Career Spotlight: French Cooking
August 28, 2009
•Le Cordon Bleu
•San Francisco
• 0 Comments
So what’s all the fuss about French cooking anyway? Why does it get such an exalted position as one of the finest cuisines in the world? Maybe it’s because the word cuisine is French. Or maybe it’s because of the tradition of excellence that has been bred into French food and culture since the Middle Ages. Even the modern restaurant has its origins in French culture. So it’s safe to say that French cooking has influenced just about everything in Western cuisine.
While there are a variety of styles associated with French cuisine, there are three that are most common:
-
Haute Cuisine – Literally the food of kings, haute cuisine descends from the lavish feasts and banquets served to French kings in the 17th and 18th centuries.
-
Nouvelle Cuisine – Or New Cuisine was a 1960s rejection of some of the overly complicated cooking methods in haute cuisine. Regional dishes inspired a new way of cooking that concentrated on the freshest ingredients and simpler and shorter menu choices. Portions are generally small but exquisitely flavoured.
-
Cuisine Campagnarde - Translated as "country food" it is the regional food of France. The secret of cuisine campagnarde is the use of traditional, regional ingredients and jealously guarded recipes that date back hundreds of years. The regions are famous… Alsace, Basque, Burgundy, Normandy, and Provence. The food. even more.
Learn French Cooking
All this talk of French cooking makes the mouth water. In San Francisco there many options for learning the savory art of French Cooking, whether it is modern or classical techniques. One might want to start the search at the famed L’Olivier Restaurant. Open for thirty years and counting, the restaurant will serve as a good introduction for the various delights of France.
After the delectable meal at L’Olivier, peruse online or at your local bookshop for books, courses and French cooking programs in the Bay Area. As one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world you will surely be able to connect with other people interested in learning the same techniques. After all, French Cuisine is best enjoyed with a group!
This article is presented by The California Culinary Academy. The California Culinary Academy offers Le Cordon Bleu culinary education classes and culinary training programs in San Francisco, California. To learn more about the class offerings, please visit Chefs.edu/San-Francisco for more information.
The jobs mentioned are examples of certain potential jobs, not a representation that these outcomes are more probable than others. The California Culinary Academy does not guarantee employment or salary.