I don't think it would be too hard to fall in love with Melissa.
1
This made me happy just reading it!
2
When I first married, in 1966, I was armed with two recipe cards from my mother. One was “spaghetti and meatballs,” the other “chicken soup.” My mom said “that will get you through the first two nights. After that, you’re on your own.” I was 18 years old and grew up with an exceptional international cook for a mother who made every dish from scratch as did her mother. I was young and spoiled by my good fortune and had not yet developed the intense interest in cooking which came a couple of years later.
French cooking became an obsession. I worked my way through Mastering the Art of French Cooking volumes 1 and 2, Craig Claiborne’s New York Times Cookbook—a gem—and at least fifty others which were in my much splattered library.
Tackling a dessert such as croquembouche or a perfectly delicious apple tarte were the challenges I’ve always loved.
Melissa —you have been a joy and an inspiration. I’ve always found your recipes and style a pleasure to follow. I miss the grand Thanksgivings for 25-30 people, and my grown children live quite far away. But I still cook for my husband most every night, and follow your guidance and expertise quite often. Thank you!
13
I had to call my MIL to figure out what the heck they meant by "faire revenir les oignons". (It means sautéing, bizarrely enough).
2
Too bad you only learned to cook in French. Plenty of other cultures have delicious food. The Germans have their torte and sauerbraten mit KartoffelKlase == just as delicious and difficult to make as Bouef B. The Czech have their Knelicky Zelli a Vetrova and Hoska and Kolaches (celebrated in Texas). Chinese is phenomenal as is Indian, the one I would like to learn.
Stuck in French, poor dear. (Sadly, NYC does not have as many decent, ethnic restaurants as before -- nor does anywhere since MacDo has taken over the world. No Café au Lait left in Paris - bad espresso and bad cappuccino. SAD. In fact, shocking... not sure the French cook French anymore.
PS the trick for great Boeuf B is a bottle of good wine and patience. It seems to get better aer a day or two in the fridge. The trick for great Knelicky (Czech bread dumplings) is King Arthur flour. Never underestimate the importance of ingredients. The trick for good soy sauce chicken is Chinese not Japanese soy sauce.
1
What an odd and condescending comment.
11
@Anna I grew up eating several different cuisines including Indian & Chinese.
I still love Indian beyond reason but while I do still eat a lot of Chinese food, I much prefer Vietnamese & Thai, even Taiwanese.
I can't wait to get this cookbook. Everything Melissa Clark makes is magic.
6
I received the cookbook last night. I own several of Ms. Clark's books; I think this will be my favorite. Almost every page was marked for must make dishes. There are so many delightful choices I don't know where to start. Thank you Melissa Clark!
6
What a charming column! I like the concept of "doing" something in another language. Cooking in French. Philosophizing in German. Drinking in Russian. Gardening in Japanese. Groovy idea!
10
I love that one commenter who quotes wildly unknown unheard-of ingredients or recipes only to disavow them saying they wouldn't even be in the same comment section with said item.
6
Tres Bien!
Some of the best vacation experiences are when you get lost! I love that your five year old self was aware of it!
7
lovely food writing. this is why I subscribe to the New York Times.
10
Ha ha! I spent serious time in France as a teenager and as an adult-- I never knew why Melissa Clark was my way favorite cook at NYT and now I do! Anyone who has even partially grown up eating real food in France has a built-in good food-o-meter. Melissa's recipes are invariably the yummiest!
9
I cut my teeth as a young line cook in the late 70's, under a master chef, cooking classic Escoffier French. Now, while that cuisine is so much less relevant, the lessons learned still live on in my cooking.
6
J'adore spatchcocked poulet extraordinaire!
2
I love that classic of French cuisine, Chicken Pollo.
1
Thanks for this reminder about how travel can truly broaden one's world.
5
An excellent article promising a re-armed revival of Gallic gastronomy.
As a pretend-chef learning how to cook food within ketogenic limits (no refined carbs, if any at all) I yearn to approach the wonderful French recipes for boeuf *.* with a dollop of those awesome, fat-infused sauces.
I am armed with all the butter and fat I can eat, a directive to include them, and eager to use them for caloric revenge.
I plan to remain in blissful ketosis, my weight continuing to plummet, born of my incursions into YouTube keto recipes. Somebody has to pioneer this.
6
When did she grow up in Brooklyn — she was waiting in long lines at DiFara’s in 1980s? Was living in Midwood at the time and don’t remember them. Just like you could go to Katz’s without tourist hordes. Good recipes though.
4
@Track Lars I never see real New Yorkers at Katz's.
