April 2, 2010 by Maggie Battista
Paris parties are the best sort of parties. They incorporate my most favorite food groups – cheese, bread, wine and sweets – and my first Paris party was not lacking for any of these. The cheese plate looks small above, but it was immense and attacked repeatedly.
The homemade gougeres were, also, quite cheesy. This very full platter disappeared all too soon, which put a big smile on the face of the maker of these puffy, savory pastries. Continue Reading »
Posted in Food, Parisian Living | 6 Comments »
February 6, 2009 by Haven in Paris
Photo Erica Berman
Ah, cheese. The dizzying selection. The alternately intoxicating and overwhelming smells seeping out of shop fronts and market stalls. The fierce opinions and friendly neighborhood banter while waiting in line. Cheese (and cheese shopping) is, unequivocally, one of the pillars of the French way of life. With over 350 French cheeses to choose from, buying a lunchtime treat can be an intimidating cultural challenge. With that in mind, here’s a shortlist of what you need to know when venturing out to the cheese stand…
• Most French cheeses are either Cow (Vache), Goat (Chèvre) or Ewe (Brebis) milk based, though appearances and tastes vary extensively within these categories.
• Go artisan. With so many artisan cheese shops and stands selling high quality, farm-to-market products, you’ll definitely want to forego the convenience of your corner supermarket, which mostly likely stocks mass produced goods, when purchasing cheese. Your palate will thank you…
• Don’t be afraid to ask for a sample. Pick out 2 or 3 cheeses that seem appealing and politely inquire: “Est-ce-que je peux gouter celui-ci?*” Pop the slice in your mouth, chew thoughtfully, nod approvingly and, if you’ve settled on your selection, order it up! For harder cheeses that have already been cut, 100g is a fairly standard serving. Round cheeses (Camembert, for example) are sold as a whole or half reel, and smaller goat cheeses (Crottin) are sold individually.
Continue Reading »
Posted in Parisian Living | 3 Comments »
