Blue shutters in the Charente. Pin It
Showing posts with label Charente. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Charente. Show all posts
January 15, 2009
January 6, 2009
La Fête du Fromage - Kalidaan
Certain cheeses just belong on the breakfast table.
I don't mean cheese mixed in with eggs or made into quiche. Nor do I mean cheese melted over potatoes or baked into a breakfast strata.*
Just a wedge of fresh, tangy cheese.
Hopefully with a nice hunk of baguette and some fresh fruit or jam. Cheese like this one: Kalidaan.
Kalidaan is a soft, flavorful fromage de chèvre that is produced on a small farm (approximately 300 goats) in the Poitou-Charentes region.
There is no "goatiness" to this goat's cheese and the texture is wonderful and creamy with a mere hint of chalkiness. It has a well balanced, grassy, light flavor that was delicious with some cherry jam and bread for petit déjeuner.
As it was fairly early in the morning, I had a big café au lait with my wedge of Kalidaan.
A glass of crisp white wine from the Loire would also be good. A bit later in the day, of course.
*my mom used to make a mean strata for brunch on the weekends. Mentioning it brings back yummy childhood breakfast memories...
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December 12, 2008
Cognac Centre Ville
Cognac. I love this place. We've visited this charismatic town three times in the last five years and plan to go again next year.
The fabulous Chinese food and innumerable Cognac tasting opportunities are reason enough to go back, but we also appreciate the sophisticated atmosphere, the fact that it is easy to get around and to park in, and think that Cognac is generally, an all-around, delightful French town.
One of the best things about Cognac - it is people friendly.
Its small size (population around 20,000) means that it is easily navigated on foot. The medieval quarter is a maze of little streets that you can't resist exploring and a stroll along the river offers scenic views and shady spots to have a picnic or relax. In the summertime there are boat rides along the Charente river to consider.
You will be spoiled for choice when it comes to fresh seafood Le Marché Couvert, which is open every morning except for Monday. Other open air markets take place around town every Saturday and Sunday, offering a wealth of fresh fruit and vegetables, cheese, charcuterie and seafood. There are also Marchés Bio (organic markets) held the 3rd Sunday of the month and every Tuesday and Friday.
If you're looking for places in France to visit, put the town of Cognac and the surrounding area on your list. The Charente and Charente-Maritime offer vast, gorgeous Atlantic beaches, quaint islands, some of the most succulent oysters you'll ever taste, world renowned Cognac, music and art festivals, Roman and Romanesque architecture and a beautiful landscape of rolling hills dotted with vineyards and picturesque fields of sunflowers.
What more could you ask for?
Cognac Tourism
Charente Tourism
Official site of la Charente-Maritime (in French)
Poitou Charentes Tourism Pin It
The fabulous Chinese food and innumerable Cognac tasting opportunities are reason enough to go back, but we also appreciate the sophisticated atmosphere, the fact that it is easy to get around and to park in, and think that Cognac is generally, an all-around, delightful French town.
One of the best things about Cognac - it is people friendly.
Its small size (population around 20,000) means that it is easily navigated on foot. The medieval quarter is a maze of little streets that you can't resist exploring and a stroll along the river offers scenic views and shady spots to have a picnic or relax. In the summertime there are boat rides along the Charente river to consider.
You will be spoiled for choice when it comes to fresh seafood Le Marché Couvert, which is open every morning except for Monday. Other open air markets take place around town every Saturday and Sunday, offering a wealth of fresh fruit and vegetables, cheese, charcuterie and seafood. There are also Marchés Bio (organic markets) held the 3rd Sunday of the month and every Tuesday and Friday.
If you're looking for places in France to visit, put the town of Cognac and the surrounding area on your list. The Charente and Charente-Maritime offer vast, gorgeous Atlantic beaches, quaint islands, some of the most succulent oysters you'll ever taste, world renowned Cognac, music and art festivals, Roman and Romanesque architecture and a beautiful landscape of rolling hills dotted with vineyards and picturesque fields of sunflowers.
What more could you ask for?
Cognac Tourism
Charente Tourism
Official site of la Charente-Maritime (in French)
Poitou Charentes Tourism Pin It
December 5, 2008
November 29, 2008
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