Tag: Virtual Test Kitchen

 April 7, 2020

Because I’ve asked you to join me in my Virtual Test Kitchen, I thought I would give you a little background on why I have written my last four books. Also, why these particular recipes for the upcoming book, are important and need to be correct. These are the recipes of which I was carefully entrusted—batter splattered, grease spotted recipe cards—which needed translation and transcription from metric into our standard of measurements—but, beloved all the same.

What are your family’s favorite recipes?  What holidays and traditions do you enjoy celebrating together? What brings your family to the table? These are some of the interview questions I asked while traveling through both France and Italy. I was searching for the ‘recipe’ to understanding family connectedness. As a retired family therapist, I knew that family was important to European families, but I didn’t know how or why it was different from what I’ve known in the States. What I learned was that, within many European cultures, family is central; they are most important; they are the glue to their society. But, the reason for this is not apparent. It is, I discovered, because of generations past having suffered terrible losses during, not one, but two world wars on their own doorsteps. Yes, its been seventy-five years since the end of World War II, but time collapses when the elders speak. And the message they handed down was that too many losses within families were suffered and too much tragedy was experienced not to appreciate the importance and celebration of family. Today, and every day.

So, in this time of COVID-19, as we sit with our families around the table tonight—or call them, or FaceTime with them from afar—we, too, recognize the importance of family. As our own holidays arise, we honor them with our own family recipes. We remember times of holidays past and recognize the importance of those moments—as we set about recreating those precious moments when we can all be together again.

Celebrate with the family you have with you—celebrate in the way that you can—go to the kitchen and whip up one of your own family favorites and rejoice!

 * * * * * *

We are now in Week Four of the virtual testing process, and I am happy to share with you some of the photos I’ve recently received. But, first, I want to thank each of you for the time and thoughtful effort you gave to the recipes you took on. And, thank you for your great notes and photos. This has been an immense and collaborative effort!

Andrew Smith’s – French Onion Soup

Barbara Artson’s – Moroccan Chicken Stew

Paula Cuneo’s – Moroccan Chicken Stew

David Nack’s Scallops

Tina Heffernan’s – Moroccan Chicken Stew

Leslie Nack’s French Onion Soup

Pam Copeland’s Pomme de Terre Pie

Pauline Jone’s Kouign Amann – Breton Butter Cake

Geri Rypkema’s Pomme de Terre Pie

I received my Advance Readers Copies (ARCs) this week! A celebration was had!

(Now available for pre-order)

Dear One and All,
 
It has been just over a week since I sent out the first call for volunteers to assist with my French recipes. At that moment in time, a few had been encouraged to shelter-in-place. So, who would have guessed that the whole nation would go on ‘lock-down’ and many would be searching for creative ways to use their time?
 
I must say, I have received an outpouring of requests. And, it has been an absolute delight to hear from friends—old and new—from across the country and even from across the ‘pond.’ Some have enlisted their friends to join in on the fun, so, as you can imagine, I’m very gratified. 

I now have well over forty ‘testers’, have sent out over eighty-one recipes and I am still receiving requests.  I feel as long as people are enjoying this experiment, I’m all for continuing on. I will not need the results/feedback for at least another month. 

Moroccan Chicken Stew (Lisa Meltzer Penn) 

I’ve also requested photos of your finished dishes. Some of you have already seen gorgeous results. But, other recipes leave us wondering if we prepared it correctly. What were we to expect? Take the Teurgoule or rice pudding recipe. Karyn (who is in this new book and lives in France) offered this week to prepare her great-grandmother’s recipe for us. (See photo below.)  This is quite an ancient recipe, so measurements and ingredients from the original Norman recipe may have been changed.  I believe the original recipe arose out of another environmental crisis of sorts – a famine.  In the late 1700s, the Normans experienced a drought; their wheat crop was decimated. In order to help feed his people, it has been said that the French King arranged for rice to be delivered to the Normans.  But, no one in the North had tasted rice or knew how to cook it.  It was the king’s chef, who created this very recipe and it has long been hailed as the dessert that saved the French.
 

Teurgoule – Rice Pudding (Karyn Foucher)

So, the recipes I have chosen for this upcoming book were handed down through the generations by the generous French men and women I came to know in France. The recipes are old, regional, seasonal, local, and simple. This is known as ‘cuisine pauvre‘ or peasant cooking.  (You’ll find this to be true in Book One of this same book series.  Check it out.)
           
So, when collecting ingredients to test these recipes, consider where they came from. Most are from northern France, so expect to search for very rich cream, cheeses, milks, and wonderful hard ciders.  Some recipes are from the seas around Brittany, and have no flamboyant flavors like those more prominently found in the south, or Provence. And, if they are heavily spiced, know that cultural influences from French colonies have made them so. So, do as anyone would do under these circumstances, substitute ingredients if/as necessary. Have fun with your own creations. And take notes.

Your questions for more information have been helpful. Your feedback, quite useful. Thank you so much for stepping up to the stove with me. I hope you continue to enjoy this new way of connecting in a world in the throes of a pandemic. 
  

