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Citrons Givrés
A whole hollowed lemon filled with lemon sorbet.
This dessert was very popular in France in the 70's and 8o's and falls more on the line of a sherbet as it contains milk but the French only have one word for "sorbet".
===================== CHEESES ===================
** PIERRE ROBERT ** (Ile de France / Cow Milk)
Pierre Robert is a decadent triple-crème-style cheese from Seine-et-Marne. When Robert Rouzaire and his friend Pierre began to tire of their Brillat-Savarin, inspiration struck. They began aging the same triple-crème longer in their caves, enabling it to further develop its flavor and become even more meltingly rich in texture. They named their new success Pierre-Robert, for obvious reasons.
Buttery, smooth, and mild, this cheese ought to be eaten spread on bread or even graham crackers.
** TARENTAIS ** (Haute Savoie / Goat Milk)
Exquisite floral aroma and mildly grassy and almond-like flavor.
At first, the texture seems firm and crumbly, but on the palate it slowly melted into a creamy milky consistency.
After 4 weeks of ripening, a slight blue mould covers the rind. After another week a red and blue mould develops. It is a handcrafted cheese.
For amateurs of savours.
** POINTE DE BIQUE ** (Haute Savoie / Goat Milk)
It is a fresh goat cheese shaped like a pyramid. Soft with sour notes and sweet overtones.
It is a complex cheese that gets better as it ripens, acquiring even more complexity. A sweet hay aroma and some spots of blue mold complete the package.
** FOUGERUS ** (Ile de France / Cow Milk)
This artisanal cheese belonging to the Brie group is slightly larger than a Coulommiers.
Originally it was made on a farm for family
consumption with the fern leaf serving as
decoration and flavouring. It was commercially produced for the first time at the beginnnig of the
20th Century.
The scent of the fern blends with the smell of the mould. The pâte is supple and sweet and has a salty taste.
** TOUREE DE L'AUBIER ** (Normandy / Cow Milk)
Tourée de l'Aubier, is a surface-ripened washed rind cheese, it is regularly washed in a salt brine and matured on pine shelves, the cheese was surrounded by a layer of spruce bark, however the cheese maker has changed the process of affinage by removing the bark, the spruce flavour is now on the inside rim of the box, removing the bark now makes the cheese much easier to cut.
Over several months it develops a soft creamy texture and a sweet mild flavour with just a hint of pine & pungency. The rind is usually lifted off the top and the sumptuous ripe pate is eaten with a spoon.
It is a pasteurised version of the famous French Mont d'Or.
** AFFIDELICE AU CHABLIS ** (Bourgogne / Cow Milk)
In many ways, Affidelice au Chablis is similar to Epoisses. The rind starts out with a creamy, orange color that darkens to a copper hue as the maturing process takes place.
Its origin is Bourgogne (Burgundy). This cheese is washed once a week in Chablis which gives it a wine taste and an easily recognizable smell.
Like Munster, the taste is strong, but at the same time savory. It tends to melt in your mouth.
** GAPERON ** (Auvergne / Cow Milk)
It was originally made with the "babeurre", this is the left over from making butter (buttermilk). It is ripened in the fresh air, in the old days it was hung from the kitchen beams.
There is an old charming folk story that says one could tell how rich a family was by the number of Gaperons hanging in the kitchen. Butter was
considered a source of wealth. When (or before) a daughter engaged, the bridegroom's family could estimate the bride's family wealth by counting Gaperons. Customs have changed, today Gaperon is no longer made from buttermilk.
Shaped like a flat-bottomed ball, Gaperon has a white bloomy rind which turns a deep straw color as it ripens. This fine gourmet cheese is bound with raffia or ribbon with a label on the top or bottom.
Gaperon ripens from chalky white to ivory when it becomes quite soft and supple. Its pungent flavor comes partly from the cheese itself but also from the local garlic which is combined with it.
The aroma and taste of this fine French gourmet cheese is unmistakable.
