Bonjour! Today, you’ll experience for free a shortened version of my 30-Day French Challenge—one of my paid programs here at Comme une Française.
I love making these Challenges. They cover a different topic each time, from “Paris like a local” to “Beauties of Toulouse.” to “100 years of Chanson française” This time, I’m excited to give you a taste of the Challenge: “Cooking in French.” From homemade meals to modern haute cuisine, let’s use delicious French food as a springboard to learn real, practical everyday French.
C’est parti !
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CHAPTER 1: “CUISINER À LA MAISON”
Presentation:
Coucou ! La cuisine française commence ici, à la maison. Que ce soit pour se faire vite fait un plat de pâtes, ou pour préparer un dîner aux petits oignons. Le plus important, c’est d’avoir des bons ingrédients, comme des légumes frais. Et puis quelques ustensiles comme une poêle et une casserole, évidemment !
Hi! French cooking starts here, at home. Whether it’s for whipping up a quick pasta dish or preparing a proper dinner. The most important thing is having good ingredients, like fresh vegetables. And a few utensils like a frying pan and a pot, of course! Preparing a proper dinner. The most important thing is having good ingredients, like fresh vegetables. And a few utensils like a frying pan and a pot, of course!
Vocabulary & Pronunciation:
- Un légume frais = fresh vegetable.
- Évidemment = of course, obviously, evidently
- Aux petits oignons – “with little onions” (literally) = made with care and effort
Quiz:
What’s the French word for a frying pan?
A) Un plat
B) Une poêle
C) Un oignon
Simple Recipe Note
In a French recipe, we might need to fouetter les œufs (= whisk eggs) with milk and add les herbes de Provence (fresh herbs) to make a classic French omelette. It’s simple, but you’ll quickly learn to pronounce everything properly—like le sel, le poivre, les herbes de Provence, and l’omelette au fromage !
Quiz Answer:
c) Une poêle
– here, “ê” sounds like “ah”
– It’s a feminine sound; in the masculine it would sound like “un poil” (= a body hair)
I want you to know that this is just a small taste of the full 30-Day French Challenge. In the program, we go much deeper:
– The presentation are longer
– There’s an extra dialogue using real everyday French
– You get a full video for vocabulary and pronunciation analysis
– The quiz is longer and in a dedicated form (automatic grading, you can retake it as many times as you need)
– You’ll get tons of resources: the French websites I use, restaurant recommandations, popular songs, French movies you can pick for your movie night…
– I’ll add a full recipe for each lesson, that you can try at home!
You get a short lesson every day for 30 days, so you can learn practical French in a fun way. It’s amazing how much progress you can make when you dedicate just 15 minutes a day to immersive French!
My team and I create fresh content each time a new challenge runs, so if you feel motivated to take your French further, go and click here to learn more.
Allez, on continue !
CHAPTER 2: “LE REPAS FRANÇAIS”
Presentation:
Le repas français est inscrit au patrimoine culturel de l’humanité. On le mange en famille, avec des bons petits plats du terroir. Le repas commence par une entrée, puis on enchaîne avec un plat principal. Ensuite, on partage un plateau de fromages. Et on finit par un dessert savoureux !
The French meal is on the list of Cultural Heritage of Humanity. We eat it as a family, with delicious local dishes. The meal begins with a starter, then we move on to a main course. Then, we share a cheese platter. And we finish with a tasty dessert!
Vocabulary & Pronunciation:
- Le plat principal – the main course.
- Un bon petit plat – literally a “good little dish” — it’s a phrase for a dish made with care, often homemade. Here, “bon” implies both taste and comfort. And “petit” doesn’t mean “small”, adds warmth and coziness. We often cut the “e” in real everyday French pronunciation: “un bon p’tit plat.”
- Le terroir – it’s an essential word for French cuisine. It’s local character, regional identity. “Le terroir” is the union of a specific land and local traditions, building on each other, to create delicious products and dishes.
Quiz:
Which of these is typically served after the main course in a French meal?
- L’entrée
- Le fromage
- Le plat principal
Cultural Note: bread
In France, bread is almost always on the table. A basket of fresh baguette slices appears on the table automatically in restaurants and homes. At home or with friends, you might hear: “Tu peux me passer le pain ?” (“Can you pass me the bread?“)
At the restaurant, you can also ask the staff : “On peut ravoir du pain, s’il vous plaît ?” (= Can we have some more bread, please?”) It’s free!
Quiz Answer:
b) le fromage often comes after the main course, before the dessert!
CHAPTER 3: “HAUTE CUISINE”
Presentation:
Dans un restaurant gastronomique français, chaque plat est préparé minutieusement. Les chefs mettent en valeur les produits du marché, en stimulant les cinq sens. Les restaurants les plus prestigieux sont les trois étoiles Michelin, représentant l’excellence culinaire mondiale.
