Welcome to French Cooking Guide
Cooking And Food And French Article
. For a permanent link to this article, or to bookmark it for further reading, click here.
I’m Eating WHAT?! Egyptian Influenced French Cuisine
from:A single taste of French food can invoke an immediate and torrid love affair, so when a diner hears statements regarding the Egyptian influence on French cooking, it seems like bona fide B.S. However, in tracing back centuries to the trade routes and conquering empires of the past, it becomes quite clear that, just as some dishes in Italy are based on influence from the Orient, many menu items derive from Egyptian influence on French cooking.
Probably the most prominent figure from France that comes to mind as having acquired Egyptian influence in French cooking among other aspects of the culture is Napoleon Bonaparte. While there were other travelers in both directions early in history, Napoleon’s attempt to conquer Egypt in 1798 was a huge historical event that can be traced back to many of the fashionable plates served in French restaurants. He had with him 34,000 troops on nearly 400 ships, and while the conquering of Alexandria and the rest of Egypt was an enormous disaster for the army, many of the soldiers developed a taste for local cuisine and took the idea with them upon returning home.
One example of Egyptian influence on French cooking is the use of wines to soften meats and change the texture of vegetables. While it may seem that this is a staple of French cuisine, Egyptians and other Mediterranean cultures have done so for centuries. For example, a dish called Bamya, which is a meat and okra stew (yes, the French also have a version of this dish), requires that the “slimy” texture of the okra be removed. In order to do this, the conical top of the vegetable is trimmed, and the pieces are soaked in red wine and vinegar for about 30 minutes.
Another clear cut Egyptian influence on French cooking can be seen in the French culture’s affinity for fish, which is a huge staple in the Egyptian diet. One dish often referred to as simply Mediterranean Baked Fish that originated in Egypt is now actually referred to in its motherland as “poisson ‘a la grecque”, a French phrase and, interestingly enough, crediting the Greek with the recipe as opposed to the Egyptians. However, the recipe is clearly derived from an old Egyptian standard.
Spices and cooking methods in France speak clearly of the Egyptian influence on French cooking, and while the country has maintained some of its own culture in the many famed dishes prepared in true French fashion, it should be duly noted that many other so-called “French” recipes relate back to travels to Egypt.
Cooking And Food And French Specific links
Cooking And Food And French News
Paris Travel: Explore this French city's exquisite food scene - Toronto Star
 Toronto Star | Paris Travel: Explore this French city's exquisite food scene Toronto Star Along with these tours, La Cuisine offers first-rate classes in French baking and classic cooking techniques (such as deboning and making stocks). Haute Cuisine was the subject of my final experience, a hybrid shopping tour and cooking class offered by ... |
Cooking for Solutions: An Alternative to Chef-Provocateurs - Huffington Post
 Triple Pundit | Cooking for Solutions: An Alternative to Chef-Provocateurs Huffington Post Last week in an interview with the New York Times, chefs Thomas Keller -- who has received many awards for his creative approach to food at restaurants French Laundry and the Bouchon empire -- and Andoni Luis Aduriz, of the restaurant Mugaritz in Spain ... Should CSR Stand for Chefs' Social Responsibility? |
"French Bistro" by Bertrand Auboyneau et François Simon - FRANCE 24
"French Bistro" by Bertrand Auboyneau et François Simon FRANCE 24 By Media TV / Olivier Barrot Probably, hopefully, you are fond of French cuisine, a prevailing part of what France has bestowed upon the world. You may refer to italian wines, japanese sushis or korean barbecues, it is widely acknowledged that cuisine ... |
Ortygia Features Unique Style of Authentic Sicilian Cuisine - Patch.com
Ortygia Features Unique Style of Authentic Sicilian Cuisine Patch.com “Chefs in Sicily were very envious of French cuisine, so they traveled to France to learn the French cooking technique. When they came back, they combined French cooking with Sicilian ingredients to create the cuisine of the Monzù,” Cannata said. |
Philadelphia has a taste for escargot and foie gras - Philadelphia Inquirer
 Zagat | Philadelphia has a taste for escargot and foie gras Philadelphia Inquirer And when it come to foie gras — the third rail of the food world — it's difficult to steer any discussion of fatty duck or goose liver away from the ethical or political and back toward the culinary. The fact is, you can't open a French restaurant ... Sluggish about snails? Give them another try on National Escargot Day |