Your Own French Onion Soup

 Soupe a` l'Oignon Gratinee

(Onion Soup Gratineed with Cheese)

"Anyone can cook in the French manner anywhere," says 

Mesdames Beck, Bertholle and Child, 

"with the right instruction."  ~ Mastering The Art of French Cooking

Today I celebrated the anniversary of Julia Child's birthday by making Soupe a` l'Oignon Gratinee.   My husband said it was just as good (or even better) than the French Onion Soup that we love in Paris!  

You can find the recipe in 

Mastering The Art Of French Cooking, Volume One.

It's also fun to actually watch Julia make the Onion Soup in her 1960's TV show The French Chef .  I found The French Chef DVDs at my local library and have been enjoying watching re-runs of the show.  They bring back such wonderful memories of when I was a young girl and watched The French Chef on visits to my grandmother's house.  Julia's episode of Your Own French Onion Soup is from Season 1, Episode 2. 

To make the soup, you need a lot of onions (as Julia says) and about 3 hours to make your own French onion soup.  The recipe instructions are very clear and it's easy to make.  The key to the best flavor is to use your own home-made beef stock or by using a very good pre-made bouillon like Better Than Bouillon Beef Base which is what I used because it's always in my pantry.   

So cheers to Julia for teaching us all how to cook in the French manner.  And as Julia would say at the end of every French Chef show...

Bon Appetite! 

(In the photos:  Apilco Lion Heads Soup Bowls purchased at Williams-Sonoma)