This month offered a fantastic mélange of cheeses for
la Fête du Fromage International Cheese Tasting Event. A huge
merci to all of you who joined in!
Poor Nathalie had to forgo cheese during the entire month of December due to a diet her husband was on (
which she said almost led to divorce). She's joined us again this month with this scrumptious
Caprino di Fattoria, a fresh, Italian goat's cheese that she credits with saving her marriage! Have a look at her blog,
Spaced Out Rambling for a few more mouth watering photos of this creamy, tangy little cheese.
Welcome back Nathalie!
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La Couronne Lochoise, a chèvre from the Loire, is this month's entry from
la petitie parisienne Camille of
Croque-Camille. She chose this particular cheese at her local Fromagerie because she liked its doughnut shape, which she later learned represented a crown, not a doughnut! Camille describes this cheese as "
smooth and buttery" on the inside and "
sharp" and "
zippy" on the outside. I
concur.
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New to la Fête du Fromage is Susan of
Savoring Time in the Kitchen. She tasted a wedge of
Pleasant Ridge Reserve from Wisconsin which she describes as a "
combination of an aged white cheddar and a fine French Gruyère." Sounds wonderful! And don't those spicy chili crackers look delicious?
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Shira of
Petit Pois started the new year off in the right direction with a resolution to taste more cheese. I love that! Almost immediately however, she found herself being lured back to one of her favorite French cheeses,
Fourme d'Ambert. Its flavor, "
round and nutty...neither insipid nor one-dimensional" and its reasonable price were too enticing to pass up.
"
Resolution be damned," she says. And I agree. She plans on trying some new cheeses this year, but Fourme d'Ambert will always be on her short list!
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A trio of Normandy's best known cheeses were written up by Maggie of
Normandy Life.
Pont l'Evêque,
Camembert and
Livarot are three French cheeses that she says make up the perfect Normandy cheese board. I have to agree! I also like Maggie's suggestion of tasting them with a glass of Calvados, the famous apple brandy from the region.
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My entry of this month's Fête is
Etorki, an unassuming ewe's milk cheese from the Basque region of southwest France. It is velvety and rich with hazelnut and caramel-like flavors that are a
true delight!
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That's a wrap!
Thanks for making January's round up a great one!The next
Fête du Fromage International Cheese Tasting will take place in March as I'll be in New Orleans joining in the Mardi Gras festivities in February.
Please have your entries to me by
March 13. The entire round-up will be posted on
March 15.
There is an amazing world of cheese out there to discover and there are many small farmers and artisan cheese makers who appreciate our support. I look forward to reading about your tastings in March!
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?- 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
tossing in the rice
mussels going in
the final addition - a scattering of roasted red peppers
keeping an eye on the flames
we all watched it bubble away but José was in charge of making sure that the paella cooked evenly 
love the heat resistant gloves!
The front gardens of the houses on 6th st boast flowers, trees, plants full of vigor, colors, strong scents, and exuberance.
As I walk along I see artichokes growing on the side! Lemon trees, dill, rosemary ... I have the impression that ANYTHING can grow here!
Going to local restaurants can be a real treat! Look at this crab and shrimp salad! I ordered it with no other dressing that olive oil and salt and it was delicious.
The current crisis has badly affected construction here and everywhere you see signs like this one ... people in the coffee shops gather for a morning latte and share their disappointment with the job market right now. Sad. 
A long weekend in Amsterdam is always a treat! The canals, the bikes, the size of the city are quite a change from the pace of a larger city like Paris, where I live. It's only a little over 4 hours from Paris with Thalys, the fast train.
I started by taking a tram to go to the Concertgebouw, to get the season's program - because yes, I am planning to come back. Trams are an alternative means of transportation to the bike, the real "classic". The Dutch do not mind the rain and do not use "bike capes" to cover themselves when it rains! Trams are also definitely better if you plan to spend the day touring.
From there, across the street, I had a view of the Museum Plein and its impressive modern building that houses the Van Gogh Museum, the largest collection of paintings by this artist. If you plan your trip ahead, book your tickets on line, you'll avoid a loooong waiting line. Entrance ticket with the audio tour is 16.50 Euros.
It's a short walk to the Rijksmuseum, the museum of art and history, partly closed for restoration works, but still displaying an impressive collection of paintings. Here again, you can buy and print your e-ticket on line.
But I also love cows, and found this 17 C pair at a specialist in antique Delft porcelain simply delightful. Though the price tag was a shock: 13,500 Euros! I'll pass - but aren't they beautiful.
50 tulips for 10 Euros ... I couldn't resist and bought a bunch of white ones, plus plenty of bulbs for my Parisian deck. 
On my way home I bought mussels for our evening meal! Miam! I fried a shallot in olive oil, added 1/4 cup of chopped parsley, a glass of dry white wine, and the mussels. Cover and let open over low heat. Toss them now and then. When they are open, serve immediately. 
When you bike in Amsterdam you may be surprised to bump into a draw bridge! Which is what happened to me this morning as I was exploring Amsterdam's not so well known neighborhoods.
I moved then to the tempting counter searching for something that would translate the Dutchness of the chocolate made here and found these imitation Dutch tiles made in white chocolate (Euros 12.5 each) of which I bought two to give as gift back in Paris.
I wish you all a
This year we are welcoming the New Year in the Sarthe, 180 miles west of Paris, over at our dear friend and artist Marie Verbois whose blog I invite you to visit for a delicious promenade in her paintings of pomegranates. 
