Recipes from France

In doing research for this article I discovered the french people do most of their food shopping at small local markets. Every small town has outdoor vegetable and flower markets and the French have a reputation for being the best cooks in the world. They believe that food is so important that skimping is illogical. I am hoping more Americans adopt the European way of eating as much local food as possible.

Hors d'oeuvres: Ingredients--1 cup grated cheddar cheese; 1 beaten egg yolk; 1/4 tsp mustard; 1/4 cup soft bread crumbs; salt to taste; dash of pepper; 1 stiffly beaten egg white. Directions: Mix cheese with egg yolk, mustard, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Fold in egg white; shape into balls. Roll in additional soft bread crumbs; roll in additional beaten egg yolk and again in crumbs. Fry quickly in deep fat.

Chicken Mushroom Spread: Ingredients--2 tbsp butter; 1/4 lb mushrooms, chopped; 1 1/2 cups ground chicken or turkey; 1/3 cup ground almonds; 1 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp black pepper; 1/4 cup mayonnaise. Directions: Melt butter in a skiller; saute mushrooms for 5 minutes. Cool; combine with chicken, almonds, salt, pepper and mayonnaise. Blend well and taste for seasoning. Heap in a bowl or on crackers.

Hot French Chocolate: Ingredients--2 1/2 squares unsweetened chocolate; 1/2 cup water; 1/2 cup sugar; 1/8 tsp salt; 1/2 heavy cream, whipped; 1 1/2 quarts hot milk. Directions: Combine chocolate and water in saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring, until chocolate is melted and blended. Add sugar and salt; boil stirring for 4 minutes. Remove from heat; cool. fold chocolate mixture into whipped cream. Place 1 well rounded tablespoonful of chocolate mixture in each serving cup; add hot milk to fill cup. Stir to blend.

Cheese Soup: Ingredients--2 cups mashed potatoes, thinned with milk; 2 onions, cooked with stock; 1/4 lb grated cheese; seasonings to taste; 3 cups beef stock. Directions: Mix all ingredients in the beef stock; simmer together for 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Sauteed Onion Soup: Ingredients--6 medium onions, sliced; 3 tbsp butter; 1 quart boiling water; 5 beef bouillon cubes; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp pepper; Toast, cut into squares or circles. Directions: Saute onions in butter in heavy saucepan over low heat for 10 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring to cook evenly. Add water and bouillon cubes; bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes; season and pour into warmed soup bowls. Garnish the top with toasted squares or circles of bread.

Meat and Vegetable Soup: Ingredients--3 lb soup bones; 2 lb boned beef chuck; 2 lbs chicken, cut up; 2 large bay leaves; 1 medium onion, peeled; 6 whole cloves; 1 tsp whole peppercorns; 2 tbsp salt; 1/2 tsp dried thyme; 1 tsp seasoned salt; 2 beef bouillon cubes; 1/2 tsp pepper; 2 medium onions, peeled and halved; 2 medium carrots, pared and halved; 2 parsnips, pared and halved lengthwise; 1 wedge cabbage; 1 white turnip, pared and quartered. Directions: Place soup bones, chuck and chicken giblets in large kettle; add 3 quarts cold water. Bring to a boil. Skim surface of any particles with a spoon. Attach bay leaves onto medium whole onion with whole cloves; add to broth with peppercorns, salt and thyme. Simmer, covered for 2 hours. Add chicken and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat; discard onion, giblets and soup bones. Remove meat and chicken; strain broth. Rinse kettle; return meat and chicken to broth. Refrigerate overnight. Remove hardened fat from broth. Add salt, bouillon cubes, pepper, halved onions, carrots, parsnips, cabbage and turnips. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 30 minutes. Serve with toasted French bread.

Vinaigrette Fresh Bean Salad: Ingredients--1/2 cup Italian dressing; 1/8 tsp pepper; 1 tsp mustard; 3/4 tsp salt; 1 small tomato, chopped; 1 small onion, chopped; 3 tbsp chopped dill pickle; 3 tbsp snipped parsley; 2 tsp chopped capers; 1 hard-cooked egg, chopped; 1 lb fresh green beans, cut, cooked and drained. Directions: Combine dressing, pepper, mustard, salt, tomato, onion, pickle, parsley, capers and egg; add beans. Toss until well blended. Chill for several hours. Serve in lettuce lined salad bowl.

French Hunter's Dinner: Ingredients--1 can whole kernel corn; 1 can cooked spaghetti; 1 can tomatoes; 1 can lima beans; 1 can small mushrooms; 1/2 lb bacon, diced; 1/2 lb dured ham, diced; 1/2 cup water; salt and pepper to taste. Directions: Open all canned ingredients into a large kettle; place over low heat to simmer. Brown bacon in skillet; add bacon to canned ingredients, reserving bacon drippings. Brown ham in reserved drippings. Add ham and drippings to mixture. Add water, salt and pepper, mix well. Simmer for 1 hour. Serve on toaste. (I'm not sure why this is called French Hunters Dinner---but, oh well).

