Thursday, April 7, 2016

A-Z Challenge: F is for Fromagerie

I really didn't intend this series to teach French culinary terms, but obviously food is a large part of my Parisian experience.

Let's review:

  • B is for Boulangerie which means Bread
  • E is for Escargot which is haute cuisine for Snails
  • F is for Fromagerie which means cheese


Based on a few comments over the past few days, several readers of this blog are well-acquainted with the four Parisian Food groups:
  • bread
  • wine
  • cheese
  • pastry
Cheese in Paris is not just a food group, however, it is a main meal course. And it is not just a section of the dairy case, but its own specialty shop.

So how do the French eat cheese?

There is of course the familiar French Fondu - a combination of Gruyere cheese and dry white wine served with bread cubes and slices of apple.

Then there is the Croque Monsieur - a cross between French toast and grilled cheese, sometimes served with raspberry jam for extra decadence.

But the quintessential fromage experience is the course served between the main entree and dessert. And in my humble opinion, it is the best course of the entire meal.

A typical cheese tray includes four-to-five different cheeses, served with an assortment of fruits, nuts, and crackers. The key is variety - a selection of different densities (soft - hard) and different milk varieties (sheep - goat - cow).

If I were to create an ideal cheese tray for my taste, I would be sure to include:
  • Goat cheese - a soft cheese with a nice tangy flavor. 
  • Camembert -  a semi-soft cheese. I like the heartier flavor of this cheese as compared to its close cousin, Brie
  • Gruyere - a hard cheese, similar in taste to swiss cheese. Pairs very well with fruits such as pears or apples
  • Roquefort - a deliciously rich blue cheese that melts in your mouth
I would also serve some crusty bread and fresh cream butter as well.

A glass of dry red wine and I am in heaven.

Bon appetit!


22 comments:

  1. I always wanted to try out some "real" cheeses, but am such a chicken... ;)
    thanks for sharing the cheese info! :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I would think your local supermarket offers some "tame" cheeses to help ease you into the tasting process :)

      Thank you for stopping by the blog today!

      Delete
  2. Now I'm hungry. :D
    I don't really eat blue cheese but I'd love to try all the other ones! The more cheese the better!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Blue cheese is definitely an acquired taste. I find I can only eat a small bit - and usually accompanied with a slice of pear :)

      Delete
  3. Your cheese plate complete with wine sounds wonderful! It's fun learning about these French food words!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think there is only one more French culinary term during this challenge, so I am grateful for your patience :)

      Delete
  4. I've already had Dinner, but now I am hungry again.

    ClaoWue
    from
    Potpourri

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm actually thinking of having just a cheese plate and wine for dinner tonight :)

      Delete
  5. I know it isn't healty, but I'd eat cheese every day. I still have to try a time that I dont' like :-)

    @JazzFeathers
    The Old Shelter - Jazz Age Jazz

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I would eat it every day too, Sarah! And I agree... I have yet to find a cheese I couldn't nibble :)

      Delete
  6. I'm obsessed with cheese - although I think we don't have the same taste! My dream is to go to one of those places and try everything haha. xoxomake

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Some of the shops are very accommodating - allowing samples before purchasing. Of course, I could fill up just on samples :)

      Delete
  7. J here, stopping by from the #atozchallenge - where I am part of Arlee Bird's A to Z Ambassador Team.
    April is here and I'm excited about it. Best of luck to us both on meeting our goals of posting and hopping to other blogs.
    My blog has a giveaway. There's a bonus a to z challenge each day to encourage people to visit more stops.
    http://jlennidornerblog.what-are-they.com
    Tonight's #azchat was super fun!
    I love cheese. Dubliner is my favorite. Not exactly a Paris type of cheese... gotta swim a little to get to that one. ;)
    I do like grilled cheese with jam or fruit though. Good stuff.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I need to try Dubliner cheese - I have tried the butter and it is like no other butter I have had!

      Delete
  8. Mmm… cheese. You skipped over raclette! It's currently one of my favorite!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. YES, Raclette! Isn't that another typical fondu cheese?

      Delete
  9. I love croque monsieur sandwiches, but have never had one with raspberry jam. I can't quite imagine it.

    Cheers - Ellen | http://thecynicalsailor.blogspot.com/2016/04/g-is-for-grounding-nancy-drew.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Quite frankly I prefer it without the jam (to me a "grilled cheese" is supposed to be savory) but I know some really love that special touch.

      Delete
  10. I keep telling my husband that I'd we ever lived in France, I would be in so much trouble...or at least our food budget would. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I totally understand that statement! Between the cheese, wine, and pastries it would be hard to stick to a budget :)

      Delete
  11. I love cheese. Can eat it every day as well. In Sweden during Christmas time we eat green cheese with (thin) gingerbread cookies. The sweetness of the cookies somewhat softens the sharpness of the cheese.
    Josefine from
    Getting to the end

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love this idea of pairing cheese with gingerbread. I make gingerbread every Christmas and always ensure I have enough leftover to last through January.

      Delete

Related Posts with Thumbnails