When I was younger, I visited France with my classmates in the Springtime. Eating food was genuinely one of my favorite aspects of traveling to France. The length of time each dish came out almost forced us to relax and enjoy the moment. I would love to recreate that experience by cooking my own French food at home.
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Four brand new French cookbooks are being released this Spring! I wanted to show them to you in case you are curious to try some new takes on French dishes.
A Table: Recipes for Cooking and Eating the French Way
Currently the cookbook A Table: Recipes for Cooking and Eating the French Way is number one in sales for French cooking and drink! There are 125 authentic and modernized French recipes that we can all make at home. Many of these dishes are paired with stunning photography that showcases each recipe and highlights the Parisian atmosphere.
Rebekah Peppler is a Paris-based food writer, stylist, author, and regular contributor to the New York Times. (I am jealous!!) She was nominated for a James Beard Award for her previous cookbook Apéritif: Cocktail Hour the French Way and Honey, a Short Stack Edition.
I am grateful that she begins the cookbook by explaining French pantry necessities, ensuring we have on hand all the staples of all her French recipes and beyond. This part is followed by her explaning how to make entertaining easy and enjoyable – I know sometimes it can be incredibly stressful.
The book is divided into “Before, During, and After” for the best hosting experience!
Just by looking at all the recipes, the ingredients look very easy to obtain. My only gripe is there is no total cook/prep time for each recipe. I think this is especially important when entertaining for guests!
Burgundy Mustard: History, Heritage and 40 recipes of Chefs
It wasn’t until later in my life that I began to love mustard. Now we can learn all about this delightful spice with the Burgundy Mustard: History, Heritage and 40 recipes of Chefs cookbook. There are some unique and unexpected ways that mustard enhances our dishes.
I feel like, as an American, we don’t utilize mustard to its fullest potential. In this cookbook there are recipes that have been passed down for multiple generations. Some examples are: mustard with blackcurrants or Dijon gingerbread – this sounds so unique! Many of these recipes are very niche French recipes that use mustard in various ways.
The photography is incredibly sophisticated and clean. The colors pop on a gorgeous white table setting and display the grandeur of each dish. Everything looks incredibly high end and luxe.
The Burgundy Mustard: History, Heritage and 40 Recipes of Chefs cookbook also explains the history of mustard and how it was used all around the world. The food history provided is fascinating, which will entice others to start using mustard in all kinds of dishes.
French Countryside Cooking: Inspirational dishes from the forests, fields and shores of France
When we visited France, we only went to Paris. I would have loved to explore the French countryside and taste the differences between cuisine in the big city and more rural areas. Now I can take some of these recipes at home with French Countryside Cooking: Inspirational dishes from the forests, fields and shores of France cookbook.
The author Daniel Galmiche is a world-renowned chef. He has gained quite a few Michelin stars at four of Britain’s top restaurants. He is French trained and has already published the French Brasserie Cookbook that exhibits many original French dishes. In this cookbook we use ingredients from the more rural areas to create authentic French countryside cuisine.
The cookbook is broken up into sections. First we talk about specific areas like “woodland and forest, river and sea, etc.” This is then broken down into starters, mains, sides and desserts. We further divide this into seasonal themes so that we can learn how to be more sustainable.
Surprisingly, these dishes are very simplistic and rustic. Every time I think “Michelin star” I immediately assume the cookbook is full of difficult cooking techniques. Galmiche describes the techniques used for each dish in a simplistic way that even novice chefs will understand.
The recipes are beautiful and not overly complicated.
Dinner is in a Bag: Fuss-Free En Papillote Recipes
I think that the Dinner is in a Bag: Fuss-Free En Papillote Recipes cookbook is super cute.
For those who are unfamiliar, en papillote is a common cooking method – usually involving fish. You take your ingredients and place them in a bag made of parchment paper which then is put into the oven to cook. The hot steam cooks everything!
One of my favorite parts of this technique is opening up the paper and smelling the delicious meal you’re about to eat.
This cookbook provides all kinds of recipes that you can try using this French cooking method. It’s clean, easy, and quite fun putting together fun meals. There are delightful sides, mains, and desserts throughout this cookbook. Some examples are whole roasted cauliflower with garden herb sauce and peaches in paper with homemade basic ice cream.
If any of you are campers, these recipes can follow you into the wilderness! Imagine having any of these delicious meals at a campfire.
What are some of your favorite French dishes? It might be overly simple, but I thoroughly enjoy French onion soup! Especially during wintertime. I am hoping to find some amazing spring-oriented recipes in any of these cookbooks!
~Kaiti