1
Her parents were done with medical school in 1960, and she herself graduated college in 1990, so one can assume she grew up in the 70s and 80s. Weird of you to challenge this. Gatekeeping is so strange.
5
Dear Melissa: I am the cook in our house in Spain. I’m a “recipe cook”, not a chef, I understand most of the techniques and the concepts, but I FOLLOW the recipe....the first time. I’ll adjust later as needed, but my point is this: I do no create from scratch....”a blank page, a canvass,,..so many possibilities” George’s Seurat in Lapines’ (Stephen Sondheim’s)SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGES...is NOT me. I need a plan, a recipe, a concept, and then I’m very good. I find the majority of your recipes are exactly what my husband and I like to eat. Thank you for your talents, your obsession with France, your great re pies and your temperament. Please come spend some time in Spain and give us your jazz riff on our wonderful dishes. Many besos from the Costa Blanca.
11
arghh. must be nice to grow up rich. Like Giada whose family sent her to cordon bleu or anthony bourdain who grew up wealthy as well with connections to climb up the ladder of his world.
2
@Greg Jones There's "rich," and then there's people who save their money for travel, including solidly working class and middle class folks. No indicators here one way or the other. Why not spend your time not assuming the worst?
22
@Greg Jones
Your snark is not warranted sir. Ms. Clark is simply expressing a view regarding how one learns to cook, and correspondingly, how a particular notion of cooking can strike a chord with the person who is doing the cooking.
Life is not a competition. To be inspired to create, to take the chance to follow the path of someone else, that is what cooking is.
To those who only view life through the lens of "gosh you got all the breaks" it is a shallow, bitter existence indeed.
21
@Palmer and @WWD, I strongly disagree that there's anything wrong with Greg Jones's comment. It isn't snark or bitter to point the same thing that jumped out at me: the foundation of Ms. Clark's experience, and this piece, is her extremely good fortune to have been part of a family that could afford regular trips to Europe (with an extra goal of trying Michelin starred restaurants). This is so far beyond the realm of the possible for most people! I don't know how you define working class or middle class, but by the definitions I know, no amount of "saving" would permit middle class families with 2 kids to take routine trips like this. See, for example: https://www.marketplace.org/2016/07/14/middle-class-vacation-squeeze/.
That does not mean there's anything wrong with Ms. Clark's experiences, far from it! Just means this is an important element of the story that would have been nice to see acknowledged.
8
The Eastern European Jews who immigrated to France between the wars had a saying: "Heureux comme un Juif en France". No doubt gastronomy had something to do with it!
8
Just please stop speaking with your hands. Hands can not describe food. And your hands do not complement the words you chose to use when describing food. Doing so is being the Beto O’Rourke of the kitchen.
4
Love this article, and love Melissa’s recipes.
But Campari Olive Oil Cake sure sounds Italian, not French....
4
It would be great if we could get these recipes without paying more! Having a subscription to the NYT should include being able to see these recipes. Very frustrating indeed.
Ann Wheeler
23
@Tim if you download the nyt app apparently you can view recipes. Must subscribe first of course.
4
@Tim
Never had a problem, what are you talking about? Never paid extra to access the recipes. Are there tiered subscription levels?
If so, pay a few extra dollars a month and quit kvetching. Or look up the same recipe on a zillion websites, it's not like Melissa Clark is a 3 star Michelin chef or something.
7
@Ignatius J. Reilly
There is no extra charge if you are a subscriber. Only non-subscribers pay a fee.
2
Looking forward to an article how someone from France who became a cook discovered Ashkenazic cuisine on annual vacations in New York.
6
One of my favorite recipes is Chicken Poulet.
2
“First we get lost, then we have lunch.” Stunning. If I ever need a tattoo, now I know what to get.
18
I am reading "A Very Stable Genius," along with reports of the politicization of the U.S. response to the corona virus. It is exhausting.
What an incredible relief to read your wonderful account of early exposure to France, and things French. Thank you!
We've lived in France from time to time. Besides the glorious food, there's the pull from the darker knowledge that it could become a place of shelter when the MAGA Brown Shirts bring Kristallnacht to the Midwest.
11
Melissa Clark's column brings back memories for me too. The food I grew up eating in New York included glorious cuts of red meat and poultry. My father like my grandfather before him was in the meat business. I tasted every cut of meat and I can remember how mouthwatering the Italian sausages from my youth were. When I was 17 I went to a slaughterhouse and it was a "marvelous" experience because I watched hundreds of animals killed so that humans could eat them. I learned that this was "fantastic" because In killing animals humans would damage their own health and the health of the planet too. I became a vegetarian and then mostly vegan (I sneak a piece of fish twice a month). I am embarrassed that the NYTimes is promoting a 19th century diet like Melissa Clark's, when they know it causes health problems in humans and the destruction of planet earth. Columns like this are from a different time.
