Here's a glimpse....
La Fête du Fromage - Tarentais
Cheese can sometimes be a challenge.After three years, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find new cheeses to taste for la Fête du Fromage. A trip to les Halles in Béziers a couple of weeks ago was an exercise in futility as I have tasted every single cheese on offer at both Fromageries. And last week in Paris I walked out empty handed from three different cheese shops. Seriously.
So you can imagine how excited I was to finally stumble across a wine and cheese shop in Béziers that I knew existed but had never been able to find. It's tucked into a funny, nondescript warehouse space on the way out of town and getting in and out of their parking lot without being run down by oncoming traffic was definitely a triumph.
My delight in finding a new cheese source meant that I ignored the fact that most of the fromages in the case looked a bit tired and dried out. I had tasted their entire selection except this one, Tarentais, a fromage de chèvre from Savoie, so couldn't resist bringing it home.
Now I'm not sure how long they've had this piece sitting in their shop, but I can tell you that it is undoubtedly eligible to win the title of the World's Oldest Cheese.The flavor was so strong, so heady, so overly-nutty and piquant that we decided it was not to nibble on. It would however, be delicious crumbled up and baked on top of a gratin with some white beans, tomatoes and fresh thyme or even added to macaroni and cheese for an extra kick.
I plan on trying to find another piece of Tarentais (hopefully soon!) and tasting in its prime, anywhere from 2 weeks old to 3 months old. With a glass of wine from the Savoie.
Photo du Jour
Ballotine, Pâté en Croûte and Pâté.
Pâté with apple, one with pistachio and one with truffles. Then the two ballotine on the left.
How do you choose? Or do you just go ahead a try a bit of each?
Leftovers: a second life!
What do you do with your leftovers? I do not like to eat the same dish twice, so I have to be creative! It's fun to think of a new dish or different presentation for something we have prepared (and probably enjoyed!). Sometimes I am even tempted to make more of the same to transform it into something new! It's important to point out that by using our leftovers - instead of shoveling them into the trash - we reduce considerably our carbon print! I think it is also a form of respect.
In France, French Toasts (above) are called Pain Perdu or "lost bread". Traditionally it was a way to use old bread - instead of throwing it away! 
There is so much to do with old baguettes! You can use a piece left of a baguette to make toasts for breakfast - use a home made jam, a good cup of coffee ... and delect yourself! 
My good friend Elizabeth and I walk 90 minutes in the Bois de Boulogne once a week. We walk along two man made lakes and our walk is a good pretext to recycle her old baguettes, as you see in the picture! She feeds the ducks! We can also make (real) bread crumbs, which are going to taste much better than the industrial ones! Or tasty croutons for your salad!
>> Try to observe some simple rules to safely store your food ! Be careful to keep the food in the fridge in an air tight container, use it within two days of when it was first cooked, do not reheat a dish with a sauce more than once, do not freeze food that has been in the fridge more than two days.
Photo du Jour - Bare Trees
Bare, pruned plane trees in the center of Olonzac. I think the branches look like roots.
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