French Food Heaven On Earth

November always gets me to think about Paris. I guess it;s the damp, chill or the rainy Manhattan streetsthat reminds me of autumn in the City of Lights. It also spurs me to crave French food, There is nothing like it. Its' complexity and simplicity combined, lush tastes with simple ingredients. It is perfection.

French cooking is an off shoot the Northern Italian (hence the reason why it;s so good) Catherine De Medici brought her recipes with her when she married Henri II) I imagine regular court cuisine got a good infusion of butter delicate spices and new cooking methods. These are even followed to this day. The provences also contributed with crepes from Normandy and bouillabaisse from Provence along with good ragouts from almost every Provence.

French pastry in itself is sheer heaven. even though croissants are well overdone here now in the States there's nothing like a true French one. Bite into those flaky buttery layers and experience pure joy. A well done chocolate croissant is even better. The mille feus which are layers of flaky pastry held together by a creme bavarois are also a culinary feat. Macaroons now are becoming the next big dessert trend and the french are making them in flavors such as tangerine and strawberry.

Nothing beats French cuisine as the ultimate foodie fantasy. This is the cuisine gastronomique, perfection on a plate.