Hosting a birthday party in Paris!

When Jo Ann contacted me sometime ago, I loved her story: six girlfriends, all married and with children were coming on a "girls-only" trip to Paris to celebrate the birthday of one of them.
Since they're all foodies we arranged to do together a 4-hour Paris market discovery and French Cuisine atelier! To my dismal, it was snowing on the day of our meeting! But Valerie, Kala, Jennifer, JoAnne, Melissa, and Charlene arrived laughing and enjoying the cold - no wonder, they are from Chicago!
We prepared together broccoli flans as our apetizer, pork tenderloins in a light sauce with carrots and lardons, onion compote, and pear and dark chocolate clafoutis fro dessert. We had a sparkling Vouvray to celebrate the birthday, and we paired the meal with a red from Bourgueil.

Happy Birthday KALA!!

La Fête du Fromage - Le Garriou

It looks like a little Crottin de Chavignol and it tastes like a little bit of heaven.

Le Garriou just may be the perfect goat cheese.



It is lush, creamy and melting just under that wrinkly, edible rind. It is chalky and ultra rich in the middle. Its aroma is reminiscent of straw and barnyards.
The "goatiness" is pronounced, but not too overwhelming, as it is rounded out by the other flavors that include a zesty, citrus tang and a refined earthiness.
Un vrai fromage de chèvre!

Le Garriou is an artisan cheese produced on a small farm in the Lot département. It is made with unpasteurized goat's milk and is a heady 45% butterfat.

Savored slowly, with a bit of baguette and a glass of Côtes du Rhône, and life just doesn't get much better!

La Fête du Fromage - Brin d'Amour

Looking to fall in love?
It may look a little sharp and spiky on the outside, but its velvety, savory inside will seduce you.*

This prickly little porcupine of a cheese is Brin d'Amour.


Brin d'Amour - "a little bit of love" is produced by artisan cheesemakers on the island of Corsica. It is an unpasteurized ewe's milk cheese that is wrapped in a blanket of aromatic local herbs from the maquis, the distinctive Mediterranean shrubland of Corsica, and matured for 2 weeks to 2 months. This cheese also goes my the name Fleur de Maquis.

As you can probably guess, the herbs -rosemary, thyme, savory, and juniper- infuse the cheese with their assertive flavors. There are also subtle hints of green olives, hazelnuts and tangy citrus, making this a very unique cheese.
The texture is firm, yet creamy and smooth, and melts in your mouth. The aroma is dominated by the heady herbs, especially the rosemary.

Enjoy with a Côtes de Provence rosé or a white wine from Corsica.


*We cut the herb covered rind off because the texture was too sharp, but a less matured cheese should have a softer coating.


Larousse translation of brin.

Eurostar to London & lunch at Texture

The Eurostar takes you to London in less than 3 hours ... London is so so different from Paris, that if you want a true change ... why not try it! If you book in advance, you get fares as low as 70 Euros round trip!

You know how much I like the contrast of textures when it comes to food - and life! So you wil not be surprised to know that while in London, I pushed the door into Textures a cosy London restuarant close to Portman square (and Selfridges, the department store on Oxford Street). Actually I learned in France to read the menu outside the door and walk in if I find the menu temptimg - which indeed I found. I optend for an all-fish menu: Organic Scottish salmon and cod (oh, I love cod). I am not an easy client, and I am sure the Maitre d'o thought would agree. As I walked in, I discovered a delightful bar with velvet beige arm chairs. I also saw a wide range of Champagnes (which I love love) and a magnificent bouquet of flowers in a very large vase.
However, the dining room was behind the bar and I was disappointed because I had simply loved the light coming through the old tall windows, so the Maitre d'O promtly proposed that I have lunch in one of the comfortable corners of the bar. Thank you. He then brought the menu, and to my disappointment no cod no slamon. I inquiried and he said that the menu changes everyday and this was today's menu ... I guess he saw I was truly disappointed and swiftly went to see the Chef to ask what could be done. And guess what? I had salmon as an appetizer and cod as the main course: it was sophisticated and delicious. I ordered a glass of white wine from the Rhone Valley, excellent! My other options were a Riesling (too fruity for fish), a Bordeaux (and I do not enjoy the white dry Bordeaux), a chenin from a place I didn't know and you know how important "terroir" is(terroir is the soil where the grapes grow, whoch gives wine a distinctive taste, the same grapes grown in different soils do not taste alike!), a Chablis Premier cru (love Chablis, but it was too expensive) and this Rhone Valley white.The mise-en-bouche was a "verrine" served in a small tea cup (no handle) of celery puree with a mirepoix of turnips and celery root ... when I tasted it, I know I was at the right place! This is when textures really started captivating me!Having lived in Asia for so many years, I love the blend of exotic flavors in my food- I always say I inveted "world cuisine" before it bore a real name! The small salmon half cooked portion was served over a lemongrass flavored light yogurt and a carrot watery cream, half frosted .... some dices of papaye on one side and a few edible very small orchids ... plus a few greens for decoration.The main course was cod, presented on a mashed potato, perfectly cooked, and with stir-fried red bell peppers in mirepoix on top and aside. Extremely delicate. Imagine all those textures in your mouth. A one eight of artichoke also stir-fried was on the side. I must confess I did not eat the avocado cream, too many falvors.
I did not have time for dessert, but the options were as tempting.
Bon appetit!

I paid GBP 25.50 for my meal, very good value!

Rijsttafel in Amsterdam

(Indonesian muppets)

When we visited Djakarta for the first time, friends who were living there treated us to a "rijsttafel" in a restuarant that was located in an old colonia building.
What an unforgettable dining experience!
"Rijsttafel" means "rice table" in dutch, and it's a meal developed in Indonesia during Dutch rule, it allowed to sample the many varieties of wonderful Indonesian food in one plate. It consists of rice accompanied by anything between 12 and 30 dishes served in small portions around the rice...
Note that Indonesian cuisine blends in a remarkable way cuisines of many different cultures, such as Chinese, India, Arab ...
Rijsttafel was introduced in the Netherlands, and you can find many Indonesian restaurants that serve this rich meal. To revive the memories of my first Rijsttafel, every time I visit Amsterdam I go to an Indonesian restaurant, and the last one I visited deserves my praise!

We started with with a chicken soup with rice vermicelli.
Then we were served two different types of satay, one in peanut paste, the other in a dark sauce, both delicious.
Later came the orgy of plates: beef, chicken, vegetables ... and two types of rice, one steamed, one yellow with coconut ...
The two types of beef in the picture above were very good, the vegetables were sauteed on the left, cooked in a light sauce on the right.
Chicken prepared in two different ways, one with lemon grass, and more vegetables ... mmmm

I ordered a red wine from Languedoc to go with this wonderful combination of ingredients.
We ended our meal with an ice cream with real whipped cream, the perfect end for such a copious meal ...

I warmly recommend Taste of Life, Rijnstraat 51 in Rivierenbuurt (we ordered the rijtaffel at 25 Euros per person, with the wine, I paid 60 Euros for two)

Emily and Amos in Paris

Last week Emily and Amos came for dinner. They had toured Burgandy before coming to Paris and were delighted with their trip! Chablis, Vezeley, Dijon ... so much to see ... and taste!

Emily is the daughter of dear friends with whom we spent many happy summers in Cape Cod and later in Bar Harbor. I was extremely happy to see her again and to meet her husband.

We started the evening with a glass of rose Champagne! Then came the Mediterrannean clafoutis, a savory clafouty made with fresh tomatoes and sun dried tomatoes.

The main course was a lamb shoulder, cooked with shallots and served with traditional steamed "cous-cous" (wheat). Then I served a large bowl of salad, seasoned with olive oil and red wine vinegar, and a traditional cheese platter with one sheep cheese (from Pyrennees), a blue cheese (I opted for Roquefort, made also with shee milk), a classic Emmental, and a goat cheese (Crotin).

Finally, I presented a peach tart. I cook the peaches on a pie shell where I spread a mix of ground almonds, creme fraiche, one egg, and 1 Tbsp of softened butter. It is delicious!

We served a red Bordeaux 2005, and had a great Cognac with the dessert.

I hope they enjoy reading this post back in New Hampshire!

Photo du Jour

L'ancien café.

It's for sale...if anyone is interested.

Photo du Jour - Christmas Still Life

Three necessary components of Christmas. Cheese, Champagne and Trivial Pursuit!

Who Am I?

No, my name isn't really Loulou.

(obviously there are a few of you who already know this...)

When I started this blog I wanted to remain anonymous for several reasons, but as each year passes those reasons become less and less important. So I've decided to dispense with all of this cloak-and-dagger business.

But before I tell you, there are the questions: Why Loulou? Why Chez Loulou?
I get asked this a lot.
First, Loulou is a name that I've always loved. Growing up I liked my first name, but always wanted something more unique, something with more flair.
Then, when we moved to France, my husband and I decided to take "French" names/alter egos as a joke between us, and it just kind of grew from there.
I am Loulou and he is Bruno. (Not to worry though, we still use our real names in our day to day lives. I don't go around introducing myself as Loulou or anything. I'm not that weird.)
And when I decided to start a blog back in January of 2006, I chose the name Chez Loulou on a whim. Simple as that.


Oh yeah, my real name. Hi, I'm Jennifer Greco.
Nice to meet you.

La Fête du Fromage - A Filetta

All of the Corsican cheeses I've tasted have been real characters. 
Brocciu was soft and seductive, smelly U Bel Fiuritu almost ran us out of the kitchen and I fell head over heels for herby, prickly Brin d'Amour.
 
A Filetta is another Corsican cheese with personality to spare.

I love the way its edible, slightly crunchy, salty rind embraces a soft and supple pâte that tastes of earth, mushrooms and herbs.  Though decorated with a fern leaf (a Filetta means "the fern" in the Corsican language), I didn't detect any fern or leaf-like flavor.  It is a dense, meaty, substantial cheese, but the flavor isn't as strong as I thought it would be.  This was a young cheese so the flavor was very mild.
I've heard of much older, much stronger versions!

A Filetta is an artisanal, unpasteurized fromage de brebis produced in the town of Isolaccio in northern Corsica.  Affinage takes 4-6 weeks and there is also a goat's milk version produced from January until late July. 

A glass of Minervois red paired nicely with the earthy quality of this cheese.  A glass of Muscat sec would also be good.

Sunday Links

Haven't posted any Sunday Links for a while...here are a few that have piqued my interest in the past few weeks.


Just heard this song. It is officially The Season.
And this version of an old favorite brought a huge smile to my face this week.

If I make a batch of this today it will just be ready in time for Christmas.

Simply lovely.

Soothing shades of gray. And brilliant shades of orange.

The recipe states that it makes a great side dish. I beg to differ! Add a green salad and a glass of white wine, and this makes a delicious meal.


If you have a favorite new recipe, website, blog - please share it with me.
Bon dimanche!

Gratin Dauphinois

What: Gratin Dauphinois. A layered potato and cheese gratin, infused with a little bit of garlic and nutmeg and baked until golden and bubbly. A classic French dish.

Why: Exquisite flavor and rich, creamy texture. Simple and honest. Requires only a few ingredients. Because everyone needs to indulge in comfort food like this once and a while.

Equipment: A sharp knife or mandoline*. A ceramic gratin dish. An oven.

How: Gather your ingredients. You may have them in your kitchen already.

• 1 garlic clove
• 2 pounds starchy potatoes
  
• 1 cup grated Swiss Gruyère (or Emmental if you must - but Gruyère is richer)
• ½ cup heavy cream (or 1 cup of heavy cream if you don't have crème fraîche)
• ½ cup crème fraîche (or 1 cup crème fraîche if you don't have heavy cream)
• pinch of nutmeg
  
• fine sea salt
  

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Rub the bottom of the gratin dish with the garlic clove, then thinly slice it.
Peel the potatoes and thinly slice them with either a knife or a mandoline.
Layer half the potato slices on the bottom of the gratin dish. Scatter the sliced garlic over the potatoes then sprinkle on half the cheese, the crème fraîche (or ½ cup of heavy cream) and some salt.
Repeat with the remaining ingredients and top with a tiny grating of nutmeg.
Bake for an hour. The gratin will be crisp and golden on top, soft and creamy in the middle.


* My inexpensive, plastic mandoline is about 12 years old and still going strong.

Heirloom tomatoes in a tart (3)

What's today's special? Since there were plenty of ripe red tomatoes in my basket, I cooked the red mullet in a tomato robe, and also made some tomato sauce that I stored in the fridge for later use (can also be frozen). Later in the week I prepared a Heirloom Tomato Tart with a garden salad.
You need:
2 cups of home made tomato sauce (see recipe below)
2 shallots
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup grated cheese (I used 50% French Emmental and 50% Comte cheese)

10 slices of Canadian Bacon

Tarte dough (see recipe below)
Line your pie pan with (preferably) home made tart dough (see recipe below)

Home Made Dough:

2 cups flour, add 1 tsp of sea salt and mix well
1 stick of butter

You can use a blender or mix the softened butter with the flour until you can make a ball. Let rest at least one hour, roll down with a pastry roll, line the pie, make a few holes using a fork here and there.
If you're in a hurry, you can use ready made dough - though it will be done with shortening and not with butter plus other "stuff".

Tomato Sauce:

3 lb ripe tomatoes
1 medium onion chopped

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 bouquet garni (a bay leave, a branch of thyme, a branch of parsley)

Salt and pepper to taste

Boil a few seconds each tomato, rinse them through cold water, peel them. Then dice them.

Heat the olive oil in a pan, add the chopped onion. Let cook until translucid but not brown. Add the diced tomatoes. Season to taste. Add the bouquet garni. Let cook over medium to low heat over 20 minutes. You will have a more than delicious tomato sauce that you can use to make this tart, or with fresh pasta, rice, etc.

Steps to make the tart:

Heat the oven at 375 F. Heat the oil in a small pan, add the slices shallots and let cook until golden brown. Place the cooked shallots on the pie shell. Add the tomato sauce. Cover with the 10 thin slices of Canadian bacon. Topple with grated cheese. Bake in the oven 20 minutes or until the crust is cooked; serve with a salad.
This tomato tart is also a tasty appetizer which can be served in individual ramekins.

Photo du Jour

A cascade of wisteria. That icy-blue color is amazing!

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!

La Fête du Fromage - Le Petit Fiancé des Pyrénées

Voilà Le Petit Fiancé des Pyrénées. Another fabulous, yet very different, fromage de chèvre.


This pressed, natural rind, unpasteurized fermier goat's cheese is nothing like a fresh, crumbly-centered Loire Valley chèvre. Instead, le Petit Fiancé des Pyrénées reminds me of a young Reblochon, somewhat like le Chevrotin des Aravis, only softer and more delicate.

It is produced in the Ariège department in the Pyrénées (as you probably already guessed). It is rich with yeast, nuts and salty flavors. The pâte gently oozes when you cut into it, promising a wonderful cheese. It did not disappoint!

"Enjoy it now," the Fromager said. "Do not refrigerate it and do not let it mature, it is ready to eat this week."

Let it mature???
As I gently placed it into my bag, noting its dense, supple texture through the wax paper, I couldn't wait to get home, tear off a hunk of baguette and slice off a wedge. Not a chance that I was letting this one sit around any longer than necessary.

Le Petit Fiancé des Pyrénées' hefty price tag was worth every luscious mouthful. It didn't take us long to polish it off and how I wish I had bought two instead of just one so we could have savored it all week.
I didn't, and in only two days it was gone.

I need to get some more. Soon.


Light red wines, such as a Mâcon from Burgundy, will compliment this cheese perfectly.