Ratatouille

There's Nothing Cheesy About this Classic Dish

By Donna Smith

Who didn't see Disney/Pixar's Ratatouille, a movie about an adorable rat who wants to be a chef? The pronunciation provided by Disney beside the name (rat-a-too-ee) shows that many are not familiar with this word, which means many people are probably not aware that it's a rich vegetable "stew" perfect for busy weeknights but elegant enough for entertaining guests.

And while the opening of blockbuster movies is synonymous with summer, so is this classic dish. "In my opinion this is one of the recipes that defines summer dishes," says Chef Patrick Mould, owner of the Louisiana School of Cooking, author of Recipes from a Chef (Wimmer, 1999) and a spokesperson for Lou Ana Peanut Oil.

Wikipedia defines ratatouille as "a traditional French Provencal stewed vegetable dish which can be served as a meal on its own (accompanied by rice, potatoes or simply French bread) or as a side dish."

"The name appears in France around 1778," says Master French Chef Jacky Robert, owner of Petit Robert Bistro in Boston, Mass. "It is made of two words, 'rata' (meaning: stew of ordinary food), and 'tatouiller/ratouiller/touiller' originated around 1421 (meaning: moving, stirring)." Chef Roberts says the most known, Ratatouille Nicoise, comes from Nice, located in southern France on the Mediterranean coast.

The common ingredients in ratatouille are eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, tomato, garlic, onion, olive oil.

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