A French Connection

by Kathie Smith
The Toledo Blade

French food is back.

Long thought to be too rich in butter and cream, and too dependent on sauces, the classic cuisine is being updated for healthier eating and even being inspired by the global palate.

The result is a new wave of interest in learning the basics of French cuisine and dining on French-inspired dishes. The nuances of regional French food are turning up in cooking schools and catered events. "There is an evolution in French cuisine with lighter cuisine," says Georgeann Brown, who teaches farmhouse French cooking. "Women in France who are entering the work force don't have time for cassoulet and beef bourguignon. Plus, they are trying to use less butter and cream."

The dishes she has selected reflect country cooking from the bistros of Lyon to the peasant food of the Cote d'Azur. From Lyon comes the herbal cheese spread called fromage blanc. "It is served midmorning to farmers and deliverymen," she says.

The traditional flat bread called fougasse with Provencal herbs is in all of the markets. "Ragout comes from just about any region of France. This one will be meatless with artichokes and tomatoes and can even be served as a sauce with pasta. From Provence comes the dessert, a Beaumes de Venise Cake, made with grapes and a sweet liqueur, which shows traditional cooking. It's not a rich cake, but a traditional recipe.

"In the Midwest we like comfy cozy cooking, and the French do the same," says Ms. Brown, who is a master gardener and owner of a catering house in Dundee, Mich.

However, the classic elegance of formal French cuisine is equally in demand. At the Pinnacle restaurant in Ohio, French chef Jean-Luc Berger and American chef David DuFresne are creating French dishes such as coq au vin, the classic French dish in which chicken is simmered or baked in red wine.

According to the chefs, the better the wine, the better the dish. "Cheap wine means that the dish doesn't have depth of flavor," says Berger (pronounced BER-jay). Use wine that you would drink.

Several presentations of coq au vin are in the duo's repertoire. The most elaborate occurs when the entree's final step calls for baking under a dome of elegant flaky puff pastry. When served in the French style, the dome is lifted, the portion served from the baking dish, and then the puff pastry gently laid on top of the entree.

To get the fragrance, the marinade of herbs, red wine and olive oil is divided. Half the marinade is used to marinate the chicken; the other half is used for baking the chicken.

The French connection has "made our menu much lighter in terms of sauces, choices, and portions," says Tom Thees, president of the Pinnacle. "Chef Jean makes crepes from scratch. The crepe has had a big comeback. It appeals to a sophisticated buyer who wants something light and delicious. We have a French salad with spinach leaves, diced potatoes, smoked turkey, and tarragon and garlic. Tenderloin with green peppercorns and salmon beurre blanc are French-driven items."

Berger notes that in recent years, French cuisine has become lighter with less butter and cream. "The French are picking up things from other parts of the world," he says. "They see eating meat with tropical fruit as very American, but now we are making French dishes that way." He notes that pineapple is even turning up in some French culinary creations.

The interest in French food is being accompanied by the publication of several French cookbooks this fall.

Not only is a 40th-anniversary edition of Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, and Simone Beck being published, but so are Jacques Pepin's Jacque Pepin Celebrates, Dorie Greenspan's Chocolate Desserts, by Pierre Herme, and Patricia Wells' The Paris Cookbook.

Julia Child's masterpiece brought the art of French cooking to the American audience. The 40th-anniversary edition is the same book, which was re-edited in 1983 to update it because the food processor had appeared in American kitchens. A new introduction has been written by Ms. Child.

Georgeann Brown's Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:

3 Tbs. butter
1 large onion, roughly chopped
one 16-oz. can pumpkin puree
1 lb. tart apples, i.e. Granny Smith or McIntosh, peeled, cored, and roughly chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 cups chicken, beef, or vegetable stock, or water
2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves or 1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
pinch fresh nutmeg
1/2 to 1 cup heavy or light cream
minced fresh parsley or snipped chives

Preparation:

Place the butter in a large, deep saucepan and melt on medium heat. When melted, add onions and saute for three minutes. Add the pumpkin and apples and continue to cook for an additional five to seven minutes or until the onions are softened. Stir occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the stock or water and thyme, turn the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low, partially cover and cook for about 30 minutes. Cool slightly, puree soup in a blender, food mill or with a handheld immersion blender.

Reheat soup gently over medium-low heat until heated through; do not boil. Stir in the cream to desired consistency and cook until hot. Garnish with parsley or chives and serve.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

For the elegant presentation of coq au vin served under a dome of puff pastry, Chef Jean-Luc Berger places each serving in a wide-rimmed, ovenproof dish topped with unbaked puff pastry. Then it is baked for 20 minutes at 375 degrees in a non-convection oven.

Chef Jean-Luc Berger's Coq au Vin

Ingredients:

1 bunch parsley, rinsed and divided
4 sprigs fresh thyme, divided
2 bay leaves
2 whole chickens
4 carrots, peeled and cut in 2" sections, divided
4 qts. red wine, divided
6 Tbs. peanut or olive oil
1 Tbs. salt, divided
1 tsp. pepper, divided
1 bunch pearl onions, approximately 10 in a bunch
1/2 lb. Virginia bacon
2 tsp. garlic, fresh
1/2 cup flour

Preparation:

Prepare two bouquet garni, dividing parsley, thyme, and bay leaves into two parts. One is for the marinade; the other will be for cooking the chicken.

Cut chickens in fourths. Remove breast bones. Put in 2-inch-deep baking pan with one bouquet garni of thyme, parsley, and bay leaf. Add two carrots, salt and pepper, to taste. Cover with two quarts red wine and two tablespoons olive oil. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

Drain the chicken. Discard marinade. Sauté chicken in a fry pan. Keep the meat in warm sauté pan. In the fry pan, sauté the garlic, onions, and bacon and then add to the chicken. Keep the remaining fat. Add flour into the fat, for a roux. Deglaze with fresh marinade of two cups red wine and one tablespoon olive oil and second bouquet garni. Return the chicken to the fry pan. Cover the poultry and cook for two to three hours slowly on stovetop or in slow (300-degree) oven.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service.)