At the left are scallions (also known as green onions) and leeks. Leeks came to our table as an ingredient in a commercial soup. I didn’t handle a fresh, green leek until I was grown up.
In my experience, food preferences in the onion family still vary with location, even within the United States. Large, sweet onions, for example, seem to be a regional specialty. Since the 1950’s shallots have become more widely used and available in the US, but leeks have not. I wonder why. Both have their own distinctive flavor.
In the 1950’s chives, shallots and onions were among the topics discussed in letters between Julia Child and Avis DeVoto as Julia worked on the book we now know as Mastering the Art of French Cooking. A chance contact with Avis DeVoto had led to a friendship based, first, on a shared enthusiasm for French cooking. Mrs. DeVoto’s knowledge of publishers was critical in getting the book into print. These letters are titled As Always, Julia and have been selected and edited by Joan Reardon. I find it interesting that in the 1950’s Julia Child encountered difficulty getting fresh chives in France, and Avis DeVoto had to search to find shallots in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
As I have said, I don't cook as a hobby, I cook to feed my family and to give them pleasure. I thank Julia Child for giving us a trusty and readable reference that can turn a chore into a work of art.
Happy Cooking,
Ruth Ann