French cuisine
A word before we start...
This section is something I've worked on for a long time. My first attempt was to create a cookbook for a friend of mine who lives in Sacramento. She wanted recipes that were feasible and after browsing tons of cookbooks I ended up depressed thinking "this will not do". Too complicated, too snotty and so not what we eat on a regular basis. I mean, of course some of the stuff you'll find in those cookbooks is served in restaurants but what about a traditional meal shared with family or friends?
Well, this is my own answer.
A warning first – I'm no Cordon Bleu. My grandmother was. Got her degree from that famed school in Paris when her husband died and then cooked for frightfully rich family in the posh suburbs of Paris for almost 20 years. Yet, as a wife and mother, I cook every day. I won't tell you how to cook extraordinary things that take hours in the kitchen - just homely dishes that will allow you to prepare a real French meal even though you're miles away from a French grocery store. I might not cover everything you'd like to know because I'll keep it simple and do-able. I will also help you navigate the maze of the French etiquette when it comes to inviting family or friends over.
How do I know it's authentic? This is what my grandmother and aunt used to serve during family get-togethers and trust me, they knew how to cook! How can you be sure you can do it while not residing in France? Because I've adapted it so everything is feasible, from scratch, with your own local products.
Before we start, let's be clear about what a French traditional meal is. It's not a BBQ. When we invite people over, especially friends or in-laws, we like our tables to look really good. We actually set the table, decorate it and have an old-fashioned meal, often dinner, and talk late into the night. The courses are served way into the evening, often welcoming our guests around 7 or 8 and bidding them goodnight at 11, midnight or even later.
The next articles will be about the different parts of one of those get-togethers. The rest of the recipes will help you bring variety to your meals. Have fun! Any requests? Questions? Email me or tweet me. I'll be most happy to help.
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Apéritif
Par Laurie le 27 juin 2016, 17:41