Almond flour has been a pantry staple in Paris for as long as anyone can remember. It happens to be less expensive than it is here and, perhaps because of the turnover, usually quite fresh. In the States, it’s still seen primarily as an alternative to flour for people with gluten sensitivity or for the health conscious, who like it for its protein content. Almond flour provides texture and taste, and it keeps a cake moist, as almonds are naturally high in fat. It’s for this reason that I use less oil than in an all-flour yogurt cake. The downside is that almond flour cakes don’t rise quite as high. Made with equal portions of flour and almond flour, however, lets you capture the best of both worlds. This cake is light, tender and moist and lasts for days. Like the classic yogurt cake, it plays well with spices, extracts, liqueur, syrups and floral waters. Here I’ve added sliced almonds to the top, for crunch.
There are a lot of really excellent jams, marmalades, and preserves made in France, but a jar of gingham-capped Bonne Maman apricot preserves is the ultimate equalizer. You’ll find them everywhere: the corner shop, hotel breakfast buffets, my ex-girlfriend’s grandmother’s kitchen. You’ll also find them at most American grocery stores. Not just for toast, they can and should be used in sweet applications - see (My First) French (Girlfriend’s) Apple Tart - as well as savory.
This is a dish from a farm in the Dordogne, where the walnuts are sweet, fat, and buttery tasting, and they make a perfect complement to poultry. This is the kind of dish that you settle down to with comfort and anticipation, because it’s got all the right elements, from cloves of garlic bursting with their sweet flavor to the golden chicken and walnuts and the tang of lemon that lifts the dish out of the ordinary. Serve this with a lovely Chardonnay.
This is a classic roast chicken—herb-scented and bronze-skinned—that’s been vamped out with crispy mushrooms cooked in the same pan.
Aligot | Tuber Fondue
Traditional: Cantal, Laguiole, Tomme d’Auvergne
Substitutions: Spring Brook Farm Reading, Grafton Village Truffle Cheddar
The famous 'frisée aux lardons' – now that's a salad with style! Hot, cold, crunchy, crisp, silky, salty, bitter, sweet. It ticks all the taste bud boxes in one go. And, if you add any cooked potatoes that are left over, you'll have a complete meal. If you can't find frisée, use another type of salad but choose one with character i.e. bitter and crunchy, as it is crucial for getting the balance of the recipe right. I'd suggest dandelion leaves greens, cos romaine lettuce, or wild chicory endive.
We wanted a cheese soufflé with bold cheese flavor, good stature, a light, but not-too-airy texture, without the fussiness of most recipes. To bump up the cheese flavor without weighing it down, we added light-but-potent Parmesan cheese to the Gruyère. To get the texture just right while keeping the preparation simple, we beat the egg whites to stiff peaks, and then—rather than carefully folding them into the cheese-bechamel—just add the sauce right to the mixer, and beat everything until uniform.
This is a summer treat to make when peaches are at their best. If you wish, replace the peaches with apricots, the strawberries with raspberries and the Kirsch with Drambuie.
Remy, the preternaturally talented young rat-chef in Ratatouille, is propelled to the title of “the finest chef in France” thanks to this vegetable dish he serves to a food critic. The French will be quick to correct you if you were to call Remy’s signature dish ratatouille, and that’s because the dish in the movie is actually an interpretation concocted by none other than the esteemed chef Thomas Keller, who served as the movie’s food consultant. Attractive and delicious, it’s sure to soften even the most cold-hearted antagonist into cracking a smile and greedily chowing down. [Ed. Note: learn more about Andrew Rea's obsession with recreating famous food from movies and television here.]
Julie Powell, of the movie Julie & Julia, is a food blogger determined to cook through the entirety of Julia Child’s classic cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking in one year. The climax of this feat is her attempt at boeuf bourguignon, a dish so important and representative of the intricacies of traditional French cuisine that she decides to serve it to her first food critic. It’s a classic that’s hard to improve on, but we’ve included a pressure cooker version of Ms. Child’s signature dish, which saves time without compromising flavor. [Ed. Note: learn more about Andrew Rea's obsession with recreating famous food from movies and television here.]