La Fête du Fromage - October Round Up

Les fromages français!
Every single entry for October's La Fête du Fromage International Cheese Tasting Event was from la belle France. Can you imagine how happy this made me?


Barbra from Serve it Forth shared her newest addiction with us - Pérail - a luscious, silky textured ewe's milk cheese. She describes it as ..."not overly sheepy but neither is it sheepish; slightly floral and and a little grassy..." Glad to know I'm not the only Pérail addict out there!

She also tasted Le 1909, a more aggressive "Pérail like" cheese produced for the Maître Fromager Affineur in Paris, Androuet. Yet another cheese to add to my "Must Try" list.

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Nathalie of Spaced Out Ramblings carried this scrumptious little drum of Chaource with her from Paris to her home in Rome. With a fat content of almost 50%, Chaource is very rich and creamy! It comes from the Champagne region, so many say that is should be enjoyed with a glass of Champagne, but Nathalie gives plenty of other delicious accompanying food and drink options. As she says, "The sky has no limit."

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Good things come in small packages. Like this enticing walnut and cranberry studded Brie en Croûte that Cool Lassi(e) of Pan Gravy Kadai Curry made for La Fête. That Brie oozing out from the puff pastry shell is absolutely mouthwatering!

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Camille missed the chance to taste the local cheeses while visiting Burgundy, but made up for it with some Délice de Bourgogne that she found in Paris. Although she found this particular piece a bit young, she describes it as buttery and very smooth. I can't wait to try this one!

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Deep in the Ariège, on farms surrounded by green pastures, rugged mountains and crystal clear lakes, the age old tradition of cheese making thrives.
Le Bamalou is an unpasteurized cow's milk cheese that is matured for several months on wood planks, enriching the cheese with earthy flavors. It is mild, buttery and has nice hints of fruit. Very likable!
A rich red wine such as Cahors or Châteauneuf-du-Pape would be a good match.

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Thanks for sharing such delicious cheese everyone!


November marks the 11th Fête du Fromage International Cheese Tasting Event.
If you would like to join in, and I hope you do, please have your entries to me by November 13. The entire round-up will be posted on November 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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Zucchini and Ham Risotto Gratin

The shiny, sunny days of spring have been quite the capricious flirt this year.

A day of sun here, four days of rain there. A half a day of sun here, two days of rain there. With the exception of one little day, the last week has been downright dreary and I heard that it has been nicer in Copenhagen than in the south of France! To whom do I send my customer complaint card?

Ok, ok, enough moaning about the weather. On to the food!

These dark and drizzly days call for a bit of spring comfort food.
This risotto is topped with thick slices of golden, melted Brie that ooze down into the rice as they heat up, making a wonderfully rich and creamy dish. Just the thing to satisfy us as we huddle next to the heater and wait for some sun. We hope we won't be waiting for much longer.

photos of risotto never seem to do it justice


Zucchini, Ham and Brie Risotto Gratin
serves 4
Inspired by this recipe.

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
  
• 2-3 slices thick ham, chopped into small squares
  
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 2/3 cup dry white wine
• 3½ cups hot vegetable or chicken stock
• 6 ounces Brie*
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add the zucchini and sautée for 10-12 minutes until it just starts to turn golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
3. Add the remaining oil to the pan, lower the heat and add the ham, onion and garlic.
4. Cook on low heat for about 6-8 minutes or until softened and lightly golden.
5. Add the rice and stir the grains for about 2 minutes.
6. Pour in the wine and stir until it is absorbed into the rice, then pour in about one third of the hot stock and increase the heat to medium.
7. Cook, stirring frequently, until the stock is absorbed. Repeat with the remaining stock, in two batches. This should take about 20 minutes, and the rice should be tender.
8. Preheat the broiler.
9. Remove the rice from the heat, gently fold in the zucchini and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
10. Put the mixture into a big, earthenware gratin dish.
11. Slice the Brie and lay it on top of the rice.
12. Put the dish under the broiler for 3-4 minutes, until the Brie is golden and bubbling.
13. Serve at once.