In a French gourmet restaurant, each dish is meticulously prepared. The chefs highlight the market products, stimulating the five senses. The most prestigious restaurants are the three Michelin stars, representing global culinary excellence.
Vocabulary & Pronunciation:
- Minutieusement – meticulously. “T” sounds like “s” ; “-ment” for adverbs It comes from “minutieux” = meticulous
- Les trois étoiles Michelin – three Michelin stars, the highest rating from the gourmet guide. Notice the liaison: it sounds like “trois zétoiles” !
- Mondial – global, worldwide. From “le monde” (= the world.)
Quiz:
Quick question: How do you say “culinary” in French ?
- Culinarien
- Culinement
- Culinaire
Culinary Note
French dishes often use words like “rôti” (roast), “sauté” (sautéed, quickly cooked over high heat) or “poché” (poached). By mastering a bit of vocabulary, you can become more comfortable navigating the restaurant menus!
Quiz Answer:
c) “Culinaire.” And it’s the same in the feminine and the masculine!
This is the essence of our 30-Day Challenge: short, practical lessons that fit into your schedule, while offering a warm community of fellow French learners.
In our monthly challenge, you also get pronunciation tips, quizzes, transcripts, and plenty of cultural insights that keep you excited to learn. If you’re ready to dive in fully, I’d love to welcome you on board for the next session: click here to get all the details.. Now, let’s move on to our final chapter!
CHAPTER 4: “ICÔNES DE LA CUISINE FRANÇAISE”
Presentation:
Paul Bocuse est un des plus grands ambassadeurs de la cuisine française du vingtième siècle. Depuis son restaurant trois étoiles près de Lyon, il a bâti un empire : livres, école de cuisine, concours international… Médiatique et populaire, il a exporté son art culinaire dans le monde entier.
Paul Bocuse is one of the greatest ambassadors of 20th century French cuisine. From his three-starred restaurant near Lyon, he built an empire: books, cooking school, international competition… A media-savvy and popular figure, he exported his culinary art worldwide.
Vocabulary & Pronunciation:
- Le vingtième siècle – the XXth century. Vingt (= 20) and -ième (= ordinal, ordered numbered.) Paul Bocuse’s career started in 1942, up until his passing in 2018.
- Médiatique – relative to the media, or well known in the media, especially on TV.
In french the “u” after “q” is silent. - Lyon – Lyon (also called “Lyons” in English, never in French) is the third biggest French city, and well-known for its local cuisine and restaurants called “les bouchons lyonnais.” It’s pronounced like the animal : un lion.
Your Turn Now:
Name one famous French TV chef or cooking personality you know—or just type “J’en connais pas.” if you can’t think of any. Let’s see your answers in the comments!
Cultural note:
Some iconic chefs have signature dishes. Bocuse, for instance, is famous for his soupe aux truffes VGE. But you can also explore simpler recipes inspired by these legends—like a flavorful poulet à la crème.
CHAPTER 5: “CUISINE FRANÇAISE MODERNE”
Presentation:
Aujourd’hui, la cuisine française évolue : les food trucks côtoient les kebabs et les fast food, les restaurants proposent des options sans gluten, et même des recettes véganes qui se marient très bien avec des produits du terroir. Les ingrédients bio et de saison, en circuit court, deviennent signe d’un engagement écologique autant que culinaire.
Nowadays, French cuisine is evolving: food trucks stand alongside kebab shops and fast food places, restaurants offer gluten-free options, and even vegan recipes that pair beautifully with traditional local products. Organic and seasonal ingredients from local suppliers have become a sign of environmental commitment, as well as culinary.
Vocabulary & Pronunciation:
- Un food truck, un fast food – a food truck, a fast food place (yes, French people often use English words in everyday life).
- Bio = “issue de l’agriculture biologique” = organic.
- L’engagement écologique = environmental commitement ; we often use the adjective “écolo” for “environmentally conscious” or “Green” (politically)
Cultural note:
French culture is divided on la malbouffe, junk food. On the one hand, many French people enjoy cooking from scratch, using organic produce and staying away from processed food. On the other hand, fast food places are still very popular, including new concepts such as “Le French taco”, North-African fast food using an adjective in English and the name of a Mexican dish; a pure product of modern French suburban food culture.
I hope you enjoyed this mini version of our immersive challenge. Feel free to watch the video again, repeat the French lines, and test your vocabulary. Don’t forget to check our 30 day challenge for more details 🙂
Merci beaucoup for joining me. À bientôt !
I paid for the 30 day challenge but cannot get access to course
Bonjour Martin,
Please email Jen at help@commeunefrancaise.com
She will be able to help with this issue.
Bien à toi,
Fabien
Comme une Française Team
I thought you would find this interesting.
My daughter was a chef in Atlanta’s top restaurant, 103 West. Paul Bocuse came and spent a day with her.