French Cuisine Quotes

“~ FRENCH APPLE CAKE WITH ALMONDS ~

I like a mix of apples, some firm and tangy, others soft and sweeter for a bit of variety. Whatever you do, do not spice the cake! Cinnamon and nutmeg do not belong in a French cake.
Serve with crème fraîche to be French, but freshly whipped cream or homemade ice cream won't taste bad either.”
― Hillary Manton Lodge, A Table by the Window

“Take the greatest care of your knives; don’t cut with them on an enamel or marble-topped table or a plate; have a good steel for sharpening; keep your kitchen knives in a special box or compartment of the knife drawer; wash, dry, and put them away, with the points stuck into a cork, as soon as you have finished with them. Let it be understood by all members of the household that there will be serious trouble if your knives are borrowed for screwdriving, prising open packing-cases, cutting fuse wire or any other purpose for which they were not intended.”
― Elizabeth David, French Country Cooking

“Chris- the one who wrote the halfway creepy thing about missing me so much when I didn't post and thinking I was dead- found it mind-boggling that before the Julie/Julia Project began, I had never eaten an egg. She asked, "How can you have gotten through life without eating a single egg? How is that POSSIBLE???!!!!!"
Of course, it wasn't exactly true that I hadn't eaten an egg. I had eaten them in cakes. I had even eaten them scrambled once or twice, albeit in the Texas fashion, with jalapeños and a pound of cheese. But the goal of my egg-eating had always been to make sure the egg did not look, smell, or taste anything like one, and as a result my history in this department was, I suppose, unusual. Chris wasn't the only person shocked. People I'd never heard of chimed in with their awe and dismay. I didn't really get it. Surely this is not such a bizarre hang-up as hating, say, croutons, like certain spouses I could name.
Luckily, eggs made the Julia Child way often taste like cream sauce. Take Oeufs en Cocotte, for example. These are eggs baked with some butter and cream in ramekins set in a shallow pan of water. They are tremendous. In fact the only thing better than Oeufs en Cocotte is Ouefs en Cocotte with Sauce au Cari on top when you've woken up with a killer hangover, after one of those nights when somebody decided at midnight to buy a pack of cigarettes after all, and the girls wind up smoking and drinking and dancing around the living room to the music the boy is downloading from iTunes onto his new, ludicrously hip and stylish G3 Powerbook until three in the morning. On mornings like this, Oeufs en Cocotte with Sauce au Cari, a cup of coffee, and an enormous glass of water is like a meal fed to you by the veiled daughters of a wandering Bedouin tribe after one of their number comes upon you splayed out in the sands of the endless deserts of Araby, moments from death- it's that good.”
― Julie Powell, Julie & Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously

“I glanced down at the menu, relieved that although I hadn't taken a French class since my sophomore year in college, I still recognized most of the words. Chartier's menu is full of classics: steaks and chops, grilled sea bass with fennel seed, sweet chestnut purée, and wine-soaked prunes. What girl could resist the charm of a restaurant that allows you to order a bowl of crème chantilly- simple whipped cream- for dessert?”
― Elizabeth Bard, Lunch in Paris: A Love Story, with Recipes

“Cendrillon specialized in seafood, so we had four fish stations: one for poaching, one for roasting, one for sautéing, and one for sauce. I was the chef de partie for the latter two, which also included making our restaurant's signature soups.
O'Shea planned his menu seasonally- depending on what was available at the market. It was fall, my favorite time of the year, bursting with all the savory ingredients I craved like a culinary hedonist, the ingredients that turned my light on. All those varieties of beautiful squashes and root vegetables- the explosion of colors, the ochre yellows, lush greens, vivid reds, and a kaleidoscope of oranges- were just a few of the ingredients that fueled my cooking fantasies. In the summer, on those hot cooking days and nights in New York with rivulets of thick sweat coating my forehead, I'd fantasize about what we'd create in the fall, closing my eyes and cooking in my head.
Soon, the waitstaff would arrive to taste tonight's specials, which would be followed by our family meal. I eyed the board on the wall and licked my lips. The amuse-bouche consisted of a pan-seared foie gras served with caramelized pears; the entrée, a boar carpaccio with eggplant caviar, apples, and ginger; the two plats principaux, a cognac-flambéed seared sea scallop and shrimp plate served with deep-fried goat cheese and garnished with licorice-perfumed fennel leaves, which fell under my responsibility, and the chief's version of a beef Wellington served with a celeriac mash, baby carrots, and thin French green beans.”
― Samantha Verant, The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux

