French Recipe for a Basic Vinaigrette
Filed Under Kitchen Tips, Recipes France
One of the simplest but more important of recipes, a basic vinaigrette lends itself to all manner of dishes, including of course salads, fish, meat, and other vegetables. Chef Mark Haskell of our new cooking vacation Cuisine and Culture of Provence shares his basic vinaigrette recipe with us, and gives us an alternative with an Asian flair! Browse all our cooking vacations. Basic Vinaigrette Ingredients: 1/2 Tbsp shallot, finely minced,… Read
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Wine Lovers' France: All about Languedoc Wines
Filed Under Destination Features, Travel Tips, Wines & Spirits France
The region of the Languedoc is often overlooked in favor of it's neighbor, Provence. But there's many reasons to visit this off-the-beaten path region, and not just because tourists don't typically flock here. For starters, there's the beautiful landscape; the Languedoc borders the Mediterranean Sea as well as Spain, and goes up to the Montagne Noire (the Black Mountains). Cathar castles dot the countryside, as do Roman ruins that date… Read
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It's All in the Family: A Guide to French Cheeses
Filed Under Destination Features, Food History, Kitchen Tips France
French cheese: a gourmet's delight, and perhaps one of the seven culinary wonders of the world? (I'll let you debate the other six.) Everyone knows it's good, but it's surprising how many people find it intimidating to face the French cheese selection of their local fine foods store, let alone brave the daunting task of buying cheese at a French market or from a French "fromagère." Peruse our culinary vacations… Read
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Calvados, Normandy's Apple Brandy, and Calvados Cocktail Recipes
Filed Under Destination Features, Recipes, Wines & Spirits France
Normandy is famed for many gastronomic delights, from its cheese and dairy products, to its meat and mussels. It is not known as a serious wine-producing region, but when it comes to beverages, the apple reigns supreme! The Basse-Normandie region has been rife with apple orchards since the time of Charlemagne, and the making of Calvados apple brandy and cider has been going on for many centuries. Book a culinary… Read
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A Brioche Recipe from France: Cooking Vacations in France with TIK
Filed Under Food History, Kitchen Tips, Recipes France
In France, brioche is a versatile bread that can be enjoyed during breakfast, or as a snack or dessert. It’s so versatile that some even call it a pastry due to its high egg and butter content, as well as ingredients like sugar. At the same time, brioche can also be found in savory French dishes as well. No matter how you serve it though, light and puffy brioche is… Read
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Gâteau Pithiviers Recipe from Cooking in Gascony
Filed Under Food History, Kitchen Tips, Recipes France
It's generally assumed that Gateau Pithiviers – a classic French pastry – originated in the town of Pithiviers in France's Loire Valley. But today this simple but delicious dish is enjoyed all over the country. Generally speaking, a pithivier (or pithiviers, after the town's name) is a round pie that uses puff pastry as its base and top, and has distinctive spiral lines drawn out from the center on the… Read
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