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French Cooking for Beginners: 75+ Classic Recipes to Cook Like a Parisian

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From Paris direct to your table—the complete French cookbook for beginners

The French may not have invented cooking, but they certainly have perfected the art of eating well. In this definitive French cookbook that’s perfect for beginners, you’ll discover how to make the timeless, tasty cuisine served up at French dinner tables and in beloved bistros and brasseries.

Author François de Mélogue breaks down classic French cookbook dishes like Duck Confit with Crispy Potatoes, Bouillabaisse, and Coq au Vin into easy-to-follow steps perfect for the newcomer. Along the way, you’ll learn how to put together a cheese board any Parisian would be proud of, fry the perfect pommes frites, and pair food and wine like a pro. Let’s get cooking the French way! Bon appetit!

This essential French cookbook for beginners includes:
• Classic flavors―Discover more than 75 recipes you’ll love, from Steak Tartare to Tarte Tatin.
• A taste of Paris―Learn to shop like a Parisian and how to prepare 4 classic cocktails from the City of Light.
• Essential extras―Beyond French cookbook recipes, you’ll find 12 tips for souffle success, expert advice on how to make a pan sauce, and a guide to French wines.

Classic Parisian cooking comes home in this French cookbook for beginners.

174 pages, Paperback

First published March 17, 2020

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59 people want to read

About the author

François de Mélogue

3 books1 follower
Bonjour!

I came by my reverence and passion for French food very honestly. I grew up the proud son of two immigrant parents whose French culture and joie de vivre helped shape the person that I am today.

My story starts from the very beginning— actually, nine months before, when I was still deep within my mother’s warm and comfortable womb. My grandfather Pépé insisted on feeding my pregnant mother a hearty French diet of foie gras and black truffles to ensure that, despite living thousands of miles from the French motherland, I would grow up to become a proper gourmand. The gourmandizing extended just past my first minute on planet Earth. Instead of getting the traditional spank and sip of mother’s milk to herald my arrival, I was handed a flute of bubbles and, with that, a serious addiction to the good life. Well, however embellished, I did start life with a French palate and a deep taste for truffles.
I grew up in Chicago, living life on the fence between two cultures: French and American. My mother came from a Provençal family whose wide roots extended as far north as Alsace. Her palate was educated by a combination of the simple country cooking that appeared nightly on her father’s dinner table and eating at many of the great brasseries in Paris.

It may be very cliché to claim that I learned to cook hanging off my maman’s apron strings, but I really did. My mother was a free-spirited natural in the kitchen who cooked like great jazz musicians’ riff. It was edible poetry in constant motion. She had a bold and fearless style that was inspired by what she found each day at the market. Often, she strapped me and my sister to her bicycle and rode to the four corners of the universe in search of ingredients. For the French, the act of sourcing fresh ingredients (and getting fresh baguettes) is monumental. It is the key to the success of any dish.

Together, we shopped daily with my mother, who taught us from a very young age how to pick the ripest tomatoes and best eggplants for her ratatouille. Her ambrosial version, best savored with eyes closed, conveyed the rich tapestry of the Provençal table. French home cooking is simple, unpretentious cuisine based on sun-ripened vegetables and fruits, fragrant herbs, abundant seafood, and pasture-raised meats. My mother schooled me on using the cheaper, secondary cuts that still weren’t popular in America and transforming them into a delectable navarin of lamb or a slow-cooked beef daube.

My mother’s food was imbued with a generous helping of love and passion typical of any French woman. The scenes from my childhood could have very well played out in any French household in the world. While most kids were out playing games with their friends, I was busy mastering a mustard vinaigrette for a simple green salad. This is how I learned to cook French food, and it is the very aspect I want to share the most. Remember, first and foremost, that food is a celebration. We celebrate the changing seasons by the dishes we cook; we celebrate the table, our friendships, and the simple joys of life.

My goal is to share my passion for Parisian home cooking and how the French like to eat. I will leave you with one last thought: My first mentor taught me that people do not eat methods, they only eat results. Do not get too caught up and stressed about things like whether you use canned chickpeas or the dried ones that need to be soaked all night. The important part is the final flavor and consistency and the conviviality at your home. Love is always the most important ingredient in any recipe.

