Dear Julia
I just want you to know that mum is still cooking like a mad woman from your book but she is rather busy getting ready for me so she hasn't posted anything for awhile. This doesn't mean that I haven't been ingesting a lot of French food as part of her master plan. To be honest, I don't mind the food, but sometimes she eats a lot of it and it makes it difficult for me to wriggle around. Don't worry, I still manage it, but sometimes not until dinner is over and mum is trying to get some sleep.
Now I probably won't remember all of the things that she has cooked over the last few months but there have been quite a few.
People also seem to get really excited about ham - mum and Memere made one that they braised in wine and served with a creamy mushroom sauce that was naughty but really yummy (Jambon Braise Morvandelle with Cream and Mushroom Sauce Version 1). Then she used the leftover ham and added tomatoes and capsicum and mushroom (Tranches de Jambon en Piperade), which dad loved. She also made brunch one day with Piperade an Omelette with ham, onions, peppers and tomatoes, followed up with Crepes Fine Sucrees. She made the Bear a Spinach Quiche - Quiche aux Epinards - without the pastry - that was delicious!
We have eaten a lot of lamb - mum finally gave in and cooked the stuffing with olives (Farce aux Olives), but instead of stuffing a leg of lamb she made it into lamburgers which dad loved. We also have had Lamb in cooked wine marinade (Marinade Cuite) and lamb in uncooked wine marinade (Marinade au Laurier). I think Mum is a bit tired of cooking lamb really well so I don't get sick but at least the marinade adds flavour.
Artichokes have been on the menu but they really are hard to eat and dad (Le Gourmand) complains a lot about that. I wouldn't say the Fonds D'Artichauts au Beurre or the Quartiers de Fonds d'Artichauts au Beurre have been great successes but it's good to try different things.
We have also had a lot of veal because it is the season apparently. The Escallopes de Veau Chasseur and the Cotes de Veau Aux Herbes have been really tasty plus she made Fricadelles de Veau Duxelles even though dad isn't the biggest mushroom fan.
We're still eating lots of vegetables but they don't seem to have as much cream and butter - the Carrotes a la Forestiere with mushrooms and artichokes were nice and light and the Champignons Sautes a la Bordelaise weren't super buttery. We did have asparagus with Sauce Maltaise (Orange Hollandaise) one night - dad loved that - and Cauliflower in Cream Sauce (Sauce a la Creme) with our roast lamb another night but mum hasn't cooked anything really crazy yet, like your baked cucumber or braised celery.
She did put celery in Supremes de Vollaile a l'Ecossaise but you could barely taste it, it was diced so finely. The curry sauce (Sauce au Cari) with baked chicken was really yummy and so was the tarragon sauce which we also had with chicken (Sauce Brune a l'Estragon). I also like it when she does Pork with sauce - the Sauce Moutarde a la Normande was really yummy.
My favourite is when she cooks dessert. She made your Biscuit au Beurre and decorated it with strawberries and cream - that was delicious! Even better was the Strawberry Tart (Tarte Aux Fraises) - a sweet pastry crust, filled with Creme Patissiere and covered with strawberries glazed with cranberry sauce, sugar and cointreau. We had that at a little party for the grand final where she made your cheese potato sticks (Bouchees Parmentier au Fromage), which were also great.
I think she's cooked a few other things but I just can't remember them - I know she keeps muttering about aspic but I think she is waiting until after I arrive for that.
Thanks for all the lovely recipes Julia
Love Bruce
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