I am serious when it comes to cooking and baking. If care and the best ingredients are not used, it’s not worth eating. Okay, that’s extreme, but I always think about it when cooking or eating. I look forward to trying new recipes, challenging myself, and mastering notoriously difficult recipes. One of the many things I love about France is the care they put into their food. Each meal is an experience that welcomes you to slow down and be in the moment. It’s about using what is in season and transforming each ingredient into its best version. There is an appreciation for food that deeply resonates with me.
It’s not only that I love eating and cooking, but food is also my favorite way of exploring other cultures. I often find that in my travels, the quality of the food directly affects my experience of wherever I am visiting. It could be the most beautiful city in the world, but if the food is not good then suddenly everything about that place is a little duller. Food can also tell us so much about the history of a place, how the use of certain ingredients was influenced by exploration, climate, or religion for example.
Food has also played a huge part in understanding and staying connected to my heritage. I am Franco-American and food is one of the ways I have become closer to my father’s side of my family. I grew up eating French family recipes that were passed down. Things like ratatouille, crème de cresson, gratin dauphinois, and boeuf bourguignon were regularly on the menu in my household growing up. I would cook alongside my mother reading our hand-written family recipes, the pages stained with grease or wine from dinners past. While the coveted family recipes are still safeguarded by my grandmother, I have a few recipes from my collection of French cookbooks that I want to share with you. These recipes never cease to transport me to my childhood and hopefully, these recipes will transport you to another place or inspire you to cook something new.
This drink is one I always heard my parents order growing up. Depending on how heavy the restaurant was with the pour of crème de cassis, the kirs would range from an orangish pastel pink to a silky jewel-toned red. Then I grew up and started ordering them. I understand the allure. These drinks are smooth, light, and fruity. They are a go-to apéritif. A kir is a mix of crème de cassis and white wine or champagne for a kir royale. The recipe I share with you comes from A Little French Cookbook by Janet Laurence. This pocket-sized cookbook was gifted to me by my grandmother for Christmas when I was fourteen. Each page has the cooking stains I referred to earlier; a well-loved book.
No holiday meal in my family is complete without stuffed tomatoes. They are not necessarily a holiday dish, but for some reason that is the only time my family makes them. They are always a welcome and fresh accompaniment with the roast filet of beef and gratin dauphinois my family always serves them with. This recipe comes from a cookbook called Les Carnets de Cuisine de Monet by Claire Joyes. This book was gifted to my American mother by family friends of my French father. Ironically, my mother never learned to speak French so this cookbook was donated to me.
This recipe uses classic Norman flavors like hard cider and sautéed apples. I had to pay homage to my Norman heritage with this one. My grandfather grew up in Paris, and my grandmother grew up in a town near Deauville, but they have always lived in Normandy. I have many fond memories of visiting my grandparents' home in Branville, near Villers-sur-Mer. Their house was surrounded by cows and apple orchards, so it is fitting that this recipe includes cider and heavy cream. My grandfather has since passed, and my grandmother now resides in Rouen near my uncle and cousins. These flavors will always remind me of the place I loved visiting growing up. This recipe comes from Pierre Franey’s Cooking in France. Pierre Franey was a French American chef who had a cooking show in the nineties.
This was the toughest to choose. French cuisine is known for so many sweet confections; mousse au chocolat, tarte au citron meringuée, macarons, crêpes, tarte Tatin, millefeuille, I could go on forever. However, oeufs à la neige or île flottante is one of my favorites, not just to eat, but to make. I also grew up eating it, so it’s close to my heart. This recipe also comes from A Little French Cookbook. I have personally used this recipe many times. The key with this one is shaping the meringue just right with two spoons.
Now that I have provided you with a full menu, I have hopefully inspired you to make one of these recipes or reminisce about meals from your childhood. We have a great selection of cookbooks here at the library if you want more inspiration. Do not be afraid of a challenge when cooking something new. Welcome your mistakes and experiment. Use food to appreciate cultures that are not your own or to learn more about yourself, as I have.
