Blomgren - Lets Cook French: The Secrets of French Cooking

Let's Cook French

The Secrets of French Cooking

BY

April Blomgren

Copyright 2017 April Blomgren

- Kindle Edition

No part of this Book can be reproduced in any form or by any means including print, electronic, scanning or photocopying unless prior permission is granted by the author.

All ideas, suggestions and guidelines mentioned here are written for informative purposes. While the author has taken every possible step to ensure accuracy, all readers are advised to follow information at their own risk. The author cannot be held responsible for personal and/or commercial damages in case of misinterpreting and misunderstanding any part of this Book

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Table of Contents

Many of us associate French cooking with haute cuisine snobby food by served even snobbier waiters. The truth is, French cooking is founded on cuisine du potager and cuisine du march - food from the garden and food from the market. The poor ate whatever food was close-by. French recipes rarely have complicated ingredients that cant be grown locally. A French diet consists of fresh food that is cooked simply, but well. The French have also taken advantage of their proximity to the sea to use fresh fish in many delicious ways. Possibly, no other country is as renowned for its delectable seafood fare as the French. This cookbook contains a number of tasty examples.

Another thing that differentiates French cooking from many others is their love of butter. Butter makes any recipe taste better, and its an important part of French cuisine. Interestingly, most French are slim, without showing any hint of such indulgence. Their secret? Just as they eat naturally, they move naturally. The French walk and cycle instead of driving. They take the stairs instead of the escalator. Butter doesnt stand a chance.

Its the French love of food that has elevated simple cuisine into haute. French chefs, such as Larousse and Escoffier, have promoted French cooking techniques to the world. And lets not forget Julia Child and Jacque Pepin Their techniques can raise the level of your cooking as much as good, fresh ingredients. Lets take a look at some of these very French ways of preparing food:

Sauting is a popular method of food preparation. It uses less fat than frying and still cooks food quickly.

Poaching prepares food placed in boiling water or milk and simmers food without losing any of the flavor. While poaching is mostly associated with eggs, fish and chicken can also be poached.

Braising meat imparts extra flavor from the braising liquid. Since braising is a slow way to prepare food, it works well with cheap meats that benefit from the extra cooking time.

Flambing desserts or meats provides a lot of heat and leaves the delicious flavor of the alcohol that was used to flamb.

Of course, what is French cooking without wine? Wine and other spirits add more layers of complexity and flavor to any ingredient, and they keep the food moist. France is famous for its wines, and its a natural step to use locally produced wines in food preparation. Alcohol will quickly dissipate during cooking, so you dont have to worry about contributing to any bad habits. When using wines and other liqueurs, use the kind of spirits you would actually drink. Never use anything labelled cooking wine. The French will get quite upset with you. For them, good food and good wine go together naturally. So, serve whatever wine you used for cooking to fill a glass at the table. A votre Sante! The French toast to your health is a reminder that despite its reputation, French cooking is actually quite healthy and simple.

Crepes are versatile enough for you to prepare for breakfast, dinner or dessert. Its all about the filling. The French love them so much, theyve given the crepe its own holiday. February 2 is known as jour des crpes, or Day of Crepes. Traditionally, on that day, you hold a crepe pan in one hand and a coin in another. The crepe gets tossed into the air. If you catch it back into the pan, youll enjoy a year of prosperity. And youll get the enjoy the crepe, as well. Using a cast-iron skillet will make a huge difference in how your crepe turns out.

Servings:

Cooking Time:

Ingredients:

• 1 cups milk
• 3 large eggs
• 4 tbsp. sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 3 Tbsp. brandy
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup white flour
• Extra butter for preparing crepes

Directions:

1. Use a blender or a bowl to whip the eggs and milk. A blender is better.

2. Add the salt and sugar and continue blending.

3. Melt the butter in a small saucepan.

4. Stir the melted butter, vanilla, and brandy into the batter.

5. Mix in the flour and blend until the batter is smooth.

6. Heat up your skillet on high.

7. Melt just a bit of the extra butter in the skillet. It should get to the point of almost smoking

8. Still at high heat, cook the crepe for a minute or so. Check the crepe by lifting the edges. You dont want them burned.

9. When one side is nice and brown, flip the crepe over and cook for another minute or so.

10. Keep the crepe warm as you prepare the remaining batter.

11. To serve these French crepes, add a bit of apricot jam and fold them up.

Fresh out of the oven, these beauties are a buttery, crispy, and flaky piece of heaven. Enjoy this luxurious treat with a cup of caf au lait. The French relish them on Christmas morning.

Servings:

Cooking Time: 14 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 tsp. dried yeast
• 3 cups pastry flour
• cup milk
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 4 Tbsp. melted butter
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 cup softened butter
• 10 oz. chopped semisweet chocolate
• 1 egg
• 2 Tbsp. milk

Directions:

1. Mix the yeast into half a cup of warm water and let it dissolve.

2. Pour the dissolved yeast into a bowl and add the flour, sugar, milk, melted butter, and salt.

3. Use a hand mixer to incorporate the ingredients for 2 minutes.