Popular French Foods- c'est bon!

As I am off to Paris at the end of the month, I thought I would explore some popular French dishes and foods. I have always loved France, their culture, their language and the food alors je suis très heureux!  Below I have listed popular French main courses and desserts, most are well known and heard of throughout the world.

Main courses

Quiche Lorraine – This started out as a pie without a lid, filled with custard and smoked bacon and later on cheese was added to enhance the recipe. 

Moules Marinières – This is mussels, they are often cooked in a white wine and parsley sauce and served with chips.

Boeuf Bourguignon – This is a stew made with beef braised in red wine, flavoured with garlic, onions, and mushrooms, seasoned with a bouquet garni which is just a bag of herbs.

Coq au vin- This was originally made with a rooster, but chicken is now used. It is cooked in a red wine sauce with bacon, butter, and beef stock.

Gratin dauphinois – This is a classic French dish made with thinly sliced potatoes, crème fraîche with cheese which is très délicieux!

Ratatouille - A vegetable dish including onions, courgettes, tomatoes, aubergines, and peppers, fried and stewed in oil and sometimes served cold. Sometimes served with rice or bread and used to be a side dish but now is often a main course.

Escargots de Bourgogne – Quite simply snails baked in their shells with parsley butter.

Canard à l'Orange – It is a classic French dish in which a duck is roasted and served with an orange sauce. It is very succulent and I highly recommend that you try it!

Desserts

Mille feuille – This is made of three layers of puff pastry and in between the layers is cream (crème pâtissière) but sometimes jam is also added. The top pastry layer is decorated with things such as icing sugar, cocoa powder or glazed with icing, often decorated with chocolate drizzled on top of the icing.

Crème brûlée – This is rich custard topped with a hard layer of caramel. It is normally vanilla flavoured custard but can also be flavoured with other ingredients such as chocolate, coffee, cinnamon, amaretto, orange/ lemon or hazelnut for example.

Éclair – This is an oblong pastry made with choux dough, in the middle is a cream or custard and it is topped with chocolate typically. It is similar to profiteroles which are round instead of oblong. The cream or custard filling can be flavoured with vanilla, coffee or chocolate for example and the icing topping is often fondant icing or chocolate. Sometimes is it caramel and in this case it may be called “un bâton de Jacob.”

Macarons – These are meringues made with icing sugar, ground almond and food colouring. They are typically filled with buttercream, ganache or jam and are very colourful.

Tarte Tatin – This is an upside – down tart where the fruit are caramelised in butter and sugar before the tart is baked. Apples are usually included in the recipe, but other fruits can also be used.

Soufflé  - These are lightly baked cake and can be served as a savoury or sweet dish. They are fluffy and puffed up by the egg whites. Typical ingredients in soufflés include cheese, jam, fruits, chocolate and citrus fruits such as lemon.

Madeleine - These are very small cakes in the shape of a shell as they are baked in special pans. The recipe contains finely ground almonds normally and some recipes use lemon zest to enhance the flavour.

Pain au chocolat – Chocolate filled pastry, similar to puff pastry; it is similar to a croissant and both can be served hot or cold.

Croquembouche – This French dessert is made of choux pastry balls piled into a cone shape and is often served at weddings and other celebratory events. It is covered in threads of caramel spun sugar and may also be decorated with sugared almonds, chocolates and occasionally is covered in macarons or ganache.

Working in the chocolate industry

I have recently completed a year placement at Mondelēz International in Bournville. Not many people I have spoken to have heard of Mondelēz International except my foodie friends - Mondelēz  is the company that owns the famous Cadbury brand as well as Oreo, Philadelphia, Milka, Dairylea and Belvita as well as loads of other brands.

I was lucky enough to work with biscuits and cheese and some chocolate, so I thought I would explain my job role. I was working in Regulatory Affairs which involves looking at the legal side of the products I work with. For example; I looked at new packaging designs, New Product Development plans, all types of advertising from television ads to magazine articles, I completed research for the company, replied to consumer queries and tracked all the salt contents of our products - that is only some of the work I covered on a daily basis!

So it was extremely varied which meant I never got bored as I always had something new to do. The best part was learning about new products that aren’t on the market yet and might not be for the next few years and supporting the products, helping with pack design etc. In my first few weeks, we learnt about the roles and what was required as well as having a tour of the pilot plant and the factory which was great! I also went to Cadbury World, but purely for research purposes you understand – the free chocolate and tour was a bonus!

