I recently read “Bringing Up Bebe” by Pamela Druckerman, a fascinating book about the differences between French and American parenting styles. Much of the book is devoted to the discussion of children's eating habits. I was floored to discover the diversity of young French children's diets. And I was determined to bring a little French wisdom to my table.
The next day I happened to catch part of French Food at Home on the Cooking Channel. Laura Calder was making Petits Pois a la Francaise, which is a fancy name for a relatively simple looking pea dish. I was determined to try it, because neither Mr. Picky nor the Captain eats peas. To make things simple, I picked up some delicious-looking, veggie-loaded flatbread pizzas from the supermarket to accompany the peas. Then came the recipe shopping.
The next day I happened to catch part of French Food at Home on the Cooking Channel. Laura Calder was making Petits Pois a la Francaise, which is a fancy name for a relatively simple looking pea dish. I was determined to try it, because neither Mr. Picky nor the Captain eats peas. To make things simple, I picked up some delicious-looking, veggie-loaded flatbread pizzas from the supermarket to accompany the peas. Then came the recipe shopping.
Now, I should warn you up front, one of my problems as a cook is that I haphazardly substitute ingredients. Another is that I always forget to buy something. And I like to take shortcuts. So here's what the recipe called for:
All in all, despite the substitutions, the peas came out pretty good. Rich and a little spicy. I served it to the Captain and Mr. Picky with great pride and anticipation.
The verdict?
“Well, they're not terrible,” said Mr. Picky. “I don't like them, they're too spicy,” said the Captain, as I lay my head on the table in defeat.
“What?” said Mr. Picky, “That's a compliment from me! Peas usually are terrible!”
- Fresh Peas: Laura Calder sits on the stairs by a window shelling peas and looking oh-so-peaceful. Well I don't have a staircase and I don't want to shell peas on a Friday night. So I bought frozen peas.
Bacon: Have you seen the price of bacon lately? No way. Usually in this situation, I substitute real bacon bits. I know it's just not the same, but it's the best I'm going to do.
Bib Lettuce: Of course the store was out, so I decided to forgo it.
Chicken Stock: Despite having my list with me at the store, I somehow forgot this anyway. So I used water and chicken bouillon.
Pearl Onions: At $2.79 a bag, I contemplated just using a regular onion. But would that affect the flavor? I had no idea. I know nothing about onions. So I sprang for the cute little pearl onions. Hey, you only live once.
Butter, salt, and pepper
All in all, despite the substitutions, the peas came out pretty good. Rich and a little spicy. I served it to the Captain and Mr. Picky with great pride and anticipation.
The verdict?
“Well, they're not terrible,” said Mr. Picky. “I don't like them, they're too spicy,” said the Captain, as I lay my head on the table in defeat.
“What?” said Mr. Picky, “That's a compliment from me! Peas usually are terrible!”