One of the things that really appeals to me about "The New Making of a Cook" is the chapter on sauces. Ever since I have learned that they exist, I have wanted to learn how to make the "mother sauces." This first one took quite a long time, but the results were very delicious. The chapter we worked from, "A Multinational Society: Sauces from All Over the World," has a long introduction. It talks about Roman Sauces, Sauces in the Middle Ages, The Renaissance and the Italian Connection, and The Emergence of French Sauces. Next, we get into French and Western Sauces in the Twentieth Century. Just before the actual recipe we tried, the book recommends that you read pages 268-275 so as to become familiar with "the theory of starch- and flour-bound sauces." I read these pages and it was quite helpful. Basic Velouté printable recipe FFR - 2 1/2 quarts medium texture 1 cup butter, preferably unsalted 1 cup unsifted unbleach...
The next chapter of recipes in our book, "The New Making of a Cook," is called "Happy Marriages: Vegetable Broths, Meat Stocks and Consommés, and All Types of Mixed Vegetable and Meat Soups." That is a long title! The chapter has lots of great explanations about the differences between broths, stocks, and consommés. I was interested in learning about our first recipe, however, and there was a long introduction to that. "Les Halles" refers to "the central market of Paris, now transferred to the modern functional market of Rungis." Apparently, the soup is served in bistros all throughout Paris and especially enjoyed after a night on the town. Les Halles French Onion Soup printable recipe FFR to FCR - 6 servings 3 tablespoons unsalted butter or 2 tablespoons olive oil 6 very large yellow onions, thinly sliced 1 cup dry white wine (optional) 6 cups cold water Small bouquet garni of parsley stems, 1 bay leaf, and 1 spr...