Okay, so I’ve been on this French cuisine kick lately, and let me tell you, it’s been a journey! Today, I wanted to try my hand at some classic French side dishes. I’ve always been a bit intimidated by French cooking, I mean they really know their way around a kitchen, but I figured, why not give it a shot?
I started by browsing through some recipes online. There are so many options, it’s kind of overwhelming! But I finally settled on a few that seemed doable and delicious.
First Up: French Onion Soup
I’ve always loved French Onion Soup, but I’d never made it myself. Turns out, it’s not as hard as I thought! I chopped up a bunch of onions, like a whole lot, and caramelized them slowly in a big pot. It took forever, but the smell was amazing! Then I added some broth, simmered it for a while, and ladled it into bowls. Topped it with some crusty bread and Gruyere cheese, and popped it under the broiler until the cheese was all bubbly and golden. It was so good! It makes me feel like a warm hug in a bowl, you know?
Next: Ratatouille
This one’s a classic from Provence. I diced up some eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, and tomatoes. Then I sautéed everything with some garlic and herbs in a big pan. The key is to cook the veggies until they’re tender but not mushy. It’s a colorful dish and tastes like sunshine, seriously. It’s healthy and flavorful, I ended up eating this with a friend, and she loved it too!
Mashed Potatoes, but Make It French
I also wanted to try something a bit different with mashed potatoes. I found this recipe that uses Tomme cheese. Basically, you make mashed potatoes like you normally would, but then you beat in this Tomme cheese. It gives the potatoes a really unique, kind of nutty flavor. And it only takes 10 minutes to make this, super easy! It was interesting, I’ll definitely be making this again.
All in all, my French side dish adventure was a success! I learned a lot, and I ate some really tasty food. It’s definitely inspired me to keep exploring French cuisine. Who knows what I’ll try next? Maybe I’ll even attempt a beef Bourguignon. We’ll see!
