Culture Snacks is devoted to "casual" disquisitions on history, politics, philosophy, and contemporary life.
Ultimately, however, Culture Snacks is a personal archive, of interest mostly to myself (and thus a useful tool for ex post facto meditationis personali) and a few kindred spirits.
BOEUF BOURGUIGNON
Last night I prepared my first boeuf bourguignon but forgot the pearl onions. And the bacon, tomato paste, and mushrooms. Yet not all was lost: my stew was saved by the addition of carrots, Yukon potatoes and turnips, which lent an earthy, autumnal sweetness.
The dish is a product of medieval peasant ingenuity. To wit, the birth of boeuf bourguignon was driven by the engine of necessity. Basic recipes call for cheap, available cuts of beef and common root vegetables.
In later centuries, the nostalgia and sentimentality of the upper classes elevated peasant cuisine en haut. Today, traditional iterations of boeuf bourguignon prize the famous Charolais cattle native to Burgundy, and the use of higher quality wines is encouraged. At Fairway on East 86th Street, I purchased a saran-wrapped serving of chuck – decidedly not Charolais.
My decision to prepare boeuf bourguignon was motivated by its own distinct sentimentality and nostalgia. Its preparation and consumption was almost an act of mourning – mourning for the childhood memory of my mother's cooking, for the months I spent in France, and for the year whose conclusion October heralds.
Below is a photograph of my rendering of boeuf bourguignon (I have a lot of left overs. Feel free to stop by for a taste!):
