LES FROMAGES DE FRANCE

[Laura]

One of the characteristics of our splendid country : the cheese or cheeses I rather say !
We don’t have enough days in only one year to eat a different one with each meal…
I will try to tell you some history of cheese, to present some of them and to propose receipts containing cheese. I hope to give you the “taste” of cheese and the desire for visiting France !!!

Une des particularités de notre magnifique pays : le fromage ou plutôt les fromages ! En effet, nous n'avons pas assez de jours dans une seule année pour en manger un différent à chaque repas ...
Je vais essayer de vous conter l'histoire du fromage, de vous en présenter quelques uns et de vous proposer des recettes à base de fromage.
J'espère vous donner le "gout" du fromage et l'envie de visiter la France par la même occasion !!!



LE REBLOCHON

Its origin goes up with the Middle Ages in the valley of Thônes in Haute-Savoie.
Reblochon is manufactured mainly in the Massif of Aravis.

Its paste, yellow color ivory, is delicate and its savour transports typical alpine flavor.
Its consistency is consistent, its velvety savour with the back taste of hazel nut and its tender paste is very digeste.
Reblochon is manufactured in a traditional way, in mountain pasture the summer and in the farms the winter. The manufacture takes place after each draft and with the milk of only one farm. Certain operations are obligatorily carried out manually : cutting and mixing of curd, moulding and reversal of cheeses. They remain during 15 days in cellar before being carried at the refiner or refining continues slowly before their selling. The refining of Reblochon is short : 2 to 4 weeks.
Each Reblochon is identified by a pastille of color in casein, affixed on one of the faces of cheese at the time of the manufacture, which comprises the number of the workshop. The pastille is red for dairy Reblochon and green for farm Reblochon.
Reblochon of Savoy is traditionally a cheese of end of meal, but it can also be eaten toasté, out of salad, or finely distinct with aperitif. It is the cheese used for "la Tartiflette".

Other cheeses of Savoy : Abondance, Beaufort, Chevrotin, and Tome des Bauges.

Son origine remonte au moyen âge dans la vallée de Thônes en Haute-Savoie.
Le Reblochon est fabriqué principalement dans le massif des Aravis.
Sa pâte, couleur jaune ivoire, est délicate et sa saveur transporte de typiques essences alpines.
Sa consistance est onctueuse, sa saveur veloutée à l'arrière goût de noisette.sa pâte tendre est très digeste.
Le Reblochon fermier est fabriqué de façon traditionnelle, en alpage l'été et dans les fermes l'hiver. Sa fabrication a lieu après chaque traite et avec le lait d'une seule ferme. Certaines opérations sont obligatoirement effectuées manuellement : découpage et brassage du caillé, moulage et retournement des fromages. Ils séjournent durant 15 jours en cave avant d'être emportés chez l'affineur ou l'affinage se poursuit lentement avant leur commercialisation.L'affinage du Reblochon est court (2 à 4 semaines).
Chaque Reblochon est identifié par une pastille de couleur en caséine, apposée sur l'une des faces du fromage au moment de la fabrication, qui comporte le numéro de l'atelier de fabrication. La pastille est rouge pour un Reblochon laitier fabriqué au quotidien dans les fromageries ou fruitières, et verte pour le Reblochon fermier, fabriqué 2 fois par jour toute l'année avec le seul lait d'un troupeau.
Le Reblochon de Savoie est traditionnellement un fromage de fin de repas, mais il peut également être consommé en en-cas. Toasté, en salade, ou finement tranché à l'apéritif. C'est LE fromage utilisé pour la Tartiflette.

Parmi les autres fromages de Savoie on trouve aussi l'Abondance, le Beaufort, le Chevrotin, et la Tome des Bauges.




