This dish called for chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, red peppers, onions and, probably most importantly, eggplant. Once chopped, we put all of them into a large crock pot and let it sit in the oven at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for an hour. The soufflé only needed flour, eggs, butter, milk and cheese. Once we put it into the oven, it immediately began to grow, doubling in size! Finally, the coulant au chocolat needed chocolate, eggs, flour, butter and sugar. It requires only 6 minutes in the oven, so it can easily be done in under 20 minutes at home. We paired the meal with some red wine, toasted baguette slices with green onion butter and a fresh salad.
The French value fresh and healthy ingredients above all. Unlike many other countries, including the U.S., they will not eat or cook with products that are not in season, and most of the time, you can not even find them in the grocery store. Restaurant menus also change as the season changes, ensuring that only the freshest and tastiest food is prepared. This has definitely been a culture shock while trying to cook at home, but probably one that is for the better. Along with only using the freshest ingredients, France has also completely banned the use of GMOs (genetically modified organisms), which means everything is grown in a more traditional, natural and sustainable way.
