April 15, 2009

La Fête du Fromage - April Round Up

Presenting April's La Fête du Fromage International Cheese Tasting Event. I am very pleased to see some new faces along with some old friends here this month.


Attack of the Killer Zucchini (don't you just love that name!) contributor Sarah tasted Picolo, a triple-cream cow's milk cheese from the Andante dairy. It looks wonderfully rich and creamy, and how can you go wrong with a triple-cream cheese?


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Danielle of Savor Culture took some time away from settling into her new home and playing with her darling new puppy to taste Gabriel, a cow and goat milk cheese produced on Bittersweet Plantation in Gonzales, Louisiana. Next time I'm in New Orleans I plan on giving this one a try!


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A batch of garlic-infused Fromage Fort was whipped up by Becke, the Columbus Foodie. This recipe is perfect for all those uneaten corners and bits of cheese sitting in your refrigerator. Just blitz them up in your food processor with some white wine, garlic, salt and pepper, and you've got yourself a delicious cheese spread that is perfect for eating with crackers or slathering on a baguette. Yum!


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My contribution to La Fête is something new; Tomme d'Estaing. This is another one of the Aveyron cheeses that Betty brought for me to try last weekend. It is a soft and buttery unpasteurized cow's milk cheese produced near the picturesque village of Estaing. The rich mushroom and nutty flavors paired perfectly with our local, Minervois red wine. If you ever find yourself in the Aveyron, this cheese is a real treat!


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Thanks for participating everyone! Hope to see you again next month for some more cheese tasting festivities.


If you would like to join in the 8th Fête du Fromage International Cheese Tasting Event in May, please have your entries to me by May 13. I'll post the round-up on May 15.

Tell us why you chose this particular cheese. Tell us how it tasted. Tell us about its texture and aroma. Did you eat it on its own? Or with something? Did you drink anything special with your cheese? Would you recommend it or not? Is there something unusual or interesting about it?
  • Photos are wonderful, but not necessary
  • Entries must contain the words La Fête du Fromage and contain a link to Chez Loulou
  • Posts should be written specifically for La Fête du Fromage and not entered in any other food blog event
  • Please send the link to your post to louloufrance (at) gmail (dot) com with the words Fête du Fromage in the subject line
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8 comments:

Betty Carlson said...

I'm glad you liked the tome d'Estaing! I'm not even sure I had ever tasted it -- it's one of the pricier tomes, so I don't always choose it.

Someday I'll have to participate in this Fête du Fromage -- it's a great idea.

Jennifer said...

It was great! I will look for it down here, but am not sure I'll be able to find it.
You should join in! Pourquoi pas...

Anonymous said...

Sorry I missed it this month - have you ever tried to find an open fromagerie on Easter Monday? We ended up just getting some old favorites (Bleu d'Auvergne, lait cru Camembert) at Monoprix, which was apparently the ONLY store that was open. Still, my mouth is watering looking at all the cheeses. Thank you so much for putting this event together! It's certainly encouraged me to broaden my cheese horizons, and my love for the stuff has grown accordingly. :)

Mary said...

My mouth is watering. I wish I could be there!

spacedlaw said...

Darn. Missed it. I was in France and surrounded with lovely cheese and got swamped. Also i can't write with my mom's computer (or more to the point with the French keyboard)

Jennifer said...

croquecamille
Having the Easter holidays the same week as la Fête made it difficult for many to take the time to participate or find cheese, I think.
Glad you found a Monoprix with a couple of cheeses to get you through your lunch. :)

Hope to see you in May!

Mary
You should join us next month! It is always fun to taste something new.
Is there a cheese shop or cheese-stocked grocery store close to your home?

spacedlaw
You use a QWERTY?
I bought my laptop in the States so I wouldn't have to deal with the AZERTY.
I look forward to seeing what cheese you share with us next month!

Betty Carlson said...

I definitely use an AZERTY -- always have to get used to it in the States, though, when I change back. It seems almost necessary if one has to type some in French...

Word check: laviande

Jennifer said...

Betty
The laptop keyboard is set to International so I have a lot of the accents available when I need them. And I use http://french.typeit.org/ if I need it.
Tried out the AZERTY and it drove me crazy having to shift for a .
I'm sure I would have gotten used to it if I had tried. Just couldn't be bothered! :)