Letter from the Editor: The French Issue

It’s a widely accepted fact that the French know how to cook. Their famous culinary figures are practically household names—from Escoffier, Paul Bocuse, and Alain Ducasse, to (notably not-French) Julia Child and (notably not-real) Rémy the rat from Ratatouille—we all have some influential, French-ish touchpoint. After all, you don’t need to know the difference between the ‘Haute’ and ‘Nouvelle’ cuisines to know the culture’s reputation for fine dining and Michelin stars.

But at its heart, French cuisine represents far more than white table cloths and prix fixe menus (a variety of fine dining that is arguably past its prime). It’s also made of hearty country fare with simple ingredients, executed flawlessly. It’s far more down-to-earth (and interesting) than its stodgy reputation lets on.

For our October issue, we’re taking a deeper look into the regional cuisines of France to find out once and for all: Is French cuisine one of the best in the world?

A sneak peak of what’s to come

To kick off this October’s issue, we travelled to France to explore Provençal cooking and the farmers’ markets behind it. Stay tuned over the next month to discover the region with us through the eyes of KS editor, Ruby, and local producers and business owners. (You can read more about it and watch the first installment here. You won’t want to miss it!)

We’ll of course have new recipes and stories to share, too. Get to know everyday French cuisine with dishes that are anything but fussy, and learn how to build a proper French pantry.

Recipes to get you started

If you’re ready to get started tonight, transport yourselves with some of the classic French recipes below. Allons y!