Giuseppepaolo

\ When it's cold and rainy (a rare occasion here in Los Angeles) you have to take advantage of it and make yourself a good pot of soup! Some of my most favorite soups can be found in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking Cookbooks, both volumes one and two. I haven't made one I didn't love.  True to Julia's style, there are a few steps. They are not hard steps but are worth it.  Very much so.  I did one thing differently. I added dill. I didn't have fresh dill on hand so I used a pretty amazing spice blend by WildTree called Dill Dip Blend . It does make a fantastically addicting dip but is equally delicious as a seasoning.  Celery Soup with Potatoes, Leeks and Dill Inspired by Julia Child Celery and Leeks 3 cups sliced celery 2 Leeks, white parts only, sliced or 1 1/4 cups sliced onion 1/4 tsp salt 3 TB butter 4 cups broth, chicken or vegetable 1/3 cup uncooked white rice 3 tsp WildTree Dill Dip Blend Potatoes 3 cups potatoes, peeled and chopped 2 c...

Leave it to Julia Child to make ground beef sound special! Or maybe it's just the French language. But since my introduction to this dish was from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, I'll give Julia the credit. My trip to the Hollywood Farmers Market over the weekend was different than most. I was not zoned in on vegetables. My mission was to check out raw milk and grass fed beef. With all the scares and concerns out there, I really wanted to do some research and see what my doable options were. The opinions and concerns out there are all very real on various levels. I personally think its a crime shame that eating healthy (ie: organic, grass fed, free range, etc etc) is so expensive. I still don't understand how pesticides, antibiotics, hormones and such can be less expensive than growing the product the way it's meant to be....as is. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. I'll leave it at that. I found some wonderful pasture-grazed ground beef for about $5....

Yesterday my daughter brought home a leek. A very large leek. My mind instantly went to an amazing Julia Child recipe: Potage Celestine . But what I needed tonight was simplicity at its finest (short of having it delivered). I had spent most of the day pulling weeds and prepping my little garden strip for planting. I'm exhausted to say the least. After flipping through a couple cookbooks, I discovered that Potage Parmentier fit the bill. I mean...seriously. Soup doesn't get any more simple or easier than this. And it's delicious. It's satisfying without being heavy. It has full flavor and a bit of richness without a dozen ingredients. Aaaaaaaand...it's a Julie Child recipe from Master the Art of French Cooking. Can it get any better than that? Did I mention that its vegetarian? And if you use vegetarian butter....it's vegan! Side note: you may choose to drink a white wine with your soup. I had started the red a while ago....and kept with it. A nice Merlot. Which...