La Fête du Fromage - Fantine

Another week, another fabulous French cheese.

My addiction to fromage has hit epic proportions since being on my own for the last few weeks. 
A hunk of baguette, a sliced tomato and a bit of cheese has become my perfect meal.  Even for breakfast.  And if I'm feeling really adventurous I'll add a handful of arugula or a portion of carottes râpées to my plate.
I've reacquainted myself with some old friends such as Rocamadour and Ossau-Iraty, and brought home a mouthwatering, nutty wedge of 18 month old Comté one day.  (I must confess that I cheated on French fromage a couple of times with Italian formaggio, but my dear French fromage knows it will always be my true love)

My newest acquaintance is Fantine, a fromage férmier from the Cantal region in south-central France.

Fantine's aroma is full of rich, earthy mushrooms and its medium-strong flavor is bursting with flowers, butter and yeast.  The creamy, pressed pâte is silky smooth giving this unpasteurized cow's milk cheese a very luxurious mouth feel.
If you're a fan of cheeses like Laguiole or Salers, then you will love Fantine.  Enjoy with a glass of Touraine.

When I bought it at the market, I worried a bit about the cracks and holes along the rind.  But the flavor was wonderful, so possibly it was just poor handling by the seller?

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Name That Kitten

So much for our plans to just take care of him for a couple of weeks then give him to our friends. We've decided that we can't give him up!

Now we need to find him a good name. Any suggestions?

Afternoon pause

My good friend Elizabeth came for coffee. This is what I presented.

Brazilian coffee in a French press, a white cup an saucer with blue edge and line (gift from another dear friend), a Japanese plate with dates that my daughter brought from a recent trip to Dubai, and dry wild figs from Andalusia, in Spain. I had "White Teat", a rare delicacy, in a tea bag, the last one, given to me for Christmas ... two years ago by Jennifer. I had it in a Laura Ashley blue and white tea mug. Sugar was presented in a Chinese sugar pot. Everything in a wooden lacquer square black tray. Presentation really adds to the pleasure!

Reine Claude Plums

Ah, the Reine Claude plums! This type of plum developed in France. The name comes from King Francois I's consort, Queen Claude (1499-1524). Their rich flavor is full when very ripe, almost soft. They are juicy and sweet, and melt in the mouth. They have a green-yellow body and the pit detaches itself from the plum very easily (this sort of identifies the true Reine Claude from other green plums).

They are available and are best in August.

See a recipe in this blog.

Chocolate Cake with a Difference

I had a few days off work last week, and when I am home all day, cakes happen. I get bored with the basics, though, so I am always looking for simple recipes with a few original touches. I found this easy as...cake recipe in April 2007's Guide Cuisine.

To read more about this magazine and its role in my French culinary education, refer to my recent post on Paper Palate.

But for you chocolate-lovers out there, let's get back to the cake.

The basic idea is:

1. Melt 8 ounces (225 grams) of baking chocolate with 4 ounces (120 grams) of butter.

2. Add 2/3 of a cup of sugar and 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon; mix well.

3. Add 3 eggs, one by one, then one and a half cups (200 grams) of flour and 1 teaspoon baking powder.

4. Finally, stir in 2 tbsp. of crème fraîche.

Bake in an appropriate greased cake pan for about 45 minutes at 350° F (180° C). Be careful not to overbake.

The original recipe calls for frosting the cake with a mix of chocolate, honey, butter and rum, but I'm one of those people who gets chocolated out...so I skipped that step. I'm sure some of you will miss it and perhaps create a frosting of your own to make up for it!

What's special about this cake is that the cinnamon spices it up and the crème fraîche mellows it out.

It's a nice change from basic French gâteau au chocolat, which I find a bit dull. But unlike some of my fellow bloggers, I'm not a chocoholic!

La Fête du Fromage - La Brique du Forez

The Auvergne is home to many of France's well known and loved cheeses; sublime Cantal, gorgeous Gaperon and two beautiful bleus, Fourme d'Ambert and Bleu d'Auvergne.

In the extreme eastern edge of the Auvergne lies the le pays du Livradois-Forez, home to this week's cheese, La Brique du Forez (also called Chevreton du Livradois).

La Brique du Forez is soft - in texture, aroma and flavor. Nothing about it is over the top.
This is a humble, well rounded cheese that has beautiful butter and hazelnut flavors, and I also detected gentle hints of goatiness. Its earthy aroma has a tiny bit of barnyard to it, but not aggressive at all.

Made from 100% unpasteurized goat's milk during the spring and autumn and a blend of cow and goat's milk the rest of the year, this cheese is produced both on small farms and by artisan cheese makers.
One website did state that la Brique has become industrially produced, however the Fromagerie where I bought it said that this one was lait cru and fermier.

If you find yourself in the Auvergne or see this cheese for sale at a Fromagerie in France, don't hesitate to try it. It is a wonderful cheese!

Wine recommendation: a fruity Beaujolais or a floral Viognier.

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Season's Eatings

There is a woman in Texas who can read my mind.

When I decided to take part in Season's Eatings, a worldwide foodie gift exchange organized by Katie at Thyme for Cooking, I never dreamed that the gift I would receive would be a box of the very thing that I had been craving for weeks.


While thumbing through some old magazines sometime in early December I re-read the recipe for Lowcountry Breakfast Shrimp served with Creamy Grits in Gourmet magazine's Southern Cooking edition from January 2008. It got my mouth watering and took my frustration at being grits deprived to an all time high.
Grits in the south of France? Forget it.

Unless some amazing person almost halfway across the globe reads your mind.

Tanna, of My Kitchen in Half Cups, is that person.


Her much appreciated gift included not only a box of the coveted Grits, but other impossible-to-find-in-this-rural-corner-of-the-world ingredients: Extra Fancy Vietnamese Cinnamon, Ground Ancho Chile Pepper, Ground Red Chipotle and a spice mix for chicken and fish called Northwoods Seasoning that smells heavenly.
Definitely one of the best presents I received this year!

My Mexican spices are now sorted for another year and the cinnamon will keep us in cookies and Apple Crunch for months to come.
As soon as I get my hands on some decent shrimp I'm making that Breakfast Shrimp dish. Until then, Cheesy Grits will be on the menu sometime this week.

A huge thank you to Tanna for her generosity and to Katie for organizing a great event.