Nouvelle Cuisine, which became popular in the 1970s, was in reaction to the rich cooking of classic French cuisine. This new cuisine has a healthful cooking philosophy: crisply cooked vegetables, and fruit based sauces as opposed to flour and cream sauces. From classic French cooking to Nouvelle Cuisine, and the many French regional cooking styles, there is something to satisfy just about every palate.

Dining at French restaurants is easy, once you know the rules of the road, or menu as the case may be. According to Steve Ettlinger, author of The Restaurant Lover's Companion, "French meals consist of small portions of food served in a definite sequence of courses...Many restaurants offer a prix-fixe menu, consisting of a series of courses from a set menu at a set price."

 Regional French cooking styles are reflected in the character of the land and its surroundings. The rich raw materials of the fertile land in Burgundy are apparent in this region's robust cooking style. Beef Bourguignon is one of the popular dishes from this region. The Provence region is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea, and Provencal specialties naturally revolve around the fresh seafood of the area. Adjacent to Switzerland and Germany, the Alsace region exhibits influences of their neighbors in its cooking style, as in the dish choucroute (sauerkraut, pork and potatoes). Parisian cooking has many influences, however, when dining in Paris, you will always have a wide choice of restaurants. Below is a list of some of the French regional cooking styles:

Alsacienne
typically involving sauerkraut and pork
Basquaise
typically with ham and tomatoes
Bourguignonne
typically with red wine, bacon and onions
Normande
creamy seafood sauce
Provencal
typically with olive oil, garlic and tomatoes
Sauces
Most French sauces are wine based. Wine is used in combination with cream or spices and/or stock. Below is a partial listing of French sauces:
Bearnaise
egg and butter based with white wine
Bechamel
flour, milk and butter based with onion
Bordelaise
red wine based with shallots
Hollandaise
butter and yolk based with lemon juice
Rouille
pepper, tomato, olive oil and garlic

Brioche Braid
makes 1 loaf

1 package active dry yeast
3/4 cup warm water
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups unbleached flour
3 eggs
1/2 cup soft butter
1 cup diced Fontina, Gruyere or Jarlsberg cheese (optional)

Sprinkle the yeast into warm water in a large mixing bowl. Let stand until puffy. Add sugar, salt, and one cup of flour; beat well. Add three eggs, one at a time. Beat until smooth. Beat in the butter and gradually add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Turn out on a floured board. Knead until smooth and satiny. Place in a greased bowl. Butter the top of dough lightly. Cover with a towel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size. Mix in the cheese if used and turn out on a floured board. Knead lightly. Divide into three pieces and shape into long ropes; braid the strands and tuck ends under. Place on a greased baking sheet and cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown, and the loaf sounds hollow when thumped.

Quiche Lorraine
makes 8 servings

4 eggs
1 pint light cream or milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup ham, cut in julienne pieces
1 1/2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese
1 tablespoon butter
9-inch prebaked pastry shell

Beat the eggs lightly and blend in the cream, salt, and nutmeg. Mix the ham and cheese and place in the baked pastry shell. Pour in the custard and dot with butter. Bake in a preheated 375 degrees F oven for 35 minutes or until slightly puffed and browned. Let cool five minutes, then cut in wedges.

Baked Potatoes Anna
makes 6 servings

6 large baking potatoes
1/2 cup butter
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Peel the potatoes and slice crosswise 1/8 inch thick. Generously butter a 10-inch round baking dish and melt remaining butter in a small saucepan. Overlap the sliced potatoes in the dish, forming circles, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Repeat layers until all the potatoes are layered. Pour over the melted butter. Bake in a preheated 425 degrees F oven for 50 minutes to one hour or until the top is crusty and the potatoes are tender. Invert on a serving dish. Cut in wedges.

Sirloin in Mustard Cream
makes 4 servings

1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 pound sirloin steak or 4 boneless fillets
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup dry Vermouth
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon minced chives

Heat a large frying pan, add 1 tablespoon of the butter, and when it stops foaming add the meat. Sauté on both sides until browned and cooked to desired state. Season with salt and pepper. Remove to a platter and keep warm. Mix together the mustard, Vermouth, and cream and stir into the pan juices. Boil, scraping up the drippings. Add the remaining butter to the pan and heat, stirring until blended. Remove from heat. Slice the whole steak on the diagonal, or leave the fillets whole, spoon over the sauce, and sprinkle with chives.

Shallot Salad with Cheeses
makes 8 servings

2 heads butter lettuce or 2 quarts choice greens
1/4 cup each safflower oil and olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons chopped shallots
ChÈvre or Brie

Tear the greens into bite-size pieces. In a bowl, whisk together the oils, vinegar, salt, pepper, mustard, and shallots. Place greens in a bowl and pour over dressing, and mix well. Serve with a plate of cheese.

Chocolate Mousse
makes 8 servings

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate
5 eggs, separated
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup whipping cream

Place the chocolate in a microwavable bowl and microwave on medium for two minutes or until melted; let cool. Beat the egg yolks and stir them into the chocolate. Add the vanilla. Beat the egg whites until foamy, add the salt and cream of tartar, and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar and continue beating until stiff. Whip the cream until stiff. Fold the egg white meringue and the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture. Spoon into glasses and chill. If desired, cover and freeze; let thaw 10 minutes before serving.

Lemon Cheese Tart
makes 8 servings

butter tart shell
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 tablespoons powdered sugar

With an electric mixer or a food processor fitted with the steel blade, mix flour, butter and powdered sugar together and until particles are crumbly. Pat into the bottom and sides of an 11-inch flan pan with scalloped sides and removable bottom. Place in the freezer for 10 minutes to firm up. Bake in a 425 degrees F oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

filling:
8 ounces natural cream cheese or one cup Yogurt Cheese
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1/2 cup lemon juice
Mint sprigs

First prepare Butter Tart Shell. Using an electric mixer, beat the cheese until creamy and beat in the sugar, eggs, lemon peel and juice. Pour into the baked tart shell and bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 20 minutes or until set. Let cool and chill. Garnish with mint. Cut in wedges.

Glossary
This glossary contains French food terminology for cooking basic French dishes.

Aioli
made with garlic, olive oil and eggs

Confit
meat preserved in its own fat

Florentine
with spinach

GratinÈ
with toasted cheese or crumb topping

Cooking Terms

BrulÈ
burned

FumÈ
smoked

Fish, Meat & Poultry

Abats
organ meats

Canard
duck

Coq au vin
chicken stewed in wine sauce

Coquille Saint-Jacques
sea scallop

Cuisses de Grenouille
frog's legs

Jambon
ham; also refers to thigh or shoulder of meat, usually pork

Tartare
chopped raw meat with egg, onion, parsley and capers

Tornedos
beef filet (center cut)

Desserts
CrËme brulÈe
custard with carmelized sugar topping

Glace
ice cream

Cuisines of the world

 The perfect menu is
 like the perfect
 moment- a thing to
 be cherished, and
 always fleeting.
 Like so many things
 in life menu
 development is less
 about  destination
 than how you get
 there.
1
Click Here
1