LE CANTAL

The Cantal is a cheese with the cow's milk, with firm paste, pressed and not cooked.
It is a large cylinder weighing approximately 43 kg.
Its surface of origin is a zone which extends around the volcanic High Auvergne (middle of France), whose altitude ranges between 700 and 1000 meters. The Cantal is one of oldest known cheeses. Its legend goes back to 2000 years.
One month, it is the minimal duration, to acquire the harbour due the name Cantal.
- Between one and two months, it is known as “young” and guard a lacteous taste, very soft, with sometimes a vanilla or hazel nut point. The crust is fine, the paste ivory.
- Between 3 and 6 months, called “between two”, it takes more marked personality, the flavours of butter and cream intensify little by little and reinforce perfumes with a vegetable universe. The crust is buttoned of gold.
- Lastly, beyond 6 months, the old Cantal scents almost animal odors, peppered and spiced… the crust thick, is strewn with red/orange flowers, the paste is darker. An extraordinary magic way…
The last one is for you Patrick ! So sharp.
My favorite is the young one, very soft.

Le Cantal est un fromage au lait de vache, à pâte ferme, pressée et non cuite. C’est un grand cylindre pesant environ 43 kg.
Son aire d’origine est une zone qui s’étend autour du massif volcanique de la Haute Auvergne, dont l’altitude se situe entre 700 et 1000 m.
Le Cantal est l’un des plus anciens fromages connus. Sa légende remonte à 2000 ans.
Un mois, c’est la durée minimale, pour acquérir le droit de porter le nom Cantal.
- Entre un et deux mois, il est dit " jeune " et garde un goût lacté, très doux, avec parfois une pointe de noisette ou de vanille. La croûte est fine, la pâte ivoire.
- Entre 3 et 6 mois, appelé " entre deux ", il prend une personnalité plus marquée, les arômes de beurre et de crème s’intensifient peu à peu et se renforcent de parfums d’un univers végétal.
La croûte est boutonnée d'or.
- Enfin, au-delà de 6 mois, le Cantal vieux se parfume d’odeurs presque animales, poivrées et épicées …
La croûte est épaisse, parsemée de fleurs rouges/orangées, la pâte est plus foncée.
Un extraordinaire parcours, magique, que celui du goût auquel on laisse le temps de s’épanouir…




LA RACLETTE

La raclette is a cheese with the cow's milk, pressed paste not cooked, relatively fatty (45% of fat content). La raclette of Savoy, entirely with the milk provided by the farmers of the 5 communes of the massif of Chambotte, manufactured and refined by their farm.
Its period of optimal tasting is from October to December after a refining from 4 to 5 months, but it is also excellent from August at April.
One can of course taste it like cheese, but this cheese is especially the base of the dish of the same name.
(see the video !)

La raclette est un fromage au lait de vache à pate pressée non cuite, relativement gras (45% de matières grasses) et parfumé. La Raclette de Savoie, entièrement au lait cru fourni par les agriculteurs des 5 communes du massif de la Chambotte, est fabriquée et affinée par leur fruitière.
Sa période de dégustation optimale s'étale d'octobre à décembre après un affinage de 4 à 5 mois, mais il est aussi excellent d'août à avril.
On peut bien sûr le manger comme fromage mais c'est surtout la base du plat du même nom.
(voir la vidéo !)




LE ROQUEFORT

Roquefort-on-Soulzon is initially a village located near the town of Millau in Aveyron.
The roquefort is a French cheese with the raw milk of ewe. The area of collected milk is limited to a zone located in a ray of 100km approximately around the village of Roquefort-on-Soulzon.

The legend : a shepherd a long time ago, preferring to run the women rather than to deal with its ewes, would have forgotten some bread and ewe cheese in a cave. By finding it a few months later, the Penicillium roqueforti had made its work, transforming cheese into roquefort…
The Penicillium, natural antibiotic, is at the origin of the blue of cheese. Before the discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming, the shepherds had as a practice to treat the wounds, by applying this cheese to it, to avoid gangrene. Before modern medicine, and the discovery of the microbes, the doctors fought actively against this method of countryside, which they showed of charlatanism and dangerous. It was necessary to await the discovery of the properties of the penicillin contained in the roquefort so that contemporary medicine recognizes the good direction of the shepherds !

