The village church doors. I love the little angel's face above the doorway. Pin It
October 31, 2008
October 30, 2008
October 29, 2008
You Thought You Knew Me...
...and now you're about to find out more...
Recently I was tagged by Veronica, practically a neighbor down here in the south of France, who writes La Recette du Jour, a great site that is brimming with delicious recipes.
Thanks for thinking of me Veronica!
First, the rules:
1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them.
5. Let each person know they’ve been tagged and leave a comment on their blog
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.
Six Random Things About Me
1. I prefer to go clothes shopping alone. Especially for jeans or bras. No one deserves the torture of spending hours in a dressing room with me when I'm looking for the perfect fit.
2. I am a morning person but secretly wish I were a night person. I would love to stay up until 3 or 4 in the morning and sleep until noon. But then I would miss the morning outdoor food markets, so it will never happen.
3. I think the Molecular Gastronomy/Molecular Cooking/Avant-Garde Cuisine (or whatever you want to call it) trend has had its day and now needs to be put out of our misery. If I am offered one more serving of Foam Something Or Other, I'm going to lose it.
On that note, I don't get the whole Ladurée macaron thing. Yes, they're little and cute and sweet and they come in darling pastel colors, but I just don't get it. Can someone please explain this to me?
4. The legion of pets I've had in my life include hermit crabs, turtles, a ball python, toads, frogs, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, rabbits, cats, dogs, a salamander, a Senegal chameleon, little chameleons, tropical fish, parakeets, and a cockateil. My sister had horses. I'm afraid of horses.
5. I love every member of the onion family. Maybe a little too much.
6. 5½ years is the longest I've lived in one house since I left home at the age of 18. That would be the one I'm currently sitting in.
Alright, that's all the inside information I'm giving out for now.
I'd like to learn some more about these ladies:
Danielle of Savor Culture
Camille of Croque-Camille
Robin of My Mélange
Madame X of Our Juicy Life
Anne of Anne in Oxfordshire
Laurie of Slowly She Turned...
Tag, you're it! Pin It
Recently I was tagged by Veronica, practically a neighbor down here in the south of France, who writes La Recette du Jour, a great site that is brimming with delicious recipes.
Thanks for thinking of me Veronica!
First, the rules:
1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them.
5. Let each person know they’ve been tagged and leave a comment on their blog
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.
Six Random Things About Me
1. I prefer to go clothes shopping alone. Especially for jeans or bras. No one deserves the torture of spending hours in a dressing room with me when I'm looking for the perfect fit.
2. I am a morning person but secretly wish I were a night person. I would love to stay up until 3 or 4 in the morning and sleep until noon. But then I would miss the morning outdoor food markets, so it will never happen.
3. I think the Molecular Gastronomy/Molecular Cooking/Avant-Garde Cuisine (or whatever you want to call it) trend has had its day and now needs to be put out of our misery. If I am offered one more serving of Foam Something Or Other, I'm going to lose it.
On that note, I don't get the whole Ladurée macaron thing. Yes, they're little and cute and sweet and they come in darling pastel colors, but I just don't get it. Can someone please explain this to me?
4. The legion of pets I've had in my life include hermit crabs, turtles, a ball python, toads, frogs, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, rabbits, cats, dogs, a salamander, a Senegal chameleon, little chameleons, tropical fish, parakeets, and a cockateil. My sister had horses. I'm afraid of horses.
5. I love every member of the onion family. Maybe a little too much.
6. 5½ years is the longest I've lived in one house since I left home at the age of 18. That would be the one I'm currently sitting in.
Alright, that's all the inside information I'm giving out for now.
I'd like to learn some more about these ladies:
Danielle of Savor Culture
Camille of Croque-Camille
Robin of My Mélange
Madame X of Our Juicy Life
Anne of Anne in Oxfordshire
Laurie of Slowly She Turned...
Tag, you're it! Pin It
October 28, 2008
La Fête du Fromage - Cendré de Champagne
Cendré de Champagne looks gritty. Which kind of turned me off at first.
Grittiness is not a characteristic that I look for when buying cheese.
But it does come from the Champagne-Ardenne region, home to Langres, a huge favorite of mine (and Champagne of course, another huge favorite of mine), so I figured that it would redeem itself.
It did.
Besides, cheese crusts can be cut away.
Cendré de Champagne is matured in damp caves for 6-8 weeks, covered in poplar and beech tree ash, hence the gritty texture of the crust. Traditionally the ash came from the fire in which pig's trotters had been cooked, adding a certain 'je ne sais quoi' to the flavor of the cheese.
These days the ash is pig trotter free and adds a nice, subtle smokiness to its rich, medium-strong, luscious flavor.
Although, the creamy richness is deceiving. The fat content in this unpasteurized cow's milk cheese is only 20-30%, as opposed to the more than 40% of most cheeses.
Just as the little bubbles of Champagne tickle your tongue when you drink it, Cendré de Champagne prickles and tickles your tongue when you eat it, taking its absolute deliciousness to a whole new level.
A glass of Côteau Champenois rouge is suggested with Cendré de Champagne.
Pin It
Grittiness is not a characteristic that I look for when buying cheese.
