Fromage Friday

 

Savoring Paris... One cheese at a time.

 Above: at least 10 different fromages de chèvre at a Montmartre cheese shop.

 

 

Tasting Tuesday

 

 

No need to leave Paris to take a trip through France.

 

Above: cheeses from every region heaped high at a Montmartre fromagerie

Cheese. Please

 

"You can't make everyone happy. You're not cheese" - Anonymous

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Today is National Cheese Lovers' Day all over the cheese-eating world. Though National Cheese Day in France is celebrated on March 27 (with planches and plates of French cheeses and French wines), who wants to wait? - BPJ

Fromage Friday

   

A platter of AOC raw milk cheeses.

- Morbier, Rouelle du Tarn, Saint-Nectaire, Bleu des Causses, Brie Truffé -

 

Le Cellier de la Butte - Caviste

113 rue Caulaincourt 75018

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 🎈 A Joyous Bastille Day 🎈

 

 

 

Cheese tease

A café cheeseboard of five classic French cheeses with toasts, butter and, to assure un bon transit, a simple mixed salad.

 

A Paris escape #6

 

 

 

The Cantal, our last stop, was a refreshing few days... moreso knowing Paris was in the middle of a heatwave. The region, renown for its tranquil beauty, gets its moment of fame almost every year during the Tour de France and is on the Auvergne Cheese Route.

 

 Above: Puy Mary (yes that's snow), an ancient volcano

 

Below: on The Cheese Route; contented cows; at hotel in Salers

 

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Mad Cow Dept: How to Prevent an Attack by a Cow

 

(Short version) 

Due to the location of their eyes - on the sides of the head - cows do not have a straight line of vision, so make sure they respond to your voice. 

 

If you detect an aggressive cow continue to move calmly and do not make direct eye contact.

 

 Keep your body facing the cow at all times. Do not turn your back or run.

 

And finally, if you are attacked, striking the cow directly on the nose will deter it. (As some of you know this actually happened to me, and the cow lumbered away.) - BPJ

 

 

(Long version) 

When it comes to preventing an attack by a cow, there are several key steps you can take to ensure your safety in such a situation. First and foremost, it’s important to understand a little bit about how cows perceive the world around them. Due to the positioning of their eyes on the sides of their heads, cows don’t have a perfectly straight line of sight like humans do. This means their vision is more focused on the sides rather than directly ahead, which can sometimes make them a bit unpredictable. To work with this, it’s a good idea to make sure the cow is aware of your presence by using your voice. Speak calmly and clearly, allowing the cow to hear you and respond to the sound, which can help them feel less startled or threatened as you approach or move nearby.

 

Next, if a cow starts to show signs of aggression - maybe it’s pawing the ground, lowering its head, or giving an intense stare. In this case, the best thing you can do is keep moving, but do so in a calm and collected manner. There’s no need to rush or panic here; slow and steady is the name of the game. While you’re moving, be mindful not to make direct eye contact with the cow. Staring straight into its eyes might be interpreted as a challenge or a threat in the bovine world, and you definitely want to avoid escalating the situation unnecessarily. Instead, keep your gaze soft and averted while still staying aware of what the cow is doing.

 

Another critical point to remember is how you position yourself during this encounter. Always, always keep your body facing the cow. This doesn’t mean you need to stand there stiff as a board, but you should avoid turning your back on the animal completely. Turning away or, worse yet, running off in the opposite direction could trigger the cow’s instincts to chase or charge after you, and that’s a scenario you want to avoid. By keeping your front toward the cow, you’re showing that you’re present and aware, which can help maintain a sense of control over the interaction. Plus, it keeps you in a better position to react if things start to get dicey.

 

And finally - here’s the big one - if despite your best efforts, the cow decides to launch an attack, don’t panic. You’ve got one solid move up your sleeve to deter it. If the cow comes at you, aim a firm, direct hit right on its nose. Yes, you read that right - give it a good smack on the snout! The nose is a sensitive spot for cows, and a solid tap there can startle or discourage the animal enough to back off and rethink its approach. But that's a last-resort tactic, of course, one worth keeping in mind just in case things take a turn for the worse. And btw this can apply to various homo sapiens who cross your path as well. Stay safe. - BPJ

 

Camembert culture

 

 There's Camembert and there's Camembert.

June newsletter

Cheese culture

 

 In France, sometimes the moldier the cheese rind, the better.

Above: Brin d'Amour from Corsica made by shepherds from the milk of Lacaune ewes

Cheese is always a good idea

French cheeses and champagne.

Fromages en fleur

Flip your cheeseboard (and host/hostess status) into new realms with AOC goat's milk cheeses smothered in petals.

A wine, a cheese

Exquisite French cheeses with what else? Exquisite French wines.

Legrand Filles et Fils
 Galerie Vivienne 75002

- elevated tables - counter seating - wine tastings -

Salade de chèvre chaud

In France, it's the Prince of Salads. It's on almost every café-bistrot lunchtime menu and when done right, as it is here - still crisp green beans, cherry tomatoes, chives, smoked duck breast, walnuts, batavia lettuce, a light vinaigrette, all topped by a quality goat cheese grilled atop slices of country bread - it's one of life's greatest pleasures. - BPJ

En famille

 

A Christmas Day Lunch

All over France, Christmas Day lunch is a quiet family affair. I love it all, from helping create the menu and set the table to the long conversations that extend into the evening.

On the menu: apéritifs w/gourmet nibbles in front of the fire. At table: foie gras fresh figs and sweet Sauternes wine starter; roasted confit de canard and wild mushrooms; mixed salad with toasted pumpkin seeds and orange; farm cheeses. Green apple sorbet verrines with vodka and fresh mint made a light prelude to the traditional yule log cake. And to finish up properly, espresso and tea followed by an assortment of digestifs. - BPJ

Above: a different wine for each course; a brother-in-law takes over in the farm-style kitchen; table set for 10

Wine, cheese, charcuterie

Sharing plates of artisanale farm cheeses and charcuterie accompanied by exquisite French wines at Legrand Filles et Fils.

Galerie Vivienne 75002

Cheese as art

Créations by Laurent Dubois, winner Meilleur Ouvrier de France 2000, best cheesemaker in the world.

Bottom photo: oui, that's black truffle

Get your goat

French cheeses have their own season, and now is the time to look for raw milk farm fromages de chèvre (goat's milk cheeses) in cheese shops and markets.