We have a wolf range with a French Top Burner that was recommeded by our saleperson. I have had the stove for almost 2 years and have attempted to use the burner one time. I have searched for recipes, better instructions and have come up empty handed. Any recipes, hints or cook books that you can suggest I try would be very helpful.

Don't know any specific recipes, but the French Top usually has a 8" to 9" round plate section directly over the burner and it is removable. Not sure of your model, but there could be 1 to 3 additional ring plates that, if removed, would enlarge the central opening. The idea of the French Top is that when all the plates are in place, you have a flat surface to move cookware around on, with high heat in the center gradually cooling off as you move further away. Thus, you can control temperatures in several pans all together on one large flat surface. The removable plates offer you the option of having the flame contact the cookware. You would remove the center plate for 9" to 10" pots, the next ring for 12" cookware and possibly another for up to 16" cookware. In French cooking, where several sauces are the focal point of the cuisine, the French Top cooking surface is very efficient way to have lots of pots going at the same time, at different tempatures. Good luck! A great piece of kitchen appliance.

A french top can be used in exactly the same way as any other burner. It's greatest strenghts are the ability to control flare-ups as there is only one small source of flame (you sometimes want to "flame" the pan), even heat distribution and/or excellent heat control. Depending on the type of burner below the top, you can get the same heat across the whole surface of the unit (large ring burner(s) underneath the cooking surface combined with a very thick piece of cast iron) or a gradually reduction of heat from the center outwards (very powerful burner(s) near the center and none around the periphery, with several rings to control heat and expansion). You probably will never find a recipe calling for french top burners. Just like you won't see recipes calling for gas, electric, or induction ranges. Graduated French Top ranges (the most popular type and the one you probably have) are prized by sauciers, as you can bring a variety of sauces to boil quickly at the center, then move the pan further out as the sauce finishes. Also, French sauces tend to be high in butter content, where an open flame could have disastrous results. Honestly, French Tops aren't really all that useful in a residential setting. How often will you be 5-6 deep in orders that need to be timed with dishes from differen sections of the kitchen? They burn an incredible amount of gas and take up the space of 4-6 burners. Furthermore, modern gas delivery allows you to make exact adjustment to the temperature for each burner, negating most of the advantages of the French Top. If you're having difficulty adjusting to the French Top, give it a few more months. If you still don't like it, try to get a retrofit back to standard burners from you appliance dealer.