But it does come from the Champagne-Ardenne region, home to Langres, a huge favorite of mine (and Champagne of course, another huge favorite of mine), so I figured that it would redeem itself.
It did.
Besides, cheese crusts can be cut away.
Cendré de Champagne is matured in damp caves for 6-8 weeks, covered in poplar and beech tree ash, hence the gritty texture of the crust. Traditionally the ash came from the fire in which pig's trotters had been cooked, adding a certain 'je ne sais quoi' to the flavor of the cheese.
These days the ash is pig trotter free and adds a nice, subtle smokiness to its rich, medium-strong, luscious flavor.
Although, the creamy richness is deceiving. The fat content in this unpasteurized cow's milk cheese is only 20-30%, as opposed to the more than 40% of most cheeses.
Just as the little bubbles of Champagne tickle your tongue when you drink it, Cendré de Champagne prickles and tickles your tongue when you eat it, taking its absolute deliciousness to a whole new level.
A glass of Côteau Champenois rouge is suggested with Cendré de Champagne.
Pin It
Photo du Jour - le Soleil
October 27, 2008
Head. Feels. Like. It's. Going. To. Explode.
And I'm so stuffed up that I can hardly breathe.
All I wanted to get done today is the post I've been working on about the fantastic, rich Civet de Lièvre that I made last weekend with the hare our neighbor gave us.
Instead I'm going to lie on the couch and drink hot tea and try to get the crammed-with-cotton sensation out of my brain so I can think and type coherently.
Until then...
Pin It
All I wanted to get done today is the post I've been working on about the fantastic, rich Civet de Lièvre that I made last weekend with the hare our neighbor gave us.
Instead I'm going to lie on the couch and drink hot tea and try to get the crammed-with-cotton sensation out of my brain so I can think and type coherently.
Until then...
Pin It
October 26, 2008
Like to Cook
For the last 14 months I've been the sole contributor on a site called Like to Cook.
As of Tuesday morning the German company who owns the site canceled all of their English speaking contracts.
Thus, no more writing for Like to Cook for me.
If I had known that this was coming I could have said a giant merci et au revoir to my readers over there. Unfortunately I had no idea and have now been locked out of the site, so I decided to say my thank you here, just in case any of you read both sites.
I guess this will give me a lot more time to devote to Chez Loulou.
And to cheese! Pin It
As of Tuesday morning the German company who owns the site canceled all of their English speaking contracts.
Thus, no more writing for Like to Cook for me.
If I had known that this was coming I could have said a giant merci et au revoir to my readers over there. Unfortunately I had no idea and have now been locked out of the site, so I decided to say my thank you here, just in case any of you read both sites.
I guess this will give me a lot more time to devote to Chez Loulou.
And to cheese! Pin It
October 25, 2008
Photo du Jour - Olive Cake
Savory Cake aux Olives.
Delicious to serve with un petit apéro.
Domaine Saint Luc's Cake aux Olives
8 servings
from The Paris Cookbook by Patricia Wells
4 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 ounces (1 cup) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Swiss Gruyère cheese
1 scant cup black Nyons olives, pitted and halved lengthwise*
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
About 1 cup homemade Tomato Sauce (optional)
1. Butter a 6-cup loaf pan (preferably nonstick) and set it aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt, and stir to blend. Slowly add the eggs, whisking to incorporate. Whisk in the milk, cheese, olives and oil. Set aside for 2 hours to allow flour to absorb the liquids (making for a lighter cake).
3. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
4. Stir the batter to blend once again. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Place in the center of the oven and bake until firm and golden, about 30 minutes. Serve at room temperature, sliced and cut into cubes. Or to serve as a first course, slice and serve with fresh tomato sauce.
*I like to make this cake with green lucques olives or a mix of green and black olives. Pin It
October 24, 2008
A Vote For America From the South of France
Our ballots finally arrived last week.
We were beginning to think that they never would.
I heard from many other expats around Europe that they received their ballots at the end of September or early October, so we waited anxiously every day for the mail woman to arrive (my hubby likes to wait for her anyway as she is often dressed in black leather pants, sexy high heels and revealing, tight sweaters), hoping that she would have our big envelopes from Washington state for us.
Every day...nothing. Until last Thursday.
We quickly filled them out and I took them to the village post office where they were treated with the utmost respect by the post mistress. They were carefully weighed and stamped and sent on their way.
Everyone in the village is hoping beyond hope that Obama will win and it felt like we were representing them all in this election. We did our part to get their voices heard.
Now come on America, do us proud!
And I just have to add that anyone who can vote for that woman for vice president, a woman who is the most scary, anti-female woman I think I've ever encountered, needs to have their head examined. Pin It
We were beginning to think that they never would.
I heard from many other expats around Europe that they received their ballots at the end of September or early October, so we waited anxiously every day for the mail woman to arrive (my hubby likes to wait for her anyway as she is often dressed in black leather pants, sexy high heels and revealing, tight sweaters), hoping that she would have our big envelopes from Washington state for us.
Every day...nothing. Until last Thursday.
