my own Raclette experience

Like Jessica explained in the previous entry, La Raclette is a dish with many parts, but easy to prepare. You just need a "Machine à Raclette"

I was lucky to have been invited into a French home for some. It is the perfect dish for a convivial soirée, and often it is precisely the dish to serve when inviting people over. This particular occasion was a birthday.

Lots of cutting/slicing. But after the lengthy preparation, it's self-serve! 

A wonderful spread

A special cheese for Raclette is used. Flavorful and perfect for melting at hot temperatures

getting ready... à table. 

A 8-10 person machine.

The cheese takes just a minute or two to melt. You take it out when it begins to bubble!

You must not forget the Cornichons (small pickles) for an added touch of flavor.

Yummy, delicious, melty, cheese, potato and MEAT goodness.

La Raclette

Thanks Jessica, for the following entry! 

Here is the recipe of what we French call La Raclette.

For 6 people, you need :

- 2 pounds of cheese from Savoie or Switzerland

- 2 pounds of potatoes (it is better to cook them in boiling water with

the skin)

- cooked pork meats (sausage, salami, bacon, ham, smoked ham...)

With a special appliance (like on the picture), you can melt the cheese

(but you can also make it melt in the oven). Cut 5mm thick pieces of

cheese and let them melt in the appliance for a few minutes (as much as

you like it melted).

After peeling the potatoes and cutting them into pieces in your plate, you

can pour the melted chesse onto it.

Add some pieces of cooked pork meats and savour it all!

Just for a change, you can do it with seafood and add more vegetables

(lettuce, tomatoes, pickles...).

Bon Appétit!

"Everybody who produces food, produces love"

A quote by Antonio Carluccio from the BBC show, "Two Greedy Italians"

I was told of this show by a good friend, and have since watched a few episodes. For anybody who hasn't been to Italy, I think this is a wonderful  show that  really gives a sense of Italian society and culture as it is today, and why the society has evolved in such ways. 
Not to mention, it is extremely entertaining! You won't ever witness a more lovable pair, who KNOW their food. 

It is hosted by the aforementioned Antonio Carluccio and Gennaro Contaldo (Italian chefs, and restauranteurs based in London). So much of what they see in their travels is so honest and straightforward; I couldn't help but feel like I was along for the ride. If only I could actually taste everything!

 Their observations on food, life, and the essence of human nature are surprisingly poignant, and I found, can be carried over to so many other culinary traditions around the world. It really goes to show what a truly universal language food is. 

                                                                                                  ~~~

This is one of the few statements I've ever heard spoken, that in my experience, happens to be completely true. What a better representation of someone's love or appreciation than a batch of homemade cookies. Or perhaps some warm, slow-cooked chicken soup, served to an ailing loved one. Or some freshly-baked bread. There is a reason we (I) opt for self-made nourishment sometimes over canned, wrapped or frozen meals. It is because the warmth and energy put into making a special dish is somehow (at least I hope) transmitted to others.

There is a certain mysticism or magic surrounding the intrinsically human (well, at least ever since the early homo erectus) habit and need to combine ingredients and to control heat in order to create something completely different and delicious for our taste buds. Our efforts, though sometimes small, to prepare meals should never go unnoticed. They are little acts of kindness and love.