...And We're Off!

I'm blogging!

Now is as good a time as any to start, as I just made an attempt last night (or all day yesterday, should I say) at Julia Child's recipe for Boeuf Bourguignon last night. If you have no idea what this entails (like me yesterday morning), then it's definitely worth looking up the recipe. That's a laugh. By far it was the most complex and difficult thing I have ever attempted, and thank God it was one of the most delicious as well. Nothing like the pressure of company coming for dinner to break out the big guns.

So I had never purchased a hunk of red meat this large before, so it had to be documented. I have to admit that after cutting it up into 2 inch cubes and browning it in bacon fat, I considered tossing out the whole plan and just chowing down with a big glass of Boujelais right then and there. But somehow, I made it through the next billion steps. Then there was the onions in butter and beef broth which caused me to ingest almost pure fat by the spoonful because the smell was irresistable.

Believe it or not, I actually finished it all before the guests arrived with enough spare time to whip up some creme brulee for everybody. I didn't get any photos of the finished products, but maybe I'll post some pics of the leftovers I'm going to eat for lunch? It's not the most beautiful dish you've ever seen...

The verdict? Well my boyfriend Jeremy and I loved it, but I'm not sure our guests could distinguish it from any other beef stew. Lesson learned: invite an equally as crazy foodie over for dinner next time I make this dish.

I'm trying to branch out a bit with the ingredients I buy so I learn to cook new things, especially vegetables. I braised some Rainbow Chard I bought for the first time this week, and it was a pretty exciting new addition to my repetoire. It's pretty! Next on the list... Belgian Endives.

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