*Don't go all out and spend a lot of money on unpasteurized Brie de Melun or Brie de Meaux for this dish. The cheese's flavor really mellows during cooking.


Another delicious springtime dish is this Baked Asparagus Risotto recipe that I perfected last year.

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La Fête du Fromage - Round Up

A giant thank you to everyone who participated in the first ever La Fête du Fromage International Cheese Tasting Event!
The number of submissions was a pleasant surprise and I'm thrilled to learn that there are so many of you out there who enjoy cheese as much as I do.

Merci beaucoup!


First we have a lovely looking piece of unpasteurized cow's milk, artisan cheese called Bourrée, tasted by Danielle at Savor Culture. Danielle sent me an email last summer suggesting a Fête du Fromage blogging event, an idea I had been mulling over for about a year, so I have her to thank for giving me that final push to organize the event. Thank you again Danielle!

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A gooey, oozing, gorgeous looking grilled cheese sandwich was made by Judith at Shortcut to Mushrooms. As a student on a budget (something I can definitely relate to) she opted to taste some Sargento Sharp Cheddar that was kinder to her wallet than imported cheese. That sandwich looks amazing!
Judith's entry was accidentally left out of the original round-up...my most sincere apologies Judith!

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Tracy at TracyFood, tasted an old favorite of mine; Myzithra. A generous grating of this crumbly, salty Greek cheese was stirred in with her recipe for Pasta With Browned Butter and Sage, creating a spectacular looking meal.

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Another Greek cheese, Anthotyro, comes to La Fête from Ivy at Kopiaste in Athens. The meaning of Anthotyro in Greek is “blossom cheese,” named for the way the curds blossom. It is often compared to ricotta, thus it was a perfect addition to her recipe for Lasagna With Ground Turkey, Vegetables and Anthotyro.

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Pumpkin from From My Swiss Window writes about one of Switzerland's great cheeses, Appenzeller. She has grown to love this cheese since moving to Switzerland, especially the aged variety, which she describes as strong smelling and full of character. This looks irresistible!

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Lore from Culinarty made a beautiful, crunchy Kohlrabi and Celery Salad with Brie. The contrast of the crisp, earthy vegetables and the soft, creamy Brie looks amazing! I love the unique combination of flavors and textures.

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Luscious, white clouds of Burrata were tasted by Natalie from Spaced Out Ramblings. Burrata is a light, creamy cheese from Puglia, in southern Italy. Natalie likes to spread it on toasted bread or mix it with warm, cooked potatoes or prosciutto. I might have to take a special trip to Italy just to try this lovely looking cheese.

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Shaula and Neil from Milometer tasted Vermont Cheddar on their way through Vermont in a Vermont Cheddar Ale Soup. These two have left their home and are working and writing from the road in their Mini Cooper. Looks like they're having a delicious adventure!

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Brunost, also called Gjetost, is a Norwegian brown cheese made from the whey of cow and goat's milk. Jude at Apple Pie, Patis, and Pâté tasted a block of this unique caramel-tasting, concentrated cheese that I have to admit, looks like anything but cheese!

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Finally, Camille in Paris, of Croque Camille, tasted a tempting piece of Fourme D'Ambert with some hearty looking bread and wine from Fitou. Fourme d'Ambert is one of France's oldest cheeses and Camille describes its flavor as mild, creamy and earthy.

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Oh, wait, I guess I should add to the Fête!

One of the most bewitching cheeses I tasted during my year and a half of tasting French cheese was Gaperon. This creamy, buttery cheese is spiked with cracked peppercorns and local, pink garlic, creating a complex and unique flavor.

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I would like to make La Fête du Fromage a monthly event to encourage as much cheese tasting as possible. There is such a huge world of cheese out there to discover and there are many, many small farmers and artisan cheesemakers who produce amazing cheese and could use our support.

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

Let's make October's Fête a great event!

