KUHINJA
PARIZ U FOKUSU PARIS IN FOCUS
Foie gras
Pot-au-feu
T ry to slowly, with closed eyes, though with the gusto of reading verses, say the words – baguette, brioche, croissant, beurre, Brie, Roquefort, Camembert, béchamel sauce, bouillon, coq au vin, tart, flan... Even if you don’t speak French, these words will be converted into crunchy, warm, fragrant, creamy, juicy and pow- erful notes which comprise, along with everything else, the wealth of the world’s greatest gastronomy.
“gastronomie”to describe what is known as the skill of making good food. And that skill is an integral part of the gastronomic ritual of every Frenchman, which begins with the careful selection of dishes that reflect the di- versity of their country. Part of the ritual is buying good ingredients with flavours that thoroughly agree with the wine, then the aesthetics of setting a table, while conver- sation and table manners are part of a spe- cial etiquette. When the carefully selected ingredients become a meal, what follows is tasting the food and enjoying the tastes in a way that involves all the senses. Nostrils en- dear to the scents coming from the kitchen, eyes rejoice at the sight of a beautifully set table, the ear enjoys table chatter and the crunch of fresh bread as fingers break it... Built into the foundations of this cui- sine is the work of many flavours virtuosos,
while the name of “The Chef of Kings and the King of Chefs”, Georges Auguste Escoffi- er, is inscribed in golden letters. He is consid- ered one of the founders of “French haute cuisine”. He is the man who introduced the “à la Carte”menu concept, or rather the list- ing of meals and drinks in the order in which they will be served. For all of his merits, the French government awarded him the Order of the Legion of Honour two centuries ago.
MUSTARD, UNIVERSAL SPICE
FOOD FOR ALL THE SENSES
Opulence and elegance represent the true face of this gastronomy. Fish, shellfish, seafood, all types of meats and cheeses, served with the best wines. For true con- noisseurs, cold appetizers are served before soup. The finest plates are those on which snails are served stuffed with butter and pars-
Just one person of those most deserving for the fact that food today reflects the na- tional pride and identity of every Frenchman is the almost forgotten author Joseph Ber- shut. He was the first to use the magic word
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