One preparation that French country cooks use to great advantage is spiced and seasoned salt. While salt and pepper shakers do appear on French dinner tables, they are rarely used. Gallic cooks can be deeply offended by guests who season their food at the table. They believe in seasoning it correctly in the kitchen, during the cooking. From the book "The French Farmhouse Kitchen" by Eileen Reece. The following age - old recipe comes from a farm in Vendée.