People are often surprised when I list the countries I’ve traveled to and that list does not include France, especially because of how much I love food and cooking. I don’t really have a good reason as to why. Maybe I just hadn’t found the right person to travel with <cough cough, Matt…read the signs > 🙂 Well, Matt did produce this cookbook from his place and once we moved, he asked that I make French Onion Soup. I’ve actually never had the dish before (probably problem #1). I didn’t make a beef stock from scratch but used some that I had left over in the fridge from a prior recipe + water to supplement (which, in my defense, the book SAID WAS OK). This was a horrible idea and despite cooking the onions to perfection, making croutons and grating the gruyere, this was inedible and definitely not worth a photograph.

Instead, here’s a photo of the housewarming present that arrived the day we moved into our new townhome. Matt knocked it out of the park with this idea, combining my two greatest loves and making it “interactive” where I can pin where I’ve traveled and where’ I’ve cooked overseas.

Overall Level of Effort: I’m not even sure how to score this, but I’m guessing when done right this is maybe a 3.

Skill Level: Intermediate

Would Make It Again? No

Additional Notes: I could have just pretend this never happened but then I wouldn’t be true to the purpose of this project. necessarily of the dish I failed, but cooking something else from the France cookbook at some point this year. And from Cambodia. Both countries are definitely deserving of a second chance.