Strawberry Tart is one of my favorite desserts. The simplicity of the shortbread crust combined with the delicious sweetness of vanilla custard and fresh juicy strawberries is the absolute highlight of my summer. European Patisseries are famous for their colorful not to mention mouthwatering displays of fruit tarts. Strawberry, blueberries, raspberries and apple, are among…
French
French food is simply fabulous. The diverse cuisine of France is due to its multiple culinary influences throughout history. Stews, desserts, salads, and simple appetizers, they are all packed with amazing flavors.
There are Italian influences, Moorish influences to the south, and to the north we also see the influences of German cuisine. Unlike other world cuisines, French food uses herbs rather than spices as its seasonings. The exquisite development of this world cuisine is largely due to the establishment of the guild system dating back to the Middle Ages.
Try any of these recipe offerings, and you will not be disappointed. As time goes on I am planning on adding more French recipes to this existing group. On a cold day I enjoy a baked stew, or pork chops in morel sauce. Now any time or day or year, I can go for a French Patisserie fruit tart.
Apart from some great recipes in this section, I also have instructions on how to make Herbes de Provence. a popular herb blend in this lovely cuisine.
Tarte aux Pommes – French Apple Tart
Tarte aux Pommes is a classic French Apple Tart. The combination of chopped apples made into a sauce with a nice liqueur and apples slices gives this dessert a nice contrast of textures. The glaze is really easy to make and gives a beautiful patisserie style appearance. All of this sits on a simple shortbread…
Cassoulet – French Classic Pork and Sausage Stew
Cassoulet, named after the earthenware vessel, is an aromatic not to mention hearty bean and meat stew guaranteed to warm your heart and your stomach during the cold winter months of the northern hemisphere. Cassoulet is a truly rustic dish with a blend of aromatic and savory spices giving it aunique and intense flavor. Despite…
The Easiest Shortbread Crust
The arrival of the holidays means being busy busy busy. There’s presents to buy and wrap, decorating the house, and parties to attend. With all the hustle it can be easy to cave to your local grocery store for ready-made desserts. I get it. As much as I love my desserts. I don’t like…
French Patisserie Fruit Tart
Without a doubt French patisserie fruit tart is among my most favorite desserts. Topped with copious amounts of fruit, I’m being healthy, right? As long as I ignore the cream filling. This dessert wows visually, but it’s not difficult to put together Three parts: shortcrust, cream filling, and fruit topping. The glaze is optional and…
Tarte Normande – French Apple Tart with Custard
My friend Helene introduced me to the Tarte Normande, a delicious apple dessert baked in a custard. She took it to a gathering and I fell in love with it. It’s a nice alternative to the every day apple pie. Tarte Normand hails from Northwest France, Normandy. Its temperate climate is prime for growing apples….
Authentic Quiche Lorraine
One of the first French dishes I ever tasted was an authentic quiche Lorraine. My young taste buds embraced the flavors with gusto. At the tender age of 12 I felt like a sophisticated woman for having experienced French food, albeit a simple dish. From that day on, there is and was only one quiche…
Potato, Bacon, Gruyere Tart
So, are you ready for a totally comforting and scrumptious dinner recipe? Potato, bacon, Gruyere tart, similar to a quiche minus the all the eggs. Savory tarts are so versatile because you can go as far as your imagination will take you. Mine brought me here, to a potato, bacon, Gruyere tart that is the perfect…
French Oven Baked Beef Stew
This fabulous French oven baked beef stew consists of delicious seasoned beef cubes, onions, and carrots, placed in a braising pan, and then covered with thin slices of potatoes. Both the beef and potatoes cook to tender perfection. Once you taste it, you will agree that this French oven baked beef stew needs to be…
Creamy Walnut Tartlets
Here I am with another recipe for personal food, my FAVE! Creamy walnut tartlets are sweet, crunchy, creamy. They are perfection in a nutshell, excuse the pun! These beauties are a take on a recipe I found in a French cookbook that belonged to my late father. This past summer when I went home for…
Pork Chops in Morel Mushroom Sauce
A simple dish of Smithfield All Natural Boneless Pork Chops in morel mushroom sauce comes together in 30 minutes. If you have never had morel mushrooms, you’re in for a treat. Yes, they are expensive, but a little goes a long way. Their earthy and somewhat meaty taste is to die for. When I was…
Wild Mushroom, Gruyere, Mini Quiches
There’s fungus among us! Wild fungus to be precise. Wild mushroom, Gruyere, mini quiches is another one of those personal food items that I love. I love mushrooms in any shape way or form. Mushroom heaven! When I was in college, a Swiss friend introduced me to porcini mushrooms. She made me a wild mushroom and saffron…
Herbes de Provence
Thyme, oregano, lavender, tarragon, and parsley; these are the some of the lovely flavors in herbes de provence. Lavender? Not as crazy as it sounds! Actually the lavender helps to add a touch of interest to this flavorful herbal blend. French cuisine is built on the use of herbs, not spices; there is a reason…
French Style Herbed Slow Cooked Leg of Lamb
I’m dreaming of juicy leg of lamb, which brings me to this post. Sometimes the best gifts are the simple ones. No bells and whistles, glossy pages, or shiny anything. There is definitely beauty in simplicity. No, I didn’t get a leg of lamb for Christmas. I am talking about a cookbook with some delicious…
13 Desserts: A French Christmas Tradition
The 13 Desserts is a French Christmas tradition that incorporates a variety of sweets, nuts and other tasty items. Last year I posted my recipe for Buche Noel (Christmas Log), a typical French dessert served all through the Christmas season in France. Following that thread, I am posting not really a recipe, but a tradition…