Bon appétit !
Chloe Hauville, Administrative Assistant
It’s not only that I love eating and cooking, but food is also my favorite way of exploring other cultures. I often find that in my travels, the quality of the food directly affects my experience of wherever I am visiting. It could be the most beautiful city in the world, but if the food is not good then suddenly everything about that place is a little duller. Food can also tell us so much about the history of a place, how the use of certain ingredients was influenced by exploration, climate, or religion for example.
Food has also played a huge part in understanding and staying connected to my heritage. I am Franco-American and food is one of the ways I have become closer to my father’s side of my family. I grew up eating French family recipes that were passed down. Things like ratatouille, crème de cresson, gratin dauphinois, and boeuf bourguignon were regularly on the menu in my household growing up. I would cook alongside my mother reading our hand-written family recipes, the pages stained with grease or wine from dinners past. While the coveted family recipes are still safeguarded by my grandmother, I have a few recipes from my collection of French cookbooks that I want to share with you. These recipes never cease to transport me to my childhood and hopefully, these recipes will transport you to another place or inspire you to cook something new.
To drink: Un kir
This drink is one I always heard my parents order growing up. Depending on how heavy the restaurant was with the pour of crème de cassis, the kirs would range from an orangish pastel pink to a silky jewel-toned red. Then I grew up and started ordering them. I understand the allure. These drinks are smooth, light, and fruity. They are a go-to apéritif. A kir is a mix of crème de cassis and white wine or champagne for a kir royale. The recipe I share with you comes from A Little French Cookbook by Janet Laurence. This pocket-sized cookbook was gifted to me by my grandmother for Christmas when I was fourteen. Each page has the cooking stains I referred to earlier; a well-loved book.
Appetizer: Tomates farcies
No holiday meal in my family is complete without stuffed tomatoes. They are not necessarily a holiday dish, but for some reason that is the only time my family makes them. They are always a welcome and fresh accompaniment with the roast filet of beef and gratin dauphinois my family always serves them with. This recipe comes from a cookbook called Les Carnets de Cuisine de Monet by Claire Joyes. This book was gifted to my American mother by family friends of my French father. Ironically, my mother never learned to speak French so this cookbook was donated to me.
Main dish: Poulet Vallée d’Auge
This recipe uses classic Norman flavors like hard cider and sautéed apples. I had to pay homage to my Norman heritage with this one. My grandfather grew up in Paris, and my grandmother grew up in a town near Deauville, but they have always lived in Normandy. I have many fond memories of visiting my grandparents' home in Branville, near Villers-sur-Mer. Their house was surrounded by cows and apple orchards, so it is fitting that this recipe includes cider and heavy cream. My grandfather has since passed, and my grandmother now resides in Rouen near my uncle and cousins. These flavors will always remind me of the place I loved visiting growing up. This recipe comes from Pierre Franey’s Cooking in France. Pierre Franey was a French American chef who had a cooking show in the nineties.
Dessert: Oeufs à la Neige
This was the toughest to choose. French cuisine is known for so many sweet confections; mousse au chocolat, tarte au citron meringuée, macarons, crêpes, tarte Tatin, millefeuille, I could go on forever. However, oeufs à la neige or île flottante is one of my favorites, not just to eat, but to make. I also grew up eating it, so it’s close to my heart. This recipe also comes from A Little French Cookbook. I have personally used this recipe many times. The key with this one is shaping the meringue just right with two spoons.
Now that I have provided you with a full menu, I have hopefully inspired you to make one of these recipes or reminisce about meals from your childhood. We have a great selection of cookbooks here at the library if you want more inspiration. Do not be afraid of a challenge when cooking something new. Welcome your mistakes and experiment. Use food to appreciate cultures that are not your own or to learn more about yourself, as I have.
Bon appétit !
Chloe Hauville, Administrative Assistant