It was great as you can always smell chocolate and try new products that are either new to supermarket shelves or are about to be available to the public – sometimes we even got to try products that the company work on solely for other countries so this was interesting as we got to try items that we wouldn’t otherwise try such as chocolates from India, Greece and Turkey for example.

The people that work at Mondelēz International are all lovely and I am sad to say I didn’t get to meet an oompa – loompa! I learnt a lot during my placement especially the importance of a balanced diet – an apple in one hand and a Cadbury Dairy Milk bar in the other! J

Nananana...super foods!

Super foods are foods that are supposed to be great for us to eat as they are beneficial to us in several ways. For example, they can prevent cancers, lower cholesterol levels and generally improve and maintain health as well as supposedly maintaining a positive mood!

There is no actual definition of a super food but they are full of antioxidants, minerals and vitamins. It is important to eat a well-balanced diet as no food alone is able to provide you with all the vitamins and minerals you need.

My favourite thing of all the super foods is just how versatile they are! Blueberries can be eaten as a snack, made into a smoothie or used in main meals such as a blueberry coulis with a steak for example J

List of some super foods:

avocado                  

blueberries, blackberries etc

broccoli, kale and spinach       

tomatoes and beetroot

salmon

oranges and kiwi

beans and lentils

dark chocolate

mango and pomegrante

quinoa and nuts

Avocados

Avocados are one of my favourite superfoods as again they are versatile and are high in omega 3 fatty acids which are the good fats – monounsaturated fat. They are high in protein and low in sugar as well as being full of vitamins and minerals such as fibre, vitamin B, magnesium, iron and potassium. They are also high in antioxidants which are good as these help reduce cell damage.

Avocados are good for your heart because if they reduce blood cholesterol levels then this reduces the risk of heart problems and they also can increase good cholesterol. They can reduce inflammation due to the carotenoids and omega-3 fatty acids. The high levels of monounsaturated fats can help regulate blood sugar levels and blood pressure; the antioxidants can help maintain your immune system. 

Avocados are advantageous if you want healthy skin, with Vitamins C and E keeping the skin nourished and the fibre in avocados helps keep digestion on track, maintaining a healthy weight due to less snacking as it keeps you fuller for longer. On the other hand, eating them too often can lead to weight gain as they do contain some bad fats. Once again it is important to eat all foods in moderation and the advantages outweigh the disadvantages and enjoy what you are eating and experiment with food!

Preventing Food Waste

Food waste is an important issue that many food manufacturers and the government are trying to reduce or prevent by setting up and supporting initiatives designed specifically for this purpose. For example, WRAP (Waste Resources Action Programme) are working with Love Food Hate Waste to help consumers reduce food wastage in the home which will help save money and benefit the environment too. Since 2007, food wastage has been reduced by 21%, saving consumers £3.3 billion a year. (Love Food Hate Waste, 2014)

It is important to reduce food wastage because it is unethical due to the amount of people who don’t have enough food to eat in other countries as well as the UK. It is also wasting resources such as water and creates greenhouse gas emissions.

With it now being summer and BBQs coming up soon, food waste is on my mind along with other things such as general excitement spending time with family and friends and hoping for lots of sun! This is why I have compiled a list on how to prevent food wastage below.

Tips on how to prevent food waste:

1)   Write a shopping list of foods you need so you don’t buy extra which could go to waste

2)   Plan portion sizes – don’t cook too much pasta for example then throw it away

3)   Use leftovers; plan a meal using them instead of throwing it away          

4)   Don’t rely on best before dates; best before means it is safe to eat after this date it may just not taste as fresh for example.

5)   Use up food items in your cupboard and freezer and keep the ingredients organised so older food doesn't get pushed to the back of the cupboard e.g. make a lasagne with tinned and fresh tomatoes

6)   Plan meals for the week so you know what you are cooking in advance and you can freeze leftovers

7)   Store leftovers in foil/ cling film to keep them as fresh as possible and put in the fridge/ freezer once finished

8)   Cook with other people such as family or flatmates to prevent wastage

9)   Buy foods with a long shelf life where possible e.g. don’t buy meat that is due to go off the next day if you know you won’t eat it that night.

