# Une recette



## charlie2

This is actually my homework (due the coming Monday). We are to write a recipe in French. Please help me to see if this is at least comprehensible and grammatically correct. I am sorry it is not interesting and may not be much cooking to you, but I have chosen the easy way out.  

*Boeuf a l'etouffee japonais * (I want to say braised beef Japanese style)
(recette pour 4 personnes)
Ingredients
boeuf   200 grammes
pommes de terre   600 grammes
1 oignon (moyen)
huilles d'olive   2 cuillieres a soupe
La sauce
bouillon _(a.Is that how you call stock?)   _ 2 tasses
sucre     2.5 cuillieres a soupe
vin   2 cuillieres a soupe
mirin(it is a sweet Japanese sauce, "mirin" is Japanese )  2 cuillieres a soupe
sauce au soja _(b.ou du soja?) _ 4 cuillieres a soupe

1.Coupez le boeuf en tranches. Emincez l'oignon. Pelez les pommes de terre et coupez-les en morceaux. _(c.How do you say cut them in equal size? coupez-les en meme calibre?)_
2.Dans une poele, faites chauffer l'huille d'olive.
3.Fririez le boeuf a feu fort pour faire le blondir/dorer/ou pour le faire prendre couleur _(d.which one is preferable, if any one of them is correct?)_
4.Ajoutez l'oignon et les pommes de terre. Melangez-les et fririez-les.
5.Ajoutez le bouilon et le vin dans la poele. Portez a ebullition.
6.Baissez le feu a moyen et cuisez pendant 3 minutes.
7.Ajoutez le sucre et la _(e.? It is a sauce) _ mirin.
8.Faites reduire la sauce a moitie.
9.Ajoutez la sauce au soja. 
10. Cuisez pour reduire la sauce completement, la poele etant couverte.
Please assume that I got all the accents right, so as to save you the trouble. Thank you.


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## Gil

Site pouvant contenir de la terminologie utile:
http://www.linternaute.com/femmes/cuisine/recette/305559/1119503851/boeuf_bourguignon.shtml

Si tu essaies la recette, commentaires S,V.P.


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## charlie2

Gil said:
			
		

> Site pouvant contenir de la terminologie utile:
> http://www.linternaute.com/femmes/cuisine/recette/305559/1119503851/boeuf_bourguignon.shtml
> 
> Si tu essaies la recette, commentaires S,V.P.


If "la recette" means the recipe I just wrote (it is a chinese one actually) , yes, I have tried that at least thirty times. It is easy and good. That's why I chose it for my writing exercise, in case I am questioned on it. Thinking about it I am getting hungry now. I am so happy with that recipe that I even cooked enough for six of my family members. They were polite during that occasion.


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## charlie2

I am just back from the recipe Gil referred to above. It seems that the first amendment I have to make is to change all the verbs into infinitive form, right?


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## Laurinou

Sorry Charlie2, it will be a little messy !



			
				charlie2 said:
			
		

> This is actually my homework (due the coming Monday). We are to write a recipe in French. Please help me to see if this is at least comprehensible and grammatically correct. I am sorry it is not interesting and may not be much cooking to you, but I have chosen the easy way out.
> 
> *Boeuf a l'etouffee facon japonaise *(I want to say braised beef Japanese style) [it is just a suggestion...)
> Boeuf braise a la Japonaise (?)
> (recette pour 4 personnes)
> Ingredients
> boeuf 200 grammes
> pommes de terre 600 grammes
> 1 oignon (moyen)
> huilles d'olive 2 cuillieres a soupe Huile d'olive
> La sauce
> bouillon _(a.Is that how you call stock?) _2 tasses
> sucre 2.5 cuillieres a soupe
> vin 2 cuillieres a soupe
> mirin(it is a sweet Japanese sauce, "mirin" is Japanese ) 2 cuillieres a soupe
> sauce au soja _(b.ou du soja?) _4 cuillieres a soupe
> 
> 1.Coupez le boeuf en tranches. Emincez l'oignon. Pelez les pommes de terre et coupez-les en morceaux egaux/de taille egale. _(c.How do you say cut them in equal size? coupez-les en meme calibre?)_
> 2.Dans une poele, faites chauffer l'huille d'olive.
> 3.Faites frire Fririez le boeuf a feu fort pour faire le blondir/dorer/ou pour le faire prendre couleur _(d.which one is preferable, if any one of them is correct?) _
> 4.Ajoutez l'oignon et les pommes de terre. Melangez-les et faites les frire fririez-les.
> 5.Ajoutez le bouillon et le vin dans la poele. Portez a ebullition.
> 6.Baissez le feu a moyen et faites/laissez cuire cuisez pendant 3 minutes.
> 7.Ajoutez le sucre et la _(e.? It is a sauce) _mirin. ?
> 8.Faites reduire la sauce de a moitie.
> 9.Ajoutez la sauce au soja.
> 10. Faites cuire jusqu'a (cuisez pour) reduire la sauce completement, la poele etant couverte.
> Please assume that I got all the accents right, so as to save you the trouble. Thank you.


