On RFC Facebook, Christine floated the idea for a Southern California
cook-together, possibly making cassoulet. Lin isn't a fan of cassoulet, and
thinks that the final product isn't worth the amount of time and trouble
taken to make it. At least one person on the Facebook group expressed the
emphatic opinion that cassoulet is worth that amount of effort.

I'm not averse to the idea of expending the time and effort, but I do find
cassoulet lacking: I regard it as a thick bean stew, somewhat less flavorful
than chili with beans.

In making cassoulet, a crust gets repeatedly formed on top of the casserole
as it cooks in the oven. This crust gets broken and stirred in again and
again. To me, that technique gives the dish the consistency of library
paste.

Cassoulet contains such wonderful products as smoked sausage, pork, and duck
confit. In my experience this is akin to putting a prom dress on a pig; the
gluey beans simply overwhelm those flavors with a surfeit of starch.

I've made cassoulet and been underwhelmed. Lin made cassoulet and didn't
find it worth the effort. I've had cassoulet in highly-regarded restaurants
and found it disappointing.

How many here have made cassoulet? And did you LIKE what you made?

Bob

"Bob Terwilliger" > wrote in message
b.com...
> On RFC Facebook, Christine floated the idea for a Southern California
> cook-together, possibly making cassoulet. Lin isn't a fan of cassoulet,
> and thinks that the final product isn't worth the amount of time and
> trouble taken to make it. At least one person on the Facebook group
> expressed the emphatic opinion that cassoulet is worth that amount of
> effort.
>
> I'm not averse to the idea of expending the time and effort, but I do find
> cassoulet lacking: I regard it as a thick bean stew, somewhat less
> flavorful than chili with beans.
>
> In making cassoulet, a crust gets repeatedly formed on top of the
> casserole as it cooks in the oven. This crust gets broken and stirred in
> again and again. To me, that technique gives the dish the consistency of
> library paste.
>
> Cassoulet contains such wonderful products as smoked sausage, pork, and
> duck confit. In my experience this is akin to putting a prom dress on a
> pig; the gluey beans simply overwhelm those flavors with a surfeit of
> starch.
>
> I've made cassoulet and been underwhelmed. Lin made cassoulet and didn't
> find it worth the effort. I've had cassoulet in highly-regarded
> restaurants and found it disappointing.
>
> How many here have made cassoulet? And did you LIKE what you made?
>
> Bob

I have not made it but have had it in a restaurant. I like pretty much all
beans except for red beans and rice and BBQed beans. I can't say that they
were any better than any other beans.

If you really love them, then I'd say to make them. But it doesn't sound
like you do so... I wouldn't.

On Thu, 22 Dec 2011 21:21:56 -0800, "Bob Terwilliger"
> wrote:

> On RFC Facebook, Christine floated the idea for a Southern California
> cook-together, possibly making cassoulet. Lin isn't a fan of cassoulet, and
> thinks that the final product isn't worth the amount of time and trouble
> taken to make it. At least one person on the Facebook group expressed the
> emphatic opinion that cassoulet is worth that amount of effort.
>
> I'm not averse to the idea of expending the time and effort, but I do find
> cassoulet lacking: I regard it as a thick bean stew, somewhat less flavorful
> than chili with beans.
>
> In making cassoulet, a crust gets repeatedly formed on top of the casserole
> as it cooks in the oven. This crust gets broken and stirred in again and
> again. To me, that technique gives the dish the consistency of library
> paste.
>
> Cassoulet contains such wonderful products as smoked sausage, pork, and duck
> confit. In my experience this is akin to putting a prom dress on a pig; the
> gluey beans simply overwhelm those flavors with a surfeit of starch.
>
> I've made cassoulet and been underwhelmed. Lin made cassoulet and didn't
> find it worth the effort. I've had cassoulet in highly-regarded restaurants
> and found it disappointing.
>
> How many here have made cassoulet? And did you LIKE what you made?
>

I've made cassoulet many times and loved it. As usual, I didn't
slavishly follow official protocol, but I thought what I made was
thoroughly delicious - and it's even better the following day.

YMMV
--

Ham and eggs.
A day's work for a chicken, a lifetime commitment for a pig.