We quickly filled them out and I took them to the village post office where they were treated with the utmost respect by the post mistress. They were carefully weighed and stamped and sent on their way.
Everyone in the village is hoping beyond hope that Obama will win and it felt like we were representing them all in this election. We did our part to get their voices heard.
Now come on America, do us proud!
And I just have to add that anyone who can vote for that woman for vice president, a woman who is the most scary, anti-female woman I think I've ever encountered, needs to have their head examined. Pin It
October 23, 2008
October 22, 2008
Tarte Tatin
I've fallen in love again...with Tarte Tatin.
It's not surprising that Tarte Tatin, one of the quintessential French desserts, is so celebrated.
Any dessert that combines buttery, sticky, caramelized fruit nestled in a cushion of buttery, golden, flaky pastry (and hopefully topped with vanilla bean ice cream) deserves to be worshiped.
quartered and ready to go
caramelizing slowly
Each rich mouthful of Tarte Tatin it is sheer, unadulterated bliss.
it could have been prettier, but it was so good we didn't care!
Want to know another great thing about Tarte Tatin? It is dead easy to make.
Seriously.
(and even easier if made with pre-rolled, pure butter French pastry)*
Tarte Tatin
Serves 8
1 recipe for pâte brisée (see below) or a frozen puff pastry sheet (from a 17-18 ounce box), thawed, or 1 pre-rolled pastry
1/4 cup (2 ounces) unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup vanilla sugar
about 3-4 pounds of firm apples, peeled, cored and quartered
You'll need either a 10 inch tatin mold or well-seasoned 10-inch cast-iron skillet (I use a sauté pan then transfer the apples and caramel to a ceramic baking dish before topping with the pastry and going into the oven because I don't have either a tatin pan or a cast iron skillet. But I don't let that stop me)
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Roll the thawed puff pastry sheet out on a floured work surface with a floured rolling pin. Cut out a 10-inch circle of pastry with a sharp knife, using a plate as a guide. Transfer the pastry round to a baking sheet and chill.
Spread butter thickly on the bottom and sides of your skillet and pour sugar evenly over the bottom. Arrange as many apples as will fit in the pan, packing them tightly in concentric circles.
Cook apples over medium to medium-high heat until juices are deep golden and bubbling and the apples are golden and cooked through. The caramel might be unevenly colored at first, don't worry. And make sure they aren't burning! I often need to turn the apples a few times to create an even, golden color.
Either transfer the apples and caramel to a ceramic pie dish or leave them in the oven proof skillet and lay the pastry round over the apples, tucking the edges down around the apples. Watch your fingers, caramel is HOT!
If using homemade pastry, roll the pastry dough to a round just larger than the mold. Wrap the dough around the rolling pin and transfer it to cover the apples. Tuck the edges down around the apples, working quickly so their warmth does not melt the dough.
Bake until the pastry is browned, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Transfer skillet or baking dish to a cooling rack and cool at least 10 minutes.
Invert a platter with a lip to catch any juice over the skillet and, using potholders to hold the skillet and plate tightly together, swiftly invert the tart onto the platter. Replace any apples that stick to the skillet and brush any excess caramel from the skillet over the apples.
Serve immediately.
With vanilla bean ice cream if you're feeling extra naughty.
*If the urge strikes to make my own pastry, (which isn't often) I use a recipe from From My Château Kitchen by Ann Willian.
Pâte Brisée
1-2/3 cup/200 grams flour
7 tablespoons/ 100 grams butter
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons/45 mls water, more if needed
Sift the flour onto the work surface and make a well in the center. Put the egg yolks, salt and water in the well. Pound the butter with a rolling pin to soften it, add it to the other ingredients in the well, and work them with the fingers of one hand until thoroughly mixed. Using a pastry scraper, gradually draw in the flour from the sides and continue working with the fingers of both hands until coarse crumbs are formed. If the crumbs seem dry, sprinkle with another tablespoon of water, it should be soft but not sticky. Press the dough together into a ball, but don't overwork it; the dough will be uneven and unblended at this point.
Blend the dough quickly so the butter doesn't become too warm. Put the dough in front of you and use the heel of one hand to push away a bit at a time and flatten it against the work surface; this flattening motion evenly blends the butter with the other ingredients without overworking the dough. When the entire ball of dough has been blended in this fashion, gather it up with a scraper into a rough ball, and repeat this process of blending with the heel of your hand until the dough is pliable and pulls away from the work surface in one piece, 1 to 2 minutes. Shape it into a ball, wrap in plastic, and chill until firm, at least 30 minutes.
Walt's recipe is also excellent.
Tarte Tatin. What better way to celebrate apple season?
Pin It
It's not surprising that Tarte Tatin, one of the quintessential French desserts, is so celebrated.
Any dessert that combines buttery, sticky, caramelized fruit nestled in a cushion of buttery, golden, flaky pastry (and hopefully topped with vanilla bean ice cream) deserves to be worshiped.
quartered and ready to go
caramelizing slowlyEach rich mouthful of Tarte Tatin it is sheer, unadulterated bliss.
it could have been prettier, but it was so good we didn't care!Want to know another great thing about Tarte Tatin? It is dead easy to make.
