Pommes Anna is a minimalist, yet challenging French potato dish consisting of peeled, thinly sliced potatoes and butter. The dish is typically seasoned only with salt and pepper. The potato slices are arranged in overlapping layers, drizzled with butter, cooked on top of the stove, then baked in the oven.

When served, the baking dish is inverted, so the bottom of the casserole ends up on top. The dish was invented by a chef named Adolf Dugléré in the 19th century, who named it after one of these two actresses – either Anna Deslions or Anna Judic. 

Aligot is a French dish which incorporates mashed potatoes, melted cheese, cream, and crushed garlic. This combination results in a creamy, elastic, and velvety mixture that is similar to fondue. The dish is a specialty of L'Aubrac, a region located in the south of France.

It is believed that aligot was invented by monks who lived in the regional monasteries and were often visited by pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela, a pilgrimage site in the north of Spain. The original version included a combination of bread and cheese, but the dish got its final form in the 16th century, after the introduction of potatoes. 

Truffade is a thick potato and cheese pancake, a specialty of the French Auvergne region. The cheeses used in the dish must always be mild, such as Gruyére, or Tomme fraîche de Cantal. Truffade is most commonly served as a side dish, as an accompaniment to steaks or other meat dishes.

In the Dauphine region's version of the dish, tomatoes are typically used instead of cheese. This savory pancake is sometimes garnished with finely chopped parsley.

Pommes fondantes is a traditional side dish originating from France and a technique of cooking new potatoes. The potatoes are well-scraped, washed, and dried, and then browned in butter, either whole, or with the ends cut off. They're roasted in butter and chicken or beef stock until fully cooked.

If properly prepared, the potatoes should be golden on the outside and melting inside. The flavor of butter is essential to the dish, and margarine should be avoided at all costs because it will leave a sediment at the bottom of the pan that burns and sticks. 

Paillassons de courgettes is a traditional pancake or fritter that's especially popular in the south of the country, especially in Languedoc. It's usually made with a combination of zucchini, onions, eggs, flour, oil, salt, and pepper. The zucchinis are grated, salted, drained, and rinsed, while the onions are sautéed in oil until tender, and then mixed with the zucchinis.

A mixture of eggs, flour, salt, and black pepper is whisked into a batter that's mixed with the onions and zucchinis, and it's then dropped by spoonfuls into a large pan with heated oil in it. The pancakes are flattened with a spoon and fried over medium heat on both sides until golden, but not brown. 

This colorful Provençal vegetable ragout is traditionally made with simple, easily accessible ingredients: courgettes, eggplants, green and red peppers, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and parsley. The name ratatouille stems from the old Occitan word ratatolha, and the French word touiller, both meaning to toss, or to stir up, referring to the cooking process in which the ingredients are first simmered separately—seasoned with salt, pepper, and olive oil—and then tossed together and stirred into a vibrant vegetable medley.

Though it wasn't until the 1930s that ratatouille was popularized, by the 1980s, the dish had become the star of any dinner party. Ratatouille can be enjoyed on its own, served either hot or cold, along with toasted garlic bread, or it can be dished out as a side to roasted or grilled meat mains, especially lamb and chicken.

Fougasse is a flatbread that is typically sweetened with sugar and orange-flavored water. It can commonly be found in Provence and throughout southern France, and it is easily recognizable by its shape. Fougasse is usually shaped like a wheat grain, with cuts that form a veiny, leafy outline.

Originally, this bread has been baked since Roman times, and it was mainly used to test the temperature of the oven. Today, there are several variations of the bread, while olives, cheese, and figs are often incorporated into the dough. It provides a perfect accompaniment to a number of dishes, but it can also be used to make a variety of sandwiches.

Soufflé potatoes is an interesting French creation that is made by double-frying potato slices in very hot oil. The potatoes are thinly sliced into uniform slices, then thoroughly dried before being fried. Once fried, the potato slices are removed from the oil and allowed to chill before being fried for a second time in even hotter oil until puffed up, crispy, and golden brown.

The traditional accompanying condiment of choice is sauce béarnaise, which is a combination of butter, egg yolks, lemon, and tarragon. This dish is considered an unforeseen culinary invention from the early 19th century that has been attributed to a certain chef named Collinet. 

Piperade is a traditional dish from the region of French (and Spanish) Basque Country, consisting of tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, Espelette pepper, and garlic, while ham, and eggs are sometimes added to the dish to enhance its flavors. The dish can be traced to the early 1800s, when the word piperade referred to ground pepper.

Red is the color of Basque, and it is evident in their cuisine, which is heavily dominated by peppers. Every year in October, there is a fair in the town of Espelette, featuring traditional Basque specialties, with piperade being one of the main attractions.