Another amazing French meal tonight. <3
Steak au poivre, Ratatouille (cue the movie soundtrack), Veggie Nicoise Salad, and for dessert, bread pudding with cream sauce (okay, I don’t think this is intrinsically French but it was made with baguettes, so…). We started this feast at six but then I had to go to a meeting, so I wasn’t able to get to the steaks. I told my sweet family to go ahead, grill their steaks and eat.
By the time I got home at nine, I wasn’t sure it was worth waiting for my steak to sit in room temperature for an hour and making a mess in the kitchen again. Oh. My. Steak.
Yes, yes it was. This is, no doubt, one of the best steaks I’ve ever cooked on the stove (or anywhere) in my life. So juicy, tender and flavorful. I might be reluctant to grill steaks again. The recipe called for cognac, which I did not use, so I wasn’t sure how it would turn out. No worries.
The Ratatouille was a lot of work but with a mandolin (how did I ever get by without one??) and my youngest’s help, it turned out so pretty. (Don’t you think??) So did the Nicoise Salad, which my hubby made all by himself (ha ha, the things I rope him to do).
I had some stale French baguette slices, thus the bread pudding…which was absolutely yummy even with (or maybe because of) the sauce sitting on it for a good hour until I could finally get to it.
The past few months of cooking has been so much fun. I cook instinctively now with a splash of garlic–always garlic!–here, other spices in new combinations–just noting how food looks and reacts and tastes. What a joy! And of course that first bite…mmm.
Someone asked how am I not getting fat off these good foods? I have no idea! Well, maybe because I haven’t been doing processed foods of late…?
I am thinking these experiences will eventually make it into a book, but my hubby says even if they don’t, the great food has been the payoff. He’s the sweetest.
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