  (Now available for pre-order)

March 14, 2020 – Pi Day or Pie Day

Now, that we are all “hunkered” down on the home front avoiding the mongering hordes, I’m wondering if you might be interested in participating in my virtual test kitchen? 

Following, you will find the name of nineteen recipes I would like “tested” for my upcoming book.  Like to participate?  Just choose one or two recipes, send me your request in an email (carole@carolebumpus.com) and I’ll send you a copy of the recipe(s).  What I would like to know is: how easy or hard was the recipe for you?  Do you have questions about ingredients? Did you find some things you would like changed?  I will need your results and responses within the next 30 days or April 14, 2020.

Now, did you have fun in the kitchen testing these French regional recipes?  Great!  I’ll be in my kitchen doing the same.  And, thank you for stepping up to the stove with me.  Bon Appetit!

RECIPES FROM MY UPCOMING BOOK, SEARCHING FOR FAMILY AND TRADITIONS AT THE FRENCH TABLE, BOOK TWO

RECIPES FROM THE NORD-PAS-DE-CALAIS REGION:

POTJEVLESH – ‘MEAT POT’ – a terrine of three meats roasted together with wine, herbs, onion, shallots, garlic . . . but no beer.  But recommended to be eaten with a good Flemish or Belgian-style beer. From French friend, Veronique Gindre

FRENCH ONION SOUP – SOUPE à L’OIGNON GRATINÉE – traditional French onion soup from a 70-year-old family recipe. – From new Brit friend who now lives in France, Janine Marsh – The Good Life France

RECIPES FROM NORMANDY:

SEA SCALLOPS BAKED IN SHELL with MUSHROOMS & BÉCHAMEL SAUCE – recipe from a good French friend, Karyn Foucher, who taught me wonderful tricks

MOROCCAN CHICKEN SOUP – (HARIRA) – wonderful rich soup from a French woman who lives in Normandy now, but lived in Algeria for thirty years and brought this wonderful treat back to France.  *Possibly with a Preserved Lemon, thrown into the mix.

POISSON SOUPE – FISH SOUP – lovely rich soup with seafood, mussels, scallops, rich cream, white wine, herbs – oh my!

TARTE TATIN with CALVADOS – an apple pie wrapped in puff pastry with the essence of Normandy, Calvados liqueur.

TEURGOULE – Five Generations of Rice Pudding – an ancient recipe from the 1700s handed down to us through Patrick Foisnard, chef near Mont St. Michel, and from the grandmothers of good friend, Karyn Foucher

ANDOUILLE DE VIRE – Andouille Sausage (from Normandy) with Mashed Potatoes and Apple Cider Sauce – from Guy Barreaux, Manoir de la Roche, near Mont St. Michel.

RECIPES FROM BRITTANY:

PORK TENDERLOIN with APPLES and (More) Calvados – recipe from restaurant in Quimper

GUINEA HEN in CIDER – PINTADE au CIDRE – recipe rescued from a restaurant near Damgan – and with friend, Mimi.

KOUIGN AMANN – BRETON BUTTER CAKE – classic cake from the grandmothers of Mimi – Damgan

COTRIADE d’ARMOR – FISH STEW – Brittany’s answer to Bouillabaisse– hails from Vannes on the Armorican Bay (the name given in ancient times to the part of Gaul)

RECIPES FROM THE LOIRE VALLEY

TRUFFLE-INFUSED SCRAMBLED EGGS – must have access to a fresh truffle – from the Truffle Farm outside Richelieu – Mme. Garlandau

POTAGE with MUSHROOMS, FOIE GRAS, CRÈME FRAÎCHE and TRUFFLES – SOUP WITH MUSHROOMS, FOIE GRAS, CRÈME FRAÎCHES and TRUFFLES – Recipe is from Bocuse, Giscard d’Estaing’s presidential chef.  Must have access to two full foie gras, and whole truffles.  Exceedingly rich, yet most of these ingredients are farm fresh.

ESCARGOTS in GARLIC BUTTER for ESCARGOTS FESTIVAL – adapted recipe from Recipes for Redemption: A Companion Cookbook to A Cup of Redemption – Josiane’s brother’s recipe

CANARD AUX PÊCHES – DUCK WITH PEACHES – recipe from Mme. de Bonneval from the Chateau de Thalmiers

RECIPES FROM THE AUVERGNE

ROASTED CHICKEN (Capon) – from the farmhouse of Jeannine Pourrez and adapted from Antoine Gilly’s Feast of France

PATÉ DE POMME DE TERRE – basic potato-meat pie – Marcelle Zabé and Jeannine Pourrez – favorite family recipe

TOURTE de VIANDE AUVERGNE – is a traditional yet elaborate meat pie with pâté brissée (pie dough) base and a puff pastry top which is baked. – Marie Plouffe, friend to Marcelle

Who knows?  Maybe your name will appear in the acknowledgements
of this book, as one of my testers.  Sound good?

(Now available for pre-order)