 
Hope it will help a few...
Bon appetit !
Laure


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## Laurinou

charlie2 said:
			
		

> I am just back from the recipe Gil referred to above. It seems that the first amendment I have to make is to change all the verbs into infinitive form, right?


 
Both are possible to use in a recipe redaction, your choice is probably the best one as it is more often written using this style !


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## charlie2

Thank you so much, Laure. It is better than I expected. It is impossible to get good beef (or just beef) here in the middle of the night. I'll have to do it tomorrow. Merci encore.


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## Agnès E.

Hi Charlie, may I suggest the following :


*Boeuf a l'etouffee braisé à la japonaise *(I want to say braised beef Japanese style)
(_recette_ pour 4 personnes)
Ingredients
_boeuf_ 200 grammes de boeuf
_pommes de terre_ 600 grammes de pommes de terre
1 oignon (moyen)
_huilles d'olive_ 2 cuill_i_eres a soupe d'huile d'olive
LPour la sauce
_bouillon_ _(a.Is that how you call stock?) 2 tasses_ 5 dl de bouillon (French usually measure in dl ; 1 cup = 2.5 dl)
50 g de sucre _2.5 cuillieres a soupe (1 cuillère à soupe = 20 g)_
1 dl de vin_ 2 cuillieres a soupe_
1 dl de mirin(it is a sweet Japanese sauce, "mirin" is Japanese ) 2 cuillieres a soupe
2 dl de sauce au soja _(b.ou du soja?) 4 cuillieres a soupe_

I agree with Gil's suggestion to use the infinitive.

1.Coupez le boeuf en lamelles _tranches_. Emincez l'oignon. Pelez les pommes de terre et coupez-les en petits dés _morceaux_. _(c.How do you say cut them in equal size? coupez-les en meme calibre? _No, you obviously cut in equal size or you better sit and watch a rugby match, ask Rodger_)_
2._Dans une poele, faites chauffer l'huille d'olive._
_3.Fririez le boeuf a feu fort pour faire le blondir/dorer/ou pour le faire prendre couleur _
Faire frire le boeuf à feu vif dans l'huile d'olive _(d.which one is preferable, if any one of them is correct?)_
Adjust your numeration !
4.Ajoutez l'oignon et les pommes de terre. _Melangez-les et fririez-les._
5.Ajoutez le bouilon et le vin _dans la poele_. Portez a ebullition.
6._Baissez_ Réduire le feu _a moyen_ et _cuisez_ laisser cuire _pendant_ 3 minutes.
7.Ajoutez le sucre et la _(e.? It is a sauce) _mirin.
8.Faites reduire la sauce a moitie.
9.Ajoutez la sauce au soja. 
10. Cuisez pour reduire la sauce completement, la poele etant couverte.
Please assume that I got all the accents right, so as to save you the trouble. Thank you. [/QUOTE]


Bon appétit, it seems delicious !


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## Gil

Alors, les pommes de terre, je les coupe en dés ou en juliennes?


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## Agnès E.

Gil said:
			
		

> Alors, les pommes de terre, je les coupe en dés ou en juliennes?


