6 French Frozen Foods We Need In America

Don't get us wrong: We hate the fact that so many classic French bistros are serving their customers frozen food. Food in restaurants should always be made at that restaurant. However, there is a place for frozen food in France: the kitchens of locals and visitors. Luckily for the French, their frozen food is a cut above that of the rest of the world.

These little puff pastries look like rosebuds. They are deep pink in color, artfully shaped, and are stuffed with foie gras and black cherry confit. They're designed to look like dessert so your guests can encounter a pleasant surprise. It's not the most well thought-out surprise, as your guest could be vegetarian or really want dessert, but it's the playfulness of the thought that counts.

Snails from a freezer? Some Americans might shudder at the thought. However, in France, it is a probably a delight for the last-minute party thrower to be able to pop these rich, buttery Burgundy snails into the oven for a classy appetizer that makes the apartment smell divine.

A cluster of green beans wrapped in smoked pork belly bacon? Yes, please. It sounds like a party-pleasing appetizer for guests and a nice way for kids to get their greens.

This seafood fondue, with salmon, pollock, scallops, and vegetables in a creamy, Noilly Prat vermouth sauce, is made to share for four people. And it takes only five minutes to cook in the microwave.

These mini bread rolls with chips of dried fig go very well with fois gras, which you can also buy frozen at Picard and other grocery stores in France.  

This mascarpone mousse with a macaroon biscuit base, topped with strawberry compote and white chocolate shavings, looks like something straight out of one of Marie Antoinette's tea parties — and it's frozen food!