Seriously.
(and even easier if made with pre-rolled, pure butter French pastry)*
Tarte Tatin
Serves 8
1 recipe for pâte brisée (see below) or a frozen puff pastry sheet (from a 17-18 ounce box), thawed, or 1 pre-rolled pastry
1/4 cup (2 ounces) unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup vanilla sugar
about 3-4 pounds of firm apples, peeled, cored and quartered
You'll need either a 10 inch tatin mold or well-seasoned 10-inch cast-iron skillet (I use a sauté pan then transfer the apples and caramel to a ceramic baking dish before topping with the pastry and going into the oven because I don't have either a tatin pan or a cast iron skillet. But I don't let that stop me)
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Roll the thawed puff pastry sheet out on a floured work surface with a floured rolling pin. Cut out a 10-inch circle of pastry with a sharp knife, using a plate as a guide. Transfer the pastry round to a baking sheet and chill.
Spread butter thickly on the bottom and sides of your skillet and pour sugar evenly over the bottom. Arrange as many apples as will fit in the pan, packing them tightly in concentric circles.
Cook apples over medium to medium-high heat until juices are deep golden and bubbling and the apples are golden and cooked through. The caramel might be unevenly colored at first, don't worry. And make sure they aren't burning! I often need to turn the apples a few times to create an even, golden color.
Either transfer the apples and caramel to a ceramic pie dish or leave them in the oven proof skillet and lay the pastry round over the apples, tucking the edges down around the apples. Watch your fingers, caramel is HOT!
If using homemade pastry, roll the pastry dough to a round just larger than the mold. Wrap the dough around the rolling pin and transfer it to cover the apples. Tuck the edges down around the apples, working quickly so their warmth does not melt the dough.
Bake until the pastry is browned, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Transfer skillet or baking dish to a cooling rack and cool at least 10 minutes.
Invert a platter with a lip to catch any juice over the skillet and, using potholders to hold the skillet and plate tightly together, swiftly invert the tart onto the platter. Replace any apples that stick to the skillet and brush any excess caramel from the skillet over the apples.
Serve immediately.
With vanilla bean ice cream if you're feeling extra naughty.
*If the urge strikes to make my own pastry, (which isn't often) I use a recipe from From My Château Kitchen by Ann Willian.
Pâte Brisée
1-2/3 cup/200 grams flour
7 tablespoons/ 100 grams butter
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons/45 mls water, more if needed
Sift the flour onto the work surface and make a well in the center. Put the egg yolks, salt and water in the well. Pound the butter with a rolling pin to soften it, add it to the other ingredients in the well, and work them with the fingers of one hand until thoroughly mixed. Using a pastry scraper, gradually draw in the flour from the sides and continue working with the fingers of both hands until coarse crumbs are formed. If the crumbs seem dry, sprinkle with another tablespoon of water, it should be soft but not sticky. Press the dough together into a ball, but don't overwork it; the dough will be uneven and unblended at this point.
Blend the dough quickly so the butter doesn't become too warm. Put the dough in front of you and use the heel of one hand to push away a bit at a time and flatten it against the work surface; this flattening motion evenly blends the butter with the other ingredients without overworking the dough. When the entire ball of dough has been blended in this fashion, gather it up with a scraper into a rough ball, and repeat this process of blending with the heel of your hand until the dough is pliable and pulls away from the work surface in one piece, 1 to 2 minutes. Shape it into a ball, wrap in plastic, and chill until firm, at least 30 minutes.
Walt's recipe is also excellent.
Tarte Tatin. What better way to celebrate apple season?
Pin It
Photo du Jour - YES!
...but no, I can't tell you what It was.
Taken in Paris. Has anyone ever seen this sign and knows what It is? Pin It
October 21, 2008
La Fête du Fromage - Fraîcheur Figue
This was another of my (rather embarrassing large number of) cheese purchases that I made while visiting Paris last month.
Fraîcheur Figue is a creamy little chèvre frais wrapped around a dollop of fig jam.
Simple. Sweet. Unpretentious.
My Parisian hosts and I tasted the Fraîcheur Figue one evening as part of a cheese platter and ate the remainder the next morning with breakfast.
We all agreed that its fresh, light flavor was best when smashed onto some toasted bread and enjoyed with coffee. Must have been the jam stuffed inside...
I would happily eat it for breakfast in place of my usual plain yogurt any day.
This is a delightful goat cheese! Its tangy sweetness would be superb with some walnut bread or other earthy, rustic breads and a glass of crisp white wine from the Loire. Probably not for breakfast though!
Fraîcheur Figue is available at Chez Virginie.
Pin It
Fraîcheur Figue is a creamy little chèvre frais wrapped around a dollop of fig jam.
Simple. Sweet. Unpretentious.
My Parisian hosts and I tasted the Fraîcheur Figue one evening as part of a cheese platter and ate the remainder the next morning with breakfast.
We all agreed that its fresh, light flavor was best when smashed onto some toasted bread and enjoyed with coffee. Must have been the jam stuffed inside...
I would happily eat it for breakfast in place of my usual plain yogurt any day.
