Day Five - Mastering The Art of French Cooking - Homard Thermidor

Day Five already? This has been the fastest test week ever.  I couldn't say goodbye to testing this book until I tried the Lobster Thermidor - Graitneed in its shell.

Julia is very clear and honest in the beginning of this recipe.  There are a lot of steps, but it's well worth the dish.  Not to mention, now I know why it costs so much in a restaurant. It's not so much the lobster, but the work involved in making the dish.  The process is easy, just a bit time consuming.  But like true Julia Child cooking, each part of this dish is carefully pampered and cared for.

I'm a lobster lover from birth.  My father, a fisherman to the core of his soul taught me how to cook, eat and not waste a lobster.  It's been my duty in life to share my knowledge with my friends and husband.  Admittedly I don't eat lobster in public too often, because I eat every part of the lobster.  This does not make for elegant dinning on my part.  The only people in my life who are willing to dine with me during a lobster feast are my father, husband and my best friend.  A matter of fact, even though my best friend and I live 500 km from each other, we always think of each other when we eat lobster.  We've actually planned a family vacation together in PEI just to eat lobster. LOL!

So it was only fitting that I test the Homard Thermidor - Lobster Thermidor.  True to Julia's word, this recipe did have a lot of steps.  I started cooking at 3:30pm and finished at 7:00 p.m.  Mind you I did have a few interruptions.  Baby feedings, changings, cook a separate meal for the 5-year-old. etc.   So all in all, it wasn't too bad.  Although there are a lot of steps, each one is well worth the effort and easy to follow.

My verdict on this dish......  I'm a firm believer that cooking and eating at home is cheaper and better than eating out.  And I can also loosen my pants when I'm finished eating, which makes things even more enjoyable. End result, It was amazing! We would have paid a small fortune for this dish, plus wine if we went to a restaurant.  I would have also waddled out of the restaurant.  Needless to say, I'm glad I made this dish.

Now the week is over and I've tested Volume I and a bit of Volume II to the detriment of my arteries. The books are amazing. The recipes are very detailed, but may still be a challenge for a newbie cook. I firmly believe that having this book on your cookbook shelf is essential.  If you have never been to cooking school, these volumes teach you the techniques that will improve your cooking skills that you will carry throughout your cooking life.

 VERDICT - MASTERING THE ART OF FRENCH COOKING VOLUME I & II - PASS THE TEST !

The Cookbook Addict