A Taste of France
Friday, November 14th, 2008
French cuisine is one of the 5 classic cuisines of the world, and although often regarded as stemming from other European cuisines, especially Italian, has carved a niche, with its fundamentals of presentation, quality ingredients and sauces. True French cuisine takes the diner directly from the countryside to the table. As with most European cuisines there is a sharp contrast between the north and the south, foods of the north being richer, cream-based, while in the south it is olive oil-based, and more reliant on freshness.
France is washed by the Atlantic in the west and the Mediterranean in the south, offering a variety of seafood from two very different breeding grounds. But French cuisine is a lot more than just fish. Poultry, salads, pastries and even starch, play an important part.
Mont St-Michel stands guard across the salt marshes, where some of France’s best lamb is produced
Deauville harbour, famous for its key side-seafood restaurants, specializing in boiled shrimps and other mouthwatering crustaceans
For years the resources that the French used were kept to themselves and enjoyed in the countryside. It was only in the 1930s, with the advent of mass tourism that the rest of Europe and then the world seriously began to discover these hidden jewels.
Since the renaissance, France has been in the forefront of European food trends. As tastes became more refined, quantities characteristic of medieval banquets were succeeded by a sense of elegance. The demise of the French royalty stated a boom of Parisian restaurants when the royal courts chefs suddenly found themselves out of jobs. Food was rich and ornate, often highly sauced, often hiding the food’s natural taste.
Many of top the country chefs in France have their own vegetable gardens, ensuring that they cook with the best seasonal local ingredients
A typical cheese stall like this can be found in hundreds of regional food markets throughout France.
Lobster and foie gras simmered in Cider and Culvados
A simple dessert of fresh berries and berries sorbet, a perfect end to a meal
In post war France, natural flavours were re-discovered, re-introducing regional specialities.
Nouvelle cuisine was the pinnacle of this movement and has become the hallmark of modern French cuisine – short cooking times, reduced sauces, elimination of unnecessary fats and flour, and a marriage of sweet and savoury flavours (a throwback from Medieval times).
Although nouvelle cuisine has lost it allure, primarily because of portion sizes, its principles still prevail.
These principles are now applied to age-old recipes, with the re-discovery of yesterday’s flavours and an emphasis on authenticity. A rustic lightness, without sacrifice to flavour, is now the hallmark of French cuisine.
Composition of courses
A typical French meal consists of a first course, main dish, cheese and dessert. A salad is often slipped in between the main course and cheese.
• The first course is to inspire the diner for the remaining components of the meal.
• Poultry has always played a major role in French cuisine and is prepared for all palates, from simply boiled, to rich herb-infused cream sauces.
• The French love their meat, and it was they who originally created steak and chips – steak frites. Other famous cuts include chateaubriand and tournedos. Lamb however is also important, especially the salt marsh lambs of Normandy.
• France is often referred to as one large garden with each region having its specialities – marrows, peppers and olives in Provence; artichokes and potatoes in Brittany; and asparagus in Alcace.
• The country produces hundreds of different cheeses and most main meals are broken with some cheese, before desserts are eaten.
• Desserts are also incredibly popular, from cakes and pastries, to flans and ice-creams.
What’s on the menu?
At Wickedfood Cooking School we take you into the French kitchen and teach you how to prepare a scrumptious combination of some of France’s best love dishes. The menu includes Chicken liver pâté, Potato and leek soup, Coq au vin, Potato gratin and Crème caramel. Click here for more information.
See the following articles on French food:
Sunninghill – (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za
Runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built cooking studios. Classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – team building cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.
Our classes are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and teambuilding cooking classes these classes are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.
| French cuisine is one of the 5 classic cuisines of the world, and although often regarded as stemming from other European cuisines, especially Italian, has carved a niche, with its fundamentals of presentation, quality ingredients and sauces. True French cuisine takes the diner directly from the countryside to the table. As with most European cuisines there is a sharp contrast between the north and the south, foods of the north being richer, cream-based, while in the south it is olive oil-based, and more reliant on freshness. | ||||||||
| France is washed by the Atlantic in the west and the Mediterranean in the south, offering a variety of seafood from two very different breeding grounds. But French cuisine is a lot more than just fish. Poultry, salads, pastries and even starch, play an important part. | ||||||||
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| For years the resources that the French used were kept to themselves and enjoyed in the countryside. It was only in the 1930s, with the advent of mass tourism that the rest of Europe and then the world seriously began to discover these hidden jewels.
Since the renaissance, France has been in the forefront of European food trends. As tastes became more refined, quantities characteristic of medieval banquets were succeeded by a sense of elegance. The demise of the French royalty stated a boom of Parisian restaurants when the royal courts chefs suddenly found themselves out of jobs. Food was rich and ornate, often highly sauced, often hiding the food’s natural taste. |
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Composition of courses |
||||||||
| A typical French meal consists of a first course, main dish, cheese and dessert. A salad is often slipped in between the main course and cheese. | ||||||||
| • The first course is to inspire the diner for the remaining components of the meal.
• Poultry has always played a major role in French cuisine and is prepared for all palates, from simply boiled, to rich herb-infused cream sauces. • The French love their meat, and it was they who originally created steak and chips – steak frites. Other famous cuts include chateaubriand and tournedos. Lamb however is also important, especially the salt marsh lambs of Normandy. • France is often referred to as one large garden with each region having its specialities – marrows, peppers and olives in Provence; artichokes and potatoes in Brittany; and asparagus in Alcace. • The country produces hundreds of different cheeses and most main meals are broken with some cheese, before desserts are eaten. • Desserts are also incredibly popular, from cakes and pastries, to flans and ice-creams. |
||||||||
What’s on the menu? |
||||||||
| At Wickedfood Cooking School we take you into the French kitchen and teach you how to prepare a scrumptious combination of some of France’s best love dishes. The menu includes Chicken liver pâté, Potato and leek soup, Coq au vin, Potato gratin and Crème caramel. Click here for more information.
See the following articles on French food:
Sunninghill – (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za Runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built cooking studios. Classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – team building cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference. Our classes are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and teambuilding cooking classes these classes are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients. |
