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(Sponsored article) Perhaps the biggest French cliché is the idea that everyone in the country of “haute cuisine” is a great chef. In fact, they’re not.
What you didn’t know is that the French have a secret weapon in their culinary arsenal.
In cuisine, as in fashion, the French are the masters of understated luxury. They can accomplish simple yet succulent chef d’oeuvres (masterpieces) quickly and with minimal effort, whether the occasion is a weeknight family meal or the cocktail party of the year.
But they don’t go it alone.
Busy mothers, young foodies, accomplished hostesses and even restaurateurs all swear by a familiar neighborhood go-to: the frozen food store.
Here in the US, when you think of frozen food, you might picture a plethora of processed options that are on top of the junk food chain. But French frozen food offerings, or “surgelés”, couldn’t be further from this.
The French use the freezer to their advantage: to preserve food in the most natural, age-old way and make it readily available in any situation.
Dinner time on a hectic day? Reheat a few frozen beef kabobs, some frozen string beans and a delicious quinotto (quinoa-based risotto!) Impromptu visit from an important guest? Chill the champagne and prepare some frozen hors-d’oeuvres. Simply feeling like a Saturday morning treat? Bake frozen croissants which will be ready before the coffee is done brewing!
Why, the French could serve up a full meal from frozen and you’d have no idea it wasn’t fastidiously prepared from scratch on that very day.
Now this French secret has been exposed. It has recently hit Manhattan and goes by the name of Babeth’s Feast.
Babeth’s Feast, which opened in August, is giving shoppers the chance to get their hands on top-quality, healthy, French-inspired frozen foods.
The NYC brand sources its products and ingredients (they make about a third of their range themselves) through a careful selection process, from high-quality producers, either locally, domestically or in France. They favor natural, chemical-free, healthy and always delicious options and use flash freezing methods that preserve food at its peak of freshness.
All of Babeth’s food comes with simple preparation instructions, and a visit to their store will get you tips on meal planning, product pairing and social entertaining as you browse the well-provisioned aisles. So, like the French, you can cook up a feast quickly and effortlessly, whenever the need arises.
If you don’t have the time to make the trip, don’t despair! Order online and Babeth’s Feast will deliver the products to your door or ship them anywhere in the continental US.
The time of slaving away in the kitchen or ordering fast food is over. The era of Babeth’s Feast has begun.
