Modern Bistro: Home Cooking Inspired by French Classics

An introduction to the bistro

Bistro Ingredients 101

Become familiar with the key ingredients in French bistro cooking.

Today, we have the freedom to buy most fresh produce year-round, but many bistro classics were derived from a need to use what was available and in season and, in the days before refrigeration, to preserve ingredients for as long as possible. By cooking what was seasonal, the French used ingredients in their prime, whether it was mâche (lamb’s lettuce) growing wild in a field, asparagus in the springtime, celery root and lentils in the less-abundant fall, or seafood caught that very day.

Twelve Bistro Cooking Techniques to Master

Apart from giving us a profusion of recipes, French cuisine has given us techniques

like cooking en cocotte, sautéing, confit, and flambéing. Here are some you will

master with the recipes in this book:

• Fold a Tender Omelet
• Sear a Perfect Bistro Steak
• Double-Fry for the crispiest Frites

Kitchen Tools

All kitchen tasks go better when you use well-designed equipment. Some you

need repeatedly, others you might consider having on hand for making

baguettes, piping pâte a choux, and so on. Some of our favorites include:

• OXO Good Grips Chef's Mandoline Slicer 2.0
• Vitamix 5200
• Thermoworks Thermapen ONE