“My mind veers back to roasted pigeon. And from pigeon, I travel effortlessly, unrestrainedly back to France...the pots of rillettes fragrant with garlic, the boned forelegs of ham yellowed with bread crumbs, the blood puddings curled up like snakes, the terrines and pâtés, the sausages from Lyon and Arles, the jowls of salmon cooked à la génoise, the hundreds of cheeses resplendent beneath their glass bells, the perfumed melons and honeyed apricots”
― Annabel Abbs, Miss Eliza's English Kitchen

“Monsieur Fernand...took them to a large busy restaurant where they sat at a table outside on the pavement and ordered a meal.

'Snails for the children!' cried Fernand. 'They've never tried them.'

Max stared at his portion in horror and could not bring himself to touch them. But Anna, encouraged by Francine, tried one and found that it tasted like a very delicious mushroom.”
― Judith Kerr, When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit

“It was a revelation to learn how many delicious things a person could make from a handful of humble commodity ingredients, using only basic technique and proper seasoning. Onions, flour, potatoes, leeks, eggs, milk, salt, pepper, a metric fuck-ton of butter, and sometimes stocks, or heavy cream, cheese, or sugar: these were the building blocks for such new (to me) wonders as pâte à choux, pommes Anna, pommes boulangère, gratin dauphinois, crème anglaise, potage parmentier, and soupe à l' oignon gratinée.”
― Laurie Woolever, Care and Feeding: A Memoir – A Candid, Funny, and Devastating Story of the Food World and a Cultural Reckoning

“We'll start with a '95 Kistler-Dutton Ranch."
She poured one for herself and tasted it. Ah, yes, she thought. Intense and lively with layers of pear, spice, vanilla, and nutmeg. And a hint of honey, if she wasn't mistaken. She smacked her lips. Her foray entered into, she was relaxing and beginning to enjoy herself. She grinned with glee as she wrapped herself into her oversize apron.
"As I am a culinary orphan, I have chosen dishes from a wide range of influences. We're starting with classical French. In France, to begin, they often offer you what they call 'amuse bouches.' Amusements for the mouth. Here are yours."
She set before him a platter filled with baby profiteroles, little puffs of pastry sliced in the middle and filled with a surprise.
Troy reached out and brought one to his lips. His face flushed with pleasure as he bit into the creamy filling.
"Yes," she said. "Finely chopped cooked lobster mixed with finely chopped cooked mushrooms sautéed in lobster butter. All bound with hot béchamel sauce.”
― Nina Killham, How to Cook a Tart

“Escoffier set the table. He'd found a Japanese kimono, an obvious prop from some theater production, to use as a tablecloth. Paris had secretly fallen in love with all things oriental. It was red silk brocade, covered with a flock of white flying cranes, and made from a single bolt of fabric. The neckline and cuffs were thickly stained with stage makeup but the kimono itself was quite beautiful. It ran the length of the thin table. The arms overhung one end.
Outside the building he'd seen a garden with a sign that read "Please do not pick." But it was, after all, for a beautiful woman. Who would deny him? And so Escoffier cut a bouquet of white flowers: roses, peonies and a spray of lilies, with rosemary stalks to provide the greenery. He placed them in a tall water glass and then opened the basket of food he'd brought. He laid out the china plates so that they rested between the cranes, and then the silver knives, forks and spoons, and a single crystal glass for her champagne. Even though it was early afternoon, he'd brought two dozen candles.
The food had to be served 'à la française'; there were no waiters to bring course after course. So he kept it simple. Tartlets filled with sweet oysters from Arcachon and Persian caviar, chicken roasted with truffles, a warm baguette, 'pâté de foie gras,' and small sweet strawberries served on a bed of sugared rose petals and candied violets.”
― N.M. Kelby, White Truffles in Winter

“A sole cooked in a rich sauce of cream and mushrooms must be followed by a dry dish of entirely different aspect such as a roast partridge or a grilled tournedos, cold ham, jellied beef or a terrine of duck. It must not be preceded by a creamy mushroom soup, nor followed by chicken cooked in a cream sauce. Have some regard for the digestions of others even if your own resembles that of the ostrich.”
― Elizabeth David, French Country Cooking

