French Recipes, Podcast Episodes and France Travel Tips!
Pistou Soup Recipe
Pistou Soup is a vegetable and noodle soup from the Provence region and the Cote d’Azur. It’s made with noodles (vermicelli or angle hair pasta), beans, onions, potatoes, tomatoes and sometimes smoked ham. This soup at the table is usually served alongside of some Pistou to place in yourselves.
So now that you have the Pistou recipe you need to make some Pistou soup.
I didn’t have vermicelli or angle hair pasta for this recipe when I made it so I just used what pasta I had left in the cupboard also it’s not the season for green beans so I used zucchini instead. You can do the same as well.
My favourite recipe for Pistou is as follows.
Pistou Recipe
Possibly the most famous dish in French cuisine that has Basil as its main ingredient is Pistou which is the French version of the Italian Pesto. Pistou is a similar sauce to Pesto in ingredients and the way it’s made but there are two main differences. The first is that there is no pine nuts in Pistou and the other is that sometimes they use Gruyere cheese instead of Parmesan cheese.
Pesto and Pistou the names come from the Latin word Pestare which means, to crush. Pistou is mainly found in the southern region of France. It’s considered by locals to be a Provencal or Nicoise creation. This makes a lot of sense as Nice was for hundreds of years an Italian city. Nice only became part of France around 150 years ago.
My favourite recipe for Pistou is as follows.
Candied Angelica
One of the most popular commercial uses of Angelica and cooking is to confiture Angelica to be used as a confectionery. This process consists of cutting the stems of the Angelica and then peeling them before they are then lacerated in the syrup.
Doing this on more than one occasion increasingly super concentrates it, so that the water naturally in the stems is replaced through these baths in an osmosis effect with the syrup.
The candied strips are then dried at a low temperature to obtain a green candied stem. That has a smooth texture and a delicious fragrance. This candied Angelica has a unique, subtle citrus flavor.
If you have any homegrown Angelica stems and you want to make your own candied Angelica sticks, here's a recipe for you.
Galette Charentaise Recipe
The most popular dish in France probably to make with candied Angelica is the Galette Charentaise. It's a really easy cake to make. Despite the name, it's a cake, not a galette.
What is a Galette Charentaise? It’s a cake but it’s a biscuit as well. Traditionally it's round and measures around 25 centimeters and is a very simple recipe, but it's very, very local. You can find the galette Charentaise almost entirely on the west coast of France.
Here’s a recipe taught to me by Elise Botiveau for a Galette Charentaise.
French Onion Soup
French Onion soup is a beloved dish that has a rich history and numerous variations. It is a classic soup that is made with caramelized onions, beef broth, and bread, and is usually topped with melted cheese. While its origins are unclear, it is believed to have originated in France and has since become a popular dish worldwide.
The history of French Onion soup dates back centuries. Some believe it originated in ancient Rome, where a similar soup made with onions was popular among the working class. Others suggest that the soup was first created in the 18th century by French farmers who had access to plenty of onions and beef broth.
French Onion soup quickly gained popularity in France and became a staple of French cuisine. Over time, the soup has evolved, with various regions of France putting their own unique spin on the classic recipe. One popular variation is the Lyonnaise version, which is made with chicken broth and is topped with a crouton and poached egg. Another variation is the Provençal version, which is made with a mixture of beef and chicken broth and is topped with grated Parmesan cheese.