10)   Don’t buy items on offer e.g. 2 for the price of 1 if you know you won’t be able to eat it all. Often, these deals aren’t always beneficial anyway, not always being the cheapest way to purchase food

Herbs, spice and everything nice

There are so many herbs, spices and flavourings that sometimes when cooking I get overwhelmed at which would suit my dish best. I decided to write a list describing some of the spices and herbs as well as flavourings that I like to use and what I would typically put them in. I have a tendency to put paprika in everything and my friends tease me about this but it is my absolute favourite spice and complements everything savoury! 

Paprika – This is one of my favourite spices. It is slightly sweet and has a warm flavour. Paprika is great in tomato sauces, pastas, salad dressings and potato dishes. It gives a deep red colour that looks great sprinkled on casseroles, dips and pâtés.

Garlic – Garlic is in the same family as onions and shallots and it is popular in the majority of cuisines. It is popular in several dishes including stir fry and houmous and other dips.

Ginger - This is a hot yet sweet spice and is used in gingerbread and pumpkin pies. It has quite a strong flavour so is used sparingly.

Curry powder – This is a mix of spices used in Indian cuisine; the spices include cumin, coriander and turmeric. Cayenne pepper, mustard, cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom are also popular. Used in curry recipes, added to rice dishes, soups and egg recipes such as quiche.

Cumin – This has a spicy yet nice hot flavour and is used as a salt substitute. It is used in curry and chillies, bean dishes and vegetable stews and gives a golden brown colour.

Five Spice – This is a mixture of spices and the combination of spices varies but the main spices are black pepper, cinnamon, ginger, fennel and anise. It is sweet and slightly spicy and if anise if included it tastes slightly like liquorice.

Chilli powder – This is a blend of spices including red chilli pepper. It can be mild or hot depending on the make of the spice and it often includes oregano, garlic and cumin as well as other seasoning. This is used in stews and soups as well as pasta dishes and chillies.

Chives - Chives have a delicate flavour and go well with potato dishes and salads as well as dips and dressings. They are related to onions and garlic and are available dried or fresh; fresh is best as it is more flavoursome.

Basil – This herb is used in many dishes in many different countries. It is used in pasta dishes, pesto sauces and tomato dishes. Dried basil also is used in soups, grain dishes and herb breads. This is a cupboard essential.

Bay leaf – These are used in simmering recipes such as soups and stews. They have a warm and slightly woody taste so go well with tomato, bean and potato dishes. They can be used as part of a bouquet garni.

Cinnamon – This is a sweet spice that is used in sweet or savoury dishes such as curry or baked goods including cakes, biscuits and pies including apple pies. Whole cinnamon sticks are used to impart flavour to drinks including mulled wine.

Oregano - This is common in Italian foods like pizza and spaghetti sauces and also complements salads. It is a cheap herb used in many Mexican, Spanish and Greek recipes also. Oregano is used in salad dressings and also flavours soups and bean dishes.

Nutmeg - This is great freshly grated but is more common dried. Nutmeg goes well in custards, sweet potato pies and spiced cakes. It is also used in curries and goes well with spinach and squash.

Turmeric – has a great yellow colour, similar to saffron but not as expensive. It has a unique, woody flavour and scent and is great in curry, to colour rice and in relishes.

Parsley – Fresh parsley is best and it has a mild flavour that goes well in salads, soups, casseroles, omelettes, herby breads and vegetable dishes. Italian parsley is the most flavoursome and curly parsley is great for garnishes.

Thyme – This herb is related to mint and has a great flavour and aroma. It is popular in French dishes and is used in soups, rice and bean dishes and tomato sauces.

Sage – Sage is great in stuffing and sausages and things such as Quorn and other meat substitutes as it gives it a meat like impression. It is also used in salad dressings, rice dishes and soups.

Saffron – The most expensive spice at £10,400 for a kilo. It is from the autumn crocus and adds colour to all foods, yet it has a delicate flavour. It is used in rice dishes and Spanish, French and Middle Eastern cuisines. Turmeric is the cheaper alternative to saffron.

Rosemary – This herb has a strong pine flavour to it and is used to season meats such as chicken and lamb, as well as flavouring stuffing. For vegetarian dishes, it is used in soups, sauces and vegetable stews.

Mint - This gives off a fresh scent and is popular in chutneys, fruit salads and chocolate puddings. 

Fresh is more flavoursome than dried but both are good to use in dishes.