This is a delightful goat cheese! Its tangy sweetness would be superb with some walnut bread or other earthy, rustic breads and a glass of crisp white wine from the Loire. Probably not for breakfast though!
Fraîcheur Figue is available at Chez Virginie.
Pin It
October 20, 2008
October 19, 2008
Photo du Jour - Comfort
Comfort Food. Sometimes you just crave it.
Macaroni & Cheese is way up there on my Favorite Comfort Food of All Time list.
I use the recipe from Horn & Hardart's, with a few revisions; no cheddar cheese around here so I use Gruyère or another good melting cheese, I add a couple of dashes of Crystal Hot Sauce to the mix and put fine breadcrumbs on the top before it goes in the oven. Pin It
October 18, 2008
Photo du Jour - Innocent?
Daisy and Domino
They look so innocent, don't they? Don't be fooled. You should see them "hunt" the chihuahuas. It's hilarious!
Our little partners in crime. Pin It
October 17, 2008
October In The South Of France
Here's a small glimpse of what's been going on lately:
So, what's new with you?
Pin It
- The kitten can now jump up on the kitchen counter and has become obsessed with both the kitchen sink and the cursor on my laptop.
- Actually went out for a night on the town with the girls. Caipirinhas and dinner and to a nightclub (which was almost empty - it was a Sunday night in Narbonne after all - not the most hip and happening of places) and more caipirinhas and awake talking until 4:30am. Haven't done that in a while!
- We're only losing 24% of our money instead of the 38% we were losing last winter. We're rich!
- The grape harvest is over and the vineyards are so unbelievably, indescribably gorgeous with the bright red, yellow and orange autumn leaves.
- Was very unkindly, unfairly told off by a friend who then had the gall to ask me to help her move into her new house. WTF?
- Picked about 10 pounds of green tomatoes from a neighbor's garden yesterday. Every year he asks me the same question; "what do you do with green tomatoes?"
- My old carte de séjour expired two months ago, with no sign of a new one arriving anytime soon. This is normal. By the time I have to fly back to the States for a visit in February I'll have gone to the Mairie to ask them to call the sous-préfecture to ask them to get their butts in gear and issue my new one. Which will then expire a few months later and we'll start the merry-go-round all over again next June.
- Signed the official papers and said goodbye to our garden. A very bittersweet feeling.
- Finally got to see the Sex and the City movie in its entirety. The fashion was way over the top and what in the name of all that is holy did they do to Miranda's hair during the wedding scene? I enjoyed it for what it was; entertaining.
- Was given a very bloody, smelly gift of a freshly shot and cleaned hare by our neighbor. I have a photo, but am afraid of freaking people out so haven't made it public on my Flickr page yet. Anyone want to see it?
- Ordered a new camera which will be delivered when family comes to visit from the States next month. Very excited!
- Have firmed up plans for both Christmas day and New Year's Eve which, if history proves correct, will both be decadent food and drink laden events surrounded by good friends. Not a bad way to spend the holidays if you ask me.
So, what's new with you?
Pin It
October 16, 2008
Photo du Jour - les Marrons
Les Marrons made their first appearance at the market this week.
Now I'm craving Pumpkin and Chestnut Soup. Pin It
October 15, 2008
La Fête du Fromage - Round Up # 2
The second Fête du Fromage International Cheese Tasting Event was another great success. Thanks to all of you who joined in my little world-wide cheese tasting party!
Judith from A Shortcut to Mushrooms went all out this month, tasting not just one, but two amazing looking, fruit infused cheeses, a White Stilton with Blueberries and a Wensleydale with Cranberries. She thought they were both lovely, but preferred the sweet, mild flavor and smooth texture of the Stilton over the sharper, crumblier Wensleydale.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A recipe for Buttery Cheese Crackers made from Brânză de Burduf, a Romanian cheese that Lore at Culinarty describes as tangy, soft and slightly grainy, is her entry this month. Savory, buttery cheese crackers made from soft, salty cheese...sounds absolutely perfect!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Danielle at Savor Culture offers us Charmoix, a raw cow's milk cheese produced at the Coopératif Fermière de Mean in Belgium. She describes it as a "quiet cheese, with a mild flavor that expresses lemon zest, salted butter, and chalky stone." Danielle recommends tasting the Charmoix with slices of ripe Bartlett pear and peasant bread, with a glass of lambic beer or sparkling wine.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The King of Italian cheeses, Parmegiano Reggiano, is Nathalie of Spaced Out Ramblings' cheese selection this month. This cheese has many, many impostors, therefore she advises to look for the words Parmegiano Reggiano burned into its crust as the sign of authenticity. Natalie tasted chunks of Parmegiano with some pear and sprinkled with a few drops of aged Balsamic Vinegar. I'm swooning over the thought of this combination!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Camille at Croque-Camille cooks up a unique twist on the classic French dish, Tartiflette, with some Doré de l’Abbaye cheese, sautéed winter squash, bacon, leeks and little buckwheat pasta squares. The resulting dish looks amazing! I've invited myself to dinner the next time I'm in Paris.
