French Cuisine

In France, there is a distinctive culture of French food that is undeniable. It is accompanied with pride, exclusive ingredients, and techniques, a world renowned culinary school and those special regions that are known for one particular kind of food. The French take their food very seriously, and the cuisine is never nothing but delicious.

french cheese

Popular French Dishes:

  1. Coq au vin--(pronounced co co van) is a chicken frickasee cooked in red wine with mushrooms and sometimes garlic. Coq au vin
  2. Crepes--(pronounced crehp) is a very flat pancake typically stuffed with fruit or cream.
    Crepe
  3. Baguette--(pronounced like it appears) is a long French bread loaf.
    Baguette
  4. Chocolate Mousse--this lighter than air dessert originated in France.
    Chocolate Mousse
  5. Eclair--(pronounced ay clair) is a pastry stuffed with cream and topped with icing
    Eclair
  6. Creme Brulee--(pronounced crehm broo lay) is a custard topped with hard caramel.
    Creme Brulee




French Wine

There is not a region in France that is NOT known for some type of wine. Wine is commonly served with dinner along with water or carbonated mineral water. This is something that is very cultural in France to sip on wine as you enjoy a great french meal. France reportedly makes close to 900 million dollars off of the wine industry.

French Wine

French Recipes

French Ratatouille Recipe

Makes 8 to 10 servings:


  1. 2 large eggplants
  2. 2 medium yellow onions
  3. 3 medium bell peppers
  4. 6 to 8 medium zucchini
  5. 4 large tomatoes
  6. 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
  7. 3 to 4 cloves garlic
  8. 1 bay leaf
  9. 3 to 4 sprigs thyme
  10. 1/4 cup loosely packed basil, sliced into ribbons
  11. Extra basil for garnishing
  12. Salt and pepper.
Directions:
  1. Peel the eggplants, if desired, and chop them into bite-sized cubes. Transfer them to a strainer set over a bowl and toss with a tablespoon of salt. Let the eggplant sit while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
  2. Dice the onions and roughly chop the peppers, zucchinis, and tomatoes into bite-sized pieces. Mince the garlic. The vegetables will be cooked in batches, so keep each one in a separate bowl.
  3. Warm a teaspoon of olive oil in a large (at least 5 1/2-quart) Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and a generous pinch of salt. Sauté until the onions have softened and are just beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the peppers and continue cooking until the peppers have also softened, about another 5 minutes. Transfer the onions and peppers to a clean bowl.
  4. Add another teaspoon of oil to the pot and sauté the zucchini with a generous pinch of salt until the zucchini has softened and is beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer the zucchini to the bowl with the onions and peppers.
  5. Rinse the eggplant under running water and squeeze the cubes gently with your hands to remove as much moisture as possible. Warm two teaspoons of oil in the pan and sauté the eggplant until it has softened and has begun to turn translucent, about 10 minutes. Transfer the eggplant to the bowl with the other vegetables.
  6. During cooking, a brown glaze will gradually build on the bottom of the pan. If it looks like this glaze is beginning to turn black and burn, turn down the heat to medium. You can also dissolve the glaze between batches by pouring 1/4 cup of water or wine into the pan and scraping up the glaze. Pour the deglazing liquid into the bowl with the vegetables.
  7. Warm another teaspoon of olive oil in the pan and sauté the garlic until it is fragrant and just starting to turn golden, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, bay leaf, and whole sprigs of thyme. As the tomato juices begin to bubble, scrape up the brown glaze on the bottom of the pan.
  8. Add all of the vegetables back into the pan and stir until everything is evenly mixed. Bring the stew to a simmer, then turn down the heat to low. Stirring occasionally, simmer for at least 20 minutes or up to 1 1/2 hours. Shorter cooking time will leave the vegetables in larger, more distinct pieces; longer cooking times will break the vegetables down into a silky stew.
  9. Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Just before taking the ratatouille off the heat, stir in the basil. Sprinkle the extra basil and a glug of good olive oil over each bowl as you serve.
Ratatouille