grande cuisine

grande cuisine, the classic cuisine of France as it evolved from its beginnings in the 16th century to its fullest flowering in the lavish banquets of the 19th century. The classic cuisine prizes richness, suavity, balance, and elegant presentation. Unlike a peasant or bourgeois cuisine, in which bold, earthy tastes and textures are allowable and even desirable, grande cuisine aims at a mellow harmony and an appearance of artfulness and order. France’s fertile pasture lands,...