French onion soup and French fries(moelleux aux noix)…

To those unfamiliar with the food of the country that places great importance and pride in its cuisine, these two dishes that actually have the word Frenchare all they know about French cuisine.

Just a bit of trivia:it is said that pomme frites (French translation of fried potatoes) popularly consumed in Paris in the mid 1800s. This eventually found its way to the United States and were called "French fried potatoes" that eventually got shortened to french fries. Another story is that U.S. president Thomas Jefferson introduced them in the late 18th century after spending time in France where he encountered (and most probably enjoyed) them.

Knowing how to cook French fries hardly qualifies one to claim knowledge of French cuisine though! As for French onion soup, preparing this savory soup from onions, beef stock, herbs and cheese is something probably more noteworthy since it is a more laborious process though its connection to French cuisine is also not that clear.

For those who exposed to French cuisine ravioles aux cepes, either enjoying it in a street café or fine dining restaurant or preparing dishes at home, certain recipes definitely are reminiscent of fine French food. Dishes such as duck or pork cassoulet, ratatouille and soufflés, terrines and paté are popular examples of French dishes you can try out at home. Interpretations can be classic but modern times have allowed a certain level of fusion in the recipes–either in the ingredients, cooking method or presentation.

With the convenience of going online for recipes, one need not enroll in a pricey cooking school or even purchase a cookbook to find recipes for practically any French recipe you want to try out. You can even specify the difficulty level and the ingredients you want to work with.

For the dessert lover, pastry chefs and even home bakers can find a lot of inspiration in the multitude of confections in French desserts. Some even have distinctly French sounding names like eclairs, macarons, palmiers, crepes, sans rival–a layered meringue with rich buttery icing that is truly “without rival or comparison”).

One commonality among all these sweet temptations is the liberal use of butter, sugar, cream and eggs which make it really decadent but a bane for those on a diet or are diabetic. Adjust the sugar and butter by lessening the amount or replacing with healthier ingredients. It may not taste as heavenly but at least you can enjoy an extra slice!