Bon Chance et Bon Appetit!

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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
Profile Image for Kelly (and the Book Boar).
2,795 reviews9,433 followers
March 20, 2020
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/

Apparently my reaction to pseudo-quarantine is to make sure everyone in the house is stuffed like Thanksgiving turkeys. I also think I accidentally bought a 10-lb bag of potatoes rather than 5-lb, but for the sake of me not looking like an idiot let’s go with the first reason.

So anyway, through no fault of my own aside from the fact that I am nothing if not a carer and nurturer, I ended up with enough leftover mashed potatoes to feed an army. Then this little beauty arrived and I discovered that when the kids asked what was for dinner, rather than saying Shepherd’s Pie which results in a reaction like . . . .



I could instead refer to the dish as Hachis Parmentier which had everyone going . . . .



Okay, not really, but I didn’t have to bash them in the face with a frying pan and they ate it without whining so that’s a win.

Here’s the “pretty” food pic – kind of hard to put lipstick on a meal that looks like a turd but it proves that I actually cook this stuff so keep giving me free shit publishers . . . .



Copy provided by Callisto’s Publishers Club
Profile Image for Jen.
1,434 reviews137 followers
April 27, 2020
So many fun recipes! I loved the anecdotes that the author threw in, it made this cookbook feel personal. The tips and tricks were helpful. I loved reading through this and bookmarked almost every recipe to try! This is a keeper. My thanks to the publisher for sending this free review copy my way.
Profile Image for Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance.
6,361 reviews337 followers
July 23, 2020




BASIC QUICHE

For the Flaky Pastry Crust

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup cold unsalted butter, diced into small pieces
1/2 cup water

For the Basic Quiche Filling

3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg



1. To make the flaky pastry crust, in a food processor, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder. Pulse for a few seconds, just enough to combine well. Add the butter and pulse several times, until the flour resembles coarse cornmeal. Slowly add the water with the motor running. Stop as soon as you have added the last drop of water. Don't worry; the dough will not be fully mixed at this point.

2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and mix it by hand until it comes together into a ball. Place in a large zip-top bag and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

3. Lightly flour your work surface. Roll the dough out into a giant circle, about 15 inches round and 1/8 inch thick. To transfer it to a 9-inch springform pan, coil it around your rolling pin. Unwind the dough loosely over the pan. Gently push the dough down into the corners, leaving at least 1 inch of dough hanging over the top edge. The outer-upper lip of the springform pan has a curled edge facing outward. Pinch the excess dough tightly around the edge, leaving any excess dough hanging down the outside. It is important to pinch as firm as possible without tearing the dough. This will prevent the crust from shrinking. Refrigerate the crust for 2 hours or more.

4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Transfer the pan to a baking sheet. Situate the baking sheet in the lower third of the oven. Bake for 10 minutes. Pull the baking sheet out of the oven and use a serrated knife to cut along the top edge of the pan. All the scraggly pastry pieces that were pinched into place will fall off.



5. To make the basic quiche filling, in a large bowl, whisk the eggs, yolks, cream, salt, pepper, and nutmeg together. When the crust is done, increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees F.

6. Pour the filling into the prebaked crust and bake until the filling is firm, about 50 minutes. Let it cool about 30 minutes before cutting it. It needs time to set. You will notice the difference resting makes when you slice it.



Thoughts: Prebaking the crust kept the crust from getting soggy. I didn't have a springform pan or a food processor so I made do without these. I added bacon to make a version of this recipe called Quiche Lorraine. The quiche was delicious!

