Have you ever thought about French cuisine? It's truly a food of extremes. French food, in recipes or in restaurants, is either simplistic or it's haute cuisine. It's either heavy or it's light. It's made with subtle flavors or bold flavors. Either way, it is made with full attention to detail and is, above all, savored.

Despite fast food trying to make its mark across Europe, you can rest assured that the French are the least likely to fall prey. The French appreciate not only the food on their table, but the company, the conversation and the wine. Meals take time. And, I suppose that's as it should be.

The cuisine of France about which I am most intrigued is the simpler farmhouse cuisine, the peasant food. Here fresh meats, fish, vegetables and herbs shine. The cooking may take some time, but the effort is minimal. The end results, however, seem anything but. The recipes fill your house with an amazing aroma, and you'll want to sit, enjoy your family and friends, lingering over a delicious meal.

The first recipe, Coq au Vin, literally rooster with wine (we'll use chicken), is one of those perfect recipes. Either for the family or for entertaining, it's a good recipe to have up your sleeve. Furthermore, chicken provencal, the traditional way, is another one pot recipe that will impress your loved ones.

Either dish can be served over rice, or with slices of crusty bread. Soft polenta is also a good accompaniment. As a side dish I like a white bean and garlic puree, or a spinach and garlic saute. A good bottle of pinot noir on the side wouldn't go amiss here either.

Aunt Becky comments:

Both dishes actually sound really good, but in the amount of time it took to read the recipes I could have nuked and eaten a hot pocket with a bowl of my favorite salad in a bag.

Then, of course there are all those odd things like ”soft polenta,“ lots of fresh herbs on sprigs or in bunches or- my personal favorite ”two bouquet garni.“ Herbes de Provence would be another one of those things that I personally have never heard of and it would seem silly to go to all the trouble and expense to end up using a teaspoon! What do you do with the leftovers?

There are so many ingredients involved in these dinners that I can't imagine how the French (or the cook at least), can be known for enjoying the company, the conversation and the wine. There isn't time.

However, as I said, both meals look really good, so I think the best solution for me would be to invite myself to Julia's for dinner, request a French dinner, and then sit down to watch a great movie - ”A Year In Provence,“ while she's spends most of the evening in the kitchen.

Julia Allen, of Owasco, is a personal chef and owner of A La Carte chef service. Julia can be reached at julia@alacartechef.com