The premise of the hit movie, Julie and Julia was simple: a woman challenges herself to cook every recipe in Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking in one year. With the renewed focus on Julia Child, her cookbook is again selling at a brisk pace, with aspiring cooks excited to take on the challenge of French cooking.
At first blush, French cooking can seem somewhat intimidating. For instance, some of the ingredients found in copies of Child’s cookbook are unfamiliar to many. After all, the book was published 50 years ago. Still, the basic components of French cooking include such ingredients as potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, eggs, seafoods, beef, pork, and veal. There are, of course, many other delectable ingredients found in French regional cuisines. Most ingredients are easily found in finer grocery stores everywhere.
Of course, cheese and wine are the meal components most familiar to those just getting started with French cooking. French wines are usually made to go with a delicious meal, which helps to underline the complex tastes within the wines. Often, fine French cheeses are served with wine, a combination that most “foodies” find hard to resist. Many wines that you find at your local store originated in France, including merlot, pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon, and syrah.
In addition to wine and cheese, French breads are incredibly popular. Stores commonly carry French baguettes and pain poilanes – a large circular loaf – even outside of the biggest cities. Delicious crusty breads are a complement to any meal – not just French cuisine.
If you decide to try French cooking for yourself, you could do worse than starting with Julia Child’s classic book. Her passion was to bring the art of French cooking to an American audience, and not just those who routinely eat exotic cuisines. Start simple, and try a dish with ingredients you already enjoy.
