Oh yeah...the cheese....she describes it as having a mild, stinky-cheese flavor and great for melting.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The final cheese is a creamy, sexy Burrata, tasted by Lauren at I'll Eat You. This fresh Italian cheese is made when "fresh mozzarella is stretched over a mixture of mozzarella curd and cream, so that when it is cut open, a luxurious, creamy, oozy center is revealed." Lauren describes the flavor as fresh and clean. I'm anxious to try Burrata. It looks wonderful!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My addition to the event is Brie de Melun which I tasted last August. This rich, strong, French cheese from northern France is absolutely fantastic! It has a gorgeous combination of flavors that include mushroom, hazelnuts, salty and fruity.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thus wraps up October's Fête du Fromage.
I look forward to seeing what will be tasted in November!
The 15th of every month will be the official day for La Fête du Fromage. Please have your entries to me by the end of the 13th.
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 chosen cheese? Would you recommend it or not? Is there something unusual or interesting about it?
Judith from A Shortcut to Mushrooms went all out this month, tasting not just one, but two amazing looking, fruit infused cheeses, a White Stilton with Blueberries and a Wensleydale with Cranberries. She thought they were both lovely, but preferred the sweet, mild flavor and smooth texture of the Stilton over the sharper, crumblier Wensleydale.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A recipe for Buttery Cheese Crackers made from Brânză de Burduf, a Romanian cheese that Lore at Culinarty describes as tangy, soft and slightly grainy, is her entry this month. Savory, buttery cheese crackers made from soft, salty cheese...sounds absolutely perfect!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Danielle at Savor Culture offers us Charmoix, a raw cow's milk cheese produced at the Coopératif Fermière de Mean in Belgium. She describes it as a "quiet cheese, with a mild flavor that expresses lemon zest, salted butter, and chalky stone." Danielle recommends tasting the Charmoix with slices of ripe Bartlett pear and peasant bread, with a glass of lambic beer or sparkling wine.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The King of Italian cheeses, Parmegiano Reggiano, is Nathalie of Spaced Out Ramblings' cheese selection this month. This cheese has many, many impostors, therefore she advises to look for the words Parmegiano Reggiano burned into its crust as the sign of authenticity. Natalie tasted chunks of Parmegiano with some pear and sprinkled with a few drops of aged Balsamic Vinegar. I'm swooning over the thought of this combination!
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Camille at Croque-Camille cooks up a unique twist on the classic French dish, Tartiflette, with some Doré de l’Abbaye cheese, sautéed winter squash, bacon, leeks and little buckwheat pasta squares. The resulting dish looks amazing! I've invited myself to dinner the next time I'm in Paris.
Oh yeah...the cheese....she describes it as having a mild, stinky-cheese flavor and great for melting.
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The final cheese is a creamy, sexy Burrata, tasted by Lauren at I'll Eat You. This fresh Italian cheese is made when "fresh mozzarella is stretched over a mixture of mozzarella curd and cream, so that when it is cut open, a luxurious, creamy, oozy center is revealed." Lauren describes the flavor as fresh and clean. I'm anxious to try Burrata. It looks wonderful!
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My addition to the event is Brie de Melun which I tasted last August. This rich, strong, French cheese from northern France is absolutely fantastic! It has a gorgeous combination of flavors that include mushroom, hazelnuts, salty and fruity.
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Thus wraps up October's Fête du Fromage.
I look forward to seeing what will be tasted in November!
The 15th of every month will be the official day for La Fête du Fromage. Please have your entries to me by the end of the 13th.
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 chosen 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
Photo du Jour - Camembert de Normandie
Beautiful boxes of unpasteurized Camembert de Normadie in the window of Chez Virginie in Paris. Pin It
October 14, 2008
Super Satisfying Comfort Food
Looking for a meal that is super satisfying comfort food? A dish that will fill you up with its robust, rich flavor and leave you happy, warm and content? (and probably way too full because it was just so damn good that you just couldn't stop eating it?)
If your answer is yes, then have I got a dish for you!
I found this on Stonesoup and was immediately attracted to its mix of tomatoes, chorizo, white beans and eggs. I had all the ingredients in the house and it was wonderfully easy and satisfying!
My photo definitely doesn't do the dish justice. Stonesoup's is much more professional looking.
Pin It
If your answer is yes, then have I got a dish for you!
I found this on Stonesoup and was immediately attracted to its mix of tomatoes, chorizo, white beans and eggs. I had all the ingredients in the house and it was wonderfully easy and satisfying!
My photo definitely doesn't do the dish justice. Stonesoup's is much more professional looking.baked eggs with chorizo & cannellini beans
serves 4
adapted from Stonesoup's recipe
2 Tablespoons olive oil
4 chorizo, sliced
1 large red onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled & sliced
4 sprigs oregano, leaves picked
1 can whole, peeled tomatoes, crushed
4 Tablespoons tomato paste
1/8 cup red wine vinegar
2, 14 ounce cans cannellini beans, drained
4 eggs
Preheat oven to 400F. Heat oil in a large flame proof casserole dish or frying pan. Cook chorizo over a medium heat until well browned. Remove chorizo from the pan and reserve. Add onion to the pan and cook for 10 minutes or until softened and not browned. Add garlic and cook for a few more minutes before adding oregano, tomatoes, tomato paste and vinegar. Season and bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes or until sauce has thickened so it is no longer watery.
