FROZEN MIREPOIX

In 2012 I wrote a BLOG article MIREPOIX (see below) about learning about the word used in Cajun cooking to describe the finely diced combination of sauteed onions, celery, and carrots. It is also known as "The Holy Trinity"in cooking.  

Now, the word "mirepoix" easily rolls off our tongues as if we've used it all of our lives.

Today, at Kroger, as I was looking for Lima beans in the frozen vegetables section, I spotted a package of frozen MIREPOIX!  When I came home, I said to Les, "Look what I found at Kroger!"

He said, "Well, that certainly shows the influence of cooking shows;  Hell, we used to just say frozen mixed vegetables!"  Later, he said, "P.T. Barnum was right;  you probably paid more because it was labeled MIREPOIX!"




                                                                        MIREPOIX

When hearing a word for the first time, it's interesting how many times one hears the word used after that. One has probably heard the word before but it did not register until one makes a connection. Two of my friends told me that they had never heard the word SCHADENFREUDE until they read it in my Blog posting (see Sue's News, February 2, 2010, "SCHADENFREUDE") but after that they heard it a number of times. Both would either call or e-mail me and it became "OUR" word and now they both use the word themselves.

Two days ago Les asked, "Do you know the word MIREPOIX?" I answered that I did not and he told me that he'd heard it on several cooking shows. We looked it up and it means: "A combination of finely diced, sauteed onions, carrots and celery used to add flavor and aroma to stocks, sauses, soups and other foods." Yesterday, watching an old Dr. Oz tape, the guest, Andrew Zimmern, said, "Make a simple mirepoix." Simple mirepoix! Excitedly, I yelled for Les to come to listen.

I told Les, "This will be our new "refrigerator game!"

Les asked, "How about CHIFFONADE?"

Julia Child would be proud of me because I actually knew that one!

But just tell me how I'm going to throw those two words into casual conversation. I'm reminded of when I used MACERATE and Ziggy thought I'd used another word (see Sue's News, January 22, 2010, "ZIGGY").