“Try the gougères," Lumière interrupted, popping one into her mouth before she could continue. It was warmed by his flame and melted on her tongue- nothing at all like the perfectly good but usually rock-hard ones she and her father baked.
"Ohhh..." she couldn't help saying.
"It's been so long since we had a guest!" Mrs. Potts danced around on the table happily, somehow managing to fold a napkin with her spout-nose. She tossed it into Belle's lap: a swan shape that gracefully unfolded as it fell, almost like it was flying. Belle shrank back, worried it was actually going to fly.
"I can't imagine why," she muttered.
And then she was distracted by the food.
Piles of it. More than a feast- a banquet.
There was a whole leg of lamb, multiple terrines and soufflés, three soup courses, a delicate fish in white wine broth, an orange ice in between to clear the palate...
There was a water glass, a golden glass for red wine, a crystal one for white, and a saucer for consommé. There were seven forks of descending size and different numbers of tines, the last three whose use she couldn't even begin to work out.”
― Liz Braswell, As Old as Time

“Come on, let's get you an apron."
There probably wasn't any real point in making him wear something over his fur and ragged clothes. Still, she tied a tablecloth up and around his neck, trying not to make him look ridiculous.
Actually, if the thick white cloth had leather straps, he could easily be Hephaestus or one of his titan helpers working the forge on Olympus.
But they were going to make ratatouille, not swords for heroes.
"...And buckwheat crepes, and an onion tart, and coq au... um... Riesling, in a skillet," she added thoughtfully, looking at the time. The clock in the kitchen didn't talk, thankfully. "We don't have time for a true coq au vin or cassoulet. Oooh, and a tarte tatin for dessert!”
― Liz Braswell, As Old as Time

“Laid out before him were dishes detailed in gold inscription: Tourte de Faisan aux Truffes, Blanquette de Veau, Barbue aux Huîtres, Tripes à la mode de Caen. Simon explained the preparation of each dish so lovingly that it would have suited Zod to not eat at all and simply listen to this man as he translated the truffled pheasant in pastry, the creamy veal stew with pearl onions and mushrooms, the poached brill with oysters in brown butter, the baked tripe with calvados, and the wine they must order to accompany it,”
― Donia Bijan, The Last Days of Café Leila

“Fish fingers don't feature on my menu and I immediately hate myself for the arrogant way I put my menus together. What makes so-called serious food, dishes that are meant to be refined- cod loin in blackberry jus with wild mushrooms, millefeuilles of lamb and aubergines, torte of mascarpone with grapes and cognac- what makes them any more worthy of being served at Chez moi? I find my own elitism repulsive.”
― Agnès Desarthe, Chez Moi: A Novel

“All of a sudden the veal is in front of me and the smell of it is intoxicating. I could pick it up in my hands and bite right to the bone, like the wild animal I have become. But no. I look at it, study it. I analyze how it's been cooked, prod it with the tip of my knife, then make an incision: pink blood- some water, a bit of juice, nothing really- oozes out and blends with the brown sauce where Chinese artichokes drift past green beans so fine they look like chive stems, only firmer.”
― Agnès Desarthe, Chez Moi: A Novel

“A couple of salmon steaks I'd bought for a shocking amount of money at the Turkish grocery near my office sat on the counter, waiting to be broiled and napped in Sauce à la Moutarde, which is a sort of fake (Julia calls it "mock," but let's call a spade a spade, shall we?) hollandaise sauce, with some mustard stirred in for interest. Slumped beside the fish was a bag of slightly wilted Belgian endive, which I was just going to be braising in butter. Not exactly a demanding menu. Not exactly Foies de Volaille en Aspic, just to cite one example of how I could be living my life more aggressively and bravely and generally being a better person.”
― Julie Powell, Julie & Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously

“Separate pots of simmering French and Italian soup stocks...
Bowls of various Chinese spice blends...
Trimmed and marinating lamb shanks, a common ingredient in Turkish cooking...
And the foundation of all Indian cuisine- toasting the starter spices!”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 35 [Shokugeki no Souma 35]

“Instead of Coriander, I chose a French-style bistro, quiet and easy, where the server talked me into the braised rabbit, which arrived exquisitely tender in a gravy of such textured depth that I took out my notebook and scribbled a few notes on what I thought the ingredients might be. Thyme, rosemary, carrots, and parsley. Mushrooms and mustard and shallots.”
― Barbara O'Neal, The Art of Inheriting Secrets

