A La Bonne Femme:
Adjective, French cookery.
"prepared in simple style, as in a cream sauce containing mushrooms: filet of sole bonne femme."
"used to refer to a homey and simple but honest cooking style."
"literally, in the manner of a good wife."
What defines a "bonne femme" recipe? Poaching? Mushrooms? Simplicity? Definitions differ, but "bonne femme" usually means home cooking. It often describes dishes made with cheaper cuts of meat, simpler preparation styles, but also with a certain elegance and an eye towards the diner's enjoyment. I like to think of bonne femme as the inspiration of women who really care. It also seems like a "bloom where you're planted" approach to cooking- the dish someone makes with the means she has. A bonne femme dish, whether time-honored or off-the-cuff, is in some way a specialty of the home. And a bonne femme is the kind of person who smiles when she browns some mushrooms, because he loves them.