Profile Image for Virginia Campbell.
1,282 reviews347 followers
March 18, 2020
"French Cooking for Beginners: 75+ Classic Recipes to Cook Like a Parisian"--by Chef François de Mélogue--is much more than a cookbook featuring delicious French cuisine. The introduction, in which Chef Francois details his early life with another great cook--his own mother--is written with great love of subject and an obvious passion for the good things in life. The reader is then treated to "Parisian Home Cooking 101" which features "Travels to the City of Lights"; "The French Obsession With Food"; "The French Pantry"; "Kitchen Equipment"; "How To Shop Like a Parisian"; and "French Wine". With great relish, the Chef explains "The Holy Trinity Of Salts"; "Herbs And Seasonings"; "The Three Fats Of France"; "Vinegars"; "Mustards"; "Staple Fruits And Vegetables"; and much more. The section on French wine advises how to match food and wine, offers notes on six wine regions, and explains how to read a wine label and how to serve wine. Then there are the recipes--from "Breakfast & Eggs"; "Appetizers"; "Salads & Sandwiches"; "Soups & Stews"; "Main Courses"; "Sides & Vegetable Dishes"; to "Desserts". You'll dream and drool over such delectable dishes as: "Almond Brioche Toast"; "Burnt Fingers"; "Croque Monsieur"; "French Onion Soup"; "Simple Roast Chicken"; "Potatoes Anna"; and "Chocolate Pots de Creme". The recipe for "French Onion Soup" is a "must-make stand-out"--infused with so much savory goodness, it will immediately become a family favorite.

Book Copy Gratis Callisto Publishers
Profile Image for Kiša Ereš.
6 reviews3 followers
January 3, 2021
I wish there was more photos so you can see how food that’s described actually should look like :)
2 reviews
March 23, 2020
I was hooked from the first page of this beautiful cookbook „ French Cooking for Beginners“… the little stories around the recipes, about his life, growing up with french cooking… the shopping…. the ingredients…..
this is such a light and amusing way, to present recipes, which are real french classics….
recipes…( like the french onion soup, salade nicoise, croque monsieur, duck confit ) that show up on the menus of bistrots and restaurants all over France and many of them are surely cooked in … I would guess 100% ….of french households….

I felt transported back to the time, when… at the tender age of about 14… I was taught shopping and cooking basics by a french lady….. she too prepared many of the dishes, that are in this wonderful book.

The recipes are classics, yet modern ( they will never come out of „fashion“)
and with Francois explanations and tips on variations… really „versatile“…..
variations are listed after each single recipe….so a single recipe can bring a whole array of delicious french dishes to your table,
just think of the dessert „Clafoutis“… which you can make all year round with all the fruit, that each season brings along, or the potato-leek soup…. that you can eat hot or cold and in other variations….

I am sure, that this beautiful cookbook….with all the explanations about french ingredients…. and what might be a suitable american substitute..... will enable you, to bring authentic french food onto your table, even the more complexer recipes

I do especially like the preparations, where he recommends, to let them sit at least one night, to develop flavors, which make them very good for workday dinners…..like the beef stew or the chicken in wine sauce….

The book radiates the french way of life…. ( I was chuckling over the stories about the bakeries and the daily fresh baguette… or the description of his mom shopping at the market)…..

To enjoy that beautiful cookbook to the fullest….. sit down with it, maybe prepare yourself a „tartine“ and pour a glass of wine and read yourself into the french way of shopping, cooking and enjoying "la vie en rose“…

Copy provided by Callisto’s Publishers Club
Profile Image for Jill.
1,557 reviews11 followers
March 27, 2020
French cooking can be intimidating. But the food is delicious. Who doesn’t love a Croque Monsieur or Boeuf Bourguignon or Creme Brulee? French food is comfort food, but elevated. It’s rich in flavor and feels a little decadent. But where do you get started cooking like that?

Ideally, you learn that from your French grandmother, but if you’re like me and didn’t have one (German grandmother, yes, French, not so much), then you can learn from a chef who learned from his French grandmother.

Francois de Melogue grew up in Chicago but spent his summers in France. He learned French food as he shopped in French markets and traveled through the countryside of France. He understands the foods of the different regions and knows how to explain it in a way that someone nervous about French cooking can understand. And he offers it all on a silver platter in his new cookbook, French Cooking for Beginners.

There are recipes for Crepes and Quiche, Cheese Souffle and Oysters Mornay, Nicoise Salad and Bouillabaisse, Cassoulet and Duck Confit with Crispy Potatoes, Tarte Tatin and Chocolate Pots de Creme. But there are also helpful tips to ease you into crepes and souffles, making a pan sauce, and setting up a cheese course. And of course, there is a crash course in French wines that will help you find the perfect pairing for any of these dishes.

