Inner Chef

When I was young, I discovered Julia Childs and Graham Kerr. My passion for cooking ignited into a lifelong pleasure.

One of my first experiments was making Brioche. I will never forget my mom freaking out about the copious amount of butter required in the baking of this luscious, flakey viennoiserie - not quite a bread, and not yet a pastry.

Delicious? Yes.

Flash forward a few months, and French Onion Soup was on the menu. A simple, albeit tedious recipe, I cannot think of a better meal for a cold, rainy, foggy evening. For several years, FOS was a New Year's Eve treat, but now, I rarely make it.

For the record, my mother could not believe how long it took to properly caramelize onions.

Inspired by a food blogger's post about making this particular recipe, I decided to resurrect Julia's French Onion Soup, complete with baguette croutons, plenty of good Swiss, and the secret ingredient...cognac. The added touch of grated fresh red onion, and sprinklings of fresh parsley and paprika, sent this meal over the top.

Result?

Not a drop left.

My inner chef will sleep well tonight.