French Recipes & Food Ideas

Prunes need to revamp their image. Most people associate them with the elderly and the infirm, making them possibly the least sexy fruit ever, when in reality they are soft, sweet, deeply flavored — and dare we say sexy? Not only that, prunes are adaptable; they are as good served with duck as they are stewed with sweet port wine and spooned over cake. Prune lover or merely prune-curious? Check out the 10 recipes below!

Have you ever encountered the sparkling green or red gooseberry? Commonly found in many parts of the Eastern United States and England, I myself (based on the West coast) had never tried the sweet/sour little fruits. When I bought a can of them 6 months ago, I aimed to throw them into a summer pie or jam. Instead, my forgetfulness inspired this Fall recipe for a clafouti.Have you heard of this divine, rustic breakfast-meets-dessert treat?

A good friend of mine had a baby, her second, on Mother’s Day. I don’t know about you, but I like to cook for people when they have babies. Is this a dying tradition? When I had my daughter, I assumed people would be bringing lots of food, but it wasn’t exactly a parade of casseroles. We ended up eating a lot of take-out. It shouldn’t be that way.

If you’ve ever traveled to the South of France or had the good fortune of trying the local confection Nougat de Montélimar you know that once you take a bite of that chewy bar filled with the heady taste of honey and the crunch of roasted pistachios and almonds, you’re hooked.In France there are 2 kinds of nougat: Nougat de Montélimar, which is on the softer side and white from being made with egg whites, and Nougatine, which is darker and made with caramelized sugar.

We have to be very careful not to have leftovers whenever we make a batch of crème anglaise, otherwise we find ourselves sneaking spoonfuls whenever we pass the fridge. Also called English or stirred custard, this is a rich sweet sauce perfect for drizzling over fruit, a slice of warm cake, or heck, even pancakes!

A pipérade is a Basque dish made with tomatoes, peppers, Bayonne ham, and piment d’espeletteThis dish is very quick and versatile, and hearty. I think Aida Mollenkamp’s recipe here is closest to the most authentic style.

Raclette is a firm, pungent cheese from Switzerland that is the center of a popular winter social event in the Alpine parts of Europe. The cheese is made of cow’s milk and is salty, and can come in variations made with wine, pepper, and herbs.The word “raclette” comes from the French word “to scrape.” Raclette makes up a simple meal that was enjoyed by shepherds in the fields.

We had a free afternoon this past weekend and thought we’d try out the baguette recipe from Local Breads, Daniel Leader’s latest book on bread baking.Leader says that he didn’t include this recipe in his first book because he thought it was “too simple.” In putting together this book, he realized that “its accessibility accounts for its charm.”Well. We’ll see about that!

During the week, I’m often too busy to cook breakfast, but as the weekend approaches, I start making mental menus for Saturday and Sunday morning. Freshly brewed coffee, fruit salad, toast with jam, fresh-squeezed juices, frittatas, pancakes with maple syrup, crabcakes Benedict with hollandaise …Hollandaise is one of my most favorite sauces ever, and it is ridiculously easy to make.

Confit is an old French word for a classic method of food preservation. It simply means food that has been slowly cooked in salt and oil for long-term preservation. Duck confit is a famous example, but vegetables – especially garlic – are often used. This version is an easy, hands-off recipe for a tart, flavorful confit of fennel, lemon, and garlic. It’s sweet and mellow with notes of bright bitterness from the lemon.

Mayonnaise is a main part of many lunches: tuna salad, salad dressings, turkey sandwiches and more. British food writer Elizabeth David called mayonnaise “the beautiful shining golden ointment.” While I’ve made mayonnaise a few times, I’ll admit that for a potato salad or a smear on a sandwich, I’ve relied on Hellmann’s mayonnaise, known as Best Foods in the West.