Vanilla extract (Vanilla essence) – Vanilla is my favourite flavour and scent out of all flavourings available and is always in my kitchen cupboard. Perfect for making cakes and enhancing the flavour!

The Bare Necessities

This is not about the Jungle Book but rather an interesting programme last night which was all about people having far too many possessions that they don’t always use and need. The idea was a group of people had everything they owned taken away from them but were able to stay in their homes so had a roof over their heads as well as heating and electricity, (they even had to remove the clothes they were wearing!) and each day they were allowed to choose one item back of their choice.

It was really interesting seeing what the first few items were and why people had chosen them. It also made me realise how lucky most of us actually are that we have all these things and I think we often take them all for granted. For example, the first thing they all chose were clothes, a mattress and money for food. These are all basic things that I can’t imagine living without yet there are still some people nowadays that don’t have these things and certainly not of the highest quality, both in our countries and in other poorer countries. This really resonated in my mind and I think it was a clever programme making me feel this way making me appreciate the small things even more.

I started thinking, what are the top 15 items I would choose and why? So below is my list (I tried to put it in order!) and some reasons why I chose them…

1) Clothes – for warmth, comfort, security, acceptance in society

2) Mattress – to ensure a good night’s sleep which is vital for living and to feel human!

3) Money – to buy food and other necessities

4) Duvet – to keep warm, comfort

5) Shoes – protection and warmth

6) Pillow – extra comfort

7) Phone – to enable contact with family and friends

8) Phone charger – obvious reasons

9) Toothbrush and toothpaste – hygiene

10) Toiletries – shower gel, deodorant etc. – hygiene

11) Perfume

12) Makeup bag – mini mirror, mascara, eyeliner, powder, concealer, lipstick, Vaseline, foundation and makeup brushes (I can’t live without make up it makes me feel human)

13) Internet – access to the world locally and globally

14) Laptop and charger (enables me to have contact with the world, enables me to research things etc.

15) A watch – it is essential to know the time nowadays

Relaxed meal out with friends

Last night I went out with friends and we went to a really lovely Italian restaurant in our town and I have been to it before but I haven’t really studied the menu as much as I did yesterday evening. I decided to have something different to what I would normally have; a chicken salad or lasagne my classic go to meals. I went for a three cheese and pepper pizza which was quite out of character and I loved every mouthful!

What amazed me was just how much was actually on the menu, there were various salads, pizzas, pastas, meat dishes, fish dishes and don’t forget all the desserts! It made me realise how varied the menu actually was yet most people I speak to always seem to have the same dish every time and often will have the same meal at different restaurants too.

After my pizza I was too full for a heavy dessert but was persuaded by some vanilla ice cream with real vanilla pods which is my absolute favourite classic ice cream despite there being hundreds of flavours to choose from. I went with three other friends and they had a chicken Caesar salad, a meat trio pizza and spaghetti Bolognese and then for dessert two friends had a chocolate fudge cake and one friend had a cheesecake. After a discussion we all agreed the fudge cake was the best decision for dessert! It was a fun filled evening and can’t wait until the next one J

Savoury Popcorn; a guilty pleasure

Something which has really taken off recently is savoury popcorn and I have to confess that I am a complete addict! There are so many flavours out there now, Cajun Spice, Paprika, Lime and Chilli, Maple and Bacon to name a few and it makes me wonder how this hasn’t become popular before as salted popcorn has been around since the Age of the Dinosaurs*

The reason savoury popcorn seems to be such a hit is that it is just like crisps except a healthier alternative and I am guilty of seeing new savoury popcorn flavours and treating myself to a small pack to try.

Many food developers seem to be experimenting with products and changing them completely to get consumers talking about them. In most cases I am happy to give things a try but am somewhat reluctant to some crazy ideas. The other week I tried savoury doughnuts…doesn’t sound too bad but when I mention it was cheese and onion flavour or salt and vinegar flavour, it just felt wrong. I know you can get savoury bagels and that is essentially what it is but it still felt weird eating it.

Let me know if you have ever tried savoury popcorn and what your favourite flavour is by commenting below!

*not actually factual, just seems that way!

Cocktails...don't mind if I do!

In my opinion there is nothing better than a cheeky drink with friends especially in summer, sat in the garden with a BBQ. I recently tried the frozen cocktails which my friends and I call “grown up capri suns” and they are definitely worth a try. I personally love anything fruity like a pina colada or something with blackberries in, but also love a darker Long Island Iced Tea. 