Stir through beans and chorizo and smooth over top. Bring back to a simmer and remove from the heat. Using a spoon, make 4 egg sized indentations in the bean mixture and crack and egg into each hole. Bake for 15 minutes or until egg whites are just cooked but the yolks are still lovely and runny. Remembering that this dish holds it’s heat so the egg will continue to cook after you remove it from the oven.
Divide between 4 warmed plates and serve immediately
Pin It
Photo du Jour - Pink Polka Dot Wellies!
A good luck gift for our friend who is moving to Brittany.
These are so crazy and fun! We don't get as much rain as they do up in Brittany, but now I want a pair too. Their bright color laughs in the face of gray, rainy weather! Pin It
October 13, 2008
My Mastercard Ads
Pocket sized English/Spanish/Catalan phrase book...€8
Map of Catalonia...€4
Filling up the car with a full tank of fuel...€65
Jumping in the car at 9 a.m. and arriving in Barcelona in time for lunch...priceless
Yearly membership to the AVF...27€
French language textbook...13€
Notebooks, paper, pens and many, many Wite Out correction pens...40€
The first time I was able to have a lengthy conversation in French with our 85 year old neighbor...priceless
Une noisette et un croissant at our favorite café...€2.30
New copy of Cuisine et Vins de France...€3
A roasted chicken and sides of vegetables and potatoes to take home for lunch...€10
Enjoying a leisurely morning at the café after finishing my weekly grocery shopping at the local market...priceless
What would your Mastercard ad say? Pin It
Map of Catalonia...€4
Filling up the car with a full tank of fuel...€65
Jumping in the car at 9 a.m. and arriving in Barcelona in time for lunch...priceless
Yearly membership to the AVF...27€
French language textbook...13€
Notebooks, paper, pens and many, many Wite Out correction pens...40€
The first time I was able to have a lengthy conversation in French with our 85 year old neighbor...priceless
Une noisette et un croissant at our favorite café...€2.30
New copy of Cuisine et Vins de France...€3
A roasted chicken and sides of vegetables and potatoes to take home for lunch...€10
Enjoying a leisurely morning at the café after finishing my weekly grocery shopping at the local market...priceless
What would your Mastercard ad say? Pin It
October 12, 2008
Photo du Jour - October
I love how the shadows look like pointy claws coming to grab the cowering little red leaf.
Creepy! Pin It
October 11, 2008
October 10, 2008
Photo du Jour - Les Poires
Louise Bonne and La Beurré Bosc pears, ripe and perfect for making a rich, caramelized Tarte Tatin aux Poires. Pin It
October 9, 2008
Photo du Jour - The Wine Co-Op
Discarding the grape stems and skins at Les Trois Blasons, our local wine coopératif.
The air is full of a yeasty, fermenting aroma and the tractor traffic has almost ended.
The vendange is almost over. Pin It
October 8, 2008
Brittany Cuisine
Then there were six...
Last Saturday was our final World Food Evening of eight. Two of the group are leaving us at the end of this month and moving to their new property up north in Brittany. (How dare they!)
We decided that the perfect food theme to get them ready would be un petit repas Breton.
The only catch...collectively we knew nothing about Breton cuisine.
Except that they drink cider. And eat a lot of seafood.
A crash course was necessary.
After many hours of exhausting research I came to the conclusion that, although there is a seemingly endless amount of information on the Internet, when it came to finding recipes from Brittany, my collection of French cookbooks proved invaluable.
The first course was a Salade Poul-Fetan, named for a small village in Brittany that is just down the road from their new home.
We followed with luscious Cider Braised Pork Chops with Cream and Mushrooms, a very rich Gratin de Pommes de Terre aux Lardons (Potato Gratin with Bacon) and sweet Honey Glazed Shallots.
It was one of our most delicious evenings yet!
I was a Spire Pear Cider fanatic when I lived in Seattle and was happy to taste the French version with our meal. It was lighter, not as sweet and not as fizzy, and I thought it was great with the creamy pork chops and potato and bacon gratin. The hard apple cider was equally good with our Breton feast.
The Far Breton, a heavy, custard dessert (almost like a Breton clafoutis) that is studded with Armagnac soaked prunes, was my contribution.
This is not a light dessert, and after the heavy meal we had just eaten it was probably a bit over the top. However...two of us had second helpings (I'm not naming names).
For our next meal (an Indian curry) the group will only be the six of us left behind here in the south. Maybe we'll find a new twosome to join us one day. Maybe not.
Or maybe we'll just keep those chairs open for when our friends come back for a visit.
Which we hope will be soon. Pin It
Last Saturday was our final World Food Evening of eight. Two of the group are leaving us at the end of this month and moving to their new property up north in Brittany. (How dare they!)
We decided that the perfect food theme to get them ready would be un petit repas Breton.
The only catch...collectively we knew nothing about Breton cuisine.
Except that they drink cider. And eat a lot of seafood.
A crash course was necessary.
