Les crêpes (from Discovering French Bleu textbook) Ingredients: 3

Les crêpes
(from Discovering French Bleu textbook)
Ingredients:
3 oeufs
3 cuillères à soupe (Tbsp.) de sucre
une pincée (pinch) de sel
2 tasses de lait
1 tasse de farine (flour)
1 cuillère à soupe d’huile (oil)
du beurre
Pour faire la pâte (batter)
1. Mettez les oeufs dans le petit bol (bowl)
2. Ajoutez (add) le sucre, le sel et un peu de lait.
3. Mettez la farine dans le grand bol. Versez (pour) le contenu (contents) du petit bol dans le grand
bol.
4. Ajoutez l’huile et le reste du lait. Mélangez (mix/stir) bien la pâte. Attendez deux heures.
Pour faire les crêpes
1. Chauffez (heat) la poêle (pan). Mettez du beurre dans la poêle.
2. Mettez une cuillère de pâte dans la poêle.
3. Agitez (shake) la poêle pour étendre (spread) la pâte.
4. Retournez (turn over) la crêpe quand elle est dorée (golden brown)
5. Si vous êtes adroit, faites sautez (flip) la crêpe en l’air. Si vous n’êtes pas adroit abstenez-vous
(don’t try)
Pour servir les crêpes à la maison
1. Mettez la crêpe sur une assiette chaude. Faites les autres crêpes.
2. Mettez du sucre ou de la confiture sur chaque crêpe.
3. Au choix, roulez-la (roll it) ou pliez-la (fold it) en quatre
Madeleines
(from Mme Bosch’s French host mother, Annick)
You’ll need Madeleine pans, or something very comparable.
Ingredients:
3 lemons
2 vanilla beans (or 2 Tbsps. vanilla extract)
15 eggs
2 packets (2 Tbsp.) of baking powder (not soda!)
2 1/2 cups flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
4 3/4 sticks butter
Create the batter:
1. Wash and dry the lemons. Zest 3 lemons, juice 1/2 lemon. Split the vanilla bean in 2 and
grate it. Mix lemon zest and vanilla.
2. In a large bowl, mix the flour and baking powder.
3. Melt the butter in a double-boiler and let it cool a bit off the heat.
4. Preheat the oven to 375º
5. Beat the eggs and add the sugar.
6. Incorporate the flour mixture into the eggs, then the lemon zest mixture. Continue to mix
until batter is smooth without lumps.
7. Add the melted butter, cover and refrigerate batter.
Bake:
8. Butter and flour the madeleine pans, removing excess flour by tapping.
9. Fill the moulds with madeleine batter.
10. Bake for 9-10 minutes (or until done)
11. Remove from oven and moulds while still hot and let cool on a rack
12. Wipe moulds clean with an absorbent cloth to avoid batter sticking
13. Repeat steps 8-12
Advice: You can store madeleines in an airtight container in the refrigerator for at least one week.
Makes about 90 madeleines – enough to feed the neighborhood !
Mousse au chocolat
(from Mme Bosch’s French host mother, Annick)
Ingredients:
6 fresh eggs
1 1/2 sticks butter
210 g semi-sweet dark chocolate
5 Tbsp. powdered sugar
1. Melt the butter and chocolate in a double-boiler or in the microwave (watch out for burning!).
2. Mix sugar and the yolks of the eggs in a large bowl.
3. Gently pour melted butter and chocolate into the bowl while mixing constantly.
4. Whip the egg whites until stiff in separate bowl – you should be able to turn the bowl upsidedown.
5. Gently fold fluffed egg whites into chocolate mixture a very large spoonful at a time.
6. Make sure the mixture is incorporated, but don't mix too long – there will be a few white spots left
unmixed.
