France

1. France

2. France • Largest country in Western Europe • Important impact on the development of the Western Civilization • Contributions to: • Art • Science • Government • Philosophy • Fashion • Cuisine

3. Climate & Geography • Bordered by what bodies of water? • Atlantic Ocean • Mediterranean Sea • English Channel • Bordered by what countries? • Belgium -- Italy • Luxembourg -- Spain • Germany • Switzerland

5. 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

6. Paris Largest city and marketing and distribution center Seat of government Official Language French Religion Roman Catholic French Culture

7. Highly Diversified Production The French produce: Appliances Automobiles Railway equipment Textiles Perfume Fashion Culture

8. Fishers catch large amounts of: Cod Herring Lobster Mackerel Oysters Sardines Shrimp Tuna Grape production Through the southern regions Used in wine production Fishing and Agricultural Production

9. 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….

10. Types of Cuisine… • Haute Cuisine Characterized by: • Fancy garnishes • Rich sauces • Eggs • Cream • Butter

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. Foundations of French Cooking Important points: • Ingredients must be fresh • Breads are fresh • Cooks must have patience

15. 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

16. 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

17. French Appetizers and Soups • Hors D’oeuvres • Small dishes designed to stimulate the appetite • Hot or cold • Plan them to complement other menu items

18. Soups • Often follow hors d’oeuvres • Four basic categories • Consommés • Puree soups • Cream soups • Veloute soups

19. 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

20. 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

21. Frog Legs (uncooked and cooked)

22. Escargots (snails) Mussels

23. 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

25. Regional Nature • Normandy • Known for tender • veal, rich cream and butter, and apples

26. Regional Nature • Brittany • Poor • Tough geography for agriculture • Large seafood diet • Famous for crepes • Thin, delicate pancakes usually rolled around a filling

27. Crepes

28. 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

30. 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

32. 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

35. 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.

36. French Terms

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