After many hours of exhausting research I came to the conclusion that, although there is a seemingly endless amount of information on the Internet, when it came to finding recipes from Brittany, my collection of French cookbooks proved invaluable.
The first course was a Salade Poul-Fetan, named for a small village in Brittany that is just down the road from their new home.
We followed with luscious Cider Braised Pork Chops with Cream and Mushrooms, a very rich Gratin de Pommes de Terre aux Lardons (Potato Gratin with Bacon) and sweet Honey Glazed Shallots.
It was one of our most delicious evenings yet!
I was a Spire Pear Cider fanatic when I lived in Seattle and was happy to taste the French version with our meal. It was lighter, not as sweet and not as fizzy, and I thought it was great with the creamy pork chops and potato and bacon gratin. The hard apple cider was equally good with our Breton feast.
The Far Breton, a heavy, custard dessert (almost like a Breton clafoutis) that is studded with Armagnac soaked prunes, was my contribution.
This is not a light dessert, and after the heavy meal we had just eaten it was probably a bit over the top. However...two of us had second helpings (I'm not naming names).
For our next meal (an Indian curry) the group will only be the six of us left behind here in the south. Maybe we'll find a new twosome to join us one day. Maybe not.
Or maybe we'll just keep those chairs open for when our friends come back for a visit.
Which we hope will be soon. Pin It
October 7, 2008
La Fête du Fromage - Bleu des Causses
Bleu des Causses and its famous blue cheese cousin, Roquefort, are similar in many ways; both have the distinction of AOC status, both cheeses are produced in les Causses in Aveyron and both are matured in limestone caves where cool, damp air is the perfect breeding ground for the mold spores that create both cheese's distinctive blue veining.
The main difference between the two is that Bleu des Causses, often referred to as 'The Poor Man's Roquefort", is made from unpasteurized cow's milk whereas Roquefort is made from unpasteurized sheep's milk.
Taste wise, Bleu des Causses is a much softer, milder bleu. A kinder, gentler bleu. A friendly bleu. It doesn't pack a sharp punch like Roquefort.
I loved it!
The use of rich, whole milk makes the texture intense, creamy and crumbly.
It has a full, well rounded flavor that is salty and fruity, and with hints of sweet grass.
Sweet wines such as Banyuls, Muscat Saint Jean de Minervois or Côte de Bergerac moelleux are perfect pairings with Bleu des Causses. Pin It
October 6, 2008
October 5, 2008
October 4, 2008
Photo du Jour - Onion Rouge
October 3, 2008
Gratin Dauphinois
What: Gratin Dauphinois. A layered potato and cheese gratin, infused with a little bit of garlic and nutmeg and baked until golden and bubbly. A classic French dish.
Why: Exquisite flavor and rich, creamy texture. Simple and honest. Requires only a few ingredients. Because everyone needs to indulge in comfort food like this once and a while.
Equipment: A sharp knife or mandoline*. A ceramic gratin dish. An oven.
How: Gather your ingredients. You may have them in your kitchen already.
Rub the bottom of the gratin dish with the garlic clove, then thinly slice it.
Peel the potatoes and thinly slice them with either a knife or a mandoline.
Layer half the potato slices on the bottom of the gratin dish. Scatter the sliced garlic over the potatoes then sprinkle on half the cheese, the crème fraîche (or ½ cup of heavy cream) and some salt.
Repeat with the remaining ingredients and top with a tiny grating of nutmeg.
Bake for an hour. The gratin will be crisp and golden on top, soft and creamy in the middle.
* My inexpensive, plastic mandoline is about 12 years old and still going strong. Pin It
Why: Exquisite flavor and rich, creamy texture. Simple and honest. Requires only a few ingredients. Because everyone needs to indulge in comfort food like this once and a while.
Equipment: A sharp knife or mandoline*. A ceramic gratin dish. An oven.
How: Gather your ingredients. You may have them in your kitchen already.
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 pounds starchy potatoes
- 1 cup grated Swiss Gruyère (or Emmental if you must - but Gruyère is richer)
- ½ cup heavy cream (or 1 cup of heavy cream if you don't have crème fraîche)
- ½ cup crème fraîche (or 1 cup crème fraîche if you don't have heavy cream)
- pinch of nutmeg
- fine sea salt
Rub the bottom of the gratin dish with the garlic clove, then thinly slice it.
Peel the potatoes and thinly slice them with either a knife or a mandoline.
Layer half the potato slices on the bottom of the gratin dish. Scatter the sliced garlic over the potatoes then sprinkle on half the cheese, the crème fraîche (or ½ cup of heavy cream) and some salt.
Repeat with the remaining ingredients and top with a tiny grating of nutmeg.
Bake for an hour. The gratin will be crisp and golden on top, soft and creamy in the middle.
* My inexpensive, plastic mandoline is about 12 years old and still going strong. Pin It
October 2, 2008
Photo du Jour - Pain au Levain
Pain au Levain - Sourdough bread.
Not as strong as the famous sourdough bread in San Francisco. This is made from organic flour and sold by the kilo at the local weekly morning market.
Nice and crunchy crust and a robust, chewy texture. Pin It
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