"sf" > wrote in message
...
> On Thu, 22 Dec 2011 21:21:56 -0800, "Bob Terwilliger"
> > wrote:
>
>> On RFC Facebook, Christine floated the idea for a Southern California
>> cook-together, possibly making cassoulet. Lin isn't a fan of cassoulet,
>> and
>> thinks that the final product isn't worth the amount of time and trouble
>> taken to make it. At least one person on the Facebook group expressed the
>> emphatic opinion that cassoulet is worth that amount of effort.
>>
>> I'm not averse to the idea of expending the time and effort, but I do
>> find
>> cassoulet lacking: I regard it as a thick bean stew, somewhat less
>> flavorful
>> than chili with beans.
>>
>> In making cassoulet, a crust gets repeatedly formed on top of the
>> casserole
>> as it cooks in the oven. This crust gets broken and stirred in again and
>> again. To me, that technique gives the dish the consistency of library
>> paste.
>>
>> Cassoulet contains such wonderful products as smoked sausage, pork, and
>> duck
>> confit. In my experience this is akin to putting a prom dress on a pig;
>> the
>> gluey beans simply overwhelm those flavors with a surfeit of starch.
>>
>> I've made cassoulet and been underwhelmed. Lin made cassoulet and didn't
>> find it worth the effort. I've had cassoulet in highly-regarded
>> restaurants
>> and found it disappointing.
>>
>> How many here have made cassoulet? And did you LIKE what you made?
>>
>
> I've made cassoulet many times and loved it. As usual, I didn't
> slavishly follow official protocol, but I thought what I made was
> thoroughly delicious - and it's even better the following day.
>
> YMMV
> --
>
We love it, and make it every winter. In France it's traditionally made with
the lingot bean. In Ca we use the cannolini bean. The work is making the
traditional duck confit, it's principal ingredient. Michael Wild of Bay
Wolfe Restaurant in Oakland, uses ham hock. We've done that and like it,
though it's not quite the same. We've had cassoulet in Carcassone, its
birthplace. I think it's important to recognize at the onset that cassoulet
is cassoulet in this village, and something slightly different in the next
village.

Happy Holidaze,

Kent

In news:rec.food.cooking, "Julie Bove" > posted on
Thu, 22 Dec 2011 22:21:33 -0800 the following:

> I like pretty much all beans except for red beans and rice and BBQed
> beans.

Wow, those are my two favorite types of beans, but the red beans and rice
must also have skinless smoked sausage in it.

Damaeus

"Bob Terwilliger" > wrote in message
b.com...
> On RFC Facebook, Christine floated the idea for a Southern California
> cook-together, possibly making cassoulet. Lin isn't a fan of cassoulet,
> and thinks that the final product isn't worth the amount of time and
> trouble taken to make it. At least one person on the Facebook group
> expressed the emphatic opinion that cassoulet is worth that amount of
> effort.
>
> I'm not averse to the idea of expending the time and effort, but I do find
> cassoulet lacking: I regard it as a thick bean stew, somewhat less
> flavorful than chili with beans.
>
> In making cassoulet, a crust gets repeatedly formed on top of the
> casserole as it cooks in the oven. This crust gets broken and stirred in
> again and again. To me, that technique gives the dish the consistency of
> library paste.
>
> Cassoulet contains such wonderful products as smoked sausage, pork, and
> duck confit. In my experience this is akin to putting a prom dress on a
> pig; the gluey beans simply overwhelm those flavors with a surfeit of
> starch.
>
> I've made cassoulet and been underwhelmed. Lin made cassoulet and didn't
> find it worth the effort. I've had cassoulet in highly-regarded
> restaurants and found it disappointing.
>
> How many here have made cassoulet? And did you LIKE what you made?
>

Cassoulet is great. As long as somebody else makes it. It is kind of a lot
of work and the end result is kind of ... well ... not altogether wow
inducing. It's beans and meat.

Paul

"Damaeus" > wrote in message
...
> In news:rec.food.cooking, "Julie Bove" > posted on
> Thu, 22 Dec 2011 22:21:33 -0800 the following:
>
>> I like pretty much all beans except for red beans and rice and BBQed
>> beans.
>
> Wow, those are my two favorite types of beans, but the red beans and rice
> must also have skinless smoked sausage in it.

I just do not like Cajun seasonings or anything BBQ. Also don't like Indian
as in from India seasonings.

I was actually rather shocked the first time I tried red beans and rice. My
husband said I would love it. I should have known better. Any time he says
*I* will love it, I hate it. But he loves it. We have pretty much opposing
tastes when it comes to food. I thought... I like beans! I like rice!
And at home I have mixed beans and rice, fine. And maybe it was because I
got the red beans and rice from Popeye's chicken. But I just could not eat
them.

Around this same time period I invested a lot of money in Chef Paul
Prudhomme's seasoning mixes and a cookbook. My husband said he loved Cajun
food but he hated everything I made from that cookbook. I wound up throwing
it and the seasonings away.