** MUNSTER ** (Alsace / Cow Milk)
Benedictine monks, who were prohibited from eating meat, created the cheese in the 12th century. During its maturing, Munster is turned every two days and washed with warm water from the Vosges. In 1978 the cheese was accepted into the AOC family.
From the washing, the rind is slightly corrugated and humid. Over time the rind turns from yellow to red. Under the rind we find a pliable and sticky pâte.
To give this cheese an original touch you can taste it flavoured with cumin.
Its odour is distinctive and its taste sharp, without being strong.
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Minus 8, Ice Wine Vinegar
Rare and limited in production, Minus 8 Ice Wine Vinegar is an exquisite creation from wintry Canadian vineyards. Named after the freezing conditions in which the grapes are hand-picked and pressed, Minus 8 is traditionally slow fermented from extraordinary wine.
The name Minus 8 refers to the -8 temperature at which the grapes are picked (in the winter).
At that temperature the water inside the grapes freezes.
The grapes are usually picked at night, in January. The late picking ads to the concentrated flavors.
It can be used as it is for flavouring finished foods, to marinate foods, mixed with oil for dressing, incorporated into sauces, or to sip as a digestive.
A small amount goes a long way.
Minus 8 Ice Wine Vinegar is wonderful with everyday foods, and with specialty items; foie gras, meats, fish and seafood, duck, cheeses, fruits and vegetables, salads, and sauces, as far as creativity leads. It is also one of the most wine-friendly vinegar.
Truffles (the fungi !)
In 1825 Brillat-Savarin called the truffle "the diamond of the kitchen" and praised its aphrodisiac powers.
While the aphrodisiac characteristics of truffles have not been established, it is still held in high esteem in colloquial French and northern Italian cooking, and in international haute cuisine.
COOKING:
The fungus is scraped or grated onto food and into sauces and soups just before eating. Truffle slicers have been especially designed for this purpose. Experts recommend that veal, chicken, fish, soufflés, omelettes, pasta, and rice can be glorified with thinly sliced truffles. Cream and cheese sauces avidly take up their flavor.
Also, thin wedges of truffle can be inserted under the skin of a chicken. Store it overnight in the refrigerator before roasting.
PRESERVING:
The pungent odor of a truffle will penetrate the shells of eggs and flavor kernels of rice when stored with them in a closed glass jar placed in a refrigerator. Once the prize truffle has been consumed, the eggs may be enjoyed in an omelette and the rice in pilaf.
Truffles can be frozen for two weeks in a freezer-proof glass jar. Another recommendation is to store them whole in bland oil.
Dried Mushrooms
Mushrooms have a long history, dating back as far as ancient Egypt, where they were referred to as "Sons of Gods sent to earth on thunderbolts".
The French were the first to cultivate mushrooms on a commercial scale, starting in the 19th century.
HOW TO RECONSTITUTE DRIED MUSHROOMS:
Rinse mushrooms well under cold running water, then soak in lukewarm water for about 20 minutes or until soft .
Note that the morels may need several rinsing to rid them of grit due to their honeycombed caps.
The steeping liquid is much too flavorful to toss. Strain it through a coffee filter to remove grit. Set it aside for use in your dish or freeze for another time.
STORAGE:
Store dried mushrooms in air- tight container. Also be sure your hands are dry before reaching into the container or you may introduce just enough moisture to spoil them. Dried mushrooms can be stored indefinitely in the freezer.
CEPES (in France) PORCINI( in Italy):
Are compatible with seasonings such as garlic, shallots, parsley, basil, lemon, salt, and pepper. Tomato sauce and/or wine also enhance the flavor. Excellent in an omelette and with beef, veal and lamb. Chefs like to sauté them slowly in duck fat or in olive oil and butter before adding them to the dish they are preparing.
CHANTERELLES: Also known as "girolles" this mushroom has a magical appeal for most culinary experts. Not all chanterelles are alike. European forms are usually about the size of a thumb whereas in the eastern United States they are the size of a fist.
