Alright, alright, let’s talk about this fancy-schmancy “modern French cooking,” or whatever they call it. I ain’t no expert, mind you, just a plain ol’ woman who knows her way around a kitchen, kinda.
What is this “modern French” stuff anyway? Well, from what I gather, it’s like them French folks decided their old way of cookin’ was too heavy and too much fuss. You know, all them sauces and butter and whatnot. So, they started makin’ things lighter, prettier on the plate, and I guess, a little bit easier to digest, not that my stomach ever complained about good ol’ hearty food.
They used to have this “classic” thing, cuisine classique, they called it. Sounded real fancy, heavy creams, lots of butter, big portions. Now, they got this nouvelle cuisine, “new cooking” if my ears ain’t deceivin’ me. Smaller portions, more veggies, lots of… what do you call it… presentation? Yeah, that’s it. They make the food look all pretty, like a picture, you know? Kinda like them magazines with all them skinny models.
- They still got some of the old stuff though, like that French onion soup. Onion soup is onion soup, no matter how you slice it, but theirs, they put cheese on top and bake it all bubbly. I make a mean onion soup myself, ain’t gonna lie, but theirs is a bit more… dressed up.
- And then there’s this coq au vin, chicken cooked in wine. Sounds fancy, tastes good, but it’s just chicken, right? We cook chicken all the time. We just don’t call it somethin’ French.
- Escargot? Snails! Yep, them French folks eat snails. I ain’t never tried it, can’t say I’m eager to, but they say it’s good. To each their own, I guess.
- Beef Wellington. Now, that sounds like somethin’ a rich fella would eat. Beef wrapped up in some kinda pastry. Sounds heavy, but they probably made a lighter version for this “modern” stuff.
They also like stuffin’ vegetables. Tomatoes farcies, they call it. Stuffed tomatoes! We do that too! We put rice, meat, sometimes breadcrumbs, whatever we got. They probably use some fancy breadcrumbs, ha!
They got salads too, of course. Nicoise salad, with tuna and olives and eggs and stuff. It’s a good salad, can’t complain about a good salad. But their salads are always so… neat. Mine are more… rustic, let’s say.
And don’t forget crepes and quiche. Crepes are like thin pancakes, you can put sweet stuff or savory stuff in ’em. Quiche is like a pie, but with eggs and cheese and whatever else you wanna throw in. We make somethin’ similar, but we call it… well, we just call it egg pie, or somethin’ like that.
So, this “modern French cooking,” it’s just like regular cooking, but with a French accent, you know? They use different words, they make it look all pretty, and they probably charge a whole lot more for it. But at the end of the day, it’s just food. And good food is good food, no matter where it comes from or what you call it.
Even if you ain’t no trained chef, as them city folks say, you can still make good food. It don’t gotta be fancy, it just gotta be tasty, right? I mean, my cooking ain’t winnin’ no awards, but it fills bellies and puts smiles on faces, and that’s good enough for me.
They got all them fancy words, too. Like “restaurant” and “cuisine” and “chef” and “menu.” We just got “eatin’ place” and “cookin’” and “the cook” and “what’s for supper.” But hey, I guess that’s why they invented them words, so they could charge more, ha!
So, if you wanna try this modern French cooking, go for it. But don’t be fooled, it ain’t magic. It’s just good ingredients, cooked with care, and maybe a little bit of showmanship. You can do it too, just don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty. And if it don’t look perfect, who cares? As long as it tastes good, that’s all that matters.
And another thing, don’t be afraid to use what you got. They might use fancy ingredients, but you can make good food with simple stuff too. That’s what I always say, “Waste not, want not”. And if you got leftovers, don’t throw them away! We always find a way to use them up. Make a soup, make a casserole, make somethin’ new. That’s how we do it, and that’s how we always done it. And nobody ever went hungry, that’s for sure.
Remember this, good cookin’ ain’t about fancy words or fancy equipment. It’s about puttin’ love into your food. That’s the secret ingredient, the one they don’t teach you in them fancy cookin’ schools.
Tags: French Cuisine, Modern French Cooking, Nouvelle Cuisine, Classic French Dishes, Cooking Techniques, Food Presentation, French Food Culture
