France

France • Largest country in Western Europe• Important impact on the development of

the Western Civilization• Contributions to:

– Art– Science– Government – Philosophy– Fashion– Cuisine

Climate & Climate & GeographyGeography• Bordered by what bodies of water?

– Atlantic Ocean– Mediterranean Sea– English Channel

• Bordered by what countries?– Belgium -- Italy– Luxembourg -- Spain – Germany– Switzerland

Climate

• Moderate overall• Higher elevations = more snow• Spring is humid• Summer is moderate• Fall is long and sunny

• This type of climate is favorable for the production of grapes used to make famous French wines

French Culture• Paris

– Largest city and marketing

and distribution center

– Seat of government

• Official Language– French

• Religion– Roman Catholic

Culture• Highly Diversified

Production• The French

produce:– Appliances– Automobiles– Railway equipment– Textiles– Perfume– Fashion

Fishing and Agricultural Production

Fishers catch largeamounts of:

– Cod– Herring– Lobster– Mackerel– Oysters– Sardines – Shrimp– Tuna

Grape production– Through the

southern regions– Used in wine

production

French Cuisine • Good food & wine are an important part of everyday life• Children are taught to appreciate food • Usually s hop in specialty stores

rather than large supermarkets• French cooking is divided into three

main classes….

Types of Cuisine…• Haute Cuisine

Characterized by:– Fancy garnishes– Rich sauces– Eggs– Cream – Butter

Haute Cuisine• Chef’s who had

tremendous influence on the development of haute cuisine– Antoine Careme– George August

Escoffier

• Haute cuisine is seen most often in leading restaurants and hotels

Provincial Cuisine

• Style of cooking practiced by most French families

• Fewer fancy sauces and lavish creations

• Flavors are from locally grown foods enhanced by simple cooking methods

Nouvelle Cuisine• Emphasizes lightness

and natural tastes in foods

• Nouvelle cooks believe heavy sauces and creams like in haute cooking spoil the natural tastes of the foods

• Appeals to people who are concerned about fat and calories

Foundations of French Cooking

Important points:• Ingredients must be fresh• Breads are fresh• Cooks must have patience

Sauces • Roux: Mixture of butter (or other fat) and flour. Forms

the bases of all white sauces• Bechamel:

A roux with milk added to it• Veloute:

A bechamel with chicken, fish, or veal stock added to it

• Demiglace: Brown sauce made from slightly thickened sock-based sauce they have simmered for a long time

Sauces….• Hollandaise Sauce:

– Contains egg yolks, lemon juice and butter

– Accompanies green veggies such as asparagus

• Vinaigrettes– Made with oil and vinegar– Used on salads, marinades for veggies

French Appetizers and Soups

• Hors D’oeuvres– Small dishes designed to stimulate the

appetite – Hot or cold– Plan them to complement other menu

items

Soups• Often follow

hors d’oeuvres• Four basic

categories– Consommés– Puree soups– Cream soups– Veloute soups

Soups• Consommés: Meat stock base, rich

and clear• Puree: made from meat, poultry,

fish or veggies. Cooked in liquid and pureed

• Cream: similar to a puree but cream is also added. High in fat

• Veloute: Similar to cream soups. Egg yolks and butter thicken soup

Main Dishes• Seafood and Poultry form the basis of

many dishes• Eat red meat less often than Americans• Popular items:

– Escargots (snails) -- Chicken– Frog legs -- Duck– Crabs -- Goose – Scallops– Mussels

Frog Legs (uncooked and cooked)

Escargots (snails)

Mussels

Baked Goods• Baguette: Yeast, flour, salt and

water. Hard, crusty outside

• Brioches: Rich yeast roll that contains egg

• Croissants: Flaky buttery yeast rolls shaped into crescents

Regional Nature •Normand

y– Known for

tender – veal, rich

cream and butter, and apples

Regional Nature• Brittany

– Poor– Tough

geography for agriculture

– Large seafood diet

– Famous for crepes

• Thin, delicate pancakes usually rolled around a filling

Crepes

•

Aquitaine Region: Truffles

• Rare type of fungi that grow underground near oak trees

• In November, people use pigs to sniff the ground and find the rare fungi for harvesting

• Very expensive and are popular in many French recipes

• This region is known for veal, poultry and pork

Provence• Rich agricultural region in

southeastern France• Fresh vegetables are used in many

dishes• Most popular vegetable dish:

Ratatouille• Vegetable casserole that contains

tomatoes, eggplant, green pepper, zucchini, onions and seasonings

•

Burgundy• Central France• Famous for vineyards and the wines

they produce• Many Burgundy dishes are flavored

with local wines• Escargots: Burgundy specialty.

Often served in their shells with garlic butter

•

•

Meals• Most eat 3 times per day• Le petit dejeuner: Breakfast, light.

Café au lait (hot milk and coffee)• Le dejeuner: Mid-day meal. Main

meal of the day. • Evening meal is light. Evening meal

is usually not served until 8pm. Business hours are later in France than they are in the United States.

French Terms

French Video • French Video: There's no food like my food