December 14 – National Bouillabaisse Day

You know how you want to throw that super fun New Year’s party…with great music, fun games, friends…or have that wonderfully planned out Thanksgiving where all the food is done at the exact same time, everyone arrives with smiles and offers to do all the dishes while you sit there and relax…today was kinda like those days to me…I had GREAT expectations…then the reality of the day hit me.

Bouillabaisse for those of you who do not know is a traditional Provencal fish stew originating from the port city of Marseille.

What makes a bouillabaisse different from other fish soups is the selection of Provencal herbs and spices in the broth, the use of bony local Mediterranean fish, and the method of serving. In Marseille, the broth is served first in a bowl containing the bread and rouille, with the seafood and vegetables served separately in another bowl or on a platter. (wikipedia)

I had high hopes now that Jared is done with school that we would be able to whip this up and try it…I knew that I would hate it, I don’t like soup/stew or seafood…so there really was no hope for me – but I was willing to give it a go for the sake of my blog.

However, I looked up a recipe online and that idea flew right out the window and got hit by a semi!

I am no chef…cook…or anything else that might belong in a kitchen as we have discussed before. When I looked at the recipe and saw there were 22 ingredients…and then 6 more for the sauce…most of which I did not already have in my house (or even know what they were for that matter) I knew I was done. I looked at going to get it at a restaurant…but you can’t pick this up at some little store on the corner, you have to go to a NICE restaurant…when you consider Applebee’s to be a “big night out” a place that serves Bouillabaisse is off the charts!

Therefore, today I learned what bouillabaisse is and that anyone who can make it is amazing!...and no I would not like to try it, so if you can make it…you enjoy it all!