I have recently been researching traditional regional French fare and I have noticed a lot of similarities among differently named dishes (traditional dishes named for the locale of their origin). For example, pot au feu, cassoulet, choucroute garnie, potèe Lorraine and garbure are all very similar, basically all being meat(s) and vegetables stewed together. I am guessing that these are basically descendants of the the medieval pottage, with the regional variants arising based on what was available in that area.

My first question is whether a restaurant seeking to serve a menu representative of traditional French regional foods would be complete with only two or three of the most different variants, or if having all of the variants on the menu together would be confusing for the consumer ?(Ignoring for the moment the logistics of the kitchen and also ignoring a rotational menu.)

My second question is if anyone knows of other dishes that would be at home on this kind of menu (I do have other dishes that I have researched, but additional input is always helpful, even if it duplicates what I've alread notated).

My third question concerns the translation of the word "bacon". All of the online translators translate this as "lard", which, of course, would appear unpalatable to most American consumers. Would lardons or lardoons be an acceptable transliteration? And, if so, which one would be more correct (while understanding that neither is spot on, at least based on babelfish and google translators)?

Sorry this post is so long. If you are able to wade through all of that and answer my questions I am very grateful!




Note to mods: I put this in the lounge because although I'm asking about recipes, I'm not asking about cake recipes. If it belongs better elsewhere, please move. Thanks!

I think if you were looking to represent regional french food you would either be concentrating on a specific region at which point you'd only be going one stew, or covering all regions at which point the stew would be that regions dish and the rest of the dishes would be another regions signature.

to the conniseur they are all different dishes the cassoulet for its chicken and beans and a lovely light broth, the potee lorraine is a pork dish with root vegetables, less delicate.

Other dishes, a boeuf bourguignon, is just a stunning dish
anything a provencale, the spinach makes it
and duck confit, duck anything really.

DESERTS, the french are master patissiers, a good frenchg menu always ends with tiny rich petit four, not hte decorative kind we swoon over here but like portuguese custand tards laced with vanilla.

and lardons are bacon, but a think dice with plenty of fat.