If You're Looking To Buy French Food, Here's A Fun(Gus) Idea

Have you considered going online to buy French food this winter to spice up your traditional festive feasts? If you've not really considered going out to buy French food or gourmet ingredients then the reason may be either because your local supermarket simply doesn't stock such food or ingredients, which is of no surprise, or perhaps you're not too sure which gourmet ingredients you should be looking for, and what you can do with them.

In a previous article I suggested one or two things that can be done with goose fat, which is really one of the most incredible ingredients that you can introduce into a whole variety of traditional meals which we all do throughout the winter season. But today I want to introduce another gourmet ingredient which can also be used in a whole heap of feasts in a multitude of ways that can really take an old, slightly dull meal and totally transform it into something which will really get you noticed.

When you go to the supermarket to buy mushrooms you generally find that you have two or three varieties. The only particularly clear way of identifying which variety is which is that the button mushrooms are about the size of buttons, and the big mushrooms are, well, bigger. But they all really taste the same don't they? In fact most of the time I use supermarket mushrooms in recipes I can barely taste mushroom at all.

That's the problem with using supermarket ingredients, because most of us use the same ingredients in our recipes, completely oblivious to the fact that we are actually well aware that those ingredients made little difference as far as the flavour is concerned, and largely seem to end up only as adding texture. If you head over to France to buy French food or to eat at a French restaurant you will almost certainly notice that the flavours are very much more distinct, rich, and delicious.

Often you can tend to assume that it's a gourmet chef who has done something magical and horrendously difficult to the ingredients in order to rustle up something so monumentally fabulous. Rubbish. In most cases the only real difference is that they been able to buy French food. Proper French food, not just the stuff in your supermarket that begins with 'le' or 'la'.

You could easily do just the same with your own recipes this winter, and so the gourmet ingredient I would strongly recommend to you today is to buy a jar of dried porcini mushrooms. You don't actually need a great many dried porcini mushrooms because they have a very intense flavour, and used sparingly can be used in a whole variety of recipes.

For almost any stock, source or risotto in which you will usually include mushrooms, use dried porcini mushrooms instead and you'll find that the flavour is unbelievable. You'll need to soak the mushrooms in warm water for about half an hour before you need to use them, but here's a good tip: many people just throw the remaining liquid away, but this is an appalling waste. If you're going to use porcini mushrooms in a stock, source or risotto, then after you have finished soaking the mushrooms strain be liquid and add this to the recipe wherever possible in place of water.

For some meals such as casseroles, or meals including rice, add the dried porcini mushrooms right at the beginning. Just remember that porcini mushrooms have a very strong flavour, unlike the British mushrooms sold in supermarkets. For this reason it is important to make sure that when you are replacing the cardboard mushrooms from your supermarket with gourmet ingredients such as dried porcini mushrooms from France, reduce the number of mushrooms you use, otherwise the flavour can become overpowering.

If you're looking to buy French food or gourmet ingredients then visit The Good Food Network where you can find a wide range of ingredients, produce and advice.

How to Make Raclette and Other French Foods in the USA

While living in France, my family learned to love some recipes that we really miss now that we're back home. After some experimentation and a few boo-boos, success is mine!

Our first favorite is pain au chocolat. Roughly translated, it is chocolate bread, and it is a favorite breakfast food in France. It is also extraordinarily popular as an after school snack. This food is so popular, they sell them in plastic wrappers in packs of 8 or 10, just like our hot dog buns! Now, keep in mind that the French version uses a type of croissant dough that takes hours to make by hand. I found the following two methods give me a reasonable substitute that my family likes.

