On Sep 3, 9:03 am, "Felice" > wrote:
> Well, I finally did it. Two hours on my feet in the kitchen preparing,
> cooking and assembling all the ingredients. It was the best damned rata I've
> ever had, but I doubt if I'll ever make it again. Anyone one want to come in
> and do it for me?
>
I think of that recipe as conveying one of the first major lessons I
learned from Julia's books. As I recall it, the main point was to
strive to cook each component, i.e., each individual vegetable, to its
own point of perfection, and yet to have them combine and meld their
flavors. So prep work was key, as was attention to why you were doing
it her way.

Many other recipes ignore the differing cooking requirements for each
component, so that degrees of doneness vary, or more commonly the
whole thing turns to mush. Her way clearly showed me that a good
recipe is far more than a list of ingredients, that how you cook a
dish can be far more important.

Make it a few more times while summer produce is nice. It'll improve
your knife skills, too. -aem