Saturday, November 20, 2010

I Heart Mirepoix

 (And now, for a break from our regularly scheduled program; we'll come back to the Vogler Parents' trip soon)


 I really do, I <3 mirepoix. For those of you that didn't go to culinary school, here is a little lesson from Wikipedia. Pay attention to the the pronunciation, you'll need it later.

Mirepoix (pronounced /mɪərˈpwɑː/ meer-PWAH, French pronunciation: [miʁəˈpwɑ]) is the French name for a combination of onions, carrots, and celery (either common pascal celery or celeriac). Mirepoix, either raw, roasted or sautéed with butter, is the flavor base for a wide number of dishes, such as stocks, soups, stews and sauces. The three ingredients are commonly referred to as aromatics. (source)

Mirepoix is used in any number of culinary applications.


This particular pot was used to make a simple pot of braised lentils tonight and as the heavenly scent wafted through our abnormally small apartment I was reminded of just how much I <3 mirepoix.

Some of you may have heard this story before but when I was at the CIA (Culinary Institute of America) our intramural sports teams had two catchy, chefy fight songs. Regrettably, I can't remember one but I will always remember this one (oh, and roux is pronounced "roo"):

"Mirepoix, Mirepoix, Roux, Roux, Roux
Chop 'Em Up, Dice 'Em Up
Put 'Em in a Stew!"

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