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For most of the Western world, French is the mother cuisine. It is the standard we aspire to in cooking and eating, and it is the discipline against which we rebel when striking out in new directions. By Nancy Ross Ryan |
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The New American Cuisine, born in the 1980s, was a declaration of independence by young American chefs against the decades-long dominance of French cuisine and restaurants.
Rebel though we may and innovate as we must, we still steam, poach, boil, braise, sauté, fry, roast and bake -- cooking techniques defined by French Chef August Escoffier (1846-1945) in his Guide Culinaire still read by chefs today. The professional kitchen is still organized as Escoffier first organized it. And many of the sauces we enjoy every day (gravy, mayonnaise, vinaigrette, mustard) are French. Fully five centuries before Escoffier, starting with a chef nicknamed Taillevent, a long line of French chefs cooking for kings and aristocrats developed a formal preparation and presentation style that became the forerunner of today's haute cuisine. At the same time, the French people were developing distinctive cooking their own -- rustic fare that became the popular, appealing personal cookery served in today's bistros and brasseries. And it is mostly those recipes we recreate and enjoy in home kitchens today, thanks to Julia Child who brought French cooking to America first in the '50s with her groundbreaking cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking.
Regional variations Each of France's regions has its own regional style of cooking and hundreds of traditional dishes. But here's a quick tour of the 10 most well known regions:
Normandy -- Northwest, along the Atlantic. In addition to seafood, Normandy is known for foods based on cream, butter and apples (includes cider and calvados). One or more of these ingredients in a dish makes it à la normande. Camembert cheese is found here.
Brittany -- Northwest peninsula between Biscay Bay and English Channel. Land of fishers and farmers. Home of Coquilles Saint-Jacques (breadcrumb-topped scallops with garlic and butter). Crêpes made from buckwheat flour. Great source of salt.
The Loire -- Valley region, south of Paris. Famous for white and rosé wines, freshwater fish (eel, pike, shad and salmon), chèvre cheese, tarte Tatin (upside-down apple cake), white mushrooms and pork confit.
Alsace -- Borders Germany. Famous for white wines (Riesling, Gewürztraminer), Munster cheese and foods with German sensibility: choucroute garni à l'alsacienne (sauerkraut with ham and sausages), flammekeuche (thin savory tart spread with cream, onions and bacon), and the famous pâté de foie gras. Large game abounds.
Burgundy -- Runs north and south between Alsace and the Loire. Home of famous red wine, Dijon mustard, cassis (black currant syrup), escargots a la bourguignonne, and Epoisses (cow's milk) cheese and chèvre (goat's milk) cheese.
The Lyonnais -- Just south of Burgundy. Former gastronomic capital of France. Fabled foods include chickens from Bresse, wild mushrooms, Comte (France's favorite cheese) and Charollais beef. Vienne, near the city of Lyon, was home to this century's most famous French chef, Fernand Point, and his restaurant Le Pyramide.
Perigord -- East of Bordeaux. The earth here hides "black gold," the elusive black truffle, whose characteristic heady fragrance and small shavings can perfume an entire dish.
Gascony -- South of Perigord. Home to the king of one-dish meals: cassoulet. Birthplace of Armagnac. Famous vegetable soup, garbure, in which the broth, made from salt pork, chicken, confit and vegetables, is served first, followed by meat and vegetables. Prunes are plentiful.
Languedoc -- Just south of Gascony, on the Mediterranean Sea. Fresh seafood abounds, notably oysters, spiny lobsters and mussels. Home of bourride, a rich white fish soup thickened with aioli (garlic mayo). Lamb and garlic were married here. Brandade, a purée of salt cod, potato and olive oil, is a local specialty.
Provence -- Stretches along the sunny Mediterranean Coast. Perhaps the most familiar of regional French cooking to Americans. Tiny niçoise olives, fragrant olive oil, wild herbs, fields of lavender which flavor honey, an explosion of garlic and vegetables galore. Home to the most famous fish soup of all, bouillabaisse. Also: salade niçoise, ratatouille, tapenade (black olive relish), pissaladiere (onion and anchovy pizza) daube de boeuf (marinated, layered beef stew baked slowly in a casserole), and herbs de Provence (mixture of thyme, rosemary, bay, basil and lavender). |
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SELECTED RECIPES:
Chocolate Truffles
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 Tarte Tatin (not incl.)
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Key Dishes And here are five classic dishes beloved by French and Americans alike.
Bouillabaisse -- White fish and shellfish cooked in garlicky, saffron- and Pernod-flavored white wine broth enriched with orange peel, herbs and tomatoes. Traditionally served with garlic toast and a fiery rouille (red chile mayo).
Coq au vin -- Chicken dusted with flour and browned, then flambéed with brandy before being stewed in red wine with onions, garlic and herbs.
Cassoulet -- Savory bean casserole with golden breadcrumb crust, filled with a variety of meat. The most famous, from Toulouse, contains pork loin, leg and ham, sausages, rinds, and preserved duck or goose.
Ratatouille -- Summer vegetable stew using whatever's prevalent: eggplant, yellow or red bell peppers, zucchini, onions, garlic, tomatoes. Often served at room temperature.
Salade niçoise -- Hearty, first- or main-course salad from Nice, in Provence: marinated tuna, red potatoes, green beans, tomato wedges, tiny niçoise olives, hard-boiled eggs, anchovy fillets and mixed salad greens dressed with a red wine-mustard vinaigrette and sprinkled with fresh herbs. |