The Tomato Knife

The best way to choose cheese at a cheese shop is to ask the fromager for advice. This is how I end up with new favorites all the time. Believe it or not, there are seasons for cheese, just like for fruit and vegetables.

Recently, my cheesemonger recommended a Gour Noir. “It’s in season now,” he said. He went on to explain that goat cheese is usually best in the late spring and summer because that’s when the goats have their babies. I also learned that they graze in high mountain pastures at this time of year. Their more diverse diet (compared to wintertime) helps give the cheese more flavor and makes it creamier.

So, what’s a Gour Noir? It’s a goat cheese made from raw goat’s milk with a charcoal-colored outside and a smooth, creamy inside. I like its original shape, that of a leaf. This particular cheese hasn’t been around for very long, only for a little over twenty years. In the early 1990s, Monsieur Arnaud, a fromager from the Limousin region in central France, began making it. I had assumed it was called Gour Noir because of the color, but apparently, it was named after the hamlet where the Arnaud family lived, “Roc du Gour Noir.” And why is it black, I wondered? The unique color comes from the use of “sel cendré” during the cheese-making process. “Sel cendré” is a combination of salt and charcoal powder that is often used to salt French goat cheeses. This practice helps protect and preserve the cheese.

We particularly like the Gour Noir, but can’t find it just anywhere. Under 200 pieces are produced per week and they’re for sale in specialty cheese shops around France. We get ours from the Fromagerie Beillevaire and have only eaten the younger, milder version. When aged a bit longer, this chèvre becomes stronger in taste and much drier in texture. Since I consider the Gour Noir to be the perfect dessert, it’s very unlikely that we’ll let it sit around that long.

Tags: appetizers, cheese, dessert

We ran out of white flour nearly a week ago and I’ve hardly noticed. I’m still on my buckwheat craze and am having way too much fun making pretty much everything, even waffles, out of it. I say “having way too much fun” because I’m not sure the level of indulgence in this recipe is permitted in a grown-up household. We’re parents now. Are we allowed this kind of mischievous pleasure? Seriously, these savory waffles (filled with creamy French blue cheese) are more decadent than those covered in strawberries and whipped cream or chocolate spread – I’m not kidding.

There’s more than just the taste that makes savory waffles so much fun. First of all, having waffles for dinner breaks the rules. Like most Americans, I grew up eating them for breakfast. Sébastien would have them at his grandmother’s house for dessert. When I say, “Waffles for dinner?” we both get this devilish look in our eyes. “We shouldn’t, but let’s be baaaad tonight.” Second, dinner isn’t meant to be this easy to make. I whip up the batter (this takes about five minutes), Sébastien puts the waffle iron on the table and we’re off. The best is that we make the waffles to order; once the batter is on the grill, each person decorates his or her side of the machine as they like. We close the grill, wait until it beeps and then enjoy our creations. Yes, we put the cheese in the grill right on top of the batter and it all melts in together. See why it’s so naughty?

Our favorite topping so far has been a combination of emmental (aka Swiss cheese) and blue cheese. On Sundays, our farmers’ market is host to a slew of vendors who don’t come during the week. One of them is a cheese maker from Auvergne, a region in central France known for its agriculture, and especially for its cheeses. Every week, I buy a nice chunk of blue cheese called “Fourme d’Ambert.” It’s amazing (excuse me for my enthusiasm, but basically I can’t live without this particular cheese). Made from raw cow’s milk, it’s one of the lighter, creamier blues I’ve tasted. Apparently, “Fourme d’Ambert” is one of the oldest French cheeses. Legend has it that it was being made in pre-Roman Gaul and eaten by the Celtic druids living in the mountains of present-day Auvergne.

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Tags: cheese, mains

It’s “la fête du travail” in France. In the US, we don’t celebrate Labor Day until September, but here it’s the first in a happy series of “jours fériés” throughout the month of May.

May 1st is a national holiday in most European countries, and there seems to be quite a lot of history surrounding May Day celebrations. If we go back far enough, Beltane, an ancient Gaelic festival, appears to be the oldest. It was (and still is) celebrated with bonfires and flowers. While we don’t light fires here in Paris, we certainly do honor flowers. The tradition in France is to give a stem of lily of the valley to your sweetheart. The story goes that King Charles IX (back in the 16th century) gave a stem of “muguet” to each of the ladies in his court on this day.