It is a blue-veined cheese (paste with mould interns) with an average weight of 2,5 kg.
The term “spotted paste” applies to the blue cheeses for which the color and the distribution of the mould (Penicillium glaucum or roqueforti) also called “persillage” is different according to each cheese.
Natural cellars were naturally created in cliff of Roquefort-on-Soulzon. The temperature and the hygroscopy are quite precise there. A natural ventilation is ensured by cracks in the rock : “fleurines”. These are the characteristics of the cellars of Roquefort, which give the characteristic and the inimitable taste of its cheese.
The refining (at least three months) takes place obligatorily in the cellars of Roquefort. Then, they can be wrapped in tin sheets. Its period of optimal tasting is spread out April at October after a 5 months refining, but it is also excellent from March to December.

This world reputation cheese, is associated the excellence of the French gastronomy.


Roquefort-sur-Soulzon c’est d’abord un village situé à proximité de la ville de Millau en Aveyron.
Le roquefort est un fromage français au lait cru de brebis. La région de collecte du lait est limitée à une zone située dans un rayon de 100km environ autour du village de Roquefort-sur-Soulzon.

La légende
Un berger de jadis, préférant courir les femmes plutôt que de s'occuper de ses brebis, en aurait oublié dans une grotte son casse-croûte composé de pain et de fromage de brebis. En le retrouvant quelques mois plus tard, le Penicillium roqueforti avait fait son œuvre, transformant le fromage en roquefort...
Le Penicillium, antibiotique naturel, est à l'origine du bleu du fromage. Avant la découverte de la pénicilline par Alexander Fleming, les bergers avaient pour habitude de traiter les plaies, en y appliquant ce fromage, afin d'éviter la gangrène. Avant la médecine moderne, et la découverte des microbes, les médecins luttèrent activement contre cette méthode de campagne, qu'ils accusèrent de charlatanisme et de dangereuse. Il fallut attendre la découverte des propriétés de la pénicilline contenue dans le roquefort pour que la médecine contemporaine reconnaisse le bon sens des bergers.

C'est un fromage à pâte persillée (pâte à moisissure interne) avec un poids moyen de 2,5 kg.
Le terme « à pâte persillée » s’applique aux fromages bleus pour lesquels la couleur et la répartition de la moisissure (Penicillium glaucum ou roqueforti) appelée aussi « persillage » varient selon chaque fromage.
Des caves naturelles se sont créées dans la falaise de Roquefort-sur-Soulzon. La température et l'hygrométrie y sont bien précises. Une ventilation naturelle est assurée par des fissures dans la roche : les fleurines. Ce sont ces caractéristiques qui donnent la particularité des caves de Roquefort, et le goût inimitable de son fromage.

L’affinage d’au moins trois mois a obligatoirement lieu dans les caves de Roquefort. Ensuite, ils peuvent être enveloppés dans des feuilles d'étain.
Sa période de dégustation optimale s'étale d'avril à octobre après un affinage de 5 mois, mais il est aussi excellent de mars à décembre

Ce fromage, de réputation mondiale, est associé à l'excellence de la gastronomie française.



LE CAMEMBERT

The Invention of Marie Harel
Marie HAREL was born in the village of Crouttes in 1761. She is known as the woman who first discovered Camembert.
By following the advice of a priest from the region of Brie, she improved the quality of her cheese and invented the process for making Camembert.
Her daughter, born in 1787 and also called Marie, and her own children then developed the production of this famous cheese.

Definition of "Camembert de Normandie" :
Camembert was invented in 1791 by Marie HAREL. In 1890, an engineer Mr RIDEL invented a wooden box which was used to carry the cheese and helped to send it for longer distances. Because of the lack of sufficient protection rules, Camembert was imitated outside of Normandy, and even if foreign countries. In 1926, the Court of Appeals in Orleans stated that the name "camembert" is a generic term, belonging to the public domain.
Since 1983, the ladle moulded Camembert produced with raw milk in Normandy is protected by the French Label of Origin (AOC).

Decree of December 26th, 1986 (Article 2) relative to the Label of Origin " Camembert de Normandie " :
May be called "Camembert de Normandie" a lightly salted soft cheese ranging in colour from white to cream yellow, with superficial mould (white with some occasional red spots), undivisible curds sometimes slightly vertically cut, and spontaneous straining. It is a flat cylinder ranging in diameter from 10,5 to 11cm, made exclusively of cow milk containing rennet. Its fat content after complete desiccation must be at least 45 grs per 100 grs of cheese. The minimal weight for a cheese is 250 grs, and the total weight of dry matter must not be less than 115grs per piece.