First and probably easiest is the crescent roll version. I open a can of crescent rolls, but separate the pastry into rectangles by keeping two of the triangles together. I press the seams with a moist finger to seal them together. One can makes 8 crescent rolls, so it makes 4 French pastries. I have a big family, so I need 4 cans. If you have a small family, you can make do with two cans. Next, take your favorite plain chocolate bars ( like you would use to make S'mores) and cut the bars into strips parallel to the short side, about 1/4" wide. Lay out one rectangle of dough, and put two strips of chocolate on top, set in from each short end enough so that you can take each end and fold it over the chocolate. The edges of the two folds should touch in the middle of the pastry. Once you have folded the dough, turn it seam side down and go on to the next one. Once you have them completed, bake the dough as directed on the package. When they are done, pop them out of the oven and serve them warm. You can use dark or milk chocolate, but traditionally the French use darker chocolates than we do.

The second method is to buy frozen puff pastry squares and follow the rest of the instructions above. These are a little closer to the true texture of the bread dough used in France, but a little more costly to make.

With either method, you could substitute a line of chocolate chips for the strips of chocolate if you don't have bars of chocolate on hand. Since it all melts in the end, it really doesn't matter.

Another favorite food from France is raclette. Now, raclette is a cheese, but it is also a method of cooking, coming from basically the same region of Europe as fondue. Raclette is a semi-firm cheese, with the Swiss version being a little firmer (and tastier, in my opinion) than the French variety. Either will work in a pinch. You can find raclette cheese in many supermarkets now, as well as gourmet food stores and some natural food stores. Raclette uses a special grill that has a flat top and an area below with small trays. The cheese is put into the trays and placed inside the grill to melt. Raclette grills can be purchased at specialty stores for a really "special" price, but T-Fal makes an electric version that I bought for about $40. It is a tabletop appliance.

Raclette is traditionally done like this:

Choose your favorite cold cuts, such as salami, priscuitto ham, olive loaf, etc. Arrange them on a plate in rows or columns that appeal to your eye. Slice (or get the market to) the cheese into 1/3 to 1/2" thick slices that will fit into your cheese trays. Arrange these slices on the meat tray as well.

Next, bake or boil some potatoes whole. I bake them here in the USA, but they were often boiled in Europe. While they are cooking, make a little salad of mixed greens, or shred some carrots into a pile on each plate, or cucumber slices, whatever you have and like. Open a jar of cornichons (these are little dill style pickles the French love). You can buy them at almost any supermarket now, but if you don't have them, substitute your own pickles. This method of cooking is all about the fun, not whether or not it is mechanically correct.

When your potatoes are done, put one on each plate with some of your veggie or salad and pickles for edible garnish. Turn your grill on and let it heat for a few minutes while you get the drinks ready. Every person uses their own tray to melt the cheese, which is then poured over their potato. My kids like to grill their meats on the top, but I prefer mine still cold. It is up to you!. Eat and laugh and talk while enjoying the meats, potatoes and cheese. You can't mess this up! Cold cuts, cheese, baked potatoes- simple and wonderful.

The greatest thing about raclette (other than the quality fun time) is the clean up. In my house, there is rarely any food left, so I usually don't even have to wrap the left overs. There are plates, forks, a few cheese trays, and your glasses. No hot pans with sticky messes, no oven pans to wash, and most everything can pop in the dishwasher.

Now, this is not the cheapest meal you can make, but we treasure it so much that we do this every other month or so. If you like fondue, you are sure to love it. If you have never had fondue, give this a try. I bet you'll fall in love with it, too.

A favorite adult drink of ours is the Kir. It is an aperitif, or before dinner drink. This is easy as pie and absolutely delicious, even if you are not a wine drinker. Here's the recipe:

Chardonnay wine (traditionally French Aligote, but you can't usually get that here)

Creme de Cassis

Chill the wine. In a wine glass, put one part creme de cassis to 3 or 4 parts wine. I say 3 or 4 because it depends on the quality of the creme de cassis as to how much of it you need to make the drink right. When it is done right, the wine will have a slightly sweeter taste than normal.

Variations:

Use: Creme de Framboise

Creme de Mure

Creme de Myrtille

instead of the Creme de Cassis.

OR:

Use champaigne instead of chardonnay for a Royal Kir.