2
The first time I went to Paris, I was sent there by my boss, who had made a promise to a business partner which he didn't keep, and sent me to deliver the bad news. I was furious, and thought, oh, big deal, how much better can their food be, anyway (I was living in London at the time)? Well, our partner was pretty angry, but the food made up for it! And 9 times out of 10, when I see recipe in the NYT that makes me say, "Ooo, that looks good", it's one of Melissa Clark's.
9
I teach French in LA but the best class I have taught: cooking together in French! So my students will understand parfaitement your love for cooking and French food..! Www.frenchwithsimone.com
5
Melissa, you are my favorite food writer, and we share the same tastes for sure. Despite my admiration for you and what you bring to the world, I did find a line in this piece odd: that being the one about waiting in line at Difara pizza as a child. My brother moved to Midwood 25 odd years ago, and I remember very well the day he discovered Difara. I had suggested we go there while walking around one day looking for food, and he said that the place looked like a dump, so we went to another place that actually was a dump. About a week later he calls me to tell me that that pizza place made the best slice of pizza he had ever had. So for the next bunch of years, I would always make a point of getting Difara pizza from Dom whenever I was visiting my brother in NY (because he was right and Difara is sublime). Some years after that, Time Out NY rated Difara as the best pizza in NY and shortly after that the NYT wrote an article about the place. This is when the lines started. Prior to this I don’t remember seeing a line more than one or two people long, and these were always folks from the neighborhood. All of this happened long after Melissa had started her career... so I think my favorite food writer’s memories are a bit hazy. You’re still my favorite though Melissa!
2
@Ernie J'adore le pizza.
I love Monet-filled museums.
2
I live in France and French cuisine is one of the glories of the world. However, much as I love it, it should be acknowledged that French cuisine would be nothing if it not were for the influence of Italy. When Catherine de Medici married King Henry II, she brought all her Italian cooks, and they taught the French how to cook. This has been the basis of French cuisine to this day.
She also brought many of the most accomplished architects, woodworkers and artisans of northern Italy. She also brought well-known Italian musicians and dancers, insisting that her ladies of the court, and later, her fours sons, be trained in dance. Without her, French culture would not have evolved as it did.
23
Merci Melissa! I started visiting Paris 30 years ago, and, yes fell in love with Fr. Hard.
Back, in 78 I bought "from Julia Childs Kitchen" I was so young and had no fear, of failing at I cooked most of the book, (no movie deal came!) Julia taught me to cook. She said the only thing to fear is, fear itself, (FDR.)
I am now living in Paris 5 years, and re reading Elizabeth David's books, that I shipped here with several other books, It broke my heart to not be able to ship all my library , but with 150 plus volumes it was not practical.
I also brought, Richard Olney's "simple French food" and, Endless Feasts,Sixty Years of Gourmets Essays of Paris.
I applaud Malissa for keeping this craft alive,
My point is, the Paris of years past, is gone, and it's not coming back.
The cafe's and corner joints are gone or run by someone other than French, The food they put out for the most part is poubel. and its tres cher. There are
few places left being run by French, so coming here would be a treasure hunt, Living here, you discover by luck one or two places, but most places serve food that is re heated, made outside of Paris.
For the of us, who knew Paris back in the day we were so lucky, because the cities authenticity and quality of life are impaired as services and products mainly cater to tourists.
Made by foreigners.
Parisians, are leaving in droves, and I am leaving too, its heart breaking to see what has become of Paris.
Keep cooking and reading.
10
@MS I was horrified, in visiting Paris this past summer, to see the amount of graffiti all over everything--the beautiful buildings and bridges--just everywhere. Call it "street art" if you wish, but I hate it and think Paris should rethink its tolerance for it. Quel dommage!
4
The greatest challenge the American "chef" faces in cooking comme les Francais is not perfecting the technique so much as lacking ingrédients de qualité. Europeans, the French in particular, have high standards, that in America are considered organic or specialty foods. Local farmers and herders make all the difference in providing fresh elements.
22
@David Keys I love to cuisine and manger the food as well.
1
@David Keys So true David. I am a Frenchman who has been living in this country for almost 25 years. For the most part, the quality of the French food rests on the quality of the ingredients. These affordable high quality ingredients are not available to most Americans. And I insist on the affordable!
"Poulet de Bresse" does not exist here...