Moreover, the milk production, the manufacturing, the drying and the maturing of the cheeses sold under this AOC-label must fit the following conditions:
a) The milk used for the cheese production must comply with the legal requirements: the livestock must be free of tuberculosis and brucellosis and the milk may not contain added condensed or dried milk, milk proteins or coloring substances.
Ultrafiltration methods are forbidden and milk may not be warmed to a temperature exceeding 37°C.
b) Coagulation of the milk is obtained exclusively with rennet.
c) The curds are ladle moulded and the ladle diameter must be the same as mould diameter. The process must be discontinuous with a minimal of 4 fillings per mould.
d) The salting must be done exclusively with dry salt.
e) After being salted, cheeses are stored for drying at a temperature ranging from 10 to 14°C, before being packed in wooden boxes (they may however be stored in cellars (8 to 9°C) before packaging). The maturing period after the manufacturing date is at least 21 days, from which 16 in the geographical area where they are produced.
f) Division is allowed only for ready to consume cheeses.

Localization of the cheese makers of "Camembert de Normandie"

La découverte de Marie Harel.
On attribue à Marie-Christine HAREL, née à Crouttes en 1761 la maternité du Camembert.
Perfectionnant ses fromages grâce au conseil d'un prêtre réfractaire originaire de la Brie, elle mit au point le Camembert.
Et c'est sa fille, prénommée elle-aussi Marie et née en 1787, et sa descendance (PAYNEL) qui en développeront la fabrication.
Définition du Camembert de Normandie :
Le CAMEMBERT a été mis au point en 1791 par Marie HAREL. En 1890, l'ingénieur RIDEL eut l'idée de l'emballer dans une boîte en bois, cela a permis au fromage de voyager facilement et contribué ainsi grandement à sa diffusion. Mais, en l'absence de protection particulière, sa fabrication échappe à la Normandie et il est imité en France et hors de nos frontières. La Cour d'Appel d'Orléans confirme en 1926 que la dénomination " Camembert " est un terme générique tombé dans le domaine public.
Depuis 1983, le Camembert de Normandie au lait cru et moulé à la louche bénéficie de l'AOC (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée).
Extrait du cahier des charges de l’appellation d’origine « Camembert de Normandie » annexé au décret du 18 septembre 2008 :
Description du produit :
Le Camembert de Normandie est un fromage au lait cru, à pâte molle légèrement salée renfermant au minimum 45 grammes de matière grasse pour 100 grammes de fromage après complète dessiccation et dont le poids total de matière sèche est supérieur ou égal à 115 grammes par fromage.
Le Camembert de Normandie est caractérisé par les éléments suivants :
- la forme de cylindre plat d’un diamètre de 10,5 à 11 cm et un poids net indiqué à l’emballage au minimum de 250 grammes ;
- la croûte dite « fleurie », de couleur blanche, à moisissures superficielles constituant un feutrage blanc pouvant laisser apparaître des tâches rouges ;
- la pâte de couleur ivoire à jaune clair ; affinée à cœur, elle est lisse et souple ;
- la saveur légèrement salée, d’abord lactée et douce puis plus franche et fruitée avec davantage d’affinage. » (fin de l’extrait)
« Ces caractéristiques sont contrôlées par un laboratoire indépendant en ce qui concerne le poids, la matière grasse et l’extrait sec et par un organisme de contrôle également indépendant en ce qui concerne les critères organoleptiques.
De même, les conditions de productions et de transformation du lait sont définies dans ce même cahier des charges (voir production) et vérifiées par l’organisme de contrôle. »

France, French… and the Cheese!

Country of cheese par excellence, France is also often associated the bread and the wine. What seems to obey a certain logic since this three food marries extremely well !

The French dairy companies produced 1,8 million tons of cheese in 2005, that is to say 3,5 tons of cheese manufactured at the minute! This incredible production is distributed through a variety of more than 1.000 different cheeses, whose majority is manufactured containing cow's milk (9 cheeses out of 10). The cheeses with the ewe and goat's milk have a relatively tiny place.

