Cordon Bleu

Forty-five years of patience and hard-work but here I am: I've been admitted into our family's culinary hall of fame.

This is a tiny but exclusive matrilineal society which includes my great grandmother Marguerite, my grandmother Marguerite, my mom Monique Marguerite and now me (just guess what my middle name is?)

Admission into the society is both arduous and elusive. Our women are possessive about their kitchens, secretive with their recipes and notoriously closed to advice.  The cook is in charge, you don't mess with the cook.  You might dice a carrot according to instructions, but you may neither taste her sauces nor comment on her seasoning.

But mom (who was in charge) agreed to my assistance this Christmas eve.  The guests were about to arrive and the bechamel sauce was refusing to thicken. 

"It's that American butter," said my mom.  "And that flour!  You just look at it and it clumps!"

Dad who suggested I be brought in as a semi-foreign consultant.  "Let Marie help you," he said.  "She's been here a long time, she might know what to do."  I did.  I started the bechamel using the old jar method that my friend Deborah had shown me long ago: put one tablespoon of flour in a jar with water, shake well and use as a fool-proof starter for sauces and gravy.  Works every time for godawful American gravy, should be o.k. for French sauces right? 

Once the bechamel took, mom and I worked on the seasoning together.  I grounded the pepper, she added the splash of calvados.  She tasted.  I stired.  She tasted dome more.  I stirred more.  We debated the timing of roasting apples for the chestnut-filled turkey.  I demonstrated the use of my cool American broiler to "au-gratin" the ramequins of Coquilles St. Jacques.   She lavished more calvados on the roasted apples.

We toasted with champagne.

Dad took a pic for posterity.

Comments

[Alan Corkett]

I recognise Monique from the 27/12/08 pic. taken in the kitchen. I have posted a pic on my home page with Christine (wife) and Ruth (dau) at the table with Cris (dau's partner).

[Alan Corkett]

I recognise Monique from the pic in the kitchen! Alan