Maria Zihammou - French Bistro Restaurant-Quality Recipes for Appetizers, Entrées, Desserts, and Drinks

Skyhorse and Skyhorse Publishing are registered trademarks of Skyhorse Publishing, Inc., a Delaware corporation. www.skyhorsepublishing.com 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file. Print ISBN: 978-1-62873-645-8 Ebook ISBN: 978-1-62914-958-5 Printed in China Bonjour, a va? If theres one thing I love more than anything, its food that is tied to a beautiful feeling. Food that evokes memories of trips when I tasted my way and discovered new dimensions in an ingredient. This is how life has always been for me. I am able to remember a taste from a trip, and it inspires me to make new dishes my own way, at home in my kitchen, to regain that beautiful feeling.

When I visited France for the first time, it was by InterRail. I tasted sweet nectarines and melons in Nice. Munched on small, black olives with a nutty flavor, and ate pissaladire filled with sweet onion, olives, and anchovies at a small bakery. I wrinkled my nose at steak tartare but instead tried a wonderful soupe de poisson in Aix-en-Provence. I sought out simple bistros in Paris and enjoyed French onion soup and crme brle for dessert. Its easy to like French bistro food. Its easy to like French bistro food.

Its food that is unpretentious and well-made. The waiters dance around the tables, swinging their trays graciously through the air, and deftly set the food on the table. Thats what a bistro is to me. In "French Bistro," youll find my personal interpretations of favorite French classics and modern spins on various regional dishes: Asparagus with egg and lemon; pot-au-feu; lavender chicken; warm goat cheese salad with rosemary and apples; and fabulous pears simmered in red wine. Doesnt that sound delicious? I hope that youll experience how fun it is to make bistro food. With the help of my recipes, you can create the French bistro feeling right in your own home.

Bon apptit! Cest moi qui lai fait! The French take great pride in their regional traditionsthe cultured and the refined, in their own terroir. I enjoy it to the fullest when I visit a market and get close to the people who are there to sell their wares. Talk to the small, plump cheesemonger. Taste her cheeses, and get tips on which ones go best with what. Try different kinds of butterthere really is more than one kind! Smell your way through the stands packed with fruits and vegetables. Be captivated by the beauty of a fresh artichoke.

Buy wine from the winemaker who cant stop talking about his creations, which he would like you to taste. This is a good place to start, with good ingredients of high quality. I want to tantalize your taste buds and lead you to discover how wonderfully delicious French food is. I know! We often ate French food at home when I was growing up. Mama made garlic-fried mushrooms and vegetables simmered in good broth la Grecque. Or Papa would cook herring with garlic and parsley.

In French Bistro, Ive gathered together all of my personal favorites. Food that tastes good makes you happy. A quick, simple lunch should taste just as good as a festive holiday dinner. But when there are celebrations involved, you take your time and sit for a while, allowing yourself to eat and make merry. A French holiday meal always starts with an amuse-bouche and apritif. Then you have appetizers, entres, cheese, and dessert.

And at the very end, a digestif. Now, lets get started! AMUSEBOUCHES (mouth entertainers) APPETIZERS Sometimes, I like to entertain my guests with a delicious snack before dinner. A few olives and a glass of wine can be the quickest way to put together an appetizer. Amuse-bouche means mouth entertainer, and entertaining the mouth is exactly what all cooking is about, if you ask me. Add a nice sausage to the olives on a cutting board and a freshly baked pain au levain or baguette. If youre hungry for something that takes a bit more work, Id say you ought to try rilettes, or oysters with sherry and spinach.

A plate with different amuse-bouches, where youve collected different flavorssome savory, some sweet, and some tarttogether with an apritif is a simple way to hold a small get-together. Skip dinner and do things the way theyre done in France, where people are happy to socialize and eat a few different morsels with a good drink. Ready your taste buds, and enjoy.