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Post by janetnj on Oct 11, 2012 2:58:28 GMT -5
I know we have several members who are much more food savvy than I am. Two questions:
What do you do with fromage blanc? I tried it yesterday plain and it didn't wow me.
What kind of butter do you recommend? My landlord was kind enough to stock the fridge with President beurre tendre, but there are so many other varieties in the supermarket that look interesting.
Thanks!
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Post by jo on Oct 11, 2012 6:20:55 GMT -5
Try to find some Bordier butter with algues (seaweed). We had it a few times at Spring and it's unlike any butter we've ever had. I think they now sell it at Breizh Cafe, in the 3rd. Here's a post by the Leib on the new epicerie at Breizh: www.davidlebovitz.com/2012/10/epicerie-breizh-cafe-paris/I'v only ever had fromage blanc as a dessert in a restaurant and I think they put some fruit jam or something similiar on it. We enjoyed the light taste of it, but I think you'd have to have something sweet on it to give it taste. Ah, food in Paris......enjoy! Jo |
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Post by Anne on Oct 11, 2012 8:22:31 GMT -5
You can have fromage blanc as a dessert mixed with caster sugar, and then it's very good if you add fresh fruits like strawberries or rasberries in it. Or else you can leave it unsweetened but pour honey or jam or caramel or chestnut cream on top.
Or you can have it as a savoury dish : mix it with little bits of raw onion, possibly crushed garlic if you dare, parsley, chives, salt and pepper and eat it with sautées potatoes and slices of smoked ham.
Re. butter, you should try the cru one once. Supermarkets have some but it has hardly any taste, the real stuff is to be found in good crèmeries. It has a somehow animal taste, nothing like beurre doux, so I guess it's either like it or hate it. If you like it then you find beurre doux very bland in comparison.
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Post by PariS on Oct 11, 2012 10:38:58 GMT -5
If you haven't gotten to one of the fromageries for the special butters mentioned by Jo and Anne, my favorite grocery store butter is Grande Fermage "beurre aux cristaux de sel et mer de Noirmoutier". It's the kind with little crystals of crunchy salt in it...yum! (it's the blue package in the top right of the first photo in this link www.cotemaison.fr/recettes-de-cuisine/les-meilleurs-beurres-selectionnes-parmi-plus-de-15-goutes_14349.html ) I've mixed a big dollop of peach compote in my bowl of fromage blanc and it's pretty good--basically fruit on the bottom yogurt  I didn't add any sugar or honey to make it more dessert-like, but that does sound good! |
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Post by janetnj on Oct 11, 2012 12:35:34 GMT -5
Thanks Jo, Anne and Annette. Great ideas. I'll get some fresh fruit tomorrow and try it with fromage blanc. I've got a couple types of confiture in the fridge so can mix that in as well.
I will look for the butter too.
I want to try new foods on this trip. The annual marche de l'Aveyron is in Bercy this weekend. I'm looking forward to trying Aligot.
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Post by geordy on Oct 11, 2012 12:57:22 GMT -5
I highly recommend brandade and cassoulet if you haven't had them.  .also merguez sausage...very good in a Moroccan cous cous or just a sandwich!  |
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Post by jo on Oct 11, 2012 12:59:14 GMT -5
Oh Janet, we went to that market last year. It was just awesome. Lots of street foods and stalls. Plus, you'll be near Bercy Village for a little stroll. Check to see if they are having an oyster festival at the Village ~ last year was their first annual one, at the same time as the Aveyron market. There was oyster shucking contests and then stalls giving away free oysters for tasting! Den and I each gobbled up about 8 each ~ we love raw oysters. We were only missing the muscadet. have a great weekend,
Jo
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Post by janetnj on Oct 12, 2012 16:35:00 GMT -5
Jo - I went to marche de l'Aveyron today and tried the Aligot. I enjoyed it - very filling! Also tried Farcous, which I believe is pancakes with swiss chard. A few pictures:   Geordy - Had brandade the other night - yummy! Cassoulet is on my list. I hadn't noticed merquez previously. Went to a Moroccan place tonight and had a couscous with merguez:  |
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Post by geordy on Oct 13, 2012 8:31:09 GMT -5
You are going through my top ten! ;D Keep eating! I get to have more baseball food! ;D |
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Post by jo on Oct 13, 2012 9:23:55 GMT -5
Seb loved aligot in May, but then what child wouldn't ~ potatoes and cheese, lol
It all looks yummy! Did you spot any oyster festivals at Bercy Village?
Jo
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Post by janetnj on Oct 14, 2012 9:13:49 GMT -5
Jo - I didn't spot any other festivals in Bercy but it's been raining so much the last 2 days I didn't really look for them. I walked by parc George Brassens and I could see tents and hear a band, but my jeans were soaked from the knee down and I just didn't have the energy for an outdoor festival.
Last night I had dinner at a friend's house and we had l'os a moelle - another food that's new to me. We also had fromage blanc with a variety of savory things to mix into it - garlic, shallots, chives, parsley. I was told that fromage blanc is eaten that way in Burgundy. Next I want to try it as a dessert.
Geordy - enjoy that baseball food (said begrudgingly...). I saw a fair number of Yankees hats today.
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Post by geordy on Oct 14, 2012 10:14:49 GMT -5
Sounds like an" authentic" French meal...I've only had moelle as part of a pot au feu or osso bucco , how was it served?? No joy in Mudville..Jeter broke his ankle...  |
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Post by janetnj on Oct 14, 2012 10:37:22 GMT -5
They were served like this:  |
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Post by Jody on Oct 14, 2012 11:21:10 GMT -5
We used to have that all the time when I was growing up and I loved it> SOmehow I lost my taste for that and kidneys along the way!
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Post by jo on Oct 14, 2012 11:50:32 GMT -5
Oh, that looks so good, Janet! I love bone marrow and regularly suck it out of my osso bucco shanks whenever I get the chance, lol.
Geordy, Den is a huge Detroit fan so there was much joy in our house last night. My son is a Cardinals fan, so there may be a showdown looming..........
Jo
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Post by geordy on Oct 14, 2012 14:43:58 GMT -5
Umm....let's not get ahead of ourselves here Jo...yes operative word "may" in that showdown nonsense!!! Though w/o the Captain....  Yes that does look good.....!! knew there would be some nice bread involved! |
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I didn't add any sugar or honey to make it more dessert-like, but that does sound good!
.also merguez sausage...very good in a Moroccan cous cous or just a sandwich! 
Let the riot begin! LOL - 
hahahha