Can you tell me about traditional French cuisine?
Can you tell me about traditional French cuisine?
user
Sure.  Many dishes are vegetarian and meat-free.  Typical ingredients include: onion, celery, carrots, garlic, potatoes, fresh and dried beans, peas, squashes, and tomatoes.  Of course, French cuisine is varied and extensive.  Can you tell me more about your question?
assistant
How does French cuisine change in its different regions?
user
That’s a good question, but also a very complicated one.  French cuisine has its roots in the cooking of French peasants, so there are many different regional styles.  If you wanted to understand the cuisine of a specific region, what I might do would be to look at specific dishes that are unique to that region.  For example, I would look at the cassoulet recipe from Toulouse.  Or, if I wanted to understand the cuisine of the south, where tomatoes are an important ingredient, I could look at the bouillabaisse dish from Marseille.  What do you think of this idea?
assistant
That's a great idea! What is a cassoulet?
user
It's a French dish from the south of France that combines white beans, meat, and tomatoes.  In Marseille, bouillabaisse is another classic French dish that is a fish soup.
assistant
Can you give me a recipe for a cassoulet?
user