You must not have access to farmers markets. Parisians have told me our local chèvre is as good as or superior to most French chèvre, and our other local cheeses are fantastic. We have beautiful locally grown produce in season and some all year long now as well, and pasture-raised local meats. Although I can’t eat bread (celiac), we also have wonderful artisanal bakeries. We have local wine, cider and beer too and even local gin and vodka.
3
Melissa, I am in my 60's and some of my fondest childhood memories are those of helping my mother cook.When I was 10 years old she taught me how to make a good stock, braise meats and make the perfect Creme Caramel. I would come home from school and sit with Mom as she took copious notes while watching Julia Childs on TV. She had notebooks filled with recipes and techniques and was famous for her dinner parties. My father was a career Navy officer and we spent a lot of time in Italy. My dear mother would beg, cajole and sometimes pay famous chefs for their recipes. I'm so blessed to have learned from her as I am blessed to learn from you. Please teach your children how to cook and realize the joy of giving wonderful meals to family and friends!
30
I think it is a mistake to think of French food as one cuisine. Wonderful olive oil in a Provençal kitchen is replaced by butter in Normandy. But in the Dordogne it’s duck fat, which you won’t see much of in the Savoie.
I think English is the same. The language in Boston is so different than the English in the UK.
Brooklyn French? Oui.
19
I enjoyed this piece enormously. My heritage is similar - minus New York: Detroit, Paris, NY and still France every year. My mother learned her French cooking in France, so Julia Childs was a latecomer in her and my knowledge of French cooking. Learning excellent French along the way helped and I cook in French and with French cookbooks. But while Melissa Clark is inspired by French cuisine, her cooking is still very eclectic, American cooking with an infusion of Italy. It’s good but not anywhere near the home cooking I eat in France with my friends. Maybe speaking French provides that extra je-ne-sais-quoi!
7
@Ann Ilan Alter How do you know what Melissa Clark's cooking at home is? In the NYT she writes about a variety of cuisines, but the recipes she's shared here seem pretty French to me.
1
No, you don’t. I lived in France for 30 years and your recipes are not anywhere in the French pantheon.
The French cook without garlic ( maybe a clove in home cooking, depending on the dish,) or almost. They use lots of imagination in employing herbs and spices. No self-respecting French cook would put 3/4/5 cloves of garlic in a dish.
Chefs would hang their respective heads if garlic was the primary flavor in their food.
5
@Ex- ExPat what sort of non sense is that? Garlic is everywhere in french cooking. Every stew includes garlic and you always add raw garlic when roasting meat (lamb, chicken). Parsley and garlic are the base for escargots and frog legs. And then you have the sauces like aioli, rouille and pistou.
Garlic is definitely one of the key ingredient in french cooking and every household would have a few chunk.
43
@ Ex- ExPat Santa Fe
There are 11 régional variétés of garlic recognized in France plus the well-known sauce aïoli. No, the French use garlic neither for hanging its garlands in the kitchen nor for wearing them as Hawaian leis.
9
@Ex-ExPat. What on Earth are you talking about? Like you, I lived in France for many, many years. Garlic is a staple in every bonne femme's kitchen. Perhaps you lived in Paris though - Paris, Texas
6
I had an aunt who made ambitious meals that were outside our culinary heritage, even though I come from a family of excellent cooks. It’s great to be exposed to different cuisines when you are young. It teaches you to notice what is special about the food you grew up eating. And if you can marry that with a sense of adventure about food, well, I guess you end up with the broad food vocabulary of someone like Melissa Clark. Lovely!
8
I can't add anything more laudatory than the many wonderful comments here. Universal agreement, about France, and about the irresistible Melissa Clark. Here's another slant on it. My wife and I spent the month of June in France, mostly in the South, for over 20 years. It was the highlight of each year for us. One time, shortly after returning, a friend asked me -- I have to assume in all seriousness -- why we always go back to France. Oh, where to begin!!! Let's start with the French word, "restaurant", and then move to the word "cuisine". Next add the names Julia Child and, for me especially, MFK Fisher. Now, I'd have to add one more, Melissa Clark.
17
My parents never made it to France, but they did make it to New Orleans as newlyweds in the 1960s. They didn't have the money to eat like that all the time so they picked up Mastering the Art of French Cooking and learned how to cook together. I grew up on that food -- for my 4th birthday, I requested Beef Wellington for dinner! We ate very well at home, and traveled when we could to the great food cities of the US. So many wonderful memories.
25
I had a similar epiphany when visiting France for the first time. But for me, the most evocative reference in this piece was the mention of *Lundy Bros.*, where i learned to love seafood. And biscuits.
5
Ms. Clark has been my favorite food writer for years. Now I understand better why!
Thank you Ms. Clark for making me a better cook, and for introducing some of the most savory dishes that have emerged from my kitchen.
