i have been on a French-Onion soup kick ever since i moved to Pittsburgh. i haven't really been able to understand it. . . i think in my whole life i have ordered it once at a restaurant and it gave me diarrhea. i'm not one of those, "i love french-onion soup" people.
therefore, i haven't been able to identify my current obsession. i mean it is a cheap and fairly quick, cozy recipe to make. . . but other than that????
as i was cooking it tonight, i thought that perhaps it is because of the caramelizing of the onions.
There is a moment when they start to get brown that you are convinced you should stop and add the broth. . . the onions are sort of a limp taupe color. not the deep brown they should be. but you hesitate and second guess yourself because, what if this is the mo
ment to add the broth and you wait too long? what if they burn? the entire meal is ruined. you are always only one small distraction away from ruin. a knock at the door, a phone-call, a NYT article that catches your eye, a daydream. . . and your onions are destroyed. (tonight it was the request of someone three to help him find an invisible rat from ratatouille, and then to "rat sit" while he was away. . . which i obligingly did . . . ) better to be too soon, than to be too late, right?
ment to add the broth and you wait too long? what if they burn? the entire meal is ruined. you are always only one small distraction away from ruin. a knock at the door, a phone-call, a NYT article that catches your eye, a daydream. . . and your onions are destroyed. (tonight it was the request of someone three to help him find an invisible rat from ratatouille, and then to "rat sit" while he was away. . . which i obligingly did . . . ) better to be too soon, than to be too late, right?no cookbook can tell you when to stop. . .you have to feel the color, you have to trust your instincts about when to stop the browning.
and this is where i am in life. trying to brown to a perfect flavor without going so far as to burn. it is a balance, and i must trust my instincts.
until then, i will keep making and eating french-onion soup and enjoying the process.
Hey, Alli, I remember your French onion soup, and it is delicious...maybe i could sample some again in a couple of weeks. This cool spring has definitely given us a hankering for nice warm soup! I like your analogy between your soup and your life - at some point in time you'll be able to look back at the process you are going through in life and realize that it was all worth while - someday....
ReplyDeleteI am totally an order french onion soup person and I'm thrilled that it can be made at home :) ecm
ReplyDeletealli, you need to post this recipe...is it vegetarian...today....is a cold, wet Ireland type day...and wow french onion soup sounds perfect:)
ReplyDeleteOoooh. I miss me some good Alice cooking... :) Actually, I miss me some ALICE! I miss good roomates altogether!!! Woe is me.
ReplyDeleteTrusting the instincts is absolutely key.
ReplyDeletemmmmmm.....i love you....i love your analogy....and i love fos....can we have a soup date? :)
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