When I was in Paris a couple of weeks ago I visited the Musée des Arts et Métiers, the museum of arts and trades. (Really one of the most interesting museums I've ever been to!) And while I was there I saw many things of interest to cooks, but especially this: The Marmite de Papin. Do you know what it is? More

I have to confess that until recently I did not understand all the fuss over soufflés. They seemed finicky, a lot of work, and not terribly appealing. Why not just have a nice frittata — it's so easy. Well, that opinion changed last week when I had a tender, melting cloud of creamy cheese and egg — the perfect marriage of dairy. Here's one more takeaway from my class and tour with Paule Caillat in Paris: Paule's 3-fromage soufflé recipe. More

Over the years we've collected quite a passel of French recipes in our archives. Some of them have been more classics in our households for years while others have long "French-ish" names that we can only hope to someday pronounce. Either way, they all look amazing and could be on your table for dinner tonight! More

Home kitchens and dining areas can incorporate the feeling of a French bistro through furnishings, layout, and materials. Let's take a look at a few inspirations: More

The Mouli grater is a classic, old-school French kitchen tool. Its basic concept is a rotary grater that you turn with one hand whilst pressing the food to be grated (usually cheese) with the other using a hinged handle. The original model by Moulinex is no longer in production, although there are many new knock-off versions to be found in cookware shops. Or you could just pick up a lovely vintage model like the one above, either online or at your local flea market. More

After several seasons of "Top Chef" and its spin-offs, it is easy to forget that there is a long tradition in France of real-life cooking competitions, grueling kitchen marathons that chefs spend years preparing for. “Kings of Pastry” is a new documentary which follows chefs competing in the Meilleurs Ouvriers de France, a tournament of perfect pastry and serious skills, blissfully free of any mention of the Glad family of products. More

Tomatoes, garlic, and olives play a major role in the cuisine of Provence, France. This stands to reason since it cozies right up against Italy and shares much of the same Mediterranean growing climate. It also gives us a good excuse to combine the best parts of both cultures in one cheesy bowl of pasta. More

So, you're ready to part ways with eggs Benedict. So long, all other incarnations of poached eggs-with-hollandaise. Try this instead—eggs poached in a dark, moody, salty red wine broth with bacon and onions floating about. More

A heavenly combination of Spanish and French cuisine, the food of Pays Basque in southwestern France is full of sweet-hot peppers, fresh seafood, ham, apples, cherries, and a whole lot more. We think this has the makings for a fantastic dinner party, don’t you? More

After the commotion over Parisian hot chocolate, I couldn't resist one more contentious topic: macarons. I sampled many in the gorgeous City of Light, but these two shops stood out. Whose macaron reigns supreme? More