Cooking
No, this isn't going to be about late night dirty movies (I hope you're not too disappointed!) "Blue at eleven o'clock" was the initial instruction given to those of us attending a French cheese tasting a couple of weeks ago. Before trying each cheese a cheesemaker spoke about it, explaining where it came from, how it was made and various other details. On our plate were six cheeses and "blue at eleven" was to make sure we tasted in the correct order.
This was the first formal cheese tasting I ever attended and rather than give you a blow by blow or rather bite by bite account, I have compiled some of what I learned into a mini quiz for your entertainment and edification. Answers are in the first comment.
1. "Cheese is the heart beat of France"
A. Mais oui!
B. Non, c'est la folie
2. Ossau-Iraty is:
A. A marriage of two cheeses Ossau and Iraty
B. Named after a famous Basque statesman
3. The best milk for Camembert comes from:
A. Summer
B. Spring or Fall
4. There are 700 producers of Camembert
A. True
B. False
5. Pont l´Evêque is similar to Camembert, but comes in a square box
A. True
B. False
6. "double creme" cheese is:
A. 70% fat
B. 60% fat
7. The blue in Roquefort comes from:
A. An injection into the cheese
B. Loaves of bread
8. Bleu d'Auvergne is older than Roquefort:
A. Non, non, non!
B. Depends on who you talk to
C. Maybe, but who cares? It's so darn good.
FOOD & DRINK + CHEESE + FRANCE
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Cooking
Blue at 11:00
No, this isn't going to be about late night dirty movies (I hope you're not too disappointed!) "Blue at eleven o'clock" was the initial instruction given to those of us attending a French cheese tasting a couple of weeks ago. Before trying each cheese a cheesemaker spoke about it, explaining where it came from, how it was made and various other details. On our plate were six cheeses and "blue at eleven" was to make sure we tasted in the correct order.
This was the first formal cheese tasting I ever attended and rather than give you a blow by blow or rather bite by bite account, I have compiled some of what I learned into a mini quiz for your entertainment and edification. Answers are in the first comment.
1. "Cheese is the heart beat of France"
A. Mais oui!
B. Non, c'est la folie
2. Ossau-Iraty is:
A. A marriage of two cheeses Ossau and Iraty
B. Named after a famous Basque statesman
3. The best milk for Camembert comes from:
A. Summer
B. Spring or Fall
4. There are 700 producers of Camembert
A. True
B. False
5. Pont l´Evêque is similar to Camembert, but comes in a square box
A. True
B. False
6. "double creme" cheese is:
A. 70% fat
B. 60% fat
7. The blue in Roquefort comes from:
A. An injection into the cheese
B. Loaves of bread
8. Bleu d'Auvergne is older than Roquefort:
A. Non, non, non!
B. Depends on who you talk to
C. Maybe, but who cares? It's so darn good.
FOOD & DRINK + CHEESE + FRANCE
- Goat Cheese Giveaway!
Credit: The Original ChèvreThe first time I went to Paris I discovered a tiny little cheese shop that I swear was dedicated 100% to goat cheese. There were goat cheeses of all sizes and shapes, some with rinds others covered in ash and others wrapped...
- Strawberry Cheese Tartine Recipe
If you like soft, rich, creamy cheeses, you’ve probably discovered triple creme cheeses like St. Andre and double creme cheeses like brie. Double creme cheeses are between 60 and 75% butterfat. Triple creme cheeses are over 75% butterfat. Saint...
- All About Pears
Summer is fruit season. But one special fruit is in all it's glory in the wintertime--pears. Pears are one of the world's oldest cultivated fruits. They probably originated in Asia but they have been cultivated in Europe since at least 2000...
- Cheese Shopping
I guess you'd say I'm on a cheese kick. It started with reading about the Annual Festival of Cheeses to be held at the newly remodeled Ferry Building put on by the American Cheese Society. And yes, there really is an American Cheese Society. There...
- Stilton Perfume: Da Ba Dee Da Ba Die
Stilton has launched a new perfume that puts blue cheese in a bottle. Truffles? I could see. Chocolate? It could work. But blue cheese perfume? I'd have to smell it to believe it. via Table of Malcontents...