Cocktails are a sophisticated way to enjoy a drink or two with friends and are great as they come in fancy glasses of all shapes and sizes, my favourite being a jam jar, it just seems to add something else to the drink. They are easy to share and if you are with a bigger group of friends, the fish bowl is also a popular “glass” alternative!

Word of warning; when abroad make sure cocktails have the same names as at home. This year on holiday whilst I was in a lovely and respectable family friendly restaurant, when asked what I would like to drink, I ordered “Sex on the Beach” and the waiter looked confused as if to say why was I asking so bluntly in front of my friends and smiled at me so I had to clear up the situation quickly saying “The cocktail please!” …definitely an embarrassing situation!

Below is a list of some of the most popular cocktails and the ingredients they contain. Obviously depending on where you buy these drinks or if you make them yourselves, there can be variations and different flavours added. They are great fun to make at home and of course are much cheaper. Enjoy being creative!

Martini – 25ml French dry Vermouth, 45ml gin and an olive

Apple Martini - 25ml Smirnoff Green Apple Flavoured Vodka, 25ml Apple Juice and 17.5ml sour mix

Bloody Mary – 135ml tomato juice, 45ml vodka, ice cubes and Worcestershire sauce

Cosmopolitan – 15ml lime juice, 15ml pink grapefruit juice, 15ml Cointreau, 50ml vodka

Sex on the Beach – 44ml vodka, 22ml peach schnapps, 59ml orange juice, 59ml cranberry juice with an orange slice to garnish

Long Island Iced Tea – 15ml Tequila, 15ml Vodka, 15ml White rum, 15ml Triple sec, 15ml Gin, 25ml lemon juice, 30ml Gomme syrup and a splash of diet coke

Pina Colada – 70ml Pineapple juice, 30ml White rum, 60ml coconut cream and a pineapple segment

Margarita – 60ml lime juice, 30ml Triple sec, 60ml tequila, salt rim with crushed ice and a lime segment

Daiquiri – 25ml lime juice, 45ml White rum and a teaspoon of brown sugar

Mojito – 20ml Lime juice, 50ml White rum, 10 mint leaves, 2 teaspoons caster sugar, crushed ice and a dash of soda water

Sea Breeze – 50ml grapefruit juice, 120ml cranberry juice, 40ml vodka, ice and lime segment

Chocolate Martini -  59ml vodka, 44ml Chocolate Baileys and a sprinkle of cocoa powder

Tequila Slammer – 10ml Tequila, 10ml lemonade (Slammer Royale is the name given if Champagne is used instead of lemonade)

Tequila Sunrise – 45ml Tequila, 90ml Orange juice and 15ml Grenadine syrup

Woo Woo – 44ml Vodka, 44ml Peach Schnapps, 100ml cranberry juice, served with ice

White Russian - 50ml Vodka, 20ml Coffee Liqueur, 30ml fresh cream

Presents in a Jar

Presents in a Jar

I have always loved vintage kitchen ideas especially for gifts; something that is useful, fun and pretty. In my mind there is nothing better than an adorable cake stand and matching cake slice, lace cupcake cases, a lovely apron or an amusing salt and pepper shaker. One of my special friends is celebrating her birthday at the end of this week so I was thinking to myself “What should I give her?!”. Similar to me, she loves kitchen gadgets and anything vintage and unique so I searched around the shops thinking of ideas, and as I also like making my own presents I took ideas from things I saw, planning to do something similar.

One thing that caught my eye that I loved was a glass jar that was full of flour, sugar, cocoa powder and chocolate chips all layered and the idea is that you use the jar to make brownies only adding an egg and voila! Brownies all ready to eat, perfectly served with a cup of tea.

The only issue is my friend is gluten intolerant so whilst I loved this idea, I needed to adapt it. I know when we were shopping a few weeks ago, she bought one of these jars for her partner for their anniversary and she kept mentioning how much she liked the jars. It had suddenly hit me; I could buy an empty jar and fill it with things she loves!

I went shopping and bought a really nice mason jar and then bought a load of sweets, some old fashioned and nostalgic and others more modern and filled it to the brim, tied a ribbon round it and attached a vintage label – ta da! I then bought some of her favourite wine and some pretty jewellery and present complete!