Chicken Breast in Lemon Sauce: Ingredients--3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin; 1/4 lb butter; 2 tsp sherry; 2 tsp lemon zest; 2 tbsp lemon juice; salt and pepper to taste; 1 cup whipping cream; grated parmesan cheese. Directions: Saute chicken breasts for 5 to 8 minutes in hot butter, turning once to cook on all sides. Remove chicken to an ovenproof serving platter. Place wine, lemon peel and juice in frying pan. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add salt and pepper; add cream slowly, stirring constantly. Pour sauce over chicken. Place a pat of butter on each piece of chicken, if desired. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Place under moderate broiler to brown.

Salmon with White Butter Sauce: Ingredients--4 (4 to 5 oz) salmon steaks; 1 1/2 tbsp oil; 2 shallots, chopped; 2 1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar; 4 tsp water; salt and pepper to taste; 3/4 cup butter; 1 tbsp melted butter; parsley to taste; lemon slices. Directions: Place salmon steaks on flat dish; pour oil over fish. Let stand for 30 minutes, turning occasionally. Cook shallots gently in one-half of vinegar; do not brown. Add water, remaining vinegar and a small amount of salt and pepper. Reduce to 1/3 original volume over very low heat. Add butter gradually and beat vigorously with a whisk so the sauce becomes light and frothy. Dip steaks in melted butter and broil on grill for 15 minutes, turning once. Season with salt and pepper and place on heated serving dish. Sprinkle with parsley; garnish with lemon slices. Serve with sauce.

Beef Pancakes: Ingredients--1 small onion, shredded; 2 tbsp fat; 1 cup finely chopped beef, raw or leftover; 1/2 tsp salt; dash of pepper; 1 cup sifted flour; 1 tsp baking powder; 1 egg, slightly beaten; 1 1/2 cup milk. Directions: Saute onion on fat until yellow; add beef, 1/4 tsp salt and pepper. Cook for 1 minute. Sift together flour, baking powder and remaining salt. Mix egg and milk; add to dry ingredients, mixing until well blended. Add meat; mix well. Bake pancakes on a greased hot griddle, using 1/3 cup batter for each pancake; brown on both sides. Spread with butter; sprinkle with parsley and roll tightly. Serve very hot.

Yule Log: Ingredients--1 cup sifted cake flour; 1/4 tsp salt; 1 1/3 cup sugar; 4 eggs, separated; 1 tsp vanilla; powdered sugar. Directions: Line a 10 1/2 x 15 1/2-inch jelly roll pan with waxed paper. Mix flour, salt and one half of the sugar. Sift together three times. Beat egg whites until stiff; gradually beat in remaining sugar. Fold in vanilla and egg yolks, which have been thoroughly beaten. Add flour mix to egg blend, folding 3 tablespoonfuls at a time. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until firm. Turn onto waxed paper sprinkled with powdered sugar; cut off all edges. Roll gently and chill briefly without removing paper. RumSyrup: 1/4 cup sugar; 1/4 cup water; 1 1/2 tbsp rum. Boil sugar and water for 3 minutes. Cool and add rum. Unroll log and brush with rum syrup, removing the paper as you roll. Cut off ends diagonally to be used as branches. Mocha Frosting: 2/3 cup sugar; 1/3 cup water; 2 egg yolks; Rum syrup; 1 cup soft butter; 1 1/2 squares melted chocolate; 1 tbsp very strong coffee; 1 1/2 tbsp rum. Boil sugar and water to soft ball stage. Beat egg yolks until fluffy; add syrup gradually while beating. Beat until cool. Add butter gradually until all is beaten in. Add and beat in chocolare, coffee and rum. Frost cake, using pastry bag and notched tube, giving cake a bark appearance. Attach branches to log and press into frosting. Frost branches. Frost ends of log and branches with alternating rings of mocha cream and yellow decorating frosting. Chill until firm. Decorate with seasonal candies and serve promptly. Makes centerpiece and dessert for holiday teas and parties.

Confectioner's Custard (or) French Pastry Cream: Ingredients--5 cups milk; 2 cups sugar; 1 cup flour, sifted; pinch of salt; 12 egg yolks (you can make an angel food cake with the whites); vanilla flavoring. Directions: Bring milk to boiling point. Mix remaining ingredients together; gradually add the milk. Blend well; place in double boiler and boil for a few minutes, stirring constantly. Turn out on a bowl and floss the top with melted butter. In addition to vanilla, this cream can be flavored with coffee essence, cocoa, grated orange or lemon zest. The zest should be put into the milk before heating.

French Chocolate Meringues: Ingredients--1 (6 oz) pkg semi sweet chocolate morsels; 3 egg whites; 1/2 tsp vanilla; 1 cup sugar; 1 cup finely crushed saltine crackers. Directions: Melt chocolate morsels over hot water; cool for 5 minutes. Combine egg whites and vanilla; beat until stiff but not dry. Gradually beat in sugar; beat until very stiff. Fold in crackers and cooled chocolate. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets. Bake at 30 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove from pans immediately.