"l, not -l" > wrote in message
...
>I recently made a big pot of "French Onion Soup" and that started me
> thinking; why is it French Onion soup, rather than simply Onion soup?
> French fries and French-cut green beans are that because of the how the
> item
> is cut; but, that doesn't seem to be the case with "French" Onion soup.
> What makes onion soup "French" Onion soup?
>
Good Question! Escoffier doesn't have onion soup in his book. I've always
thought it may have something to do with carmelizing the onions, and that
the French were the first to put that in writing. My French cookbooks don't
support that. I wonder if it's the "gratinee", or finishing the soup with
swiss cheese melted over croutons on the surface of the soup under the
broiler that makes it uniquely French.

Christine, where are you?