You have to know I am sold on French food if it is going to be what I want to eat for my last meal. one would think this goes without saying, so I wanted to make sure for clarity purposes. for that matter however, eating it constantly works well too of course.
It is wise at this point to remind ourselves of the movie, Ratatouille. The extreme critic who had somewhat of a distaste for Gusteau's famous quote that anyone can cook, came in to eat and bust their chops with his column.
Since working at Fleur de Sel (Post Falls, Id) chef Zirotti has shared so many special meals and food with me I lost count. (okay, i remember the duck, quail, veal stock, omg the truffle cream sauce....more) what stands out was what he called "peasant food" though. he would take me into history of why a touch of this or that wine was added because centuries ago water was not potable. (safe to drink) the food eaten was already exquisite, but a touch of this or that made a transformation quite unexpected as well as taste bud exploding.
the punch line in the movie Ratatouille was the food critic was astounded by eating a childhood food prepared perfectly that was considered peasant food. the story not known to many was a tale of Thomas Keller, the owner of the French Laundry in Napa Valley considered to be one of the top eateries on the planet if not the top one.
an item that both the sous chef and I are blessed with continually is Chef will share his recipes constantly with us. being a few years older than him, makes sense at least to me, I have been cooking longer. I would like to think I don't get lost in the kitchen, but my food knowledge and specifically cooking knowledge pales, and there is no comparison to what chef knows and already taught me. in the next blog we will visit some of chefs past and find out what it really is to be a "Michelin Two Star" chef. (hint, perfect comes to mind immediately-at least by standard definitions)
So chef tells me what is in his mushroom soup. there are the standard ingredients but I wait for the secret special one thing that no one tells anyone else that hidden item. there are none. (unless its his fleur de sel secret salt seasoning) it is in the cooking. the preparation, the time put into the creation. the fact is, I have now since this telling seen many new food items chef has developed his own techniques of accomplishing food success. methods of cooling an item in a bowl quickly. things like that. who knows about folding in things but not over stirring them so they don't lose the air qualities and change its texture or composition? chef does, that's who.
http://fleur-de-sel.weebly.com/menu.html what we do not see here, are the daily specials. I have spoken in the past posts about this a little, but wish to emphasize the value of such. I do not know why I think I have seen it all or cannot be blown away anymore but find myself continually wrong. as in daily incorrect about food chef prepares. perhaps I spent too much time in prison and forgot how great dining is despite being penniless currently. he made a green pepper soup, as in bell peppers with parmesan cheese. it tasted like a fresh pepper. the consistency and texture was rich and thick. yum. super yum that is.
http://www.fleurdeselcreperie.com/menu.html his soups can now be enjoyed for only $3 a cup should you be in Spokane near the hospital on south hill. this is literally Michelin Star food at a more than modest price without any perceived fine-dining. chef it seems cannot lower his standards of what he achieved in Cannes, France in his career earlier. we all benefit. in fact, i expect people i've never met to one day thank me for sharing about his places when they go there and eat.
So, French food is best due to centuries of traditional preparation. blends of unique methods due to climatological constraints nature placed on areas within France. I was pleasantly surprised reading a Mexican cooking book written by Diana Kennedy, who has been called the "Julia Childs" of Mexican cooking. she speaks in her introduction of some dishes using a complicated and intricate French dish preparation inferring it is the top of the ladder to cook using French techniques.
what i mean about constraints are wines that produced differently due to location. vinegars made when necessary again, due to these conditions. mushrooms. France is the third largest producing country in the world behind the US and China. cheeses. that is a whole blog or two by itself, but no one is better.
Many people believe in karma. if there is a food karma, maybe I am living it now working for chef. in prison we ate food that had labels on it stating the alleged meat was not meant for human consumption. guess we all need to pay income taxes AND go eat good French food. I know I am. since I am at this moment not able to fly to NYC to eat at Jean Georges, or go to Vegas and shop the restaurants there or Napa Valley, I am thrilled both taste bud wise and personally to know Chef Virotti and family to enjoy his life's work of love and culinary skills.
So we can answer emphatically the simple question of why, or "is" French food/cooking the best there is? Of course it is. The book I am reading is called, "Culinaria France: A Celebration of Food and Tradition".
Tradition itself is one of the main reasons why French food and cooking is best. add
simplicity, butter, cheeses, and regional specialties of food and its preparation techniques that have lasted centuries that still live today that we get to enjoy here in the Pacific Northwest. Lastly, one of the biggest secrets is the salt. Fleur de Sel, or flower of salt is key. Chef then takes this foundation and added his own special blends of seasonings for an amazing enhancer of flavor. I will continue to try to get him to package this special seasoning and sell it on the open market. keep your fingers crossed food lovers.
There are pages and pages dedicated in this book of each of the items just listed. What chef tells us often in local publications is his chef mother who handed him down many recipes he uses today. Thanks "mom" is all I can say!
When you come to Fleur de Sel please tell your server you read this blog and please tell chef he needs to treat you to a homemade caramel topped with chocolate or a Parisian Macaron with pumpkin cheesecake filling and homemade caramel sauce. by the way, if you have never eaten it before, you must try the duck. there is nothing peasant about it. perhaps a cup of soup to start, followed by panna cotta, (foie gras), your bird mentioned, and homemade caramel tart for dessert. Bon appetite, le plongeur.
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