French
Croque Monsieur
The classic French cafe sandwich — ham and cheese between toasted bread, topped with béchamel and a blanket of Gruyère, baked until golden. Crisp outside, molten cheese within. Add a runny fried egg on top and it becomes a "croque madame".
Chocolate Mousse
The classic French dessert — melted chocolate folded with whipped cream and eggs until airy and light. Rich yet melt-in-the-mouth, it needs no oven: just a few ingredients whisked together and chilled until set.
Quiche
A savory French tart from Lorraine: a crisp pastry crust filled with egg and cream custard, bacon, and cheese, baked until set. Crisp outside, silky and custardy inside — a lovely brunch with a green salad.
Crepe
A thin French pancake from just flour, milk, and eggs. Sugar and lemon, jam, Nutella, or fresh fruit all suit it, making it as good for breakfast as for dessert — and it needs nothing more than a single pan.
French Onion Soup
A classic French soup of deeply caramelized onions in rich stock, topped with a baguette and gruyère and broiled until golden. Take your time with the onions and anyone can make it deeply savory.
French Toast (Pain Perdu)
Bread soaked in egg and milk and fried golden in butter — a breakfast staple worldwide. Just bread, eggs, and milk, done in one pan in 10 minutes. The French call it ''pain perdu.''
Omelette
A French classic: beaten eggs cooked gently in butter and folded over. Just eggs, butter, and salt make it in 5 minutes, and cheese, ham, or herbs take it anywhere. The traditional version stays soft and barely set inside — a great way to learn the basics.
Croissant (Laminated Pastry)
France's emblematic laminated pastry — shatteringly crisp on the outside, honeycomb-airy within. This viennoiserie takes time and patience, but a freshly baked one is worth every fold.
Ratatouille
A Provencal summer-vegetable stew from France — eggplant, zucchini, pepper, and tomato browned in olive oil and simmered gently with herbs. Lovely warm or cold, alongside bread or meat.