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French history
France
The privateers: forward for the king! ... And the gold.
Jérôme Monsieur de France
Captains or shipowners, sometimes both, privateers are also part of French history. Armed for the "race", hence the name of privateers, they scoured the seas to attack the enemy ships of France and some became famous like Surcouf, Dugay-Trouin or Jean Bart. Discover these daring men who should never be confused with pirates, who fought with the authorization of the king...
Even if Belgium is by far the country that consumes the most French fries, France also likes them. The proof: each year, 55 kg of potatoes are consumed per inhabitant in France and they are often eaten in the form of French fries. Some people even say that it was in France, in Paris, that French fries were invented... What the Belgians naturally dispute! A history of French fries, a small way of making them and a good recipe of mussels and fries to discover here... Thank you Monsieur de France !
French history
France
French fries, mashed potatoes... Thank you Mister Parmentier
Jérôme Monsieur de France
It's hard to imagine not eating good French fries, mashed potatoes and so on... but this has been the case for centuries in France. Before the 18th century, no potatoes in the plate. The one who changed everything is a man and it is Mr. Parmentier. Here is his story:
Some things are attributed to the French in the world. For example the French-kiss, so romantic... Right or wrong? Monsieur de France has checked if the "French kiss" is ... French!
It is an old habit and even if it is less popular, especially since the COVID, the kiss remains an old French habit. A habit that has evolved throughout history, and is still evolving, since nothing is more human than a habit, and habits can change... Discover the history of the kiss in France with Monsieur de France...
It's a sauce that has a funny history and is delicious in many dishes such as endives with ham, savory pancakes with mushrooms... Easy to make, and so much healthier when it is made by hand with just a few ingredients: the béchamel sauce, a French invention, was worth the interest of Mr. de France and he shares his recipe with you...
It is a delicacy found in many French desserts such as cream puffs or even the éclair... It was invented in France more than 3 centuries ago by a talented boy named François Massialot. We explain here how to make it yourself...
French cooking
France
Marengo veal: invented one night in battle for Napoleon
Jérôme Monsieur de France
Here is a dish with an amusing history that is a pleasure to eat: veal Marengo. A dish that was not born in France at all, but in Italy and that, in its first version, was the favorite dish of the emperor Napoleon. A dish completely improvised on a battle night, so we know the exact date of its birth: June 14, 1800.
Nothing more banal than peas today... Yet they were very exotic in the 17th century when the French Court tasted them for the first time. Louis XIV liked them so much that he almost died of indigestion. His gardener, Monsieur de la Quintinie, did everything he could to satisfy the king by growing peas even though the climate in Versailles was not suitable... Recipes have been invented to accommodate them and you will discover some of them here, including the fabulous "French-style" peas.
If mashed potatoes are very, very old - the Romans left us a lot of recipes - mashed potatoes are more recent. Even though "recent" is not necessarily the right word since it is a little more than 2 centuries old. But the man who sublimated the mashed potato is without question Mr. Joël Robuchon. French chef with several stars...