“What is that?" I asked because her was stuffing puff pastry with a rich brown mixture.
"It is called tourte de blettes," he said. "A specialty of our region."
"What are blettes?" The word was unfamiliar to me.
"It is a green vegetable, like cabbage, only with long green curly leaves," he explained, then he held a stalk up for me.
"Is that Swiss chard?" I exclaimed. "Then it is a savory tart?"
"No, mademoiselle, it is for the dessert."
"But chard? That must taste bitter."
"Not at all. It is made with raisins and pine nuts and brown sugar, and when it is finished, I will save a small taste for you. You will see, it tastes not at all bitter. Quite delicious, in fact.”
― Rhys Bowen, Above the Bay of Angels

“I recalled the time he tricked me into eating a live snail, explaining that snails were a delicacy in France, and if I were to develop a true palate, I had to eat one. It wasn't until later that I learned they were, indeed, delicious, but one didn't just pick up a snail from the garden and put a dash of salt on it. Snails we're eaten after a long curing process and served after they were baked in loads of butter, garlic, and parsley- les escargots de Bourgogne.”
― Samantha Verant, The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux

“I hated tête de veau (boiled cow brain), and who wouldn't, but loved escargots in a creamy garlic, butter, and parsley sauce. The word "cerise" was underlined four times, along with the words "Ma petite-fille Sophie, elle aime n'importe quoi avec les cerises." I still loved them.
My visits to Champvert always coincided with cherry season, and Grand-mère Odette always made sure a bowl of plump black cherries sat in front of me. When I wasn't tasting one of her wonderful creations, I'd stuff one cherry after another into my meager mouth and spit the pits into a bowl, reveling in the juicy and sweet explosions hitting my tongue. As she whisked the batter for her clafoutis, stating how important it was to keep the pits in the cherries or the dessert would lose its nutty flavor, she'd tell me about some of her other recipes, the ingredients rolling off her tongue like a new exotic language I wanted to learn every word of. Saffron, nutmeg, coriander, paprika, and kumquat- what were these things, I wondered?”
― Samantha Verant, The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux

“The poissonnier is delivering some of his beautiful daurades and scallops."
I let out a sigh of relief. "Perfect. If there's anything I can handle, it's sea bream, lovely and light," I said, nodding my head. I needed to do this. "It's winter. Fennel is in season, yes?" I asked, thinking about what would plate well with the duck, and she nodded.
"Pomegranate? And hazelnuts?"
"Of course," said Philippa, rubbing her hands together. "I can't wait to see what you've got up your sleeve."
That would make two of us. What was I going to do with the daurade? Something simple like daurade with almonds and a romesco sauce? Did the kitchen even have almonds? The more I thought about this recipe, the more boring it sounded. Roasted daurade with lemon and herbs? Again, typical. I had an opportunity to create something special, something out of this world, on my own terms. I wanted to get creative and do something colorful, playing with the colors of winter and whatever was in season. My imagination raced with all of the possibilities- a slideshow in my mind presenting delicious temptations. A crate of oranges caught my eye. I licked my lips- a light sweet potato purée infused with orange. Braised cabbage. Seared daurade filets. Saffron. The colors, ingredients, and plating came together in my mind.”
― Samantha Verant, The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux

“L'AMUSE-BOUCHE
Pan-Seared Scallops wrapped in Jambon Sec and Prunes with a Balsamic Glaze


L'ENTRÉE
Pan-Seared Foie Gras with a Spiced Citrus Purée, served with Candied Orange Peel and Fresh Greens
OU
Velouté of Butternut Squash with Truffle Oil


LE PLAT PRINCIPAL
Bœuf Bourguignon à la Maison served with a Terrine of Sarladaise Potatoes
OU
Canard à l'Orange served with a Terrine of Sarladaise Potatoes along with Braised Fennel, garnished with Pomegranate Seeds and Grilled Nuts
OU
Filet of Daurade (Sea Bream) served over a Sweet Potato Purée and Braised Cabbage


LA SALADE ET LE FROMAGE
Arugula and Endive Salad served with Rosemary-Encrusted Goat Cheese Toasts, garnished with Pomegranate and Clementine, along with a Citrus-Infused Dressing


LE DESSERT
Poached Pears in Spiced Red Wine with Vanilla Ice Cream”
― Samantha Verant, The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux

“L'AMUSE-BOUCHE
Chocolate Parmesan Tapioca with a Pan-Seared Scallop

L'ENTREE
Salad with Chèvre Chaud, Honey, and Mint Dressing
OU
Roasted Butternut Squash and Cacao Soup
OU
Oysters with a Mignonette Sauce