17
I have often commented and heard from Melissa when she shared with us readers true gems from her late father’s cellar. All French all outstanding and all mouthwatering. And I’m not sure gems is superlative enough. So not only did her parents imbue a love of Cuisine de France, they also blessed her with some of the world’s great wines from vintages long ago. Santé!
7
As is the pronunciation of the French language almost impossible for English speaking people, so is buying the right food and ingredients anywhere in the USA a daunting task. One can cook French as good as Melissa or Julia Child, but tasting French is quite a different matter.
3
@SFreud
If you ever visit the States again, come to the Finger Lakes in mid-late summer, anywhere between Ithaca and Rochester, NY. The farmer’s markets are over-flowing with local, fresh, often organic food of every kind: fruits and vegetables; meats, eggs, and locally produced tofu; dairy products including premium ice cream; grains and flours; honey and maple syrup; beer, wine and spirits. Seafood and fish is brought in overnight from Cape Cod. I know many of the farmers I buy from and even during this CV19 crisis, I can still get their products because their farms are nearby. I would never live anywhere else!
2
Thank you Melissa, you are an everyday presence in our kitchen, a source of inspiration. We came from families who loved to cook, my mother who went from mashed potato pancakes (her interpretation o latkes) with maple syrup to chili with grits; and my wife's Greek family duking it out over recipes for baklava and skorthalia.
May the force be with you!
5
It is a shame that being “ petite bourgeoisie” is the default for the American experience of France. Having lived in France for a reasonable potion of my adult life - food is about local ingredients and social presentation - invite your friends for a social event -dinner.
12
Most of the recipes I save from NYT Cooking (and cook, too) are your recipes Ms. Clark.
Amazingly good, always spot on, ingredients already in my fridge or cupboard. I so Thank You.
And recently you have been publishing more vegetarian dishes, which for me and my current health problems, are just the ticket. Thank You again!
One request?
Less fat. Less oil. Less butter. Your arteries, and mine, will be very grateful.
I can easily sautee onions and carrots using only water. I can use nut milks instead of cow's own. Many times I can use tofu or tempeh instead of chicken. But fat? Hard to sub that.
12
@c
Two words: olive oil.
1
@pmbrig
No fat = no oil.
I have one word that might explain it - endothelium.
So because you have dietary restrictions, Melissa Clark should stop putting fat in her recipes? No, thanks. YOU can figure out substitutions that work for you, and the rest of us will make our own choices in that regard.
Thanks for the memories, Melissa. I remember my first meal on French soil: agneau foetal. That’s right, fetal lamb. It was tender and delicious. The year was 1952, and after we drove away from the restaurant my dad told us what we’d enjoyed. Unlike children today who are slavishly taught to value each and every life, we savored the experience and looked forward to the next meal.
10
Thanks so very much, Melissa!
I can always depend on your recipes, especially your forgiving videos, to inspire and guide me!
"First we get lost and then we have lunch!"
Perfect!!
As with you and your dear parents, I was also moved by my trip to Paris, and my love of everything French, beginning I guess with my dad, a chef, who could make food sing, growing veggies in his back garden to use the freshest ingredients, years before it was popular, and continuing with my husband who loved good food he inspired me to cook!
Julia Child of course changed America forever! Thankfully, our supermarkets look so very different now with so many choices, as so many cook fresh and French!
And you, Melissa, are carrying us forward in this rich tradition!
By your choices, I could have guessed we share the same rich DNA. Though I cook more simply, the taste is there, as is the real happiness in the delicious result!
Merci bien, Melissa! Carry on!
11
What a delightful piece! What makes French food so good is that it is pursued - bought, prepared, and eaten - with passion so intense and pure that one would think one’s very life depended on it. Which ... it does. Ms Clark obviously shares this passion. As Jacques Pépin said, answering a question at a presentation to a small group several years ago, his favorite food might be a warm, crispy baguette slathered with good butter. How could that be wrong?
10
I did learn French, because I worked in Cote D'Ivoire. That was almost 20 years ago, and I don't have reason to speak it now. My lame attempt to use it is that I only use French recipes in French, often on websites Marmitton or Ricardo. I love them, because they're realistic. They give you an idea of the overall balance of things, rather than exact details to follow. Most important, they taste really good.
9
I've never been to France, but I will some day. Unfortunately, I haven't had the chance to try French food, but it's definitely something I aspire to. There aren't too many French restaurants where I'm from. I am fascinated by France for some reason. Maybe it was reading Camus and Sartre as a young adult or my early exposure to the Three Musketeers as a child. (It was one of the first books I was ever read.) I like the French sensibility. My friend is doing a podcast called The Siécle about French history. It's very interesting.