This considerable production however is not exclusively reserved for the french market. On the contrary, nearly a third of our cheese-making production is exported, mainly bound for the European United States and Convention country. Moreover France imports cheeses : approximately 15% of the consumption of the French are of foreign origin.

The geographical distribution of the production of cheese are essentially the Basse-Normandie areas, Pays of the Loire, Brittany and Lorraine which are largest producing. As for the geographical distribution of consumption, the populations of north, east and of the center consume more cheese that those of south-west, south-east or even of the west, which however concentrates very many dairy companies.

French love cheese !
According to a study, 96% of the French consume cheese regularly, 81% declare that in their family everyone likes cheese, and 73% even think that the cheese is a food which is consumed without being wearied.
This love of cheese is translated naturally in the French habits. In 2005, the French consumed 23 kilos of cheese per people, which classifies France second large-scale consumer European, just behind the Greeks of which have knows the appetite for the feta !
The budget devoted to cheese represents a little less than 7% of the total food budget of the french households, but reached 42% of the budget allocated with the dairy products. The French buy primarily their cheese in the supermarkets, whose sales represent more of the three quarters of the total cheese sales. The small markets, dairies or shops of cheese-making producers account for only 4% of the sales.

The hit parade of cheeses the most sold in France : Emmental, the goats and our national emblem, the Camembert cheese arrive at the head.

L'EMMENTAL

Emmental originally comes from the Emme valley in Switzerland but is also make in France (Savoie - french Alps) with cow milk.
Emmental is a yellow, medium-hard cheese, with characteristic large holes. It has a piquant, but not really sharp taste. Three types of bacteria are used in the production of emmental, Streptococcus thermophilis, Lactobacillus, and Propionibacter shermani. In the late stage of cheese production, P. shermani consumes the lactic acid excreted by the other bacteria, and releases carbon dioxide gas, which slowly forms the bubbles that make holes.
Emmental is ripened to perfection in the traditional 180 pound wheels. They are turned weekly in the ripening chambers for a minimum of two months.
In cooking, it is often put (grated) on top of dishes which are then put in the oven to let the cheese melt and become golden-brown and crusty. It is also used to cook a savoyard Fondue (recipe with 3 cheeses).
Full of calcium ! Very good in a sandwich, for appetizer cut in small cubes or in dessert ... anyway !
Remember ? It's the more eaten cheese in France ...



LE ST NECTAIRE FERMIER

The area of the Saint-Nectaire cheese is located at the center of France, in the septentrional part of the Central Solid mass, wettest, on the slopes of the volcanic mountains of Auvergne, in the western south of Clermont-Ferrand.

AOC Saint-Nectaire zone is one of smallest of France even of Europe

The manufacture of the Saint-Nectaire cheese result of a long experiment forged during centuries, allied with modern techniques. To be entitled to the label of origin “Saint-Nectaire cheese”, the farm cheese must be made only with Salers cows milk (from only one herd) that feed on the very rich and perfumed volcanic pasture lands of the

uplands of the Auvergne region of France, coming from the zone AOC and to be manufactured inside this one, morning and evening, as soon as the draft carried out. The Saint-Nectaire cheese is a cheese with not cooked, pressed half-firm paste, salted, with flowered crust, presenting white, yellow or red moulds, at least containing fat content 45% and 52% of dry extract. The cheese Saint-Nectaire is of form circular 21 cm in diameter, 5 cm thickness and a weight of approximately 1,7 kg.
The Saint Nectaire fermier (farm) cheese is easily recognized by its green label. The aging process (affinage) is carried out in old vine cellars.
At maturity the thick rind gives off a subtle, slightly pungent smell of rye straw and mushroom. The pâte should have a pronounced taste of nut, milk and the lush pasture, lands of its origin.
The natural rind, covered by white, yellow or red mould according to the maturing period, hides a creamy and supple pâte.

It's the favorite cheese of my husband !



mountain plate !

On the left : raclette ; in the middle : tomme des Bauges ; on the right : beaufort and down : goat cheese !

