
I watched Julie & Julia on the plane to Whistler. (Sidenote: Air Canada is amazing - a usb port to charge the iphone so I could play games while watching movies on my personal screen.) Then, I decided it was so good that I watched it coming home from Whistler as well. This was followed by me buying the book, starting to read Julie’s blog, and deciding to cook some of Julia Child’s recipes. Typical, obsessive me.
So first up was Potage Parmentier (Potato and Leek Soup):
- 1 lb potatoes, peeled and diced
- 3 Cups leeks, thinly sliced (white and tender green parts only)
- 2 Quarts Water
- 1 T salt
- 4-6 Tablespoons Whipping Cream or 2-3 Tablespoons Butter (and this is why I won’t be able to cook Julia Child’s recipes too much)
- 2-3 Tablespoons Parsley or Chives
- Simmer vegetables, water and salt together, partially covered, 40-50 minutes until vegetables are tender.
- Mash the vegetables in the soup with a fork or use a rice mill. Per Julia Child, do not use a blender as it is decidedly “un-french” (Okay, I took liberties and decided to be “un-french” and used an immersion blender because a) I don’t like chunky soup, b) mashing with a fork seemed like way too much work, and c) I don’t even know what a rice mill is.
- Correct seasoning.
- Just before serving, stir in cream or butter by spoonfuls. Pour into a tureen or soup cups and decorate with the herbs.
