Over winter break, I was standing in line at the grocery store when a stranger behind me tapped me on the shoulder and said, “I’m intrigued — what are you making?” I grinned and told her my plans with the ingredients I was buying, and she replied, “I knew it! I knew two things: you are French, and you are making something amazing!” I laughed and assured her that I was zero percent French, but that I was indeed making something amazing (chocolate rum cheesecake).
The truth is, I admire the French way of eating. I think of it as generally light yet fulfilling; plenty of fresh vegetables, good quality meats and cheeses, but not depriving oneself of the good things in life like a croissant or pastry for breakfast, or treats like chocolate or butter or cream (I find that these things, when eaten in moderation, make me feel full longer throughout the day). I eat all these things and find that the portion size is key, as is eating the types of foods that will keep you satiated longer, such as good cheese or soft boiled eggs, oily fish like sardines or anchovies… really! It seems that moderation really is key to French eating; eat everything, deny yourself nothing, just eat a little of it, for goodness sake!
Here, a French favorite that I will be making again and again for lunch (or a light dinner):
Salade Nicoise (adapted from SAVEUR: The New Classics Cookbook)
For the Dressing:
- 1 clove garlic
- kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp lemon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 small shallot, minced
For the Salad:
- 1 lb. small yukon gold potatoes, boiled until tender
- 8 oz. haricot verts (French green beans) — you can blanch these, but I like them better uncooked because they nice and crunchy and sweet)
- 12 oz. cherry tomatoes, halved
- 8 salt-packed anchovies, rinsed and drained
- 4 soft-boiled eggs, quartered lengthwise
- 1 can tuna, drained
- 1 small cucumber, thinly sliced
Make the dressing (can be made ahead of time): mince garlic on cutting board and sprinkle heavily with salt. Using a knife, scrape garlic and salt together to form a smooth paste. Transfer paste to a bowl and whisk in oil, lemon juice, mustard, shallot, salt and pepper. Set aside.
Make the salad: Gently cut the small potatoes lengthwise. Arrange all ingredients on two plates (ours seemed to make enough for three, hence the leftovers for lunch from a tupperware container — pretty, I know) or serve altogether on a serving platter (making colorful rows of the ingredients is very appealing), then drizzle dressing all over ingredients. Season with salt and pepper and enjoy!
I think this tastes even better the next day, when everything has the flavor of the dressing and the potatoes are nice and cold. Let me know how you like it!
I think this is spot on, and I think it’s why I love to cook and bake so much. I really love to eat good food, and when I eat good food, I’m satisfied and looking forward to the next meal, not snacking constantly on the food that’s convenient but not healthy (or necessary). Plus, eating good quality ingredients in moderation really fine tunes your palate – junk food just doesn’t seem appealing at all. And I mean this in the least snobby way possible – I think some of the best food and can be simple food with good ingredients. The French are masters of this. The Italians aren’t half bad either :).
It’s a good practice to get into – and moderation can also lead you to be more generous with the things that you make. I love making elaborate desserts, and I love trying out new recipes. But we also don’t need a triple layer cake sitting around for two adults to eat all week. So I make cakes for all the birthdays in my office. There are only 6-7 of us, but it means about once every six weeks or so I try something new, everyone enjoys a half hour break to chat over cake and say Happy Birthday to that person, and I bring home a slice or two of leftovers for our house. Same thing with other dishes – I’ll set aside a small amount for us, and then surprise a friend or a favorite teacher with the rest.
That salad looks delicious. I’m going to confess that I’m not a tuna lover, and I’m squeamish about anchovies – but we frequently eat similar type vegetarian dishes, and I LOVE them.
Looks so good! I have always had a similar philosophy on food, but I’ve been to pressed for time and lacking in cooking in the last year that I really feel like I need to experience a little deprivation to get my body back on track! It’s very different to eat your own muffins everyday than buy them from someone else (either that or I’m just getting old and my metabolism wants me to give baked goods a rest!).
My favorite indulgence from my time in France was cocoa out of a bowl in the morning. I don’t drink coffee, and I love chocolate. What better a way to start the day 🙂
Thank you for sharing! We made this tonight and it was delicious!
Oh, good! I’m so glad you liked it, Ashley!