After spending several months overseas, you start missing those home-cooked meals. For us, it’s grandma’s Beef Stew with rice.
We could have easily made this ourselves, but it 1) wouldn’t taste the same and 2) we’re in France, they must have a stew? Let’s go find some…
A few days later, while cruising the city streets of Paris with friends visiting from Hawaii we came upon a restaurant with an outdoor menu that had the words “French Beef Stew”! Our kind of place! Since the kids were starving and the restaurant looked decent, we strolled on in.
Boeuf Bourguignon (pronounced, if you can: BEUHHFBOAR-GEEIG-NOAN) is another classic French dish made with cubed beef, slow cooked for several hours in red “Burgundy” wine and “bouquet garni” broth, and served with and pearl onions and/or carrot and mushrooms. This dish originates from Bourgogne, in the Burgundy region of France. Although far from the “Hawaiian-style” beef stew, the French version sounded water-watering enough to order for lunch and so we did.
As soon as the dish arrived and before I could even divide it between siblings Lou Lou was dipping her bread into the stew. I must admit, this stew smelled heavenly! And even had large potatoes and olives in it, like Grandmas.
The verdict: It was awesome. You could taste the wine, but enough to get the kids drunk! In fact, it was much more like a wonderful home-cooked roast beef and potato meal you’d get at Grandma’s.
Now my kids new favorite for sure!!