French Cooking 101: Learn the Basics

 

The recent hit movie, Julie and Julia, featured the charming story of a woman who challenges herself to cook every recipe in chef Julia Child’s iconic Mastering the Art of French Cooking in one year. With the renewed focus on Julia Child, her cookbook is again selling at a brisk pace, with aspiring cooks excited to take on the challenge of French cooking.

French cooking can be, at first, a bit daunting. At times, ingredients in Child’s epic work may be unfamiliar. The book was published 50 years ago, when different ingredients were readily available. Still, the basic components of French cooking include such ingredients as potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, eggs, seafoods, beef, pork, and veal. French cuisine is filled with many different delectable ingredients found all over the world. Many will be delighted to find many, if not all, of the ingredients at their local supermarket.

Of course, cheese and French wine are the meal components most familiar to those just getting started with French cooking. French wines are usually specially made to accompany meals, taking advantage of the flavors to help draw out the complexity of the wine. Delicious French cheeses are often served with wine, a classic combination that “foodies” love. Many wines that you find at your local store originated in France, including merlot, pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon, and syrah.

In addition to wine and cheese, French breads are incredibly popular. You need to visit a French bakery to get a tasty French baguette or pain poilane; they’re often sold right in the supermarket. These scrumptious crusty breads complement meals of all kinds – not just a French meal.

If you decide to try French cooking for yourself, you could do worse than starting with Julia Child’s classic book. Julia Child’s vision was to bring French cooking to the common American kitchen – not just upscale ones! Start simple, and try a dish with ingredients you already enjoy.