Cuisine

Our favorite salt for cooking or for seasoning is the French Fleur De Sel de Camargue.  Fleur De Sel de Camargue is hand raked and harvested in the Brittany salt flats of France. The name Fleur De Sel comes from the aroma of violets that develops as the salt dries. Only the premium, top layer of the salt bed is used. Each signature container is sealed with a cork top and signed by the Salt Raker who harvested it. We keep a salt pig or small jar of this by the stove, for use in cooking.  And, after allowing to dry out of the tin for a few days, it is perfect to add to our salt grinder, for seasoning as well.  We use it on everything.  As it is very salty tasting, a little bit goes a long way, which also reduces your sodium intake, as you need less to add a "salty" flavor to any dish. It is readily sourced from Salt Works or gourmet grocers.

Wikipedia has some great new diagrams showing where the cuts of meat come from, which every home cook should endeavor to learn the difference in where various parts come from on the animals, so as to use them to their full advantage and to save costs where possible: Beef and veal Veal and mutton Pork and bacon A note about cooking meat, always allow the meat to come to room temperature for an hour or so before cooking.  This is an important step, regardless of whether you are sauteing or grilling, as it allows the outside to sear and brown, without the inside still being at a much colder temperature from the refrigerator. Always season meat before and during cooking, as salt has water extraction properties, bringing "sweat" to the surface.  You want the meat to seal quickly, keeping in its juiciest flavors.  If you overcrowd a pan, it loses heat and the meat steams versus sears.  The same is true for the grill.  Resting after cooking, especially with larger pieces of meats or birds, is very important, at is allows the meat to relax again and absorb the juices rather than having them cut from the pores onto the plate.  Rest birds with the breast down, or meat cuts with the fat up, to allow the juices to flow back into the meat.  Tenting with aluminum foil is common, but often unnecessary.

Letitia Baldridge, author of over a dozen books, has just ruined my world, though I spent a weekend in etiquette lessons with her in 1992, which apparently didn't fully take. She apparently is very clear on the rule of passing foods counter-clockwise at the table, although I grew up with a rule of clockwise at our house.  Could the French rule be different or was I just mistaken? I made the mistake of assuming that my table manners would come with me across the pond as naturally as my BBC accent did. The years of my mother’s training in the home were followed by etiquette classes in college, and I felt quite at ease in a formal dining environment. Apparently, we were wrong all these years, as I see no support for a French deviation from the US rule.  It turns out Letitia Baldridge is right on both sides of the pond. I knew the first French rule, “Keep your hands on the table.”  Even occasional elbows were permitted in France, contrary to etiquette rules in the Southern states. The next rule in the US is false in France:  You should place your napkin in your lap immediately after being seated.  Once the lady of the house places her napkin in her lap, other guests should follow suit.  A few other distinctions are worth noting. Your bread should go in the upper left edge of your plate. False. Bread is placed directly on the table or tablecloth, unless it is a formal meal in which bread plates are used. When the aperitif is served, you wait for the host to give the toast before drinking.  You should wait for the host to lead the way,