 
Couper en julienne (ou est-ce émincer ?) signifie obtenir de petits bâtons/allumettes (plus gros que les carottes râpées), généralement dans le but de cuire rapidement carottes, céleri rave, pommes de terre, etc.
Peut-être serait-ce effectivement préférable ici étant donnée la rapidité de la cuisson (quoique, le temps nécessaire à réduire la sauce suffit à cuire des dés de pomme de terre).

Oserais-je avancer que je subodore un gourmand-gourmet pinaillage ?


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## Gil

Agnes E. said:
			
		

> Oserais-je avancer que je subodore un gourmand-gourmet pinaillage ?



Il pourrait effectivement y avoir risque de dérapage.  Je voulais seulement évoquer la possibilité de tailler les petits morceaux en forme de juliennes en plus de la forme suggérée, histoire d'enrichir le vocabulaire gastronomique de Charlie2.  Quant à mes préférences, ça dépend si la machine à tailler les juliennes n'est pas loin et qu'elle propre, sinon c'est des dés, comme la fois d'avant...


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## charlie2

Merci a tous. Ecrire une recette s'agit bien des vocabulaires speciaux.


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## Benjy

charlie2 said:
			
		

> Merci a tous. Ecrire une recette s'agit bien des vocabulaires speciaux.



in fact.. one little point s'agir de is always impersonal.

so it would be something like quand on écrit/il faut écrire une recette il s'agit de ...

im sure so native will do better job but i just wanted to give you the heads up


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## charlie2

Thank you, Benji. So are expressions like "a propos"? 
Don't start rolling on the floor, but what's a "heads up"? I got the meaning from the context. But would you tell me more, perhaps in French, too?  If I have to start a new thread, just tell me.


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## Benjy

ROFL  i kid i kid  i started a new thread just for you


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## Cath.S.

> Merci a tous. Ecrire une recette s'agit bien des vocabulaires speciaux.


Charlie, as Benjy pointed out_, s'agir de_ is always impersonal.
So you could say:
_écrire une recette nécessite (l'emploi d') un vocabulaire spécial_
There are other solutions.
Also, do not mix up
_vocabulaire (nm) = ensemble de mots_ 
(nearly always singular)
and
vocable (nm) = mot
(slghtly pedantic).


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## charlie2

Thank you. So is "a propos" impersonal, egueule?


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## Cath.S.

charlie2 said:
			
		

> Thank you. So is "a propos" impersonal, egueule?


How do you mean, Charlie?


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## charlie2

Example :
Quand on ecrit une recette, c'est a propos de l'emploi d'un vocabulaire special.
ou
Ecrire une recette est a propos de l'emploi d'un vocabulaire special.
Is either of these correct?


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## Gil

I never try to make things easy.  So:
Quand on écrit une recette, l'emploi d'un vocabulaire approprié est de rigueur.
egueule will disagree and explain you why.


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## Cath.S.

charlie2 said:
			
		

> Example :
> Quand on ecrit une recette, c'est a propos de l'emploi d'un vocabulaire special.
> ou
> Ecrire une recette est a propos de l'emploi d'un vocabulaire special.
> Is either of these correct?


Sorry, Charlie but no, neither of them is good French.
_à propos_ means about, related to, relating.
Example:
_je viens vous voir à propos de votre fils_
I've come to see you about your son.
_A quel sujet désirez-vous me parler?_
What do you want to talk to me about?
_(C'est) à propos de votre fils._
(It's) about your son.
_Les chercheurs ont fait de nouvelles découvertes à propos des virus._
Researchers have made new discoveries regarding viruses. 
Tu comprends mieux?


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## Cath.S.

Gil said:
			
		

> I never try to make things easy. So:
> Quand on écrit une recette, l'emploi d'un vocabulaire approprié est de rigueur.
> egueule will disagree and explain you why.


No, why, it's a wonderful translation, Gil!


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## Nico5992

I'd like to add that "à propos" can mean "appropriate" or "in an appropriate way", and I guess that Charlie wanted to use it this way. No example occurs to me right now, but I'm sure someone will redeem my lazyness.


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## Cath.S.

Nico5992 said:
			
		

> I'd like to add that "à propos" can mean "appropriate" or "in an appropriate way", and I guess that Charlie wanted to use it this way. No example occurs to me right now, but I'm sure someone will redeem my laz*i*ness.


