Tres Bien French Recipes: La Petite Chef

By Jay Simpson

Enjoy this creative family cookbook which will help teach your children the art of making great French dishes. It is a comprehensive guide of how to create different meat, fish and vegetarian French dishes. Become a more confident family, learning to cook in the kitchen & enjoy your creations.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wingback Books
• Release date: Jul 1, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301830541

Jay Simpson

I am a writer who has a keen interest in cooking, I have written 'La Petite Chef' range of ecookbooks to help children learn about cuisine from all around the world and cook delightful dishes that will inspire them and increase their confidence in the kitchen.

Book preview

Tres Bien

French Recipes

Jay Simpson

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2013 Wingback Books

About France

Although only the size of Texas, France has seven mountain ranges and five major river systems.

It is the largest nation in Western Europe, with countries like Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Andorra and Monaco sharing its boundary.

France is home to 29 UNESCO World Heritage Sites like the Mont St. Michel Abbey, Versailles Palace, and the Chartres Cathedral.

It has nearly 3000 miles of seashore, with three major water bodies: the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and the English Channel.

While all the stripes of the official French flag are of equal width, the one used by the navy has bands that increase in width from blue to red.

The marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine with the future king of England, Henry II led to British rule in France for about 300 years.

French people love cheese. Though traditionally there are around 350 to 400 varieties of French cheese, there are in fact over 1000 different types available in the French market.

French wine there are 17 distinct wine producing regions like Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Loire and Provence that continue with the tradition of wine making in France.

An amusing fact about France is that while beer is considered a luxury drink saved for special occasions, wine is free with most meals.

An underground rail tunnel, known as the Chanel Tunnel, joins England and France. It runs beneath the English Channel, connecting Folkestone, Kent in England and Coquelles, near Calais in France.

The Tour de France, the most famous bicycle race in the world is an annual bicycle race of France, in which cyclists cover over 2100 miles in 23 days.

The Statue of Liberty, one of the most widely recognized structures of US, was made in France. It was then gifted to the US in 1886 to celebrate its centennial. In fact, the face of the Statue is believed to have been modeled on Eugene Boyer, the wife of Isaac Singer, the famous sewing machine manufacturer.

April Fool's Day is believed to have originated in France, in 1564, when the country started following the Gregorian Calendar. Those that did not know about the switch in the calendars, were mocked on this day as they continued to believe that 1st April was the first day of the French new year.

France is the home of the TGV - Train à Grande Vitesse, French for high speed train. A TGV test train set the record of being the the fastest train when it reached a speed of 357 mph on April 3, 2007.

France is also home to the Louvre, one of the largest art museums in the world.

France is where the Gothic Art and the Baroque style of architecture were born. This is the reason why there are numerous cathedrals and buildings that are fine examples of Gothic Art.

Rules of a Safe Kitchen

Wash fruits and veggies thoroughly to make sure they are clean and ready to cook

Don’t eat old leftovers, old meals quickly multiply bacteria which could give you food poisoning

Baggy clothes should never be worn, they can catch fire on cookers

Clean counters and cooking surfaces, to eliminate bacteria

Don’t cook without an adult, young children need supervision at all time when handling knives and using cookers

No foil or metal in microwave, this is very dangerous and could cause a fire

Point knife away from yourself, to avoid cuts if your hand slips

Use potholder or oven mitts for hot pots and pans, pans and plates can get very hot and burn your hands

Throw away food that falls on the floor, to avoid food contamination

Wash hands, to avoid spreading bacteria

Ask for help, when reading a cookbook ask for help if you are not sure about anything

Enjoy your experience, and enjoy what you’ve cooked you deserve it!

Essential Sauces

BORDELAISE SAUCE

Ingredients:

1/2 c. fresh mushrooms, chopped

1 tbsp. butter

3 tbsp. cornstarch

2 c. beef stock

2 tsp. dried tarragon leaves, crushed

2 tbsp. lemon juice

3 tbsp. red wine

Method:

Cook mushrooms in butter until tender. Mix cornstarch and cooled stock together; stir into mushrooms. Cook and stir to boiling. Add tarragon, lemon juice and red wine and dash pepper. Simmer 5 to 10 minutes. Makes 2 1/4 cups.

Bearnaise Sauce

Ingredients

1/3 cup white vinegar

1/4 cup minced shallots

2 teaspoons dried tarragon

4 egg yolks, beaten

1/2 cup butter

Method

In a pan on low heat combine vinegar, shallots and tarragon. Heat until boiling. Allow to cool.

Stir in egg yolks and butter. Heat until thickened.

Beurre Blanc Sauce

Ingredients

1 1/2 tablespoons chopped shallot

1 bay leaf

6 black peppercorns

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons dry white wine

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 1/2 cups cold butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Method

Place shallot, bay leaf, peppercorns, vinegar, and wine in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and continue simmering until only 2 tablespoons of liquid remain.

Pour in heavy cream and bring to a simmer; simmer until the cream has reduced by half. Increase heat to medium-high, and rapidly whisk in the butter, piece, by piece until it has melted into the cream and thickened it. Strain the sauce through a mesh strainer to remove the spices. Serve immediately.

Bechamel Sauce

Ingredients

5 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 quart milk

2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Method

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, stir in the flour until smooth. Continue stirring as the flour cooks to a light, golden, sandy color, about 7 minutes.

Increase heat to medium-high and slowly whisk in milk until thickened by the roux. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and continue simmering until the flour has softened and not longer tastes gritty, 10 to 20 minutes, then season with salt and nutmeg.

Hollandaise Sauce

Ingredients

3 egg yolks

1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 dash