It has finally begun to look like winter around here! Some white, fluffy stuff decided to show its face and stick around a while accompanied by some frigid temps…but it’s about time if you ask me! There’s something about the long, cold nights that are just perfect for spending quality time in the kitchen. Time for preparing warm and hearty meals that not only taste delicious but make your home smell heavenly in the process! We did just that the other evening…while the winter winds were blowing we were having some culinary fun in the kitchen preparing a meal I’ve always wanted to try! The inspiration for this dish came directly from watching one of my most favorite flicks that I’ve mentioned before–Julie & Julia. My husband was very selfless in actually agreeing with my suggestion for our movie night choice…even though I’ve seen it countless times and was quite certain he would think I was joking! But watch it we did and realized that neither of us had ever attempted to make the famous beef bourguignon that is described with a single word…yum! It’s kind of funny that we never attempted this meal before now since we both enjoy cooking! my husband is definitely the better chef of the two of us but on occasion I can be a decent contender! And since he was born in Paris, living there twice during his younger years abroad, he grew up fully appreciating the diverse cuisine and discovering his love for creating in the kitchen…which TOTALLY benefits the entire family! (we all love to eat!) So even though it was new to us both, Sunday night’s dinner consisted of this traditional dish which we were hopeful wouldn’t disappoint…and it didn’t! Even though it may not be a good choice for a quick meal, we will definitely be making this one again, and again, and again. Whether you decide on beef bourguignon or some other wonderful recipe, whether you’re an experienced cook or have mastered the art of serving up prepared meals, whether you create something solo, with the whole family, or invite friends to join in on the fun…spend an evening in the kitchen!
guaranteed to feed the soul!
my favorite thing about preparing a meal with my family is that it requires us to all be in one room at the same time! no cell phones and other distractions…just the common goal of making a delicious meal! not to mention that it helps teach the boys a thing or two about cooking…which WILL come in handy later in life! the other best thing…kind of like sitting around the table, it brings us together and creates the opportunity for conversation! and other than following a recipe, there’s no real guideline for how you cook. no right or wrong, no dress code, no proper etiquette…just whatever and however it works for you! i like to be semi organized with my ingredients and like to begin with a clean kitchen…but i DON’T feel compelled to clean as i go and create a larger-than-life mess in my sink! but, who cares? i can shut the kitchen door and worry about it later! so while my husband shopped for the beef the rest of us measured out the seasonings and chopped the veggies so we could begin…
i love to keep a stack of small bowls (most purchased from the grocery store) to measure out spices. when things are pre-measured it makes it easier when you have multiple chefs in the kitchen!
we followed the recipe in Julia Child’s book~Mastering the Art of French Cooking…you can google the recipe if you don’t want to purchase the book and there are many adaptations of the original online. we really wanted to make hers to see if the yum-factor was true! and it was. not sure how it couldn’t be with such simple and true ingredients…
thick-cut bacon…
beef–patted dry so it will brown properly…
adorable onions…
seasoning wrapped in a bundle of cheese cloth…
so fun to simmer this little pouch that flavored those tiny onions making it practically impossible not to lift the lid and steal a few!
and the meat browning in the bacon fat not only had our mouths watering but our pup was a permanent fixture in the kitchen for the rest of the day!
wish you could smell it…
and after simmering in a bath of beef stock and almost an entire bottle of wine…
this was the result…
a meal that was equally as much fun to create together as it was to eat! Julia Child’s Beef Bourguignon…definitely described with a single word…