France
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Transcript of France
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