Inspired by the movie Julia and Julia and my wife and I having resided for many years just a stone’s throw from Julia Child’s Cambridge home, Rosalee, ordered the original Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Louise Bertholle and Simone Beck.  The book, which used to be in a single large volume is now in a set of two.  Armed with proper cookware and ingredients gathered, she set out on preparing Julia’s storied Boeuf Bourguignon.  This is as authentic a French dish as you could prepare, a hearty beef stew in red wine with bacon, onions and mushrooms.  Rather than recite the recipe here, it is very easy to resource it on line.  Searching for Julia Child Boeuf Bourguigon will bring up several sites detailing the recipe. 

As you might imagine, this is not one of those throw together, last minute dishes that I so often share in this segment. The preparation is a bit time consuming, requires careful attention and in all, from start to plate ready, takes about 4 and ½ hours time.  Trust me when I tell you that the time and effort spent (by my wife) yielded an over the top, savory dish with beefy and bacon aromas that seemed to fill every nook and cranny of the house.  This is a dish that’s made for our winter season and coupled with a roaring fire, sets the stage for a cozy evening at home.  Best yet, Julia’s recipe is for six.  With three at the table, the next serving for three (now freezer bound) will truly make a Dinner Tonight meal.  So where did we go for a wine?