A little french kitchen in the heart of Boston? Why not.
I’ve been traveling to Paris and the South of France for the last ten years enrolling in cooking and baking classes as I go along.
Choosing to stay in apartments rather than hotels affords me the opportunity to experience first hand how to navigate in a small kitchen. Lucky for me as I live in a small apartment in Boston and love to cook and bake!
Especially in Paris, I’ve noticed that even though the kitchens are small, especially in comparison to those in the US, the most delicious delicacies originate from them. How could that be….. efficient use of tools? daily shopping for fresh ingredients? mis en place (organization!)? All of the above and more!
So I wanted to share what I’ve learned as well as recipes hence “A Little French Kitchen” was created. Some of the noteworthy practices I’ve learned include….
Practices
Fresh ingredients are used for the most part. Open markets abound which offer fresh meats, poultry, fish, vegetables, fruits, spices, and other items and are visited at least weekly. The practice is two-fold….. not only does the food taste better but storage space is not needed. Shop often!
Tools are kept to a minimum. Gadgets are not needed. A good cutting board, sharp knives, two to three good quality pots & pans, a heavy duty mixer, baking tins, measuring cups & spoons, etc. Do you really need an herb stripper?
Mise en Place is probably the most important practice I’ve adopted. It is a French term for having all of your ingredients measured, cut, peeled, sliced, grated, etc. before you start cooking. Pans are prepared. Mixing bowls, tools and equipment are set out. It is a technique chefs use to assemble meals quickly and effortlessly. Not only does it prevent you from getting half way through a recipe only to discover you’re missing an ingredient but it frees up your work space. Rather than having it cluttered with flour bins, containers of ingredients, etc. you have everything all organized ready to go!
Recipes
The recipes are primarily written for American ingredients. French flour is not the same, butter is most certainly not the same, the list goes on… I’ve tried wherever possible to substitute specific American products. For example, I only use King Arthur Flour, Cabot unsalted butter, organic milk and cream, Evian bottled water, Fleur de Sel.
Most of my recipes are from the classes I’ve taken from my favorite cooking school, Cook’n With Class. They have schools in Paris and the South of France. The classes are both instructive and memorable. The chefs are the best, especially Chef Eric Fraudeau (owner) and Chef Patrick Hebert. If you are planning a trip to France, love cooking and want to immerse yourself in French culture, sign up for a class by visiting their website, cooknwithclass.com.
I hope visiting “A Little French Kitchen” brings a smile to your face and that you visit it often! If you have any ideas, comments, or suggestions, please send them to me. Just go to the Contact page….
Bon Appétit!
evelyne