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Top 100 - 31 Through 40

31. A Vinaigrier. I love making my own vinegar and this vinaigrier is so much nicer to look at than a bunch of cheesecloth wrapped wine bottles.


32. Marianne's Ice Cream in Santa Cruz, California. Mandarin Orange ice cream, Coconut ice cream, Northern Oregon Blackberry ice cream, Mexican Chocolate ice cream, Banana ice cream, Cinnamon Caramel ice cream, Highway 17 ice cream (that's Rocky Road, if you don't already know), Peach ice cream...I could go on and on...they offer around 62 more mouth watering flavors to tempt you.

Marianne's Ice Cream
1020 Ocean St
Santa Cruz, CA
831-458-1447

33. The Sweet Potato. I love them! Sweet potato fries are one of the most delicious things on this earth and this chowder recipe is one I make again and again. Be careful with the chipotle chilies, adding 3 makes it really spicy!

Sweet Potato Chowder

From

Preparation Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes minutes

1/2 pound thick-sliced bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 sweet red pepper, diced
1/2 sweet green pepper, diced
1/2 large white onion, diced
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
3 13-ounce cans chicken broth
3 canned chipotle chilies, minced
2 14-ounce cans corn
1 cup low-fat milk
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cook the bacon in a large stockpot over medium heat until it begins to crisp. Spoon off the bacon fat, except for a thin coating. Add the peppers and onion to the bacon and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are tender.

Add the sweet potatoes, chicken broth, and chipotles and simmer, covered, 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Stir in the corn, milk, and salt; heat through.

Yield: 4 servings


34. La Table St Crescent in Narbonne, France. The restaurant is housed in a gorgeous, former 7th century Oratory on the outskirts of town. Their Saveur & Région menu offers four courses for 37 €, and for an additional 5 € it is offered with three glasses of wine to compliment the two savory and one cheese course. They offer three other menu's, ranging in price from 20 € for the menu du jour to 69 € for seven courses! They also offer à la carte. The food has always been excellent and the service impeccable. Their cheese cart alone, with around 25 offerings to choose from, is reason enough to eat here.

La Table Saint-Crescent
Route de Perpignan
11100 Narbonne
FRANCE
04.68.41.37.37


35. The Oxford Companion to Wine by Jancis Robinson. With over 4,000 entries, this tome is the only reference book on wine that you'll ever need. Includes information about varietals, regions, distillation, history, politics, etc.


36. Uwajimaya in Seattle, Washington. Uwajimaya is a spectacular Asian grocery store and market that is one of the largest in the area. It has more than doubled in size since I moved to Seattle in 1987 and in addition to the retail market, includes restaurants, a cooking school, a bank and a bookstore.

37. Kir Cardinal. A Kir is an apéritif made with a measure of crème de cassis, topped up with white wine. A Kir Cardinal is the same, only topped up with red wine.

38. Baked Brie with Honey and Pecans. Oozing and scrumptious! Serve with lots of French bread to scoop up the gooey cheese.

Baked Brie with Honey and Pecans

1 small brie (about 300 grams or 10 ounces)
a drizzle of olive oil
2 sprigs thyme, leaves stripped off
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup pecans, toasted and cut into large pieces

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
Remove the brie from it's wrapping and put in an oven proof dish. Make a few cuts in the top, drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with thyme leaves. Cover with foil and bake for 10 minutes, or until gooey. Remove the foil and drizzle with the honey and sprinkle with the chopped pecans.
Serves 4 people.

39. Hansen's Sno-Blitz, New Orleans, Louisiana. In 1934 Mr. and Mrs. Hansen developed the Sno-Blitz sno-ball maker and the rest is history. A sno-ball is made with shaved ice, completely different from a snow cone, which is made with crushed ice. The finely shaved ice is layered in a cup with syrup, making a sweet and snow-like textured treat. After nearly 73 years of marriage the Hanson's passed away last year within seven months of each other. Their granddaughter is now keeping the sno-ball tradition alive.

40. Fraises des Bois. Intensely sweet and tiny wild strawberry.
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