Gratin Dauphinois Recipe
This gratin Dauphinois recipe is the ultimate comfort food. Potatoes are double-cooked in seasoned cream and then baked with Gruyere cheese until the gratin is butter-soft. Serve it with roasted lemon rosemary chicken and fresh bread for a great family meal. Another tip for busy cooks: This is a great make-ahead dish (it keeps for 1 day in the fridge before baking), so it really is the ultimate version of classic potatoes au gratin!
Gratin Dauphinois Photo: ©MR+G
Cinnamon Tea Recipe
A quiet afternoon calls for a hot mug of steaming beverage, but regular coffee or tea won’t suffice. Try brewing up a simple batch of cinnamon tea and serving it with a small plate of goodies from the local patisserie. Sample the brew before sweetening it, as the cinnamon often provides just the right amount of sweet warmth for many people. If the sweetness still needs adjusting, use a teaspoon or two of simple syrup - it won’t interfere with the cinnamon-lemon balance of the tea. Bon appetite!
Cinnamon Tea: Aradia Di
Perfect Potato Salad
This classic French potato salad is incredibly easy to make and compliments any kind of meal. Prepare it when dinner is simply too much to handle and you still want to eat healthy food. A holiday weekend, when your main goal is to relax, would be a great time to add this to your recipe box.
Dill Potato Salad Photo: ©Kathy Maister
Silk Weaver's Brain: What's in a Name?
This silk weaver’s brain recipe, also known as cervelle de canut, is an herbed cheese and vinegar spread. It is named for the silk workers of Lyon in the mid-18oo’s; some say it is a tribute, others, an insult. No matter what the true origin of the offbeat name, it is a fantastic appetizer. Who can resist creamy seasoned cheese, accented with shallots, garlic, and herbs, spread onto fresh, warm croûtes.
Silk Weaver's Brain or Cervelle de Canut Photo: ©Avlxyz
Classic Pot au Feu Recipe
This pot au feu recipe is a classic French comfort dish. It takes the better part of an afternoon to prepare, but is low maintenance and makes the house smell absolutely wonderful. No doubt it’s the perfect recipe to use when entertaining guests or simply warding off an early autumn chill.
Pot au Feu Photo: ©Kochtopf
Back to School
Amazingly, the summer has flown by and children everywhere are back in school! Families have one less nutritious meal per day because they’re eating – and trading – their lunches at school tables. It’s important to have a fast recipe on hand that doesn’t sacrifice style or flavor. Try whipping up a batch of chicken a la diable for a quick meal that can be put together in under an hour and doesn’t even slightly resemble cafeteria food. Add steamed green beans and potatoes boiled in their jackets to the plate for a complete meal. Photo: ©Rebecca Franklin, Licensed to About.com
Chicken Sausage Gumbo Recipe
Gumbo, a thick soup from Louisiana, gets its name from the African words for okra – guingombo, tchingombo, and kingombo. There are as many versions of the thick French settler soup as there are cooks, but there are two constants regarding its creation. A rich roux must be painstakingly cooked and one must use "The Trinity", a blend of bell peppers, celery, and onions, to season the dish. If these two crucial ingredients are missing, it simply isn’t gumbo. This hearty chicken sausage gumbo recipe is a simple version, with easy to find ingredients. It’s perfect to warm you up on a blustery night! Bon appetit!
Chicken Sausage Gumbo Photo: ©Rebecca Franklin, Licensed to About.com
French Sorbet Recipes
Sorbets have been a classic palate cleanser during heavy, multi-course meals and light desserts for those watching their figures. They're also very popular here at About French Food. Sorbet tops the weekly recipes list more often than not, and cooks holding dinner parties often ask for suggestions on what recipe to serve their guests. Here are some of the most popular French sorbet recipes. Bon appetit!
Watermelon Sorbet Photo: N. Roth
Blueberry Quatre Quarts Cake Recipe
Having an end-of-summer party? For a simple and rich dessert, make a recipe of blueberry quatre quarts cake, a Canadian-inspired version of a French pound cake. The cake alone is absolutely scrumptious and perfect for a special occasion. If you want to give an elegant presentation, toast a few slices of cake on a griddle or panini press and serve them with a bit of Cointreau crème Anglaise or vanilla Chantilly cream and scoops of vanilla bean ice cream. Bon appetit!
Blueberry Quatre Quarts Cake Photo: ©Rebecca Franklin, Licensed to About.com
Easy Poulet à la Crème
Poulet à la crème, or chicken in cream, is a versatile meal in France. There are countless variations of the dish, and this one is among the simplest. Made famous in the Bresse region, this recipe is an easy preparation of chicken browned in butter and then braised in a thyme-infused wine and cream reduction. The lily is gilded by serving the chicken with caramelized mushrooms, onions, and shallots. The result is delicious and even beginning cooks can make it to perfection. Bon appetit!
Poulet à la Crème Photo: Laurel Fan