Tag Archives: French Food

French Cuisine: The Many Delights Of Normandy

One of the best things about France is its food. Each region has its own culinary wonders that reflect the area’s culture and history. Join Genie Godula and Florence Villeminot as they embark on a road trip to discover France’s regions through gastronomy.

Their first stop is Normandy. Known for its world-famous beaches and towering monuments – like the Mont-Saint-Michel – the region is also a foodie’s paradise. From the creamy delight that is Camembert to the apple brandy named Calvados, we take you to discover the region of Normandy through its culinary specialties.

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Winter Travel: Cross-Country Skiing Through France’s Jura Mountains

The white blanket of France’s eastern Jura Mountains stretches out for 340 kilometres along the Swiss border. Trekking across this wilderness is an unforgettable journey. We follow a small group of cross-country skiers for a three-day hike through pine trees, frozen lakes, gentle slopes and sunny peaks. At night we stop off at a chalet to sample rösti, a local Jura specialty. At the Franco-Swiss border, we discover a passage where Resistance fighters and Jews risked their lives to flee occupied France between 1941 and 1945.

New Food Books: ‘Petite Patisserie: 180 Easy Recipes – Elegant French Treats’

Christophe Felder, along with his longtime collaborator, Camille Lesecq, are back with a new volume that focuses upon the delightful small pastries that are one of the highlights of the art of French baking. Both children and adults adore these often bite-size indulgences. Included here are all the fundamental recipes–the classics and the traditional favorites–along with original, inventive creations. 

A delightful volume devoted to the delicate, charming treats that are the soul of France’s neighborhood patisseries. With Felder’s expert guidance, any home cook can now re-create the sweet enchantments and small indulgences that are the hallmark of many a holiday in France.

Recipes include amandines, babas, biscuits, bostocks, creams, croquantes, croustillons, financiers, flans, madeleines, Alsatian manderlis, Napoleans, petits fours, sablés, tartlets, and much more.

The book opens with a section on twenty-seven base recipes from which all others can be made, including pâte brisée, pâte sucrée, sablé breton, dacquoise, pâte á choux, feuilletée rapide, and crème pâtissière. It is then divided into chapters of increasing complexity, with a final chapter on “funny” cakes–playfully decorated small cakes designed to delight children or for parties.

Each recipe comes with precise preparation and cooking times, step-by-step decorating tips, and suggestions for vegan and gluten-free alternatives–this seemingly petite package contains a wide range of sweet and simple pleasures to delight big and small gourmets alike.

About The Author

Christophe Felder is one of the most respected pastry masters in the world, having achieved fame during his fifteen-year tenure as the pastry chef at the Michelin-starred Hôtel de Crillon in Paris. In 2009, he founded Studio Christophe Felder, a pastry school open to the public and located in Strasbourg in his native Alsace. Together with Camille Lesecq, former pastry chef at Le Meurice, they operate a patisserie, Les Pâtissiers, in Mutzig, Alsace.

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