Cela est dit fort à propos, Nico! 
(Your remark is most appropriate, Nico!)


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## Gil

egueule said:
			
		

> Cela est dit fort à propos, Nico!
> (Your remark is most appropriate, Nico!)



À propos, egueule, vos propos me semblent ...parfoisempreints  d'une grande sagesse.

Je trouve vos explications géniales... Continuez


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## charlie2

Nico5992 said:
			
		

> I'd like to add that "à propos" can mean "appropriate" or "in an appropriate way", and I guess that Charlie wanted to use it this way.


Yes, that's the sense I was trying to bring out, but obviously I could only go as far as to say "special".
Si tu es en forme plus tard, donne-moi des exemples s'il te plait. Merci d'avance.
(Nico5992 : I don't know why. I like your posts more and more every day. Can I lose the 5992 from now on? This is my way of "te tutoyer".  )


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## charlie2

Gil said:
			
		

> Quand on écrit une recette, l'emploi d'un vocabulaire approprié est de rigueur.
> egueule will disagree and explain you why.


I am not saying this because "the Man" said this is good.   I think it is exactly what I meant to say, no more no less. Thank you.


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## charlie2

egueule said:
			
		

> Sorry, Charlie but no, neither of them is good French.
> _à propos_ means about, related to, relating.
> Example:
> _je viens vous voir à propos de votre fils_
> I've come to see you about your son.
> _A quel sujet désirez-vous me parler?_
> What do you want to talk to me about?
> _(C'est) à propos de votre fils._
> (It's) about your son.
> _Les chercheurs ont fait de nouvelles découvertes à propos des virus._
> Researchers have made new discoveries regarding viruses.
> Tu comprends mieux?


Oui, merci beaucoup.
(For the record, I didn't respond in any order of importance.  )


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## charlie2

Gil said:
			
		

> À propos, egueule, vos propos ......


And this "a propos" would mean ""au fait"?


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## Gil

charlie2 said:
			
		

> And this "a propos" would mean ""au fait"?



"À propos,  "  I would use when  I would say "By the way,..."  

While I would use "Au fait,"  to mean "Let's get real.."  "Let's get to business..." 

Both are ways to introduce a sentence and change the subject of a conversation.  (I think.)


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## Cath.S.

Gil said:
			
		

> "À propos, " I would use when I would say "By the way,..."
> 
> While I would use "Au fait," to mean "Let's get real.." "Let's get to business..."
> 
> Both are ways to introduce a sentence and change the subject of a conversation. (I think.)


They are pretty interchangeable in my book.


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## Gil

egueule said:
			
		

> They are pretty interchangeable in my book.



Was your book translated by Saint Jerome?


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## Cath.S.

Gil said:
			
		

> Was your book translated by Saint Jerome?


N'invoque pas en vain le nom de notre Saint Patron!


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## charlie2

You(the plural form) know I am the one cat that you haven't killed yet. Last time, it was St. Glinglin (?). Now it is Saint Jerome. Expliquez-le-moi, s'il vous plait?   No blood please. Je ne suis pas sanguinaire.


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## Cath.S.

St Jérôme was a translator of the Bible, he is the patron saint of translators.
http://www.answers.com/topic/st-jerome






This is a Titian's painting of St Jerome

P.s. We've killed you many times, fortunately cats have lots of lives.


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## charlie2

Thank you, egueule. Don't tickle me (I mean my curiosity, of course) anymore, at least for the moment. I must go now.


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## charlie2

To complete the picture and for those people who will read this thread:
1.Our teacher likes the description of le plat :Boeuf a l'etouffee a la japonaise.
2.He said I should say "le mirin" although he didn't have a clue as to what is that. (It is a sweet rice wine/ sauce actually.)
3.For the beef to take on colour, he prefers "dorer" and not "blondir".
4.He thought I added too much sauce du soja and using une poele might not be too appropriate. Peut-etre une casserole?
5.He prefers the vous form for the verbs instead of the infinitives.
6.Perhaps he is in Hong Kong for too long and he doesn't approve of my use of the "dl" instead of the "tasse" and "cuillere a soupe".
This little note is also written to thank all those people who have helped me with this my homework. Merci bien.


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