In Other News ~

I’ve watched The West Wing (TV Series 1999-2006) a few times. It’s the character-driven drama and the rapid-fire dialogue that keeps me coming back. And there are no squishy-squelchy bits.

There is an episode — Take Out the Trash Day — where Toby takes a meeting with congressional aides over public broadcasting. He tells the president that he was raised on Sesame Street, on Julia Child, on… and their legacies are safe with him.

CJ laughs at Toby.

You watched cooking shows?

And he said…

I watched Miss Julia Child.

Me, too.

And I watched the 2009 movie Julie & Julia with Meryl Streep and Amy Adams and Stanley Tucci.

Which brings me to Christmas Eve 2015.

I decided what we needed was a no muss, no fuss dinner with some green on the side. And the green could be anything from guacamole to a decorated Christmas tree cookie, as long as the no muss, no fuss dinner was French Onion Soup. But really, the green would mostly like be a generous dish of dressed greens for our general health and well-being. Optional.

Sweat, baby, sweat!

I took my recipe from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. 1. Page 44 — Soupe à l’Oignon  Gratinée (Onion Soup Gratinéed with Cheese).

If it was good enough for Miss Julia Child, it was good enough for me.

Help me, Rhonda!

I used Gruyère cheese and added the splash of Worcestershire Sauce from The Pioneer Woman’s French Onion Soup recipe. Couldn’t hurt. Besides, G-Man has a relationship with Worcestershire Sauce that eludes me.

Eleventy-hundred onions, wilted!

The base was made a day in advance. I like things to marry. And who needs that kind of kitchen mess on Christmas Eve?

We be drinkin’ nog and bubbly this and bubbly that.

Ready for the fridge! Marry, marry, marry!!

And why bother with individual ramekins of cheesy goodness when you could just cover the whole pot in toasted baguette and cheese. Somebody hand me a spoon.

Can I get an amen?

I have to say, I think it was the best onion soup I have ever tasted, and I’ve tasted a few. And that seemed to be the consensus around the table.

So thank you, Miss Julia Child.

And that’s my Tuesday tale.

I need some of this right now.

Who wants soup?

Elen