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History of French Cuisine

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French Food and Cuisine

Enhance your appreciation of delicious fare with the French Food and Cuisine Web Guide. You'll find the best resources for French cooking techniques, the historical and cultural aspects of French food, and French recipes. For more in-depth coverage of French cuisine, there are links to regional dishes, specialty recipes and blogs with clever wine pairing ideas, plus information on French cooking classes and famous French chefs.

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History of French Cuisine

The following sites outline the history of French food and cover the evolution of French food production and dining customs. Learn about the availability of certain ingredients at different eras in French food history, and how specific items have influenced French recipes through the ages.

Dulcinea's Insight

  • Before you begin researching French food, have a look at this English-French Food Dictionary for translations of common words and terms in French cuisine.

Dulcinea's Picks

Waitrose offers “A Brief History of French Food.” The narrative begins in the Middle Ages and continues to the 21st century. Discussions are broken down by century and include famous French chefs, cookbooks and dishes of each era.
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The London Food Film Fiesta Web site has an extensive exhibition on the role of food in art, literature and film. The history of French food and its cultural implications is offered in this lengthy text, which covers innovations in French food service, famous French chefs and the history of well-known French dishes, including the use of wines and sauces.
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The Food Timeline provides thorough coverage of the history of food, with an extensive section on the history of French cuisine. The discussion begins with the Louis XIV era, and offers especially complete coverage of French foods during the Revolution. Look for sample menus from different eras, and learn the customs of food preparation and service.
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French Food and Cooking

The popularity of French restaurants rests on the quality and apparent complexity of French cuisine. But it’s definitely possible to prepare French food at home. The following sites show you easy French recipes and offer tools and techniques for successful French cooking. You’ll also find regional French recipes and advanced dishes for the experienced cook.

Dulcinea's Insight

  • Keep a conversion chart on hand to convert the metric units used by many French recipes into the standard U.S. measurement system.
  • You’ll also find additional sources of French recipes, including French pastries, breads and baked goods, from the findingDulcinea Web Guides to Cooking, Recipes and Baking.
  • If you’re interested in learning more about French wine, visit findingDulcinea’s Wine Web Guide, where you’ll find lots of background information on regional wines from all over the world.

Dulcinea's Picks

For general French recipes…
French Food and Cook details many aspects of French cooking. Find French recipes and sample menus, along with “Tips and Tools” for successful French cooking. Or visit “French Table” to learn how to entertain guests in classical French style.
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CuisineNet covers the basics of French cuisine, including typical French traditions and food-related customs. Dishes and ingredients are hyperlinked throughout the text to broaden your understanding of many elements of French cuisine. See the “Ingredient Sidebar” for a table of links to quintessential French recipes and ingredients.
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LetsCookFrench.com is dedicated to French cuisine. You’ll find easy-to-make recipes under “Beginner’s delights” as well as "Wow dishes," which are simple, yet impressive recipes. Finally, get tips on entertaining in the French style from the “Art of dining” feature on the home page.
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For regional French recipes…
Aftouch-cuisine.com thoroughly explores the cuisines of different regions in France. You’ll find more than just standard French recipes: the site also covers the wine, cheese and specialties of each area, along with the famous French recipes of each region. Click the hyperlinks for each dish, drink or cheese mentioned, and you’ll get complete recipes, plus harvesting and manufacturing information.
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The BBC hosts a food section on regional French cuisine. Choose a region for a brief description of typical menus served there. Click on the name of a dish printed in bold type, and you’ll get the recipe.
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French Cooking Classes

There are plenty of ways to take your mastery of French recipes and French cuisine to the next level. Below are some resources for French cooking classes, including Web sites for some of the leading French cooking schools and organizations that sponsor cooking trips where you can study with French chefs in France.

Dulcinea's Insight

  • This article from Food & Wine can help you find the right French cooking school vacation. It reviews the setting, accommodations, perks and price of each school. Although this list was published in 2004, all of the schools suggested are still in operation.
  • If you’re fond of gastronomically themed trips, have a look at findingDulcinea’s Web Guides to Wine and Beer, which offer travel information about vineyards and breweries.

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The International Kitchen offers a variety of trips all over Europe, including cooking vacations to six regions of France.
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The French Culinary Institute is one of New York City’s premier French cooking schools. The school offers both full-time programs and amateur classes that can be taken in the evenings or on weekends. The school also specializes in French pastry making: visit “Classic Pastry Arts” for courses and programs in French baking.
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Le Cordon Bleu is a world-famous French cooking school with locations around the globe. The school specializes in restaurant-style French cuisine and pastry making. Le Cordon Bleu Schools in North America offers 14 programs in the United States.
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Famous French Chefs: Recipes and Biographies

The sites below offer insight into the lives and careers of some of the most influential contemporary French chefs. You’ll find biographies and resumes on these chefs’ personal Web sites, along with links to their restaurants or franchises, which often include full lists of menus and favorite French recipes.

Dulcinea's Insight

  • Food Network is a great place to keep up with the work of celebrity chefs. You’ll find some well-known French chefs and chefs who specialize in French food on the site.

Dulcinea's Picks

FinestWine.com features recipes by some famous French chefs. Scroll down the page for menu items, and you’ll also get a brief resume of each chef.
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Jacquespepin.net has a wealth of French recipes from chef Jacques Pepin, with featured dishes and beautiful pictures to enhance your browsing experience. “Cooking Resources” is one of the most valuable sections of this site, containing an alphabetical “Recipes Database." Don’t miss the “Tips and Techniques” section with live video instructions to help you properly execute each recipe.
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DanielNYC is chef Daniel Boulud’s Web site and includes links to all of his famous restaurants. Use the “About Chef Daniel Boulud” link near the bottom of the page for a biography and list of published cookbooks. The “Recipes” section features French recipes created by Boulud.
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French Food Blogs and Forums

The popularity of French cuisine has inspired a number of blogs and forums dedicated to communicating tips, tools and recipe suggestions. Having a community of fellow French food lovers lets you share your favorite recipes or ask questions about any dish, any time.

Dulcinea's Insight

  • Forums can be a great place to ask questions or seek advice. If any suggestions seem counterintuitive, however, be sure to double-check the tip before making any changes in your recipe: the forum may not be moderated by a professional chef.
  • If you come across any worthwhile French food resources, don’t be shy about posting them on discussion boards, forums or blogs. If you’ve found a particular Web site useful, chances are other users will as well.

Dulcinea's Picks

For blogs …
La Tartine Gourmande is a cleanly designed blog with constantly updated entries and beautiful photos. Food writer Béatrice Peltre chronicles her food-driven life, featuring daily French recipes. You’ll also find cookbooks by the author.
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Chocolate & Zucchini is another French food blog with beautiful photographs and inventive French recipes. Visit the “links” list for other worthy food sites (scroll down the right sidebar to find it), or go to the “Recipe Index” for a complete list of French dishes featured on the blog.
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For French food forums …
Frenchcookingboard.com is an open forum for French food enthusiasts. You have to register with the site to participate but registration is free.
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RecipeZaar hosts a food forum specifically for French cuisine. The forum includes photos from users who have traveled to France as well as extensive recipe suggestions and reviews.
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