2 primary distinctions, "haute cuisine" the 'fancy' French food is often very delicate and subtle. French provincial and regional cooking is much more robust.
There are a number of distinctly French soups and stews from the simple garlic soup to the complex pot au feu or bouillabaisse. French onion made with onion skins and a rich beef stock is a favourite of mine but so is an artichoke soup or a nice goose stew.
I'm looking for a biscotti to complimentFloor Model Here's the two that I make. The almond one is better, but the chocolate might go better with the ones you already have: Almond Biscotti 1 1-3 Cup...
Pommes Anna is an easy clbuttic
A lot of meats are "French" only in the way they are served, garnished with various other veggies and sauces but other wise grilled, roasted, braised, poached or otherwise cooked and served with a plethora of very specific garnishes. The difference between entrecote marchand de vins and entrecote a la marseillaise is in the potatoes & tomatoes served with the marseillaise and maitre d'hotel butter instead of beurre marchand de vins.
There are thousands of combinations for tournedos which are shallow fried thin pieces of steak cut to a circle and served with layers of various veggies on a base of fried bread all cut to the same size and stacked on on top of the other.
Stuffed chicken wings are a labour intensive delicacy. Frogs legs, snails, tripe (one of my favourites is Gras double frit a la Troyenne, mustard smeared pieces of tripe dipped in a batter and deep fried) squab, horse, ground fish, the liberal use of wine in cooking, various spice combinations (Parisian 4 spices and herbs de Provence) all are indicative of French cooking. But again the closer you get to germany or Italy in France, Strasbourg, Alsace, Nice etc. the more the food resembles German or Italian. Many English dishes have been incorporated into French cooking and usually bear the name "a l'Anglaise." --- JL
