French food isn't the easiest cuisine to master. You'll need a lot of practice, but don't be afraid to take your time, to experiment, and to find your own style. Even if you're not cooking Cordon Bleu dishes by next week, the point is to enjoy yourself.

The ingredients you use in your French food are at least as important as technique and tools. Always be sure to get the freshest ingredients you can find; that's half the job right there. Most supermarkets have most of what you need, but you may have to look hard to find some obscure ingredients.

In order to cook French food on a regular basis, you need to be sure you have, at the very least, the following basic ingredients in your cupboard: olive oil, vinegar (particularly the red wine variety), hot (Dijon) mustard, nutmeg, onions, garlic, flour, and sugar.