Homecooks and gallantines

[shroomgirl]

I'm in the middle of "love and kisses and a Hale of Truffles" by James Beard/Helen Evans Brown

James and Helen were writing an article on picnic foods for Colliers magazine...James Beard suggested a turkey gallantine boned out take the thigh and leg meat and a little of the breast and cut it into strips along with tongue and ham.. Farce meat of pork and veal and chicken breast with spice. Arrange the strips randomly slice a truffle and pistachio nuts. Roll, tie and sew...wrap in cloth and poach in a broth of veal bone , calf foot and carcass of a bird. wrap weight and cool... Cover in the broth to jell.

When confronted by a Home Show Chef saying it took him 4 hours and noone could do it without a demo....James Beard said,"I am sick of thinking the American housewife is dumb. She can do anything if she wants to and the reason she doesn't is because too many of you think everything has to be done for her. I know plenty of people who learned to make a galantine without a demonstration. After all if you can read and know cooking there is nothing you can't achieve."
March 2, 1956

Thoughts?

[cape chef]

I have to think about this one.
Very thought provoking.
I'll get back after I digest the whole thing.
cc

[momoreg]

I've never made a gallantine, but it doesn't sound THAT difficult.

[shroomgirl]

It's pretty advanced stuff....boning out a bird making a farcemeat and seasoning it then wrapping, sewing and poaching it in a stock then weighting and cooling then jelling .....all in all it's not done much today. It's more labor intensive that just a pate. I was pretty impressed that he wrote that. A couple of years ago I spoke up at a Trends Culinary Group and said I would not dumb down my recipes because newspapers or "experts" said there should only be 5 ingrediants.....sorry I don't work that way....and I refuse to lower my standards and treat people and in essence food in that way. (I taught my severely challenged child to make strudels by age 4)

[cape chef]

Shroomgirl, Thank you for sharing that with us.
Are we talking about making a galantine or are we talking about the capability of people to learn...I think many people are born with a natural talent to learn,and I feel that many people need the visual,nurturing guidance to succeed. I believe everyone can learn, I also believe that the nature of learning is inherent..some find it fun,some find it a challenge and some find it a nuisance
Tell me and I will forget.
Show me and I will remember.
Involve me and I will learn and succeed
Does any of this make any sense?
cc

[momoreg]

Yeah, I guess my first shot at anything won't be nearly as nice as it ought to be, but given clearly written direction, it is do-able. However, I agree with capechef, a picture is worth a thousand words.

[Isa]

I like the way James Beard think. And CC you are right, to learn you have to do it yourself. I never made galantine or boned a chicken but would love to learn.

[cape chef]

Sisi ,Do you have la Techinique By jacques pepin?
Or I can take a speed train up north and give you a quick lesson
cc

Don't forget the impact that interest plays in learning. If something interests me, I am FAR more likely to learn something. Anyone of us would (and have) happily give four hours (or much more) to doing something new if we liked the idea. I'm stubborn and childish enough to resist learning something new if it does not interest me. Example: Ice sculpture. I've had the opportunity to learn, but I think it is silly and frou-frou and won't waste my limited brain power messing with it. I DO NOT mean any disrespect to anyone with these remarks. It just ain't MY thing.

Was the Home Show Chef a man? And I assume the article was aimed at the American Housewife. I have mixed emotions on this one if that's the case. By the way, I kicked my husbands butt at Trivial Pursuit last night AND HE CAN'T COOK! Sometimes I wonder why I keep him around!!!

Whoops, had to edit...I mispelled "trivial"! DOH!!!

[This message has been edited by missyk1999 (edited 01-06-2001).]

[Greg]

Glad you caught it, Missy. I believe misspelling "trivial", especially when used in the context of bragging over the thrashing of someone in Trivial Pursuit, is one of the many definitions of irony.
P.S. you misspelled misspell

[This message has been edited by Greg (edited 01-06-2001).]

[Nick.Shu]

umm, some of you guys dont know what a galantine is?.

Its a very easy type of food to make and should make up the basic repitoire. I can understand the average housewife not understanding this method.

This should be one of the first things (and usually is) that a trainee chef should learn.

If you're not taught such a technique in your schooling, i think that you should question the schools curriculum.

[Katherine]

I boned my first chicken and made galantine from a book, though I don't know if I would recommend learning all the steps of a complex preparation at the same time. People are too timid, they have no self confidence. You hear all the time, "I can't do that, I'm not talented," when in actuality they could do it right the first time with a good set of directions and the proper tools. (Oh, yes, they have to be willing to follow the directions, too.) Everything is a learned skill, and while some people have the talent to move on into the range of artistry, anyone with instructions and a good knife can bone out a chicken.

By the way, when Capechef and Sisi get together, let me know, maybe we can have a North Atlantic Coast party somewhere, like those people in Chicago are doing.

[shroomgirl]

I was impressed that James Beard wrote it in the first place, amazed that they would consider that for a household magazine for an article on picnic foods. And then totally shocked and dismayed because it hit home (again) how far we've gone in home cooking. I teach in several forums and a galatine is really advanced stuff....NOW>
I don't know anyone that is making them professionally much less teaching....even pates seem to have gone by the wayside (not in restaurants but classes)

Just thinking of the statis of cooking in America.
I agree with Katherine and CC. If I watch and particpate then I learn...takes longer without pics or a guide.
Desire and curiosity are what guide the passion of cooking.....

Well, well, well, I am liking the way James Beard is talking. I am an excellent cook. No, not a chef, but an excellent cook. And I am a housewife. You know, not everyone can cook the stuff mentioned on this board, and many women have no desire to do so. I, on the other hand have a passion to cook. I mean I am willing to sacrifice sleep, spend my last pennies on that integral ingredient, and take pictures of my food! I take a picture of every cake that I decorate too. I think that Mr. Beard realizes that a troupe of chefs did not come off the Mayflower, it was the women from their respective countries, who made excellent food, very cheaply mind you. I find it empowering that people on this board, be professional chef, or domestic engineer... are encouraging and supportive. Let's hope that the average Housewife can make difficult foods. And, there is the aspect of obstacles. It would be my dream to cook/create in a professional kitchen instead of my tiny 2-bedroom apt. with an OLD electric oven. It stinks! But, I consider it the challenge dealt out to me. And it is that much more gratifying to make a Blue Ribbon Winning Cake from meager means, then to do it in "perfect" circumstance. We haven't even gotten to the part about my medically fragile son who at 2 can't eat by mouth (only tastes) and eats through a feeding tube, and the two older kids. The challenges that come from cooking at home, like people eating vital ingredients!
If you have read this far, I applaud you. I know this is a rant, but a lot has been on my heart and mind about this, and I know that many of you can appreciate my thoughts.
Thanks thanks thanks!
Valarie aka BlueRibbonCakes
P.S. Boy am I glad that I'm off dish crew!

[This message has been edited by blueribboncakes (edited 01-06-2001).]