One of the best ways to cook them is to sauté them in butter. Cream or half and half and chicken broth are good additions. Chanterelles bake well and retain their flavor after long cooking.
Eggs, chicken, pork, and veal harmonize beautifully with them. Serve this over rice or pasta. Potatoes will overpower the chanterelle flavor, as will many other vegetables
MORELS: Morels are highly prized by gourmets for theirt smoky, earthy taste and yet difficult to describe intense flavor. There is no substitute for butter to bring out its subtle and treasured character. It adjusts extremely well to a light cream sauce with Madeira wine, which can be poured over chicken breasts or thin slices of veal
Herrings (Harengs)
Herring has been a known staple food source since 3000 B.C.
Herring are very high in healthy long-chain Omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA. They are a source of vitamin D.
Pickled herring is a popular delicacy in Europe, and has become a basic part of the Nordic cuisine.
In Scandinavia, depending on which of the dozens of classic herring flavourings (mustard, onion, garlic, lingonberries etc.) is selected, it is usually enjoyed with dark rye bread, crisp bread, or potatoes. This dish is a must at Christmas and Midsummer.
In the Middle Ages the Dutch developed a special treat known in English as "soused herring" or "rollmops".
Pickled herrings are also common in Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine, perhaps best known for forshmak salad known in English simply as "chopped herring".
Fleur de Sel
The Fleur de Sel is a hand-raked and a hand-harvested sea salt collected in France. The name "Fleur de Sel" comes from the aroma of violets that develops as the salt dries. Only the premium, top layer of the salt bed is scraped before it sinks to the bottom of large salt pans.
The "Fleur de Sel de Guérande" is the most highly-prized of all salts. Salt harvesting in this region began in the year 868 and only women were allowed to rake the fleur de sel, since men were thought to be too rough to do such delicate work!
Fleur de sel is a "finishing" salt; you don't cook with it, but sprinkle it over just before serving.
Fennel Pollen
An incredible taste that combines the sweet notes of anise and fennel with a deep musty and floral aroma.
It adds a wonderful touch to chicken, fish, pork and also grilled vegetables.
Think of it whenever you find yourself reaching for salt and pepper. Simply sprinkle straight from the package.
French Demi-Glace and Stocks
The next time a receipe calls for using a beef or chicken broth, expand your possibilities by substituing an authentic, classic demi-glace or stock reduction.
In just 10 mns you will convert an ordinary filet into something extraordinary with a deep full sauce.
Just add wine or water and you can create a great peppercorn sauce, make a wonderful merlot sauce, enjoy a tasty turkey gravy, liven up a soup or a stew, add flavor to your favorite risottos or create an outstanding veal marsala.
Verjus
Condiments are sometimes the bases of sauces.
Verjus (literally green juice) is one such condiment. Verjus was very popular in Medieval French cuisine and is enjoying somewhat of a comeback today.
Verjus, a pungent acid liquid, typically made from the juice of green grapes, is actually a strong vinegar that was extensively used until the west use of lemon took over it.
** Use verjus to:
- Deglaze a pan with chicken or fish or add it in a beurre blanc.
- Replace the lemon juice called by a recipe.
- Make a refreshing summer drink mixed with water and a bit of sugar.
- Make a salad dressing with 3 parts verjus for 1 part oil.
Marsala
Made from Sicilian grapes, Marsala is a famous Italian wine fortified with brandy to convert the sugar into a higher alcohol content. Rich and smoky in flavor, it is produced in dry and sweet styles. The dry variety is often served as an aperitif or used to flavor poultry, meat and vegetable dishes, while the sweet Marsala is best served with dessert.
Marsala was traditionally served between the first and second courses of a meal and is now also served chilled with Parmesan, Gorgonzola, Roquefort and other spicy cheeses.
It is also used as a cooking wine and is a key ingredient in risottos, veal scaloppini and sauces for chicken breasts.
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