DanaSlatkin.com

It was grueling work for a California girl fresh out of college. My arms welted with burns and fingertips cracked, I dragged myself down the cobble-stoned street at 5 o’clock every morning to learn the ways of a French 3-star chef. Whether I was peeling grapes for hours or fending off cheeky post-pubescent boys in the kitchen, working as the only female apprentice in some of France’s grandest restaurants was the hardest year of my life. It was also one of the most instructive and worthwhile. I learned to make this exceptional dish, for example, from Michel Guérard himself. It embodies the kind of cooking he championed way ahead of his time — cuisine minceur, or light French cooking. All the flavors of Basque cooking … [Read more...]