Celebrate Bastille Day with French food

Spectacular firework displays in July aren’t limited to the United States. Ten days after America’s Independence Day, the French also have their own red, white and blue holiday. Called Bastille Day by English speakers, the day is known to the French as “La Fête Nationale,” and it celebrates the anniversary of the liberation of France marked by the storming of the medieval Bastille prison on 14 July 1789.

The revelry usually begins the night before, with elaborate parties and balls. Then on the morning of Bastille Day, there is an impressive military parade led by the French President and featuring jets flying overhead. After that, people celebrate with garden parties, picnics, and plenty of wine. The day is topped off with fireworks; in Paris the Eiffel Tower makes a magnificent backdrop to the fireworks display.

There are no particular foods that are ascribed to this holiday, but you can use the EYB Library for inspiration. With more than 30,000 online French recipes at your fingertips you can find the perfect food for any type of meal, whether an elegant formal dinner or a casual picnic. Here are some of the top-rated French recipes in the Library:

• Fromage fort from The Splendid Table by Jacques Pépin
• Vichyssoise by Mark Bittman
• Pipérade from BBC Good Food Magazine by Michel and Albert Roux
• Apple tarte Tatin from Delicious Magazine (Aus) 
• Cherry clafoutis from The Guardian Feast Supplement (pictured)
• Chicken with mustard (Poulet à la moutarde) from My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz 
• Seeded rosemary fougasse from Martha Stewart Living Magazine
• Ratatouille (Eggplant casserole) from Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child and Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck
• Gougères from Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan