Grapes Harvest in Anjou, France

Today we had been invited to harvest grapes at La Bergerie , near Angers, in the Anjou , as a part of the Oenology course I am doing at the University of Angers (this is my second year).
Anjou is an exquisite region, the light is beautiful, the Loire river splendid, the architecture of lime stone a regal. This is an area of chateaux and mansions, of wine and good food, of traditions and modernity.The Guegniards have been in the wine business for seven generations! The piece of land that we harvested was planted with cabernet Sauvignon, the grape used to make their red Anjou Evanescence . The grapes were perfectly ripe (I know, I ate quite many!). The family produces wine in the traditional way. Out of the 72 acres that the family owns, 65 are hand harvested! This allows a careful selection of grapes and the result is stunning !I saw how wine is made in this winery, so I bought a crate of Savennieres 2005, an appelation made with 100% of chenin grapes. It's a dry white wine with lots of character.
We had lots of fun!

La Fête du Fromage - Le Crabot

There's a cheesemonger at the Olonzac market who has become a very valuable acquaintance.
While nibbling on some cheese samples at his stall one week we started talking and I told him about la Fête du Fromage. That was all it took for him to take me under his wing.

He now relishes in introducing me to something new or explaining in great detail what region or village the cheese comes from, who produces it, etc., all the while ignoring the line of customers as it builds up behind me.
Each week I struggle to translate the piles of information he flings at me in his rapid fire French. My note taking skills get better all the time.


This week he recommended le Crabot, an unpasteurized goat's milk cheese that is produced in the mountainous Ariège department in southwestern France, where it is aged for about 10 weeks in caves.

Le Crabot's buttery, nutty aroma is irresistible! And the flavor is even better; incredibly smooth and creamy with scrumptious notes of mushroom and hazelnut. It's texture is dense, chewy and very rich. And although its flavor is intense, it isn't strong, rather nice and well-rounded.

In case you haven't already guessed, I loved le Crabot! A glass of local red alongside only added to the enjoyment.

La Fête du Fromage - Coeur de Joux


Anyone who loves cheese has to appreciate the array of luscious cow's milk cheeses produced in the Franche-Comté.  The farms and fromagères of this region have given us Vacherin du Haut Doubs (often called Mont d'Or), Bleu de Gex, Morbier, Emmental Français and one of the most perfect cheeses ever, Comté.

My newest discovery from this area is Coeur de Joux.

Its two dominant flavors are grass and walnuts, with sweet hints of fruit thrown in to balance everything out.  Coeur de Joux is soft and mild, with a dense, chewy texture that is very similar to its famous cousin, Comté.
This is a truly amiable cheese; there's nothing harsh or smelly or aggressive about it.  If I had to describe Coeur de Joux in one word, it would have to be uncomplicated. 

A good wine match would be Riesling or a soft red from Bordeaux.

Closing dinner for Oenology Course

As you know if you read my previous post, I have just participated in the closing dinner for the Oenology course I have attended this year, held at La Taverne d'Antoine (see previous post). It took place in a restaurant in Saumur and the theme was "Pairing food and wines". Two tables of 15 people each had been set, very nicely. After a glass of Natural fermented Cremant Rose (sparkling rose wine) Domaine de la Grange Tiphaine Damien Délécheneau, at Amboise, in Touraine, Cuvée "Rosa, Rosé, Rosam". This was a fun experience, and after a glass we were ready to move into the meal.
It started with a salad served in a giant "verrine". The salad mixed textures and flavors: Dices of salmon, crumbs of ginger crumble, rocula, and chive flavored cream cheese. We had a chilled white wine from Bouches du Rhône, Domaine La Coste "Version Nature", a perfect match.

Then we had the main course, a rose pork tenderloin, served on a bed of "frise" (culry) cabbage and fork mashed potatoes, bathing in a sauce of "ancienne" style moutarde. A slice of well cooked "andouillette" was served. Those who tasted it, said it was a sharp addition to the dish - but I did not taste it, I really do not like andouillette, a sausage done with the colon and the stomach of the pig. Too much! The pork was served pink, which came as a surprise; traditionally, pork is served well done. It was delicious.
We had a young and vigorous red Vin de Pays des Maures, "Cuvée des Aubrégades" 2006, Domaine de Turennne, Philippe Bénezet at Cuers (83) in the Luberon area, made 100% with Syrah grapes. During the meal, we also tasted a Côtes du Lubéron Cht des Eydins Serges Saignon "L'ouvière" 2005 at Bonnieux (84), for the sake of compairing two similar yet very distinct wines.

Then came salad and cheese. The endives curry flavored salad was served in a glass, and there was a slice of Brie de Maux next to it, with a line of prune puree and sesame seeds. Too many different flavors in the same plate as far as I am concerned, but it looked very nicely.
We tasted a full bodied red Beaujolais 2005 Cuvée "La Gaurde" de Bruno Debize, which was delicious.
A pinapple carpaccio with a scoop of pineapple sherbert and a passion fruit "coulis" was our desert, which was wrapped in a sweet white Côtes de Duras 2005 made by Nadia Lusseau Cht Ht Lavigne at Monestier.

What a treat! Thank you Ms Viviane COQ-CORNILLEAU for the great organization and the wonderful moment we all shared.

My husband, who did not attend the course but was invited to the meal was our safe driver!

The university of Angers offers a second level oenology course in 2008-2009. I'm very tempted, wouldn't you?

A light summer supper

Sunday evening is "light supper" day. Since my local market is offering a lot of colors and flavors that come from the Paris area, this week I bought 4 red bell peppers, 2 aubergines, fava beans, and zucchinis, plus thins slices of Parma ham and organized all these colors together.
Fava beans salad: remove the beans from the pods, blanch the favas a few minutes in boiling water, drain, remove the skin, and prepare with a light olive oil seasoning.

Red Bell Peppers: cook in the oven whole for 1 hour over low heat, turning now and then. When the skin is compeltely wrinkled, remove and put in a plastic bag, tight well and let cool. When they are cold, remove the skin, it will be very easy! Dry with paper kitchen towels, put in a bowl with olive oil, basil leaves, and fresh garlic cut in slices. Put olive oil.

Aubergines: Cut in slices and dry in the oven rack on boh sides. Heat olive oil in a frying pan, fry the aubergine slices until cooked. Put in another bowl with fresh garlic cut in slices. Put olive oil.
Zucchinis: Cut them in slices legthside and fry in some olive oil. Put in a bowl with mint leaves.
Serve all these Mediterrannean goodies with Parma ham cut in thin slices and a rose wine.

Abuela's birthday!

We have just celebrated my mother's 80th birthday. She came from Punta del Este, Uruguay, four weeks ago, and her birthday was the pretext for a family reunion. Even Tao had come from Amsterdam for the event!Two guests do not eat poultry or meat; I had therefore organized the menu around the sea. We started with a sea verrine (see this month's recipe on the right) which was fresh and light. The mother of pearl spoons bought in Bangkok 15 years ago were of a great effect! I placed the verrine on small saucers of a Chinese coffee set.
After the verrines I served king prawns with a side salad and home made mayonnaise. The salad was romaine lettuce that I had seasoned with a simple vinaigrette. After the cold appetizer, I served a vasque vegetable gratin in individual ramekins. Vasque vegetables include red and green peppers, onions, tomatoes cooked in olive oil. I seasoned with sea salt and piment d'Espelette, a chili from the Vasque region.

The main course was the delicious quenelles from my deli. I had made the sauce that goes with them with some lobster stock I had in the freezer, and light cream and dry white wine. I put on top some shrmps.

I did not serve a salad as I had presented it with the king prawns. And I skipped the traditional cheese because the weather was pretty hot in Paris and cheese is a bit too heavy.
After the quenelles, Abuela blew the eight candels that I had placed on my chocolate fondant - a recipe from my daughter Celine.
Jean -Louis served a chilled Macon Village white wine throughout the meal; I served Santos coffee my mother brought made in the Italian percolator after the meal.
All in all a lovely celebration!

Photo du Jour - Blue Café


Le Café de la Place. Fermé.

La Fête du Fromage - Brebis Férmier

Don't get me wrong, I adore salt. (especially Brittany butter packed with crunchy salt crystals)
And I think that a good sprinkling of salt enhances the flavor of most cheese.

But the excessive saltiness of this Brebis Férmier that I bought from my favorite cheese guy at the Olonzac market the other day was a bit over the top.


So much so that I found it almost inedible. Almost.
Because I loved everything else about it.

Brebis Férmier is an unpretentious, unpasteurized ewe's milk cheese that is produced in the Aveyron. It has a supple, dense, chewy texture and other than the heavy salt, I loved its subtle nutty and mushroom flavors.
And the eau de barnyard parfum makes it impossible to forget that this cheese comes straight from the farm.

A hearty red such as Marcillac or Gaillac would be a good wine pairing.

If I Only Had A...............Dishwasher

Last night I was really missing a dishwasher. Our friends had come for a long Sunday lunch and the massive clean-up afterward consisted of:
  • 4 champagne glasses
  • 4 wine glasses
  • 4 water glasses
  • 4 demitasse cups and saucers
  • 4 after dinner drink glasses
  • 4 salad plates
  • 4 dinner plates
  • 4 cheese plates
  • 4 dessert plates
  • cutlery for 4 people for each course
  • apéritif platter
  • cheese platter
  • mixing bowls, pots, pans, baking dishes, tart pans, whisks, measuring cups and spoons, etc.

Can you understand my longing for this particular mod con?

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La Fête du Fromage - March Round Up

After a mini vacation, the monthly La Fête du Fromage International Cheese Tasting Event is back!
This month's entries include cheeses from all around the globe. Thanks to everyone who joined in!


Camille of Croque Camille tasted a trio of Tommes de Savoie; Tomme de Bauges, Tomme Marc de Raisin, and Tomme Fermière. All three are produced on small farms in the picturesque Savoie region of France.
Camille has two cheese advantages: she lives in Paris, home to many incredible Fromageries, and she has a husband who will happily go cheese shopping for her on his way home from work. Lucky woman!


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Rachel of The Crispy Cook sautéed some cubes of Queso Blanco and scattered them over a plate of Cristianos y Moros, taking this humble dish of black beans and rice to a whole new level. This Latin American cheese doesn't turn into a gooey mess when warmed up, making it a perfect garnish for dishes that need a little livening up.


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Bee and Jai of Jugalbandi shared a beautifully photographed cube of what they describe as "The World's Tastiest Cheese." Gjetost/Brunost (Norwegian Brown Cheese) is unique as it is made using the whey as opposed to the curds. Bee and Jai describe it as "mildly sweet" with "a salty, nutty caramel flavour."


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Nathalie of Spaced Out Ramblings offers us an oozing, ripe piece of Taleggio, an Italian washed rind, cow's milk cheese from Lombardia that is matured between 60 and 80 days in caves. She describes it as rich and buttery, and offers serving and tasting advice for this well known, and often mass produced, Italian cheese. Look for the real thing, she tells us, and you won't be disappointed!


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Époisses de Bourgogne
is one of France's truly special cheeses, and one of my favorites! Its flavor is delicate, yet creamy and lush, and its aroma is powerfully potent. Don't let that put you off, Époisses is a cheese that everyone should try at least once.


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Thanks again to everyone who joined in our little cheese party this month. Please join us next month as we celebrate the diverse and delicious world of cheese!

About La Fête du Fromage International Cheese Tasting Event:
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.

Thyme in Santa Monica: lunch (2)

I came back for lunch to this delightful restaurant in Venice.There is an array of great nicely packed ideas to choose from!
How could I resist these "ficelle" sandwiches so well presented? Oh, yes, a ficelle is a thin small baguette.
I opted for a melted cheese and bacon sandwich, with a few leaves of baby leaves salad. If you are near Venice, Thyme is worth stopping by, the ambiance is casual and warm, the food is great!

Sunday Reading

These are some adorable and very photogenic chicks!

Una ricetta buona et facile.

Some curiosities from Provence.

Gearing up for zucchini season. This is one of my favorite ways to use them up.

Beautiful inspiration.

The fortified medieval town of Sighişoara was one of the highlights of our trip to Transylvania.

My Calender : January 25- February 6

January 25
Wake up at the godforsaken hour of 2:30 a.m. to be out the door by 3:30 a.m. to make it to Toulouse airport by 5 a.m. to board flight to Amsterdam at 6 a.m.
Spend five hours wandering around Amsterdam airport. Lots of shopping and the sushi bar opens at 9:30 a.m.
Board flight for Memphis, land in Memphis and spend 3 ½ hours wandering around Memphis airport. Pulled pork sandwich at Corky's BBQ?
Arrive New Orleans at 9 p.m. Go to my pied-à-terre in New Orleans (Ron and Michael's) and have homemade butternut squash soup that Michael is making. Possible walk to the Quarter to have a drink. Depends upon fatigue level.


January 26
Wake up at 4 a.m. (a normal occurrence after a flight to the States) and sit staring at the computer screen while I wait for the others to wake up so I can go downstairs and make some much needed coffee.
Go help Ron and Jerry pick out tuxedos at the Men's Warehouse for Jerry and Leah's upcoming wedding. Ron is best man so tux's have to match.
See friends in the Quarter.

decorated balcony


January 27
Help load throws onto Krewe of King Arthur floats.

mardigras07

Got to the Quarter and watch Krewe of Barkus and wait for call from Michael who is in King Arthur parade to let us know when they're close to Canal Street so we can walk down to see him and several other friends riding on floats and catch some of the throws that we helped to load onto the floats earlier in the day.
Go to King Arthur Post Parade Event.


January 28
Rest. Jet lag should be gone by now.
See friends.
Eat fried shrimp Po' Boy, either at Elizabeth's or Deanie's.

po boy

Get Stateside errands done before the city is inundated with visitors.
Possible Scrabble game at Mary's.

mary's kitchen


January 29
Spend the day with Donna.
Possible trip uptown to the St. James Cheese Company because I'll be needing a cheese fix by then.
See what's new on Magazine Street.
Dinner out with Donna to celebrate our birthdays, which are just 10 days apart.


January 30
Nothing scheduled during the day. How is this possible???
Dinner at Jerry and Leah's.

Jerry and Leah in Milan


January 31
Rest, get some work done, rest some more.
Possible lunch at Cochon.
Gather strength for the next five days.
Krewe of Muses parade rolls at 7 p.m.


February 1
Calvin arrives from Rhode Island.
Parades and quality time with Donna and Calvin.

Donna and Calvin

Watch the city fill up with Mardi Gras revelers and Laissez les Bons Temps Rouler!

IMGP0733


February 2 through 5
Many festivities to attend - too many to list.
Beans and Booze on Bourbon Party.

kevin, ron, jerry, shawn, walter

JenniferRonMG2007

Societé of St. Anne parade.

anne parade

Mardi Gras


February 6
Recover.

Today's Specials: Beligum



For all those who, like me, have a sweet tooth! Here are the delicious, incredible, tasty, and rich Belgium Waffles! I love them plain, but the variations are endless!
Enjoy the picture of another Belgium speciality bread, the Greek Bread, wrongly called Greek because of a bad translation into French from its Flemish name, Bruut van de Grecht (bread from the gulf), that goes back to its origins in the 15C... It's absolutely Beligum.
Bon appetit!