Global Bites Project | French Cuisine

Posted on November 14, 2012

Country

Introduction

French cuisine is thought of as the trendsetter in food and the best of the best chefs. I was pretty intimidated to attempt to cook French dishes and to write about what makes French cooking unique, so I decided to dive in mouth first.

My Adventure

For this adventure, I started with Chicken Normandy. This dish is from the Normandy (Normandie) region, as the name suggests, and uses Camembert cheese and Calvados (apple brandy) from the same region. Dishes from Normandy frequently use milk, cream, and apples, all of which are abundant there.

Next I made Buckwheat Crêpes with Ham and Cheese. This dish is from the Brittany (Bretagne) region where both savory and sweet crêpes are often served.

Next I made Beef Tournedos in Red Wine Sauce from Jacques Pépin's Essential Pépin cookbook. I couldn't find the specific origin of this dish but I would guess that it's from the Burgundy (Bourgogne) region because of the red wine and mustard.

Next I made Quiche Lorraine again from Jacques Pépin's Essential Pépin. This dish comes from the Alsace-Lorraine region near Germany.

Next I made Coq au Vin also from Jacques Pépin's Essential Pépin. This dish is from the Burgundy (Bourgogne) region, although this particular recipe is more modern and light.

Next I made Bifteck Sauté Bercy from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

Next I made Pommes Anna. This recipe is from a cooking class that I took a few years ago.

Finally, I made an Apple Galette from Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home cookbook.

Recipes for French cuisine can be found here. I am always adding more, so check back!

For my restaurant selection, we went to Café Claude in San Francisco. Here is what we had:

Chèvre Salad

Tarte au Pissaladière

and Steak Frites.

I wanted to try macarons. (Yes, even though I have been to Paris, I failed to eat macarons.) I got these at Amour Patisserie in Los Gatos, they were tasty!

We attended a Bordeaux Wine Seminar and Tasting at Cin-Cin restaurant in Los Gatos to get a feel for French wine. I learned that France is the second largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, and that the Bordeaux region ranks highest in terms of reputation. The region is vast and produces many types of wines. I liked almost everything I tried and ended up buying a few bottles. One of my favorites was the dessert wine Château Clos Haut-Peyraguey, I bought a 2005 bottle and enjoyed a glass with my Apple Galette.

History and Contributions of French Cuisine

The Roman Empire

• Romans introduced vineyards, wine, olives, and irrigation systems to France.

Italian Influence (1519-1589)

• Culinary refinement in Italy influenced the French.
• The idea that eating should be a formal affair began.
• Importance of the presentation of food was created.
• Focus on techniques and quality ingredients.
• Introduction of the roux.
• Table etiquette and the inclusion of women at the table.

François Pierre de la Varenne (1651)

• Wrote Le Cuisinier François, the founding text of modern French cuisine, focused on many Italian-inspired dishes.

Monsieur Boulanger (1765)

• Opened the world's first restaurant. Prior to this there were only places to sleep and eat, or get a cup of coffee. First business to focus on eating and provide a menu.

The French Revolution (1789)

• The chefs that had worked for royalty needed to find new employment. Many opened restaurants, mostly in Paris.
• The Revolution created a new middle class that could afford restaurants.
• More complicated foods were introduced to the public.

Marie-Antoine Carême (1783-1833)

• Reduced the size of French banquets. Prior to him, banquets were wildly overdone affairs, sometimes serving 300 different dishes.
• Created planned menus and presentations.
• Created the four "mother sauces."
• Wrote manuals on cooking, running a kitchen, food service, and buffet presentations.

Georges Auguste Escoffier (1846-1935)

• Father of haute cuisine (high cuisine) now referred to as classical French cuisine.
• Did away with garnishes.
• Embraced a new system of serving food, one item at a time, in courses. Prior to this, items would be served all at once or in groups. This new system was borrowed from Russia and is still called "Russian Service."
• Developed "Brigade System" which created stations in the kitchen for cooks, more efficient than one cook doing the entire dish.
• Work with César Ritz to create fine-dining hotels that eventually became the Ritz-Carlton chain.
• Wrote Le Guide Culinaire.

Fernand Point (1897-1955)

• Considered the father of nouvelle cuisine in France.
• His approach was to start with the best ingredients, treat them properly, and only then consider other aspects.
• His restaurant La Pyramide was a 3-star Michelin restaurant and was widely believed to be the best restaurant in France.
• Greatest contribution was his open sharing of how to cook. Many great chefs trained under him.

This is only the tip of the iceberg for French recipes, history, and contributions. Many books have been written on the subject. Personally, I look forward to traveling back to France and doing some more eating! Bon Appétit!

 

Me at the bottom of the Sacré-Cœur tram in Paris.

Next stop, the British Isles.

All articles for the Global Bites Project can be found here.

 

(Ref. Jeremy MacVeigh's International Cuisine, Wikipedia, and Margaret McWilliams' Food Around the World.)