French Cooking

French cooking is about extremes. From haute cuisine to provincial cuisine. From subtle flavors to bold flavors. From complicated recipes to the most simplistic. And French food is pretty food. Even when the meal is simple, it is elegantly presented.

The French elevated cooking to a culinary art that has influenced the entire world's cuisine and even the way we talk about food. French cooking has, over the years, become the norm to which we compare other cuisines. This is partly because France's famous culinary schools have made cooking a highly respected profession. But it is also because France is so bountiful. If you want to cook, French cooking has it all.

Few international cuisines compare to the elegant food prepared and served at the countless Michelin-starred restaurants of France. But nothing quite compares to the less familiar home cooking of France—food prepared in the farmhouses and country homes of locals. This is "peasant" food in its purest form—made from native vegetables, fruits, herbs, local cheeses, fresh milk and cream, freshly baked breads. This vast array of high-quality ingredients defines French food.

French cooking is the ultimate in "herby" cooking (as opposed to spicy). From sultry bay leaves to aromatic lavender, herbs further define French cuisine. The list is endless—basil, tarragon, rosemary, fennel, chives, savory, oregano, chervil, thyme, sage, parsley, marjoram, etc.

The French are also experts at using foods to their full potential. A cow is not simply steak and ribs. It is brains, pancreas, kidneys, and much more. A pig, similarly, becomes pigs feet, smoked ham, and saucisson (sausage). Goose parts include the delicacy foie gras (liver) as well as an integral part of cassoulet (multi-meat and bean stew). Forests are foraged for les truffes (truffles), mushrooms, and wild boar. Oceans, lakes, and rivers provide fish, mussels, eel, and shellfish. And there is more - rabbit, frogs legs and snails...

French Meals

Meals are an important part of French leisure activity. Meals are more about culture and tradition than simply food or drink. They are about relaxing, good conversation, friends, and family.

Le petit déjeuner (breakfast) is often a quick meal consisting of slices of french bread with jam and/or butter, croissants or pain au chocolat (a chocolate filled pastry) along with coffee or tea. Children often drink hot chocolate in bowls along with their breakfast. Sometimes a piece of fresh fruit and a small bowl of yogurt are added – but have only recently started to catch on as a suitable French breakfast menu. Breakfast of some kind is always served in cafés opening early in the day.

Typically if you’re ordering at a café in the morning, you can find a basic breakfast (continental-style) to go along with your café crème (shot of espresso with steamed milk), café au lait (coffee with milk), café allongé (espresso lengthened with hot water), or café noisette (shot of espresso with a dash of milk).

Le déjeuner (lunch) was once a two hour mid-day meal but has recently seen a trend toward the one hour lunch break. The normal lunch service is from noon to 2:30 p.m., with kitchens closing until dinner (except for urban spots that offer service continu, or continuous service). A traditional lunch consists of an entrée (starter), plat (main), and dessert, paired with wine and followed by an espresso (sans milk). The lunchtime formule, or set menu with a plat du jour (dish of the day), is often a real bargain. If you want to skip the courses and just order a main (à la carte), that’s not a problem. Fresh bread is a mainstay (and free), though butter is usually only served as an accompaniment at gourmet restaurants.

In some smaller towns the two hour lunch may still be customary. Sunday lunches are often longer and are taken with the family. In smaller cities and towns, some working people leave their workplaces to return home for lunch, generating four rush hours during the day.

The leisurely mid-day meal has traditionally been the largest meal. It is typically a family meal that involves multiple courses designed in harmony. It is not about excess or extravagance. The first course is meant to "whet" the appetite. It is called the hors d'oeuvre (appetizer), although different from what Americans think of as "finger food." It can be sausage, pate, raw vegetables (crudites), soup, or even sardines.

The second or main course (les plats) might be a seafood stew, fried steak, or a tart filled with tomatoes, sausage, and olives depending, of course, on the region seasonal ingredients. Simple salads of tender greens tossed with oil and vinegar, are served to refresh the palate following the main course, and finally, cheese and fruit to finish.

Apéritif More than mere “happy hour,” the apéritif, or apéro, is a much-loved social ritual. The word is derived from the Latin “aperire,” meaning “to open,” and serves to whet the appetite before dinner. Classic drinks like kir (blackcurrant liqueur and white wine), Picon bière (beer mixed with orange-accented bitters), and Ricard pastis (in the south of France) are served with snacks such as olives, nuts, and slices of saucisson. Apéro hour at friends’ homes sometimes go late, morphing into an apéro-dinatoire, or a full meal.

Le dîner (dinner), the evening family meal, is smaller, but not necessarily less elaborate. It often consists of three courses, hors d'oeuvre or entrée (introductory course often soup), plat principal (main course), and a cheese course or dessert, sometimes with a salad offered before the cheese or dessert. The main course can include fish, roasted chicken, or lamb stew, all served with vegetables. This course can be preceded by complementary soups, salads, or egg dishes. Cheese and fruit follow as well. Yoghurt may replace the cheese course, while a normal everyday dessert would be fresh fruit. The meal is often accompanied by bread, wine and mineral water.

In America, the meat course would be considered the meal's focus or entree. However, each course of a French meal commands equal respect. Braised veal, therefore, would not demand any more attention than the fresh watercress salad or a quiche. It is almost as if the French meal is a lovely, harmonious string of side dishes.

Bread always accompanies a meal, and French bread is famous for good reason. It is tasty, hearty, and crusty. Traditional long skinny loaves can be purchased daily from family-run bakeries in all towns.

Restaurant opening hours for dinner are generally 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., and 8 p.m. is the most popular dining hour. A classic French meal follows a similar line-up to lunch, though ordering style is often dictated by the type of establishment: from a casual Paris bouillon (inexpensive classic fare) to a neighborhood neo-bistro (sometimes sharing plates) to a Michelin-starred destination restaurant serving a multi-course blowout.

Last but not least: Cap off your meal with a digestif, a strong alcoholic drink like eau de vie, to help with digestion.

Picnics Basic picnic items are bread, fruit, cheese, sausage or pate and a French picnic is just as unique and wonderful a French dining experience as a meal in local cafe.

Regional Cooking in France

In every province of France the cooking reflects the different regional influences which have contributed to the emergence of speciality dishes.

The quiche Lorraine for instance is a speciality of the Lorraine region while in the same area, close to Germany, one of the traditional dishes served in the Alsace region is sauerkraut made of shredded cabbage cooked for over four hours in a seasoned white wine. This dish is served as a main course with sausages and pork chops.

The Mediterranean region typically makes great use of local herbs such as thyme, rosemary and bay leaves combined with garlic to give dishes a very particular taste. The bouillabaisse is also a classic dish of Mediterranean cuisine and consists of fish cooked in stock seasoned with saffron, garlic and tomatoes.

The Burgundy region is quite famous for its red wine-based sauces used in dishes such as Beef Burgundy.

In the Alpes region, closer to Switzerland, some of the regional specialities include the Fondue made of a mixture of melted cheese with wine and kirsch and eaten with pieces of bread dipped in the mixture.

The list is endless, but traditional as well as regional recipes are generally kept in the family and passed down from one generation to another.