Ahhhh Ratatouille. Such a fine foodie film in an unexpected wrapper. Of course, it’s a fun movie to watch, but why did I choose Ratatouille for this month’s Food ‘n Flix selection? My son.
No, Little Man did not say “Mommy, Mommy, you HAVE to pick Ratatouille!!” jumping up and down and threatening to hold his breath if I didn’t see things his way. Why, then?
Ratatouille changed our lives. CHANGED. OUR. LIVES.
See, I know this is going to come as a shock to you, but…. Mommy loves to cook. I know, try and contain your surprise. Well, Ty has always loved to be in the kitchen with me, form an early age. I have pictures of us washing dishes together, even.
But after seeing Ratatouille, Ty “got” it. He understood the concept of creating a beautiful dish, a new “taste experience” and he began to question combinations, ingredients, and started accumulating his own kitchen tools, apron, and a step stool so he could cook with Mommy, on her level. He wants to get in there, hands on, and BE the chef.
And so, when it was my turn to choose a film for Food ‘n Flix, the choice was easy. Now I bet your question is. “So what did you cook?”
“SOUUUUUP???”
The look on Chef’s face as he realizes a possible catastrophe is about to leave his kitchen in the form of Linguine’s “soup”. This soup is inspired. According to food critic Leclaire, it is a “revelation”, and it is. In more ways than one. I have no doubt the soup was a phenomenal “taste experience”, as the critic states, but it is an awakening for both Linguine, Remy, and all of Paris as they discover (and re-discover) the world of food.
What was in the soup? Who knows. What started as one thing, became another, as was the case for not only the soup, but Remy and Linguine , as well. We saw stock go in and cream, as well as leeks and some herbs…..thyme maybe? “Rosemary? That’s an herb, right?” One ingredient that obviously went into it was Passion. A passion for food.
So could I re-create Remy’s soup? No, of course not. But here’s a bit of irony. When I was a girl, there was a soup that my mother made. I haven’t had it in many years, but just the thought of it takes me back home, to my mom’s kitchen, transported like Ego was to his childhood home. A few years back, I asked my mom for the recipe, which she gladly gave me…..and yet, I’ve still not made it.
Until now. The ironic part? It is called “Parisian Soup”
Ty and I spent quality time in the kitchen, putting our ingredients together with love, and turned out a heart warming batch of my mom’s Parisian Soup. In honor of Remy, Linguine, and yes… even Ego.
Parisian Soup
Makes 3 quarts
16-18 ounce bag frozen vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, carrot blend)
2 c. water
½ cup butter
½ cup margarine
½ cup chopped celery
½ cup chopped onion
1 cup flour
4 chicken bouillon cubes
6 c. cold milk
1 c diced ham
1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp Accent
Salt
Cook vegetables in water until just tender – do not drain. Set aside.
Melt butter and margarine in a skillet.
Add celery and onion and sautee until tender.
Add flour, stirring until well blended.
Crush chicken bouillon cubes and add to this mixture. (I don’t keep bouillon cubes in the house, but I did have some chicken soup base, so I used an equivalent amount of that.)
Add cold milk and stir until thick and smooth.
Add ham and cooked vegetables with their cooking liquid.
Add seasonings.