My favorite is Framboise, but I like them all! The cremes can be added to red wines, too, but that is not really traditional.

These are just a few of the things we found that we didn't want to do without just because we came home, so we have incorporated them into our lives here in the USA. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

I am a mother of 4 children and an avid reader. Our family lived in Europe for 3 years and loved it! I have started my own blog, where I plan to write about places we've been, things we've learned, and what we like. I work from home and am currently writing a book. You can follow my progress or share your knowledge by visiting my blog at: http://magickalmomentswithmomman.blogspot.com

How to Enjoy French Food

When Americans think of fine dining, one of the first foods that come to mind id French food. French food is synonymous with "haute cuisine". French food differs greatly by the different regions in France. In this article I will highlight for you briefly some of the regions of France and the food that is typical for that region.

First, Champagne, this region is best known for the sparkling wine that comes from this region, but fine wine is not all it is known for. Champagne is part of 3 regions that are known for their fine gourmet French food. Lorraine is known for its for its wonderful fruits and is most famous for quiche. A baked dish made from eggs, cream, and pastry.

Secondly Paris who doesn't think of Paris when we speak of French food. Paris is famous for all French delicacies as well as for food from countries all over the world. A Paris restaurant can offer you a wonderful selection of meat broiled or stewed in a tasty sauce. All over Paris you can find wonderful seafood restaurants serving fresh shell fish over ice. No city serves better Mussels then those found in little Bistros in Paris. You will find dishes such as escargot {snails} that are so popular in Paris as well as a whole pigs foot on your dish. Everyday in Paris you can find something wonderful and new to try. From the very unusual to the fine everyday sandwiches sold on the street.

Third, Brittany and Normandy because of their close proximity to the ocean have outstanding seafood. The Brittany are has a fine assortment of lobster, crayfish and mussels. Normandy in the north has a wonderful selection scallops, and sole. Normandy also has many great fruit trees, especially apple trees that allow them to have wonderful baked goods as well as ciders.

Fourth, Burgundy and Bordeaux are known for the finest of wines. This region is also home to Dijon mustard famous served with many French food. This area is also known for fine poultry, river pike and many sweet treats. Where ever you dine on French Gourmet food you are in for a real treat.

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French food-how to plan your trip to experience the best Gourmet Food

In previous articles on traditional French cuisine we looked really what it means to be ' traditional ' and ' French food ', because many common assumptions surrounding the gourmet food from France seems to be somewhat inaccurate.

Not only there is no such thing as an all-encompassing concept of what could be described as traditional French food, at least, not by the French, but also the suggestion that the food in France is entirely French, lacking any external influences, is totally wrong.

The geography of France varies enormously, and with several neighbours neighbors there were influences from other countries, including Germany and Spain. So the concept of traditional French cuisine is rather more complex, and any travel across the country will not necessarily exploring different ideas around what is and what is best.

However, it is not only the geography or the influence of neighbouring countries that features what many consider to be the traditional French cuisine, and there is yet another factor that has enormous influence as far as what you might expect to eat in various parts of the country-and it's the season.

Seasonal changes can cause differences in opportunities for gourmet food throughout the country, perhaps more so than in many other countries, including the United Kingdom.

These days that we tend to get quite out of touch regarding the seasons are affected, with supermarkets stocking food and ingredients throughout the year, when previously we could only have been able to buy during a particular season. With cheap flights and international supply chain, we are now able to buy strawberries in winter and think very little of it.

However, if we consider traditional French food, then it will be important to take into consideration the seasons and the impact of these traditionally have had on recipes, ingredients and dishes served in various parts of the country.

Whatever season you choose for your visit to sample some of the best French food on offer on you will find some of the best gourmet delights of food supply. Plan your visit during the summer months as many are invariably and be likely to find an abundance of salads and fruit-based dishes.

Not only is this because they are refreshing but the fruits and vegetables are abundant in most of the country and often are very affordable. The view from many retailers and grocery store is that it is rather preferable to sell fruits and vegetables that are in season at a price that is lower than watching perfectly good food starts to rot.

