french cookery terms

[Patf]

The last topic - rouelle - reminded me that there are many french cookery terms that I don't know the meaning of. They always sound romantic to me and add to the attraction of the food. How about " craquants d'ossau-iraty a la marmelade de girottes". What is that? And what are rables de lapin? I know lapin is rabbit. I saw one - genoise - and  looked it up. Found it's a kind of sponge cake made without separating the eggs. What is "far aux pruneaux"? If anyone can answer, and give some more examples. We could make up some fancy menus. Pat.

[Gardian]

'craquants d'ossau-iraty a la marmelade de girottes' - ossau-iraty is an area of the Pyrenees from where you get a nice hard cheese made from sheep's milk.  Girottes?  Sure it wasn't girolles?  My guess - a sort of cheesy puff pastry thing with a mushroom sauce.   Probably miles out, but it sounds good.

'rables de lapin' - saddle of rabbit 

'far aux pruneaux' - pass

 

[Russethouse]

Isn't far a breton desert/ pastry type thing usually made with prunes ?

[JayJay]

Far Breton aux pruneaux is a firm custard tart/flan with prunes that have been soaked in armagnac or rum, it's lovely.  

craquants d'ossau-iraty a la marmelade de girottes, maybe d'ossau-iraty cheese crackers/biscuits with cherry marmalade.

How about adding a Kouign Amann, a very buttery lardy cake type pastry. Yum!!

[Ysatis]

I can't contribute more than the other posters but looking up 'girolles' in my book it says: apricot-flavoured fungi.

[Clair]

[quote]... à la marmelade de girottes[/quote]

Could it be griottes?

they're a variety of cherries

[Llwyncelyn]

and very sour to boot griottes that is.  Trying to grow them here in Normandie but the birds always get there first.

[English Eccentric]

When we first came out to France, we invested in a copy of 'Larousse Gastronomique', a weighty volume which seemed ideal for those of us living/cooking in France - just about every cooking method, foodstuff, description that we were unfamiliar with - there it was, in English, with the full description, history (and often a relevant quote from French literature to boot!) and nice colour pictures.  Invaluable!  At the time (1990-ish), it cost about £30 from our local bookshop.  Now, those nice Book People (who bring books to the office for you to buy) have just had the latest edition (rrp £60) up for a tenner - too good to be true, so now we've got a copy each side of the Channel! 

Seriously, I'd wholeheartedly recommend a copy to anyone wanting to cook in the French style, especially if you can get it for ten quid!  (at one time, we also used to get a montly magazine called 'Cuisine et Vins de France' which was also very informative, and particularly good for what was in season at the time, and what to do with it - also recommended!)

[Llwyncelyn]

Hi I too have a LG but its 1910 a first edition in Moroccan leather and tooled in gold.  Sorry will not sell for £10.  But of course its in French.

Going off subject (slightly) old cookery books menus and the like are one of my weakest points.  Please no comments but I have over a 500 books on preserves chutneys and making jams!  See what I mean.

This does not take into account such stuff as Liz David and some of her first editions and the late Alan Davidson and where I bought some of his collection.  They came with me from the UK but when and if we can sell our house here in France I must sell some of them. 

However I am not going to sit down and spend hours putting them on to EBay and that is for sure.

I have known and for a long time that I have a problem when it comes to cookery books.  Still I suppose it could be worse.....................?

best wishes

 

 

 

[English Eccentric]

...but old books are just like old friends, you don't need to keep seeing them all the time, but just knowing that they're there is enough.  If I come out of a charity shop without at least one book, then I reckon I've not been looking hard enough!  I couldn't bear the thought of having to part with most of them.

[derf]

[quote user="English Eccentric"]

When we first came out to France, we invested in a copy of 'Larousse Gastronomique', a weighty volume which seemed ideal for those of us living/cooking in France - just about every cooking method, foodstuff, description that we were unfamiliar with - there it was, in English, with the full description, history (and often a relevant quote from French literature to boot!) and nice colour pictures.  Invaluable!

[/quote]

But did it answer the posters question?[6]

[JayJay]

Well Les, yours definitely didn't!!!!!!!!!

[Patf]

Thanks for the explanation of the first dish etc. I really meant suggesting other fancy names for dishes such as veloute, chiffonnade, blanquette etc which make the food sound so much more appetising. This to me is one of the attractions of french food.  I expect you'll find them all in Larousse, which I haven't got , though I do have a big selection of cookery books. The other main attraction is the use of local and seasonal ingredients as there's such a huge variety. Pat.