8
@David I hope your friend turns the accent the other way before podcasing. A small matter, but the French might get very upset.
5
@David
as soon as you can, do go!
You will never regret it.
1
A nice companion piece to Tom Steyer's on the establishment vs the working class and on the latter's dying of despair and poverty. Good to know that annual jaunts to France were so influential in instilling a deep appreciation for coq au vin in a stratum of American populace.
5
@David Just an FYI, but in my case, a deep appreciation for coq au vin (and cassoulet, among other classics) lead to annual jaunts to France, and L’Assiette in the 14th, in particular. Btw, I’ve voted for the people who would address the problem, but alas, it remains. What should I do, spend my vacation in some lame location in the Midwest? I think not.
8
@David Thanks for writing what I was thinking. After reading her tone-deaf bragging about having eaten at almost all the Michelin-starred restaurants, I hear tumbrels rolling faintly in the background.
2
@David
wanna bet Tom Steyer has been to France?
1
Melissa, I love your story! My Francophile mother celebrated my seventh birthday by taking me to a French restaurant for frog’s legs! (Where did she find one in deepest New Jersey?) and ultimately succeeded in persuading my southern army dad to request Paris (NATO) where we lived for four years (eating pain au chocolat for goutee at school and creme caramel and soupe de poisson as a matter of course). Life long impact for me and my own children who’ve been every year of their lives. Looking forward to your book with enthousiasme.
11
@Slc
We Brooklynites learned to eat frogs legs at Nathan's. 75 cents for a frog leg sandwich.
2
With all the posted words of praise for Ms. Clark, there is little need for me to jump in. Still. In our recipe rotation, there is a significant over-representation of her excellent dishes. Over the years, we have come to rely with certainty on her clarity and reliability when it comes to things like cooking times and temperatures. Also, we have special appreciation for the "generosity" of many of her recipes. One can transgress without a fear of imminent disaster. Recovery is possible. Her personality and skill are a gift to both intuitive cooks like my wife and the more prosaic ones like me. Thanks for providing so many good meals.
12
I was 16 my first time.
It. Changed. My. Life.
When I grew up my own Ashkenazi holiday cuisine was deeply enriched by my travels to France. And my everyday cooking has been deeply enriched by you, Melissa Clark. Thank you!
12
@Andrea you might be interested in Joan Nathan's cookbook, "Quiches, Kugel and Couscous, My Search for Jewish Cooking in France." She bridges the gap, or maybe connects the dots, between Ashkenazic (in some cases) and French cuisine. I assume that challah, for example, takes its origin from brioche, minus the milk. As a descendent of German-Alsatian Jews myself, I found myself nodding in recognition of my grandmother's cooking in Joan Nathan's recipes. You might as well.
13
@Ellen Tabor
I am!
In fact, I actually know and love Joan Nathan! I told her that her book, Jewish Cooking in America, had inspired me to have a Charoset tasting. I made at least 6 variations. She loved that idea and did just that at her next Passover Seder. I highly suggest that everyone try that at their Seder - it’s not only interesting - it’s delicious.
4
Je comprends bien.
My father was a lobbyist in DC during the late 1960s and into the 1970s when French cuisine reigned, prompted by the Kennedy family and Administration. Many a client were treated to dinner at Dominique's, Rive Gauche, La Nicoise, La Bagatelle, Chez Francois, etc. My mother, a very accomplished cook, would recreate some of those meals at home for numerous dinner parties, with the help of the Time-Life Foods of the World series and Julia Child.
These days, I go less less for classical French (quenelles en brochet or salmon and sorrel sauce) in favor of a French grandmother, especially during the colder months. Ah roast chicken with root vegetables or beef bourguignon. J'ai faim.
26
@ Chrisinauburn Alabama
In French cuisine, I would consider "roast chicken with root vegetables" a thoroughly proletarian, if not even cauchemardesque dish. But, no arguing about taste ...
Melissa, there's nothing to compare eating great dishes in Paris, Lyon, or Strasbourg etc. Nice piece, especially after I sounded off to NYT that somehow my paid digital subscription no longer allows access to your exceptionally creative and tasteful, simple dishes. Vive le France!
18
@CHARLES There's a way around it, most of the time.
Merci pour tout, madame Clark. There are many great cuisines in the world, but only one food country — France.
I'm sure Jim Harrison is smiling ear to ear up there, reading this (anything wonderful is possible there, right?).
3
@Denis Pelletier
Japan, Italy and Iran come to mind. Not to mention China, with incredible food from the many diverse provinces.