Therefore you will be able to enjoy these healthy, nutritious and delicious almost everywhere at prices that are very affordable.

Towards the end of the summer, however, the emphasis of moving and you'll start to find many more be served dishes that incorporate mushrooms in one form or another. French cuisine dishes that include mushrooms tend to be stewed and well in the late summer, early autumn, look out for mushroom based stews like these will be at their best.

Traditionally September witnesses the beginning of hunting season in France and this runs all the way through the winter until around February. That is why, if you are looking for traditional French food agenda is likely to be in the game.

Many of the dishes are celebrations of success hunting and often can become very elaborate and certainly worth living.

As the ice thaws and spring begins price changes again and the end of winter to early spring period is when shellfish are at their best. Take a trip to the coast, where they tend to specialize in seafood dishes, and if you have time this properly to coincide with the start of the season that you'll be amazed by crustaceans as things like oysters.

Besides being at their best can also find that some crustaceans are available only at this time, as for example shrimp cannot be taken out of the season as it is actually illegal to do so.

So if you're looking for what really can be called traditional French food, you must consider both the geographical influences, as well as seasonal influenza that affect both what can be offered, and its quality. Right time, and you experience gastronomy at its best.

The network of good food is specialized in the supply and delivery of high quality French food gourmet food and and ingredients. Visit their site for more information or to browse their range.

Mouth Watering French Gourmet Food

Many people in the United States as well as in the rest of the world know of the distinct quality and flavor of French cuisine.

French food is frequently duplicated in the United States as well as in other countries of the world, but to experience the French gourmet foods that France is known for, it's best to break France apart into different regions and explore the different tastes France itself has to offer.

France divides it's regions up into different departments, and under these different departments, visitors can find different French gourmet food, as well as distinct French flavors, beverages, and chocolates.

In the Champagne region of France, this area is best known for the sparkling wine known as Champagne. This area reserves the right to call their sparkling wine Champagne because of the unique grapes that grow in this area as well as the name of the region itself.

Champagne is one in a group of three regions in a collective area that offers fine French gourmet foods. Lorraine is known for its selection of fruits and is also famous for quiche, a baked product which contains pastry, cream, and eggs. However despite Champagne's notoriety for having the only sparkling wine in the world that can be called its namesake, Paris also has some of the most unique and interesting French gourmet foods.

Paris is known for having a variety of different French gourmet food dishes as well as many other cultures. All train lines lead centrally into Paris so almost any food product is available. Paris also houses some of the best restaurants in the world, and over 5,000 of these restaurants exist in this one city alone.

Brittany and Normandy are towards the shore line in Northern France and are known for their exquisite sea products. Brittany has a fine gourmet selection of lobster, crayfish, and mussels.

Another place for superb crayfish lies outside of France in New Orleans, Louisiana and is worth a mention for all the French gourmet foods that have influenced Creole cooking. Normandy, also along the Northern coast has a fine selection of scallops and sole, a type of fish.

Normandy also has many apple trees, many of which are used for cider and other pastry dishes. All of the food items from these areas are known for having the highest quality, mostly because France has some of the finest soil in the world for growing French gourmet foods for French dishes.

Many areas in France are known for gourmet wine, such as Bordeaux and Burgundy. Burgundy is the more well-known of the two, some of the finest wines in France coming from this region alone.

Not only does Burgundy offer some of the finest wines, but this region is also the home of Dijon mustard as well as currants, a favorite among gourmet chefs. This area is also known for snails, high quality poultry, river crabs, pike, and honey cake.

The best place to find French gourmet foods in the United States is either at a local gourmet market, or by importing directly to the home from France itself. Needless to say, French gourmet food items are some of the best in the world.

Discover the best French Gourmet Foods on the Planet at: French Gourmet Foods Online [http://www.premiumgourmetcoffee.net/french-gourmet-food-simply-the-best/].