French cuisine and style dates to the Middle Ages and is known for it’s continuous growth and change.

Today, French cooking emphasizes simple, flavorful French recipes and casual yet stylish presentations. Many of today’s best French chefs have rejected complicated or fancy recipes to focus on simple French recipes filled with fresh ingredients.

French meals can last for hours. Traditional French cooking and bistro style places an emphasis on keeping the mood light, social and fun – not to mention delicious.

Of course, cheese is a major part of French cuisine. In fact, the French eat more cheese than any other country – which is why French cuisine is a natural area for IledeFranceCheese.com to explore.

French cooking should be fun, easy and most of all tasty. So ignore the false reputation French cuisine has for difficult recipes. There are plenty of easy French recipes to choose from, and we feature many such recipes right here.

So, explore the world of French cooking with some basic French culinary tips and ideas. And check back for more French cooking tips and ideas at IledeFranceCheese.com!

Basic do’s and don’ts of French cuisine:

- Do remember to serve lots of cheese, both as appetizers, on their own, as parts of main course and even as desserts.

- Don’t over cook. Preserving the natural flavors in meat, poultry and fish is an important part of the French cooking style.

- Do serve wine. French food is best enjoyed with wine, and since there are several studies indicating moderate wine drinking brings several health benefits, there’s no reason to abstain!