Several years ago I made my first cassoulet. It was a success, however, Christophe had the nerve to say that this was the first time I had ever really "cooked" for him. I mean, really! Give me a break!  I also quickly learned that if it doesn't have meat and starch involved, it isn't a meal in his book.  No quickie sandwiches for my man (although he is getting better about it).  Also - no eating with the hands, not even pizza or (gasp!) hamburgers.  What a strange (but nice) culture.

Even though both French and Americans love to eat, I must say that the French do it better. For them eating is not simply enjoying the food (pigging out on pizza and beer in front of the T.V.) - it involves enjoying conversation, the wine - the view - enjoying life. What surprises (and irritates) me most is that in spite of all this eating - you will rarely see an overweight French person. This probably is because their life style is much more active (they jog to subways whereas we only stroll to our driveways). In addition, French food, although rich, generally is more natural and contains less preservatives thus making it easier to digest and quickly converts to energy. The copious amounts of red wine probably don't hurt either! I've read it actually benefits blood circulation.

Meals in the countryside may take hours to consume. Even lunch in a crowded Parisian cafe my make most of us westerners glance at our watch a time or two. Relax! Enjoy the pace! We could all do with a little less stress and a few more good times. No?

Here's a link to my favorite on-line French Food store.  Try it!  Yumm!

Cassoulet of Love

Cassoulet is a famous French dish which is fairly easy to prepare. It is basically a rich, hearty stew of various meats, beans, fats and herbs. The following recipe is my favorite for cooking at home. Try it!  It's DE-LI-CIOUS!

1 lb white navy beans
1 small duck - cut into 8 serving pieces
1/2 lb pork stew meat
1/2 lb lamb stew meat
2 medium onions - diced
1/4 slab of bacon - cut into 3/4" cubes
2 tb minced garlic
1/2 lb spicy pork sausage
2 c water
2 c red wine
12 black peppercorns
2 sprigs thyme (or 2 tb dried)
4 bay leaves
1 tb dried fennel
1 small sprig rosemary (or 1 tb dried)
10 oz love!

Place the beans in cold water and soak overnight. The next day, place a heavy pot (like a turkey roaster) over two burners on the stove over medium heat and cook the duck pieces on both sides to render some of the fat. This takes about 15 minutes total. Remove the duck and set aside. Increase heat to high and add the pork. Brown well, remove from the pot and set aside. Brown the lamb. Remove and set aside. Preheat oven to 300F. Pour off and discard most of the fat, leaving just about 3 tablespoons in the pot. Lower heat to medium and add the onions. Cook, stirring until onions soften, about 7 minutes. Add drained beans, bacon, garlic and herbs and replace the duck, pork and lamb. Add the water and wine, cover and place in the oven for two hours. Add the sausages and salt as desired. Replace in the oven another hour.

Tip: What's the key to a fantastic cassoulet? Drink plenty of red wine while making it, and don't forget to respond only in French when someone asks if it's ready yet! Bon appetite!