Gridskipper, a blog for travelers and locals, has a great post about the finest fromageries in Paris. I was surprised to find one of them, Eric Lefèbvre, is literally around the corner from my apartment. I’ve shopped there many times but did not know of the pedigree.
This fourth generation master cheesemaker operates from an out of the way Parisian neighborhood and offers some superb regional cheeses which he selects personally during his visits to creameries and farms around France. His camemberts and stiltons are legendary.The Finest Fromage in Paris
This article spotlights other fromageries that are located outside of the city’s center. I smell a road-trip in the future. I need to grab my bike and go shopping.
I stopped by Taste cheese shop in San Diego yesterday to try some Southern California cheese. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of options for this region. However, they did have some Goudas by Winchester Cheese Company, located near Temecula. Gouda’s come from all over the world. However, Winchester has developed a truly Southern California experience. Their Jalapeno Gouda is a smooth cheese with a kick.
Our Boere Kaas (farm made) Jalapeno Gouda is a premium cheese aged a minimum of 60 days. The jalapeno and red peppers give it a moderately spicy taste. It is an excellent and flavorful accent for all occasions. This cheese won First Place at The American Cheese Society contest. Gold Medal Winner at L.A. County Fair. Winchester Cheese Company
Celebrate Oktoberfest with special cheese and beer pairings in San Diego. Taste (Fromagerie) and O’Briens (Pub) are working together for these classes. Here’s what they have to say:
Yesterday was the day we gathered to plan our pairings for our sixth round of beer and cheese pairings with O’Brien’s. Tom Nickel (owner of O’Brien’s), George and Mary were joined by tasting panel guests Sandy and Todd Webster, winners of the early-registration drawing. As always, it was a lot of fun - and a lot of work at the same time. In the end, we came away with an amazing menu of all-new pairings including an all-German flight, a truffle pairing and a sweet finale that will go down as one of our best ever. It’s one you definitely won’t want to miss! Space is filling fast so don’t delay, sign up today by sending an email or calling us at (619) 683-2306.
Wednesday, October 15th, 7pm at TASTE - 1243 1/2 University Ave (Hillcrest)
Sunday, October 19th, 6:30pm at O’Brien’s Pub - 4646 Convoy Street (Kearny Mesa)
$40
Add your events to Fromage Blog
If you have an event coming up, send an email to Ted@FromageBlog.com for listing in the web site.
I was at the Bastille Farmers Market this morning. I purchased some yogurt, comte, and fromage frais de chevre from a popular stand. Afterward, I noticed the light coming into their stand and took this photograph. You can practically taste the mimolette.
Mimolette is a magnificent cheese with apples. There’s nothing like a chunk of very old mimolette with a crisp, sweet apple. Most of the apples I’ve found in Paris are softer, baking apples. If you’d like a crisp apple ask for pomme à croquer.
Blue D’Auvergne is a milder blue cheese than its nearby cousins in Roquefort. It is creamy, smooth, and cooks/melts easily. It may not have the punch needed for a hearty blue cheese souffle or sauce, but it is great to eat in salads and by itself.
Bleu d’Auvergne is a name-protected (Appelation d’Origine Controlée, AOC) cheese from the Auvergne region in south-central France, where it has been made since the middle of the 19th century. Bleu d’Auvergne is made in the traditional manner from cow’s milk and features blue veining throughout. Its moist, sticky rind conceals a soft paste possessing a grassy, herbaceous, and (with age) spicy, pungent taste. Blue D’Auvergne Cheese - Artisanal Premium Cheese
Salad with Blue D’Auvergne tartine
Recently, i had this salad with tartine at a small brasserie in Paris. The beauty of this dish lies in its simplicity.
The salad consisted of greens, tomatoes, walnuts, and olives. A tartine was made with a slice of Poilâne bread, smothered with Blue D’Auvergne and placed under the broiler for a minute or so to melt the cheese. This was then cut into smaller pieces and placed on the salad.
The bite sized chunks of cheese and bread made the salad a great meal. Try this for dinner tonight.
This book will tease you with its complete coverage of French cheese. No matter where you are in France, you’ll never be able to find more than a small fraction of the selection. The author describes not only the mainstays of cheese culture but also the tiny fromageries who have made cheese for 400 years with a dozen sheep on the family farm.
I’ve often used the book to start conversations at the shops, pointing to the desired cheese and asking the clerks if they had the selection. One time, a distinguished lady came up behind me and in a very amused Parisian accent said “How cute, he’s got a cheese book.”
If you haven’t guessed, this book is less of a cook book and more of a tourist guide. You’ll enjoy the descriptions and easy to understand maps and symbols. This is a required book for any cheesies bookshelf.
Taste, a San Diego cheese shop, announced their biannual beer and cheese tasting party will be held next week, April 11 and later on April 29 at O’Briens pub.
Cheese 101 - Beer and Cheese Pairing will feature the following combinations:
Ballast Point Yellowtail with Haystack Mountain Sunlight
Cheddarvision.tv is indeed a live webcam of cheese ripening in England. The West Country Farmhouse Cheesemakers have set up this riveting display of ripening to launch the celebrity-hood of this particular round. You can even watch a time-lapse video on You Tube:
If you love watching cooking shows on television, you’ll love the new online video recipe web site Rouxbe.com. The name is a take-off of a roux, the base for a white sauce. The site gives you unlimited access to their video recipes for the first 30 days and you can join their premium service for more video demonstrations.
Rouxbe’s videos and recipes are top-notch! These are HDTV super hi-def compared to what you normally see on the internet. Here’s a nice video recipe example: Panna Cotta with Stone Fruit.
Here’s a snippet of the recipe:
Panna Cotta with Stone Fruit Compote
This Italian classic, is perfectly balanced with a fresh stone fruit compote
Active Time: 20
Total Time: 3 hours
Serves: 6
Step 1: Starting the Panna Cotta
1 whole vanilla bean
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 tsp. table salt
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 1/2 tsp. gelatin powder (approx. 1 package)
1/8 cup milk
To start the Panna Cotta split the vanilla bean in half length-wise and scrape out the seeds. Using a small pot add the cream along with the salt and powdered sugar and bring to a gentle boil over low heat. While the cream heats up pour the gelatin over the milk and mix well and set aside. Once the cream comes to a gentle boil, immediately turn off the heat and remove the vanilla bean and discard. Now add the gelatin mixture and whisk until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a medium sized bowl and let cool to room temperature stirring occasionally.
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