[Patrick]

Whenever I think of France (and cheese) it brings to mind soft cheeses. I am inclined to lean toward the sharp, hard cheeses. In the USA, the New York cheddar is excellent, but it has to be aged sufficiently to maximize the sharpness. MUST be sharp enough to make your eyes roll back!. Although Italy's Reggiano is the "talk of the town", (and it is very good), I prefer the Grana Padano of northern Italy's Lombardia region. It has more bite than the Reggiano. Would be good to try a very sharp cheese of France if I knew what to look for. We used to have some cheese shops here in Connecticut but they all vanished and replaced by supermarkets and their benign offerings. Johnny would have more luck finding better cheeses in Portland.

[John Barrows]

I can think of no other place on the planet that has the breadth, depth, and yumminess of cheeses than France! Yes, I would like to know also what French cheeses have that aged, nutty, and sharp taste that we have here with our cheddars that are aged at least 2 years, or like a parmigiano of Italy. I look forward to some great suggestions from you, Laura, on all of your favorite French cheeses.

[Nancy Barrows]

Laura
Thanks so much for the cheese post. I am still suffering from PPD (post Paris Depression). One of the things I miss the most is the cheese. The depth of the favor is something that you just can't get here, even if the cheese is imported from France. It's most likely the pasteurization and extreme refrigeration we put everything through here in the US. The US government is making sure we are saved from all sorts of things we wish we could be inflicted with... like real cheese!

So which cheese are you going to highlight next for us?

[Debbie]

So then, who moved my cheese??? Being an "Improvisational" site based in the USA, we do not have the benefits of Europe and European food products so we IMPROVISE. Improvising is what this site is about and the guts and glory of times past; The USA may import or perhaps re-create cheeses of the world, however, we make do with what we have. What are we selling here? Europe and what they can produce today OR Improvisational cooking based on our parents and their parents here in the USA? Please don't misunderstand me; I appreciate the European cooking, etc. But what is this site based on? The traditions of our forefathers and what they fared once here in the USA and the products they were able to obtain and work with. I suspect we may be losing some focus here; give us examples of substitute cheeses since not all these cheeses mentioned are obtainable here.

[John Barrows]

The cheeses are available here - assuming you live in the proximity of a place where there are enough people who care about what they eat, to have a shop owner see the economic viability of offering them. The basic problem though , here in the States, is that the gummint forbids the making and selling of cheeses that are made in the old world way. The USA didn't invent cheese. It came with immigrants. In the modern day, the FDA proclaimed pasteurization as the only way cheese could be produced for sale. There is a push for this too even in France - promulgated by big business to reduce their liability and increase their profit. Out here on the West coast many small farmers are recreating the cheeses of their European forefathers. They say, "We don't have to settle for "what we have". This site is not about "settling". It's about all the wonders of food in this world - not just what we have in our local supermarkets. Improvisation has many meanings. Limiting it to what our local store carries is the antithesis of creativity, ingenuity, and the understanding that the USA is not the only place in the world. There's a whole world out there, thank God. Because if we settled only for what we have, what a poor, poor place we'd have to live it with no hope for anything better. With no knowledge that the rest of the world has much to offer us, in many, many ways.

[Laura]

For sure you can't find every french cheese in the States, and still you find some it taste a little different (because you only find pasteurized cheeses - american low ...).
I wish I could send some to you !!!
Anyway, a french crazy guy lives in Washington state, rases goats and makes french goat cheese ... its not a joke ! just visit its web site : http://www.monteilletcheese.com/
Amazing !

[Patrick]

Every food in this country (for the most part) is a descendant from the old country from which our fore fathers came. Whether that food is cheese or pot roast. Even foods in the old countries are descendants from ancient cultures and the influx of newly discovered/imported herbs, spices, vegetables and so on. While France, Italy or any other (European) country still has the pulse on tradition, many of the "ancient" dishes and foods have died due to lack of availability and demand, not to mention the art of creating it. So everyone is in transition all the time and improvisation is a tool for the cook who wants to achieve certain goals. Even Ms. Normand Millot admits to "not making the same dish exactly the same each time" for what ever reason that may be, but that is accepted.

I am still curious on the French "hard" and sharp" cheeses as I mention earlier in this blog. There would, I imagine there would be northern Italian influences in the southern reaches of France for these "grana" cheeses.

