Celebrate French food on Bastille Day

I’m not French, but since nearly all of my great-great-great grandparents lived within spitting distance of the Rhine I say “close enough” for celebrating Bastille Day by eating French foods and drinking a French 75. Even if your ancestors are not French or French adjacent, holidays from other countries or traditions offer a great way to break out of a cooking rut and expand your culinary horizons because nearly every holiday centers around culturally significant foods.

Since the first time I wrote about celebrating Bastille Day with French dishes (2016), the number of French recipes available online in the EYB Library has grown from about 9,000 to over 22,000. Does this make it easier or more difficult to find something you’ would want to make? Having too many choices is tough for me because I easily suffer from analysis paralysis. Nonetheless, I am sure I will find a great dish to fit the occasion. I will start by perusing these Member favorites in the Library:

• Chicken with mustard (Poulet à la moutarde) from My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz 
• Marie-Hélène’s apple cake from Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan (pictured)
• Ratatouille (Eggplant casserole) from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volumes I & II by  Julia Child and Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck
• Fingerlings vinaigrette with sieved eggs and pickled celery from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman
• Coq au Riesling from Nigella Express by Nigella Lawson
• Green bean, red rice, and almond salad (Salade de haricot verts, riz rouge et amandes) from The French Market Cookbook by Clotilde Dusoulier
• Filet of beef bourguignon from The Barefoot Contessa by Ina Garten
• Fromage fort from The Splendid Table by Jacques Pépin
• Gâteau Opéra from Chocolat by  Eric Lanlard
• Cherry clafoutis from Tartelette by Hélène Dujardin