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Cuisine Grand-mere: Traditional French Home Cooking
Cuisine Grandmere Traditional French Home Cooking Author:Marie-Pierre Moine It was the fare that made France the culinary capital of the world, the dishes enjoyed at French family tables -- and internationally, back before nouvelle cuisine and fast food began to undermine it. — Cuisine Grand-Mère is a celebration of traditional French cooking, including all the great classic recipes along with many lesser-known tr... more »easures. Throughout are more than 50 delightful period illustrations from that wonderful age that considered even a spice label an opportunity for art. Recipes include Cheese Soufflé, Quiche Lorraine, Chocolate Mousse, and more.
In this delightful book we rediscover the pleasures of traditional French home cooking, conjured from the memories of the author and her family in the good old days before nouvelle cuisine and "convenience" food began to undermine it. All the great classic recipes are included, plus many lesser-known treasures.
In the 1970s France was rocked by the nouvelle cuisine movement, which advocated healthier food and smaller meals. Restaurants on both sides of the Channel strove to outdo each other with beautiful presentation, complex ingredients, and miniature portions. Traditional cooking was ignored. Recently, however, the tide has turned; and today's chefs, strongly supported by a jaded and hungry public, are now returning to the principles of traditional country cooking, still enjoyed in the majority of French homes. Cuisine Grand-mere, also known as cuisine bourgeoise or bonne femme, sums up this style of cooking; and Marie-Pierre Moine has included the best of traditional recipes, slightly improved and honed for today's health-conscious eaters.
The book describes all the basic techniques, like vinaigrette, béchamel and its relatives, stocks, mayonnaises, and other sauces. The chapters then deal in turn with soups, hors d'œuvre, famous hot entrées like quiche Lorraine and croque-monsieur, fish and seafood, main courses including coq au vin, bœuf bourguignon, and cassoulet, vegetables and salads, and a range of familiar and less familiar desserts -- mousse au chocolat, tarte Tatin, profiteroles, gâteaux, and ice cream« less