[Debbie]

Yes, this site is about education and opening up the thought processes for improvisation in cooking and in that it includes foods from other cultures and countries.

While I agree with you and your feelings regarding the FDA; it is understandable to some extent as to why they do what they do for our protection, probably more excessive than need be, but needed all the same.

I do apologize if the “tone” of what I stated sounded as if I was irritated. I don’t think I implied that we just “settle” inasmuch as we make do with what we have available to us because there isn’t or may not be anything else. When our ancestors came to this country, they made do with what was available to them at the time. I don’t consider that “settling”. Settling in and getting comfortable is not a good idea in today's world. Change is inevitable and we should expect it and be prepared for it.

So, since my cheese was moved (so to speak), are there substitutes to the cheeses mentioned?

[Patrick]

I think the frustration Debbie feels is that in our specific location our selection is very limited. One can find any number of restaurants here featuring any number of ethnic cuisines BUT to find the quality ingredients to make your own preparations is extremely difficult. Once upon a time, (in America) small shops, be they butchers, bakers, cheese...what have you were plentiful and they concentrated in ethnic neighborhoods. Today, these shops have all but disappeared in favor of the super markets which are limited on real quality goods but big on prepared, processed "factory" food. Now when our ancestors came here they obviously could not get some of the same things they were used to in their homeland. For example, our grandfather who came from Abruzzi used an herb similar to mint (Johnny, help me out here...I forgot the name) but since it was not found here he substituted mint. So here he improvised and "settled" for what he could acquire which was the closest he could come. No, back to cheese. This country has next to nothing as far as native cheeses except cheddar. All other cheeses are processed cheeses, American renditions of international cheeses or imported international cheeses. I know, it is a sad state of affairs. America is all about change, unfortunately, and that means a lot of good things disappear and bad things appear. Picture if you will, your local markets in Paris and they began to disappear and were replaced by big super markets. Then the farmers started to disappear. It's a scary scenario, but it is what has happened here. If you could add into your cheese offerings an availability based on it's exportation so we can be assured of finding it at a reputable cheese shop (as few and as far between as they are here) and perhaps (if they are not exported) similar cheeses that are. The tough part is referring us to a cheese that we know that may taste similar to that which you speak since we have so little. For example, you can give a comparison between the Cantal and the Reggiano as I am sure you have eaten both, and we have of course eaten Reggiano so immediately we can make a mental comparison based on what we know. On the improvisational side, if you did not have the Reblochon would you not make the dish or would you substitute a similar cheese or just not make it? This type of question is something I am faced with on a daily basis. PS: Ship the oldest and sharpest Cantal to me and send the invoice to Johnny.

[John Barrows]

I know that in the south of France, where goat cheese is quite prevalent (and the land is poorer and better suited to goats) there are some aged goat cheeses which can be somewhat "sharp", unlike the fresh, young, soft goat cheeses we are familiar with here. I know that in the north of France where the "grass is greener" and wonderful dairy cattle breeds are raised, the cheeses are exquisite. Obviously the cheeses of Europe (Italy, Holland, England, Spain, etc.) are all wonderful, but I have never experienced anything like the depth and diversity of French cheeses, which I know are a source of intense national and regional pride in France. BTW I ate lots of un-pastueurized cheese in France, and never came down with whatever horrible diseases our FDA is intent on protecting us from. In fact, French people are much less susceptible to food allergies and stomach ailments than us Americans because we are so afraid of germs that we shield ourselves from them from birth, and never develop immunities or tolerances. As Americans we seem to be afraid of just about everything. For me, as I say in our book, if I have to die of something (which we all do eventually), let it be by food. By the way, last night I took Nancy out to dinner for her birthday to a great little restaurant ("Le Pigeon") which has been getting rave reviews here. It is set in a funky little part of Portland, in an old storefront. It has 2 big communal tables, and the chef (he's just 27) and his two assistant cooks are basically right in the middle of the room where he can interact with everyone. The plates and silverware are all scavenged from second-hand stores and garage sales, and nothing matches. The cooks wear t-shirts and smiles. I ate a chunk of fresh pork belly, seared, and served with cole slaw. And some slow braised beef cheeks. We drank a bottle of wine. I'm still alive to tell about my exotic food experience.