Just a French Guy Cooking

Magic-crust quiche Lorraine

Tunisian snack

Tunisia is famous for olive

Instant French kimchi

Mix 150g [1 cup] sauerkraut with 1 tablespoon of harissa paste. It goes without saying, you’ll need to adjust the amount you add according to how much chilli you like and the strength of the harissa. When I’m not eating this with a spoon, I use it as a topping for just about anything and everything.

Many people (including French ones) picture a glass of red wine complementing an oozing Camembert. Well… it’s difficult to be more wrong. Instead, go for a dry white wine as its freshness will ‘cut through’ the fat, salt and cream in the cheese.

that remains is to put these two classifications alongside each other and you’ll have a pretty efficient way of picking the right wine to go with a dish. For example:
Seafood – dry white (a good beer is even better but that’s just me)
Salad – dry white
Raw vegetables – light to full-bodied white or light red
Chicken – full-bodied white or light red
Roasted vegetables – medium red
Beef, lamb – full-bodied red
Indian curry – super-aromatic white
Black Forest gâteau – sweet wine
Of course, like every rule in the world, this one is to be taken with a pinch of salt. Sometimes you’ll find that a red wine goes well with a dessert and it would be a shame to deprive yourself. (Personally, I love red wine with chocolate but I’d never admit it publicly.)

Now here is a classification of wines also going from the lightest to the heaviest: dry white (Muscadet, Sauvignon Blanc) or rosé, full-bodied white (Chardonnay) or rosé, light red (Gamay, Pinot Noir), medium red (Merlot, Sangiovese), full-bodied red (Zinfandel, Shiraz/Syrah) plus sweet wines (Sauternes) and super-aromatic wines (Gewürztraminer).

Tearing up mushrooms with your fingers creates different textures and tastes. In the same way, putting the filling ingredients randomly in the pastry case challenges you at the table as you have to decide which slice of quiche you want: would you rather have more melting cheese or more woody mushrooms? Regularity might be satisfying but irregularity stirs up emotions.

Nutmeg – woody and lemony

Usually sold as a whole nut to be finely grated, but beware! A little goes a long way and it can actually be toxic if you add too much. You think I’m joking? I am deadly serious.

Food pairing: savoury custards, creamy rice desserts, pie fillings, spinach… white sauces like béchamel can’t really live without it

Smoked paprika – warm and deep red

I discovered this quite late in my culinary journey but immediately fell in love with its deep red colour and gentle heat but, of course, mostly with its warm vibe of a glowing fireplace.

Food pairing: pork ribs, beef brisket, fresh goat cheese, egg tortilla or any dish you want to pimp with a lil’ bbq taste

Turmeric – peppery and proudly yellow

The perfect example of how important spices are in giving dishes colour! Turmeric is a vibrant visual extravaganza that you’ll find everywhere in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Food pairing: cauliflower, cabbage, root vegetables, rice, soups

Fennel seeds – fresh and aniseed-y

No pepper, wood, lemon, heat or smoke here as fennel seeds bring something different – fresh aniseed. Definitely less powerful than star anise but way more versatile. Like coriander seeds it’s on the fresh side but naughtier.

Food pairing: sausages (Italian), seafood, stir fries (it’s part of Chinese five-spice mix)

Garlic powder – intense

I grew up in a Mediterranean environment, which meant that garlic was infused in my baby bottle (it’s a joke, OK? Are you outta your mind?!). Dried garlic powder is quite intense and powerful so I usually go for garlic flakes.

Food pairing: onions, celery, carrots, ginger

Cumin seeds – warm and earthy

Really powerful and used widely in Mexican, Middle Eastern, North African and Indian cuisines. I often combine them with coriander seeds as they balance each other nicely.

Food pairing: chilli, falafel, roasted parsnips, honey, parsley, black beans, onions