Hey there, listeners, future callers, and cooking enthusiasts.

Welcome to Dinner S.O.S.

A show where we help you save dinner, or whatever you're cooking.

I'm Chris Moronco, food director of Bonapetit and Epicureus.

This week's caller, Michelle, is after something of a culinary white whale. The She's not the first person to fixate on France.

I mean, Julia Child brought French cuisine

to the home cook over 60 years ago.

But for Michelle, it's personal.

So all my life, I've been a bit of a francophile. I love everything about France, the movies, the language, the people and in particular of course the food.

Coincidentally or well maybe not so coincidentally I ended up marrying a French man.

Ah!

Michelle and her husband visit his family in France all the time.

So she's tasted the cuisine direct from the source and to make it even more

intimidating her husband's dad is an incredible cook. So we're very spoiled

he makes the most amazing things he makes B big bulignon, he makes ratatuit, he makes lamp shoulder with tajine,

Pulefarsi, which is like a stuffed chicken, fish soup, I mean you name it.

But my problem, Chris, is that when I try to recreate these

dishes at home back in the US they don't taste the same ever at all. I have mastered or I have done

well with other cuisines but the French one keeps

eluding me. His dad has taught me the recipes, we cook together when we're in

France. I've even used French recipes from this website called Marmitone which everyone in France uses and it's just not the same you know it lacks flavor it turns out flat, you know my be Berginon was too watery or according to my husband it lacked complexity in the sauce.

He has very high standards.

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