7. Cover and refrigerate overnight. (plan on taking a long jog after consumption)
Quiche Lorraine
(from Mme Bosch’s Aunt Marianne)
Ingredients:
9 inch deep-dish pie shell (frozen works fine)
1/4 lb. of Swiss cheese (Gruyère is best), grated
3 eggs
1 cup of heavy cream
1 cup of milk
8 strips of bacon, fried and cut into small pieces (approx. 1 in2)
4 scallions, chopped
Salt, pepper, nutmeg
Create custard:
1. In a saucepan, scald the cream and milk (bring to just under a boil)
2. Add chopped scallions
3. Scramble eggs in a bowl. Bring the cream/milk temperature down. Gradually mix eggs into cream
4. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle in a dash or two of nutmeg
Create quiche:
5. Place pie shell on an empty cookie sheet (for easier “transportation” to and from oven)
6. Lay fried bacon pieces into bottom of chilled pie crust
7. Evenly distribute grated cheese over the bacon
8. Carefully pour custard over the bacon and cheese
9. Bake at 375º for 40-45 minutes or until golden-browned on top
10. Allow quiche to rest for 10 minutes before serving so it can set
Quiche is traditionally served room temperature with a simple green salad dressed in vinaigrette.
**Consider replacing the bacon with any other vegetables or meats… experiment & have fun!
Salade de carottes rapées
(from Mme Bosch)
Enjoy this salad with tomato slices and hard-boiled egg for an authentic French appetizer.
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 lemon, juiced
½ c. extra virgin olive oil
Salt, pepper
10 carrots, peeled and grated
1. Whisk mustard and lemon juice together. Gradually whisk in olive oil. Salt & pepper to taste.
2. Pour vinaigrette over grated carrots. Mix to coat carrots.
3. Chill salad in refrigerator for at least one hour. (Although, it’s even better the next day!)
Ratatouille (translated from La bonne cuisine française, the ultimate French cookbook)
Ingredients:
2 lbs. tomatoes
3-4 bell peppers (any color)
1 lb. zucchini
2-3 eggplants
3 medium sized onions
3 garlic cloves
1 bay leaf
1/2 c. olive oil
1 pinch cayenne pepper
salt/pepper
chopped seedless black olives (for garnish)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Skin, seed, dice tomatoes. Skin, dice eggplant. Dice zucchini. Skin, dice onions.
In a very large pot, heat oil. Add onions and sautée until golden and slightly softened.
Add diced zucchini and eggplant. Sautée until golden. Set aside (in bowl)
In the same large pot, now empty, sautée garlic and peppers for about 5 minutes.
Add tomatoes and cook for 7-10 minutes, stirring gently (as not to crush the tomatoes).
Add reserved zucchini, eggplant, onion mixture and the bay leaf.
Cook covered on a low heat for 1 hour. Stir gently often to keep from sticking. Add small
amounts of water only if necessary. The ratatouille should not be soupy or too thick.
8. Uncover for the last 10 minutes of cooking.
9. Remove bay leaf, add cayenne, salt and pepper to taste.
10. Can be eaten hot or at room temperature.
Vichyssoise (from The Joy of Cooking, the ultimate American cookbook-bible)
a.k.a. Creamy Potato Leek Soup (Potage Parmentier)
Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. butter
8 large leeks
3 medium or 2 large baking potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
5 c. vegetable or chicken stock/broth (poss. more if soup needs thinning at the end)
¼ tsp. ground white or black pepper
Salt to taste
½ or 1 c. heavy cream
snipped fresh chives for garnish, if desired
1. Cut off dark green parts of leeks (they’re too tough). Split open and swish in water to remove all
traces of sand. Thinly chop.
2. In a very large pot, melt butter. Add chopped leeks. Cook and stir until tender but not browned
(about 20 minutes).
3. Stir in sliced potatoes and vegetable/chicken stock. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer
until the potatoes are soft (about 30 minutes).
4. Purée the soup until smooth either directly in the pot with an immersion blender or with a
*countertop blender or food processor*.
5. Add pepper and salt to taste.
6. Thin, if necessary, with additional stock or water.
7. Stir in cream.
8. Check seasoning. Add salt and pepper to taste. Thin again if necessary.
9. Serve either immediately in warmed bowls, or serve cold.
10. Garnish with snipped fresh chives, if desired.
* When using a blender/food processor for hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to
cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor in batches - fill it no more
than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that
creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process
on high speed until smooth.