LE PLAT PRINCIPAL
Armagnac-and-Chocolate-Infused Daube de Bœuf à la Gascogne
OU
Sweet Potato Curry with Mussels
OU
Chocolate Pasta with a Gorgonzola Cheese Sauce

LA SALADE ET LE FROMAGE
Moules à la Plancha with Chorizo served over a bed of Arugula

Selection of the Château's Cheeses

LE DESSERT
Mousse au Chocolat spiced with Pimento Chili Peppers and Chocolate Flakes, garnished with Mint

I spun around on one heel, excited to get prepping. Unbeknownst to me, the rest of the kitchen staff had arrived, their jaws agape as they stared at the menu. As usual, Phillipa was the first to speak up. "That menu looks wicked incredible."
"I don't know about adding hot peppers to the mousse au chocolat," said Jane, and the granny brigade nodded in agreement.
I was so sick of her know-it-all attitude. I knew a thing or two and I was going to stand by my decision. "The combination has Aztec roots. To honor the fertility goddess they drank xocolāt, a chocolate concoction spiced with chili pepper and vanilla. It's delicious and unexpected."
Jane rolled her eyes. "You're the chef."
"I am," I said, wanting to challenge her. "And this is the menu.”
― Samantha Verant, The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux

“L'AMUSE-BOUCHE
Strawberry Gazpacho served in Chinese Spoons, garnished with Deep-Fried Goat Cheese and Basil


L'ENTRÉE
Zucchini Cakes with Lemon Prawns and Braised Wild Asparagus, garnished with Edible Flowers
OU
Cream of Wild Asparagus Soup
OU
Roasted Cauliflower and Beets with Capers, served over Spinach in a White Wine Lemon Sauce


LE PLAT PRINCIPAL
Drunk Shrimp, Flambéed in Cognac, served over a Terrine of Tomatoes, Avocado, Strawberries, and Creamy Lemon Risotto
OU
Confit du Canard, served with Roasted Baby Carrots and Sweet Sautéed Radishes
OU
Bœuf en Croute with Foie Gras and Mushrooms, served with Grilled Wild Asparagus and Sweet Sautéed Radishes


LA SALADE ET LE FROMAGE
Strawberries and Wild Asparagus, served over Arugula with a White Wine Vinaigrette


Selection of the Château's Cheeses


LE DESSERT
Crème Brûlée with a Trio of Strawberries and Cognac”
― Samantha Verant, The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux

“The immense dining room table all but sagged under the weight of the dishes: tureens of beef madrilène, bisque of shellfish, and cold cucumber soup mingled with heaving platters of beef ragout, scallops smothered in puréed chestnuts, salmon en sel, and ramequins of cheese soufflé. All the dishes perspired in the July evening heat under the glow of a thousand candles, but thanks to the duc's priorities, the champagne was pleasantly cool.”
― Emma Theriault, Rebel Rose

“Once upon a time, my father told me, fine dining meant baked lobster and cocktails. Not all restaurants could be counted on to have wine lists. But at Peasant Stock, they made osso bucco and cassoulet, and for dessert things like macaroon soufflé with apricot-brandy sauce. They never served ice cream, but some far more fascinating item called granita, in potent infusions of espresso or huckleberry or blood orange.”
― Charlotte Silver, Charlotte Au Chocolat: Memories of a Restaurant Girlhood

“Last night, I read we'd be making béchamel and Mornay sauces, poulet poché sauce suprême and hollandaise. There would be rich potages of crème de moules au safran, bisque d'etrilles and homard, soupe à l'oignon gratinée, and then a whole lot of les oeufs: oeufs durs mimosa, ouefs mollets à la Florentine, ouefs cocotte à la crème, and ouefs frits au bacon. Oof!
Leçon 16 would feature compound butters and nothing but. Followed by la leçon on braising (lamb stew, braised crown roast of pork nivernaise, beef à la mode), which begets frying and sautéing (beignets de gambas, sole meunière), which begets a whole section on "au gratin." Even the salads are full of lardons and heavy cream. And the desserts! Apple Charlotte with custard, crème brûlée, crème caramel, and sabayon.”
― Amy Rosen, Off Menu

“Food engages sight and sound and texture, not just scent and taste. And food is the most elementary expression of human connection; love without complications. Traveling with my mother has taught me the value of perspective. A simple dish can become ridiculously elevated by an elegant turn of phrase. Bread with a square of chocolate inside becomes a pâtissier's chocolatine; two dozen snails from a woodpile become escargots en persillade.”
― Joanne Harris, Vianne