French Cuisine

[Puzzicato]

Anybody else like lapin à la moutarde? The local butcher has some nice rabbit in and as the weather is cold at the moment, thought I might cook this up over the weekend.

I do, but the only time I have cooked it myself it was uniquely horrible.

 

[Tomasso]

Graham Kerr, Julia Child, and Jacques Pepin happen to be my culinary idols.

Though I love all three and find them to be far superior to the TV chefs of today it is Jacques who stands head and shoulders above them all. Personal chef to Charles de Gaulle while only in his mid 20's. :eusa_doh:


And as far as books, his La Technique is on the short list of must have culinary tomes.

 

[Smithy]

Though I love all three and find them to be far superior to the TV chefs of today it is Jacques who stands head and shoulders above them all. Personal chef to Charles de Gaulle while only in his mid 20's. :eusa_doh:


And as far as books, his La Technique is on the short list of must have culinary tomes.

He certainly knows his onions when it comes to cooking. I remember watching his cooking show back in the early 90s. I'll keep an eye out for that book.

 

[rumblefish]

I've read his The Apprentice, My Life In The Kitchen, but not La Technique.
I'll be putting it on the list.

 

[Chasseur]

As my nom de net implies I am a died in the wool francophile...
One of my great dissapointments with French cuisine in the US is that most of it have never quite recovered from the New Cuisine movement and now has become meshed into all that foodie fusion cooking.

My signature French dish is Beef Burgundy, though I often replace the beef with game meat (bear or deer). Also, I love making various quiches and tartes as well as my own duck confit.

I really love simple country dishes and also brassierie food. I'd rather eat andouillette with mustard, than some silly fusion thing with a pastry fin on it, sitting next to one carrot, and it all on a trapizoidal plate 6 times larger than the food...

Also nothing beats a simple rustic outdoor meal while hunting in the winter of pate, local cheese, sausages, cold duck confit, and wine...

 

[rumblefish]

Now that the vegi garden is in full production, ratatouille and quiches with all their variations are coming out of the kitchen. They both make great give-aways too. Since it all came from my garden, folks seem to get flush appreciation. Only so much can go into the freezer.

 

[Miss sofia]

I have to agree with Chasseur on this one, i visit rural france about three times a year where my parents have decamped and enjoy nothing more than simple local food, especially from the local markets, sausages, excellent cheeses, excellent fruit and vegetables, foie gras, quiches, rillettes, conit de canard, great bread and pastries, the local restaurants also provide great simple dishes executed really well, omelette and frites, moules, a simple steak. I have tried eating at the more well-heeled places, but have found the food too fussy and not flavoursome enough for me. (The rest of my family in Italy also enjoy the french rustic cuisine as it has some of the same basic components we would eat and enjoy there too, and that's high praise indeed)!!

 

[olive bleu]

I love french country food especially, like boeuf bourguignon, and cassoulet.But what i REAAALLLY love are the desserts...creme caramel,creme brulee, tarte tartin, and then the clafouti, the galette, the crepes, and lets not forget croquenbouche!!

 

[Miss sofia]

MMm, creme caramel, i think i have tomorrows dessert planned, i think i also have a slight touch of indigestion just looking at that picture! That is amazing!!

 

[The Box]

Smithy, if you're after a great French try Bergerac on King St. I've tried a few other places, including the newly revamped French Brasserie, but I always go back to Bergerac!

I'm a sucker for pate, terrine and raclette, but most of all creme brulee!

 

[scotrace]

Though I love all three and find them to be far superior to the TV chefs of today it is Jacques who stands head and shoulders above them all. Personal chef to Charles de Gaulle while only in his mid 20's. :eusa_doh:


And as far as books, his La Technique is on the short list of must have culinary tomes.

Agreed. His life is also a great read.
I'm also a fan of Andre Soltner.

To be a respectable cook, you have to be grounded in the basics. And that's French Cuisine and technique. It's a passion of mine.

 

[fortworthgal]

We're big fans of French cuisine. We tend to prefer the "country" foods such as boueuf bourguignon, coq au vin, and cassoulet. My husband is the crepe-master in our household, however.

Although my cookbook collection spans many vintages and styles, some of my most heavily-used books are Mastering the Art of French Cooking 1 & 2, Larousse Gastronomique, and Je Sais Cuisiner.

 

[Smithy]

Smithy, if you're after a great French try Bergerac on King St. I've tried a few other places, including the newly revamped French Brasserie, but I always go back to Bergerac!

I'm a sucker for pate, terrine and raclette, but most of all creme brulee!

Many thanks for the tip, I haven't tried Bergerac but it's on the list now!

 

[LordBest]

I had some splendid duck rillette and caneles at La Parisienne Pates in Lygon street. Heartily recommended. Decent macarons, though slightly overcooked and dull as they all seem to be in Melbourne. I must learn to make the cursed things myself.

 

[Berlin]

I certainly love french food!
Coq au vin is something my boyfriend loves to cook and I love to eat.
Aswell as french breakfast, french fries, Coquilles, soufflé au fromage, Quiche and oh..so much more

 

[Puzzicato]

What is French breakfast? Croissants and cafe au lait?

 

[Berlin]

Oui madam! And more: http://www.furansunocafe.com/liste_produits.php?base=ptitdej&lg=en

 

[Miss sofia]

OOh yes i love a bit of toasted brioche slathered in butter and apricot jam, in fact i'm always laden with Bonne Maman jam when i come home from France as the varieties we get here are a bit limited. The fig one is particularly lovely and nice as a compote on icecream or well, just eaten with a spoon from the jar as is usually the case chez moi! My son loves the pain au chocolat or au raisins which we can get locally at the market here, with a bowl of chocolate milk to wash it down with.

 

[CopperNY]

my crockpot Coq au Vin is a staple here....

 

[Steven180]

Let us please not allow this thread to end! There is so much more here to expand on! Notable restaurants, unique dishes, personal experiences, wonderful memories, references, ideas...

The well prepared and laborious Boeuf Bourgignon, the simple lunchtime baguette, or the defiant Nutella crepe on a side street in Paris...how can any of it be wrong? And let us not forget the French means of enjoying a meal. It is never simply food, it is an experience. Conversation and cuisine compliment each other as fine wine and cheese does. The clincher is friends.

M