In many cultures,
basil is treated as a sacred herb. In India, it is an object of veneration, which is planted in temples and monastery gardens. It is believed to have a power to cure diseases and kill both mosquitoes and demons thriving in the open air. In ancient Persia and Greece, basil was associated with the world of spirits, and therefore, was often planted on graves. In ancient Rome, the herb was considered a sexual stimulant eaten by lovers to promote the “fire of love” and boost fertility…Today, basil is an important plant of Mediterranean cuisine, and especially it is praised in both French and Italian cooking. The French call basil the “royal plant” - “l’hebre royale”, and there is a good reason ...
French sorrel (Rumex Scutatus), a mildly acidic cultivated green herb, has always been praised throughout Europe, especially in France where it enjoys its greatest popularity. It is a very ancient herb; its name is derived from the Teutonic word for “sour”. Ancient species of sorrel were extensively used in pharaonic Egypt and its allied type, garden sorrel, is still employed in modern Egyptian cooking. The ancient Greeks and Romans respected the herb for its role in promoting digestion and considered it a good complement to rich, fatty meals.To store, put French sorrel into a sealed plastic bag and keep in the refrigerator. Sorrel does not dry well, but it can be frozen successfully. Its leaves, rich in potassium and vitamins C and A, will keep ...
Do you know that, in the Gascony region of France, in the land of Three Musketeers, the people snack on fried duck skin and eat twice as much foie gras as other Frenchmen, and fifty times as much as Americans? They are also slathering goose or duck fat on bread instead of butter and eat lots of raw milk cheeses, high in saturated fat and cholesterol…When Dr. Serge Renauld conducted a 10-year long epidemiological survey of dietary habits, he concluded that the Gascons eat a diet very high in saturated fat - actually, higher than any other group of people in the industrialized world. In addition, that region produces a considerable amount of foie gras, fattened livers of ducks or geese, the world-known French delicacy. If to ...
La Maquette, a great French cuisine restaurant in Toronto, has been voted this year as the most romantic French restaurant in Canada. Besides, every year, renowned for its poetic atmosphere and sumptuous culinary delights, it is nominated in numerous other categories, including “Best Food” and “Best Ambience”.
La Marquette is located in a historical district of Toronto overlooking the Sculpture Garden & St. James Cathedral. It offers truly a perfect setting to enjoy the treats of delicious French cuisine at any occasion: from a private dinner for two to a big corporate meeting. La Marquette guarantees “a culinary experience with exquisite taste and imagination at the forefront of gastronomic trends”.
The restaurant is very fussy about the quality of the ingredients for its wonderful dishes. The owner Ange Kanavas ...
Almost every world cuisine offers recipes that include raw animal protein (fish, meat and unpasteurized dairy products), which seems to be a universal practise. In Italy the most famous raw appetizer is carpaccio, in the Middle East - kibbeh, in Norway - raw marinated fish, and in France it is steak tartare and, of course, a wide selection of world famous raw milk cheeses. Today, I am going to share the recipe of my very favourite gourmet appetizer from France,Steak Tartare:
In order to make authentic steak tartare, you should start with the freshest ingredients of the highest quality you can find. Shop for organic, free-range, grass-fed sirloin or filet of beef and freeze it for at least 14 days. The practise of freezing ensures that the raw ...
Roquefort is a delectable ewe’s-milk blue cheese from the South of France, and is one of the most famous of all French cheeses. In accordance with the European law, only those cheeses aged in the natural Cambalou caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon have a right to be named “Roquefort”, this is why when you buy this cheese you can be absolutely sure in its authenticity and the highest quality.
Legend states that Roquefort was first discovered by a young shepherd, who left a piece of fresh ewes’ milk cheese in a cave. When he returned a few months later, the cave mold had transformed his plain cheese into wonderful Roquefort. True or not, but in France, Roquefort was honoured with a royal patent already in the thirteenth century. In the ...
Baguette, with its crunchy, crisp crust and a soft, delectable center, is a traditional white bread served in France, and a staple of French cuisine. French “une baguette” is translated into English as a “stick”, which truly describes the unique form of this most popular French bread - it is shaped as a wand of about 60 cm long, and weighs 500 grammes (about 1 pound).In some areas of France, this bread is still delivered to the customers’ door every morning, together with traditional milk and cream. In big cities, people go to the local “Boulangerie” (hot bread shop) at least once a day themselves, to get a fresh loaf which is eaten at all three meals.
What to do if the nearest to you Boulangerie is as ...
