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First, I’d be landing 🛫 in the Île-de-France region, which is where Paris is located. Of course, this is a foody hotspot when it comes to classic French cuisine! You can find flavorful dishes like Soupe à l’Oignon Gratinée (French Onion Soup), Blanquette de Veau, Mille-feuille, and many more. It’s definitely not a place to be on a diet!
From there, I would go to the Grand Est, which is the region that wraps Alsace, Lorraine, and Champagne together. Besides quiches and, obviously the best sparkling wine 🍾 in the world, this region is renowned for game and ham, as well as my favorite beer… Kronenbourg! At this point, there’s nothing stopping me from going across the border and exploring Germany – my husband’s roots – unless I simply go to Belgium, Luxembourg, and Switzerland!
If I decide to stay in France, I’d go to Normandy, which is the land of Camembert cheese, Brioche, Calvados, Andouille Sausage (yes, it originated in France, not New Orleans), Poulet Sauté Yvetois, as well as seafood like Moules à la Normande, Coquilles St Jacques, Huîtres Chaudes au Pommeau 🦪, which are staples of this region unless I venture south and try Brittany’s oysters and lobsters. I can also enjoy some Cotriade, Crêpes or even Galettes de Sarrasin, one of my mother’s favorites.
Now, heading east, we end up in Pays de la Loire and Central France to enjoy fresh fruits for breakfast, a Tourangelle soup for lunch, and freshwater fish 🐟 for dinner before finishing with Tarte Tatin or a couple macarons… yum!
Next is Bourgogne and Franche-Comté. Do I really have to spell it out – the best wine and cheese 🧀, oh my! Of course, there are other well-known dishes like Coq au Vin, Boeuf Bourguignon and Poulet de Bresse or Poulet à la Comtoise.
To the south is Auvergne and Rhône-Alpes, where Lyon is located, also known as the “world capital of gastronomy” and certainly a delicious destination with their wine (Beaujolais and Rhône Valley), game 🦆, sausages, Salade Lyonnaise, fish, Raclette, Gratin Dauphinois, Escalope de Veau Belle Comtoise, etc.
South of this is Nouvelle-Aquitaine, and as a wine drinker, this would be heavenly! I can just imagine sipping a nice glass of wine while spreading some foie gras or tapenade on freshly baked baguettes. Lamb, hare, pigeon and goose are other staples from this region including Dacquoise, Cherry Clafoutis, and truffles – I don’t think I would like to come back to Canada 🍁!
And next comes the southwest of France, known as the region of Occitanie. With its saucisses de Toulouse, Cassoulet, Bourride, Cargolade 🐌, etc., this is a perfect spot for a foody like me!
Next to it is Côte d’Azur, where Bouillabaisse à la Marseillaise is one of the famous dishes of the region including Ratatouille, Pan Bagnat 🥪, and Salade Niçoise!
From there, I’ll be jumping on a boat to go to Corsica, where I can savor a nice Veau aux Olives, a Wild Boar Casserole, along with a side of polenta or pasta 🍝.
Let’s go back to Côte d’Azur and its Salade Niçoise shall we!
This recipe is simply amazing! This is exactly what summer is all about: fresh and healthy 💚 with layers of yumminess! I have to be honest about the fact that there are several steps involved in achieving this incredible dish, but it’s so worth it!
After boiling the eggs 🥚 – I prefer hard boiled over medium boiled – and potatoes, blanching some beans and marinating the red onions, the rest is easy peasy… you just need to assemble it.
A couple of points I would like to highlight…
– When making this tasty vinaigrette, I use raspberry wine vinegar because it gives a subtle dimension to the salad, but normally red wine vinegar is used, so pick whichever you prefer. If you’re using an oil-packed tuna can, reserve the oil, and if there’s not enough, add extra virgin olive oil to get the ¼ cup needed.
– After chilling the vinaigrette for 1:30 hours ⏰, take it out 20 minutes before serving in case the oil starts to solidify. When ready to eat, give it a good whisk and pour it over the Salade Niçoise.
Back to the tuna 🐟…
It’s visually more appealing to have little chunks of it than flakes. It gives more personality to the dish. Another ingredient that adds a nice look to it is red peppers – it’s not traditional but highly suggested.
Salade Niçoise 🥗 is beyond a salad… it’s an art form on a plate! I know there are a lot of steps to follow, but the combination is exactly what Côte d’Azur is about: great ingredients with a breeze of freshness from the Mediterranean. This is a salad that you must have, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it becomes your favorite for the season…
Bon Appétit!🍽
Here are more incredible French recipes for you to enjoy…😀
– Tournedos Rossini
– Salad with Warm Goat Cheese en Croûte
– Classic Vichyssoise
– Canard aux Montmorency
– Croque-madame
– Escargots à la Bourguignonne
– Sole Almondine
– Creamy French Eggs
– Steak Tartare
– Lemon Rosemary Madeleines
and for even more salad recipes 🥗, click on this link… Recipe Category • Salads & Dressings
For ingredient amounts, directions, and much more, visit ➡
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