French Cooking for Beginners is a delight, an introduction to all the most iconic French dishes that you can learn and use to impress family and friends. I do wish there were a few more photos, as the pictures that are there just draw me in, wanting to eat and make these amazing dishes. But I love that this has all the French dishes that you crave without the heft of that two-book classic French cooking tome that we all respect but don’t want to carry around. This svelte cookbook is ideal for taking into the kitchen, schlepping to the grocery store, or reading right before bed to have the sweetest of dreams.

A copy of French Cooking for Beginners was provided by Rockridge Press through the Callisto Media Publisher’s Club, with many thanks.
Profile Image for Stephanie.
71 reviews1 follower
April 6, 2020
I loved this cookbook. I received an advanced readers copy of this book from the publisher in an electronic format, but I do believe I am going to have to buy a hardcover version for my library. So many great recipes. Most are pretty straight forward and seem fairly easy to do with easy to source ingredients. A couple would be ambitious for me - a mid to high level home cook. But one day, I will conquer duck confit.
The stories were perfect weaving a background for these recipes that had me smelling them cooking and drooling in anticipation. I can’t wait to try so many of these recipes.
If you are interested in French cooking or eating, get this book. I will be going back to this book over and over again.
Profile Image for Amy Navarre.
110 reviews
April 11, 2020
Thank you Callisto Publisher's Club and Rockridge Press for this free book! The following review contains my honest opinions.
I loved reading the personal anecdotes and edifying pieces of writing pertaining to the food or the French methods of cooking found in the introduction, the first chapter, before each recipe, and sprinkled throughout this book.
I will say that although the author stresses that these recipes are based on home-cooked meals, after reading through this book I still feel intimidated by French cooking. There are recipes listed that I am intrigued to try to cook, but there are also recipes listed that feel too ambitious for me.
I loved the photographs included throughout this book.
7 reviews
April 13, 2020
I was not very familiar with the details behind French cooking so this was a great introduction. You can tell the author is an excellent chef and writes in a warm, engaging way so you don't feel intimidated. I learned a lot of preparation techniques and key french words. The recipes cover a variety of french favorites as well as things I wasn't familiar with. My family loved the flavorful Chicken in Red Wine Sauce, Pistou, Potato Leek Soup and Blueberry Clafoutis. I'm more into lower fat foods so am not sure how many of the heavier recipes I will make on a regular basis but will keep this as a reference for when I want to cook like a Parisian!
Profile Image for LaSheba Baker.
Author 1 book45 followers
September 2, 2023
Great! A lovely cookbook that has easy to follow instructions and displays the author's down to earth writing. There are some photos, but not for each recipe. Easily forgiven, because the author gives so many useful cooking tips and historical tidbits. This book is sure to inspire your own inner French home chef!


🌷Book Quotes:

"Quiche originated in the Lorraine region of northeast France on the border of Germany and Belgium."

"I grew up in Chicago, living life on the fence between two cultures: French and American."

"Soups and stews are perfect marriages; they are the union of many different flavors that need time to develop and grow together as one."
Profile Image for Hr.
1 review1 follower
February 1, 2025
Highly recommended

Excellent.cookbook with personal anecdotes and info about the dishes.in French culture. I know for a fact that these are.actually kit,hen tested recipes because I see.him.post about.what he.cooks.all the time. He helps with a great pantry list, too.

I'm also fortunate enough to own a signed copy of his "Cuisine of the sun" and have worked my way through each of them so I know these will be perfect.

Even though the title is "for.beginners" it has a broad range of.what might be the iconic French dishes. He just makes."fancy" "haute cuisine" easy for anyone but not below the many working professional s.that are his criends
Profile Image for Diana Gagliardi Gagliardi.
597 reviews2 followers
April 27, 2022
Ooh la la

Love French cooking and these re pipes are easy and tasty. Just need a cookbook of French sauces! Get cooking!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews

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