Today, lily of the valley is sold in the streets and, according to this article in the Figaro, the French spend over 25 million euros on it on May 1st alone. I read that each commune is responsible for setting its own rules surrounding the sale of this flower. As the article states, anyone can sell it, but in Paris, for example, you aren’t allowed to add other flowers to the bouquet. Additionally, only wild lily of the valley is allowed.

Since it’s a cool and cloudy day, we spent most of the morning indoors, photographing my bouquet of “muguet”.

This post is for a friend of a friend, and anyone else visiting Paris with an empty tummy.

It seems that everyone comes through here at some point or another. When it isn’t friends, it’s friends of friends and, thus, I’m often asked for suggestions. Do I love giving them! After living in France for nearly nine years (plus a year in college), I’ve discovered so many great places to eat and drink. Last week, a friend reminded me about her friend’s upcoming visit and that got me updating my Paris Dining Guide (soon to be back on-line). I’ve collected a lot of addresses over the years and it’s taking a bit of time (especially with a sweet baby wanting my attention and a defunct keyboard – as of yesterday the s key stopped working so I have to copy and paste each time I use it). My friend also got me thinking about my very favorite places.

If I had to choose only one…

Retaurant: Café Constant (139 rue Saint-Dominique, 7th) owned by chef Christian Constant

Dish: The sole meunière at Le Pergolèse (40 rue du Pergolèse, 16th) owned by chef Stéphane Gaborieau who was named “meilleur ouvrier de France in 2004″ (thanks to this dish!)

Wine bar: La Trinquette (67 rue des Gravilliers, 3rd)

Brunch place: Le café qui parle (24 rue Caulaincourt, 18th)

Street crepe stand : La creperie du Comptoir (3 carrefour de l’Odéon, 6th)

Cup of coffee: The noisette at Terres de Café (14 rue Rambuteau, 3rd)

Macaron: The vanilla/olive oil at Pierre Hermé (several locations)

Chocolate shop: Jean-Paul Hévin or La Maison du Chocolat (it’s a toss-up; both have several locations)

Farmers’ market: It’s difficult to choose just one, but the Marché bio at Raspail on Sunday mornings is definitely worth checking out even if you’re only visiting.

Those are my favorites. Any other recommendations?

Tags: brunch, chocolate, dessert, markets, wine bars

This week’s project was polenta.

I hadn’t cooked cornmeal (semoule de maïs in French) in several years and didn’t remember it being so good. Last Tuesday, I bought some at the nearby health-food store and inadvertently made way too much of it. We ended up eating polenta in some form or another for three days straight. Fortunately, we liked it and, fortunately, it’s versatile.

The first night was my favorite, as I baked the cornmeal in individual ramekins with a layer of Roquefort cheese in the middle (this recipe). It was full of flavor, thick and creamy. It accompanied our cod over endives (recipe to come!) quite well.

Polenta keeps well and solidifies once cool. It’s easy to slice and either bake or fry leftovers. The second night, I cut half-inch thick layers from the block I’d refrigerated and baked it with goat cheese. It replaced the bread in my warm goat cheese salad.

The third night, we only had a little polenta left so we ate it as an appetizer. Once again, I baked thin slices (about a quarter of an inch thick) with a top layer of cheese. This time, I used Parmesan and browned it in the oven.

Basically, polenta and melted cheese are a wonderful combination.

For this recipe, you should probably count on about 50 grams of polenta per person. However, if you’re busy like I am and want quick dinners, make extra!

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Tags: appetizers, cheese, mains, salads, sides

Even after nearly nine years living in France, I still make constant new discoveries.

They’re especially fun when it comes to food, so I’ve decided to start a new series of short posts called “What’s a…?” to best share some of these finds. Here goes the first one: What’s a… Paris-Brest? It’s a traditional French dessert named after a 19th century bicycle race.

The Paris-Brest-Paris was a 1,200 kilometer competition created in 1881 by journalist and sports enthusiast Pierre Giffard. In 1910, he asked pastry chef Louis Durand to make a dessert in honor of the race, thus the round shape with a hole in the middle; it represents a bicycle wheel.

The pastry consists of three layers: a pâte à choux (a sort of puff pastry commonly used in French desserts – think of éclairs for example) on the top and bottom and a crème mousseline in the center. This is what makes the Paris-Brest special as the middle is a melt-in-your-mouth combination of French pastry cream, butter and praline. The whole is topped with slivered almonds and powdered sugar.

The last Paris-Brest-Paris took place in 1951, but its legacy continues thanks to this dessert. Today it’s a staple in any French bakery.

Tags: dessert, nuts