3
My parents took me to France when I was 20. One of the best things they ever did for me. Came home, bought some Crueset cookware and turned on Julia on the telly. Life has been so much richer.
19
I read every one of your articles, Ms. Clark. Everything you write about looks and sounds delicious. Maybe it's wishful thinking on my part, but did you happen to take a little side trip to Italy?
4
Ms. Clark,
I fail to understand why your article "Stocking Your Pantry, the Smart Way" admits no comments. There must be many readers, like myself, inflated by the Tolstoyan feeling "I cannot keep silent" (L.N. Tolstoy, 1908) on this important subject.
2
Bravo, Melissa.
6
The highlight of The NY Times for me in recent years was Melissa Clark’s cooking videos. The food always looked great and doable, and she was/is as sweet as sugar.
15
As an impoverished British university student in the late '70's I could only dream of going to France (something I have dealt with since, in spades!). But my paperback copy of Elizabeth David's French Provincial Cooking took me there, and cooking my way through it went a long way towards teaching me how to cook. The combination of watching my mother's good, basic technique, and Elizabeth's scolding did the trick. Same with Italian cooking later in my life – this time it was Marcella Hazan who scolded me into competence on the printed page.
6
Melissa this was my childhood too! Francophile parents who discovered French cuisine as young adults and worshipped Julia Child. I spent my summer holidays in the back of a French rental car driving though Burgundy, Provence, Alsace, Brittany, the Loire Valley, Haute Savoie... getting lost and having lunch. I was confronted by oysters and cowbrains, and learned a whole vocabulary of food alongside French. What followed was a lifetime of Francophilia, years living and studying in France and a graduate degree in French history. I still make my mother's leek and potato potage and boeuf bourguignon...Thank you for this piece. It brought back many sweet memories of my parents.
25
"First we get lost, then we have lunch." A better, more concise description of a perfect vacation is hared to imagine.
98
@AP18 And perhaps for life.
1
Melissa is a gift. I love her recipes and the delightful flavors and contrasts. Her technique is exceptional and by simply following directions a magnificent result is guaranteed. The biggest challenge for many of us who do not live in urban environments is ingredients. Fresh tarragon and other herbs can be difficult to find outside of cities and their suburb in winter. Crème fraîche can be in short supply here in sour cream territory (I use Greek yogurt mixed with heavy cream). I strongly suggest Melissa and the Times offer suggestions for some ingredients that are not easily obtained in many parts of America.
5
@Jim McGrath Crème fraîche is easy to make at home and small pots of herbs will grow well on a NEPA windowsill.
Goggle Harold McGee's NYTimes yogurt article for a good crème fraîche recipe.
@Jim McGrath Trader Joe's carries real crème fraîche, and a nice variety of French cheeses (and real chocolate too). We often meet other French people there!
4
@Glen
What is a NEPA windowsill?
Thanks!
1
What a lucky girl you were, and how lucky we are to have you share both your stories and your recipes. I always learn from you, Melissa.
I especially liked the memory of challah soaking up the coq au vin. My father was a master baker and we always had challah at home. My mother did a more ordinary roast chicken that was half braised (with onions and apple juice if I remember correctly) and we also had the challah to sop up the wonderful juices. Thanks for your memories and mine.
13
My French grandmother and her sister cooked for a club on Beacon Hill and for the Harvard Fellows weekly dinners, and I used to wash dishes at the Fellows dinners on Monday nights when I was in college. I got paid $5 for 2 hours' work, but the real benefit was being able to take home leftover Beef Wellington, sherry mousse, 3 or 4 ends of cheese, and a couple of partial bottles of burgundy. My grandmother used to speak English with a heavy French accent, and would often switch languages in mid-sentence. My mother became a French cook by osmosis. I absorbed a love of good food and of cooking that I treasure still in my 70s. My cooking palette has expanded to include Italian, Asian, and Mexican influences, but my early exposure to good food, bread, cheese, and wine is a part of my heritage that I treasure.
38
May thanks to Melissa Clark from whom I have learned so much,
especially the use of the sheet pan.
26
@RJ
are stainless steel pans better to use healthwise than aluminum?
1
Ms. Clark complains of her difficulties in mastering French. My humble advice is to read the historical novels of Alexandre Dumas père and practice the standard 18th-century French at book fairs. There, with a well-educated audience, one can say "Plaît-il ?" instead of "Pardon ?" and use the imperfect subjunctive.
4
Melissa Clark is a genius and brilliant food writer. She has brought much joy and happiness to my dinners with family and friends. I felt like a lost a friend when she stopped doing her weekly videos for the NYT. Melissa, please come back!
