December's La Fête du Fromage Round-Up

December is a crazy time of year for most of us. A warm thank you to all of you who found a moment to savor cheese for this month's Fête du Fromage International Cheese Tasting Event.


Shira of Petit Pois made Oeufs en Cocotte for a light supper with leftover slow cooked onions and eggs, then sprinkled with shredded Gruyère. The result was savory little gratin crowned with delicious, golden cheese. What a great looking dish!

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Creamy and rich Grès des Vosges sounds amazing! Chelly from Rolling in Dough happily tasted this Kirsch infused, French cheese from Alsace. A glass of Gewurztraminer and some slices of baguette alongside made a perfect snack.

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Nathalie at Spaced Out Ramblings shared another luscious looking Italian cheese with us for December's Fête. Stracchino is a soft, spreadable cow's-milk cheese from the Lombardy region that is both wonderful to cook with or to simply enjoy spread on some fresh bread.

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Little discs of chèvre wrapped in bacon and pan fried until the bacon is crispy and the cheese has warmed and is starting to ooze a bit? Well, it just doesn't get much better than that.
Camille of Croque Camille recently discovered this French convenience food called Fournée au Chèvre and is, not surprisingly, thoroughly smitten!

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My entry to La Fête is the smoky and nutty flavored Trappe Echourgnac. This delicious French cheese is matured in walnut liqueur from the Périgord and produced by nuns at the Abbaye Notre-Dame de Bonne Espérance (our Lady of Good Hope) in the Dordogne.

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Thanks again for another fantastic Fête!


Please taste and share some cheese with us again in January.

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?

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.

• 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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La Fête du Fromage - Timanoix

Somehow, in the midst of my Parisian cheese orgy in September, I forgot to take a photo of Timanoix, a monastic cheese that I bought in one of Pascal Beillevaire's shops.
Fortunately it looks almost exactly like a cheese we tasted last June, so if you need a visual, have a look at the photos from La Fête du Fromage featuring Trappe Echourgnac.

Timanoix is another impressive cheese from Brittany, a region that is celebrated for its sweet butter, but isn't really known for cheese. From what I've tasted, the cheese they do offer is of very high quality and exquisite flavor.

It is produced by Trappist monks in the style of Trappe Echourgnac at the l'Abbaye Notre Dame de Timadeuc, located in the town Bréhan in southern Brittany. A rich, chocolate brown rind enrobes a cream colored, semi-soft cheese made of unpasteurized cow's milk cheese. I've also seen it described online as pasteurized, so possibly it is pasteurized for export?

Frequent bathing in walnut liqueur and brine during two months of affinage produces a cheese with a rich, warm aroma and pronounced, walnut flavor that also has enticing hints of coffee and smoke. The texture is at the same time silky, creamy and chewy.
I believe this one could be an acquired taste, but I found its earthy, nutty flavor absolutely delicious!

The robust flavor of Timanoix would pair well with some strong, hearty ale or a glass of Cabernet Franc.


Don't forget to join in November's La Fête du Fromage International Cheese Tasting Event! The deadline for entries is November 13. Pin It

La Fête du Fromage - Trappe Echourgnac

Smoky

That was my first impression of Trappe Echourgnac.



Nutty was my second.

Which would make sense as Trappe Echourgnac is matured in walnut liqueur from the Périgord.
And that isn't the only unique aspect of this week's cheese.

Also notable is that this cow's milk cheese is produced by nuns at the Abbaye Notre-Dame de Bonne Espérance (our Lady of Good Hope) in the Dordogne.
Previously, monks made cheese at the same site, then called the Abbaye d'Echourgnac, until war interrupted their lives in 1910. A group of Cistercian nuns took over the Abbey, changed its name, took up where the monks left off and began producing this special walnut liqueur infused cheese in 1999.

Trappe Echourgnac has a heady, smoky aroma and a smooth, buttery texture. Surprisingly, even though this is a rich cheese, the flavor is quite mild. I would happily eat it again!

A robust red Cahors is a good match for this aromatic cheese. Pin It