The begining

Men, men, men. What crazy creatures they are. How can something so simple be simultaneously so complex? I suspect there is a secret ingredient to understand all this madness. Food. When something goes wrong, whether it be too much oil in a dressing, or too many phone calls to a man, the end result is still the same. It just doesn’t work. I cooked up this concept in culinary school. I could apply food analogies to life situations. Each time the recipe is made, it can be altered until it is perfected. People should to take care in measuring the ingredients in both their lives and their dishes. Balance is what we seek in food, ourselves and our relationship. When people are careless about their calculations, the sauce fails to emulsify. That goes for courses too. If you eat heavy food at every course, well, you aren’t going to have room for dessert, are ya?

The Mother Sauces

Béchamel, based on milk, thickened with a white roux.

Espagnole, based on brown stock (usually veal), thickened with a brown roux.

Velouté, based on a white stock, thickened with a blonde roux.

Allemande, based on velouté sauce, is thickened with egg yolks and heavy cream.


When it comes to French cooking, it all began with the mother sauces. Back in the 19th century Antonin Carême came up with four basic ones. Béchamel, Espagnole, Veloute and Allemende. These four were and are the foundation for every French recipe. They are so simple and basic, but we couldn’t create an extravagant French dish without them. In the 20th Century Auguste Escoffier came in to simplify and decided we couldn’t live without two more, tomato and emulsified sauces, such as mayo and hollandaise. To know the mother sauces, is to have an in depth understanding of food beyond the norm. It gives us the freedom of crafting our own miracles. To possess this knowledge is to no longer be stuck in a recipe following box.. The transcendentalist believed true satisfaction can only be experienced by having a hand in every process. So to be authentically satisfied with your cup of coffee, for example, you would have to grow the beans, pick and roast them, grind and brew them all yourself in a vessel you have crafted all on your own. To reach that sense of true perfection and atonement comes from understanding how you got to where you are. Is that why foodies believe store bought cheat food is the anti-Christ? Because you don’t get to go through the full range of emotion when creating dish. Considering eating is something we take time out of our day to do, why not make it as satiating as possible? Why do we rush it? The French take six hour lunches with wine and endless courses…. Do they have it right? Are we a culture that rushes something that is not only beautiful and artistic, but essential?

Béchamel has to be my favorite sauce. With it’s rich and creamy attributes, it leaves so much to be created and append upon. Whether it is a savory gravy for your southern fried chicken, or a spicy and dazzling spinach dip. You can always start with Béchamel. My very favorite part of lasagna is when I take a bite and taste the range of different levels, textures and spice. First I taste the herbs and spices, then I travel to the land of a sharp and exquisite acid and salt. Then when I am searching my senses to organize these vehement flavors, I find my béchamel. It allows me to truly understand all the rest, while creating a level of delectation. It allows my taste buds to balance the emotion food gives me. It makes it creamy and gives it a level of depth. In an instant something as simple as lasagna has thrown me into enigma. That’s what great food does for me. It takes over. Every thought in my head vanishes all in the name of the orgasmic flavors I‘m experiencing. It’s something I don’t have control over. Food changes me. If I eat something so amazing, something that I would have never imagined the depth of the contrasting flavors, I am forever altered. The best food leaves you speechless. Without the ability to critique or comment. What other form of art excites all your senses the way food does? My immediate way of rating food is instantly measured by my nod. Sounds ridiculous, but it’s true. When I take a bite of something so delicious and delectable I can’t help but dance a little jig. It comes in waves of uncontrollable bouncing. The flavors take over my mind, body and soul.

Bechamel:

Ingredients
5 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups milk
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Directions
In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium-low heat until melted. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Over medium heat, cook until the mixture turns a light, golden sandy color, about 6 to 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a separate pan until just about to boil. Add the hot milk to the butter mixture 1 cup at a time, whisking continuously until very smooth. Bring to a boil. Cook 10 minutes, stirring constantly, then remove from heat. Season with salt and nutmeg, and set aside until ready to use.

Espagnole:

Ingredients
1 gallon brown stock, hot
1 1/2 cups brown roux
1/4 cup bacon fat
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup tomato puree
1 bouquet garni
Directions
In a stock pot, whisk the hot stock into the roux. In a large saute pan, heat the bacon fat. Add the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until wilted, about 5 minutes. Stir the tomato puree into the vegetables and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the tomato/vegetable mixture to the stock/roux mixture. Add the bouquet garni and continue to simmer, skimming as needed. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer the sauce for about 45 minutes. Strain the sauce through a China cap.

Velouté:

Ingredients
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. flour
1 qt. chicken stock
1 tsp. salt, unless chicken stock is salty

Make a roux by cooking together the butter and flour. Add the chicken stock gradually, stirring constantly. Allow to cook slowly, simmering over low heat for 1 hour. Skim the butter which has risen to the top during cooking. Strain through a cheesecloth and season to taste.


Allemande:
Ingredients
1 pint white stock
6 mushrooms
Yolks of 3 eggs
Juice of½ a lemon, and a little strip of the rind
1 saltspoonful salt
1 teaspoon flour
1 teaspoon minced parsley
1 spoonful butter

Directions
Put the stock into a saucepan with the mushrooms cut small, and the salt, lemon-peel, and parsley. Let it come to a boil and simmer slowly for an hour. Thicken with the flour, boil a few minutes, and strain. Add the well-beaten yolks of the eggs, put it back on the fire, and stir constantly until very hot. It must not boil again after the eggs are added, or it will be spoiled. Take from the fire and add the butter and lemon juice, stirring until well blended.
Serve with either fish, meat, or vegetablest here...