36
@Sonya yes, I miss her videos, too. By the way, Alison Roman, another NYT food writer, has cooking videos on Youtube and I like her easy style and her recipes as much as I like Melissa's.
3
Nice story, but now that I'm old and on meds I can't taste French food. Chinese for me. Too many spices for some, but different ones appeal to different age groups at the same table.
2
Try Indian food if you want a flavor wallop. Go easy on the spice if your tolerance isn't very high though
2
Great article. Campari Olive Cake sounds more Italian than French, non?
I was born and grew up in San Francisco in family with Italian roots, coming of age - food wise - when fruits and vegetables were seasonal, meaning you ate asparagus in the spring, not for Christmas. Across the street from us was a French couple, and what I learned was that country French and country Italian foods had more in common than not.
And isn't that melange of simple French-Italian foods, using the best local ingredients, what Alice Waters called California Cuisine?
19
Such a sweet remembrance and what wonderful times.
15
@ Pattie March 6
Agree with you fully. But, on the front photo, chicken again?!
Thank you for all the great recipes. You are highly skilled and innovative - I have learned so much from following your recipes over the years. This is definitely the highlight of my subscription to the NY Times. You mention "gray sel marin de Guérande" between your fingers yet a huge percentage of the recipes in the NY Times call for Kosher salt, often only for flavoring or seasoning. This is not just a technical issue as the quantity is often not even mentioned. Other sources often list "sea salt" or just "salt" in the ingredients but the NY Times seems to set an ethnic tilt. We are an eclectic group who subscribe and value these recipes therefore the salt we use should indeed hail from many sources, such as Guérande.
14
Melissa, your writing and your recipes, especially the ones that are accompanied by a video of you cooking, bring me so much joy. Thank you for the wonderful work you do.
74
I've been to France twice and only had one mediocre meal--in Paris! However, the rest were all delightful and I will gladly go again.
I can understand her instinctive shift to France in the kitchen. I shift to Southern Italy, courtesy of my grandmother who always thought I should eat more because I looked skinny.
Food, as someone said, is love on a plate. Whether for the ones you cook for or for the place that inspired the dish, I must agree.
38
I would pay a decent amount of my retirement fund to have dinner with Melissa Clark, as much for company as her cooking. I'm in love with her!
44
@Bobby New York
Congrats! Yours is only the second personal comment to Melissa Clark published in this section, if I am right. The preceding one was from a reader asking her whether she plans to give birth soon. My own earlier comment about a new ring on her finger was rejected twice.
5
@Bobby As am I! Sadly she lives in New York with a husband and daughter and I live in Oregon with a poodle. Plus I'm old enough to be her grandfather . . .
13
me, too.
Sounds like it was a wonderful family experience.
19
i got hooked on french cooking in the mid-70's when i went from being a busboy to a prep cook, working for a chef who had a Larousse gastronomique flopping around in the back seat of his car, along with notes on oeufs en gelee. in the late 70's i worked for a master french chef from canada and we made, every week, beef stock, veal stock, chicken stock, and fish stock. and then we made a palette of sauces and soups from them. nothing brings me back to that kitchen in vermont faster than the smell of bordelaise reduction and hot apricot glaze.
48
@david Was that at the RedRob inn in Killington?
2
@ Merryl Saylan Colorado
I understand well how Ms. Clark's culinary taste blossomed under the inluence of French cuisine loved by her parents, but I do not follow, where or how does Brokklyn come into this equation.
Bearing in mind that the article text becomes blocked on my screen a few seconds after I open it, I do not know whether the author mentions frog legs and ortolan bunting. I tried the former and am neutral to them. The latter, now illegal to sell in France, I would never touch for humanitarian and esthetic reasons. The birds are brutally fattened and consumed whole, except for the head, dripping fat, held in the fingers.
5
@Tuvw Xyz Ms. Fabricant says,"That merging of classic French cuisine and the food I grew up eating in Brooklyn is the foundation of how I approach cooking". Nuff said.
3
@ Rob D Rob D NJ
Sorry, not 'nuff for me. The connection between French food, be it haute cuisine or cuisine des petits-bourgeois, and Brooklyn, of all places, is not clear to me.
1
@Tuvw Xyz This is drawn from her new cookbook. Perhaps if you look inside the cookbook, your confusion might become clarity. I get the impression the book isn't just another French cookbook, but her own French and French-influenced recipes.
2
Thank you for this sweet little piece. I've always enjoyed your food columns and recipes, very accessible and encouraging. I come from New York to LA to Berkeley now to Colorado. The deli on Sunday, my family making ratatouille for Thanksgiving, cousins making baba au rhum in the 40's & 50's. Unfortunately, no trips to France except my cousin in WWII.
18