Tag: cheese

Handcrafted Cheeseboard

On By Lorie FangioIn A Taste of Paris, Be Inspired, Taste4 Comments

Cheese and other foods on a wooden board.

Handcrafted cheeseboards that make people swoon are easier to make than you think!  After a long hard week, Mark and I often opt to stay in on a Friday night and enjoy a “picnic” cheeseboard made in a matter of minutes, and YOU can too!

3 types of cheese on a wooden board.

Start with a beautiful wooden board and 3 cheese varieties.  I like to choose something soft like Brie, a semi-soft cheese like Gouda and a hard cheese like Comté. Or in this case a stronger cheese like Blue.

Hancrafted Cheese board 6-R

I always add some type of meat to the board. If you get something sliced thin, like this salami, you can pinch the center of each slice to create this pretty ruffled effect.

Hancrafted Cheese board 7-R

Next, add fruit, apples are my favorite. I like a firm, tart apple varietal like Honey-crisp to pair with rich cheeses.  Dried fruits are always nice too, they are sweet and chewy giving you another texture to enjoy.  Sprinkle on a few nuts, some Provencal olives and maybe even a few cornichons.  Last but not least a good loaf of French bread.

Hancrafted Cheese board 3-R

That’s all there is to a gorgeous display of food.  Add a bottle of wine and you are ready for an epic Friday night!

I hope you will join me for an upcoming cooking class, we have so much fun!! Register for classes TODAY by email to Lorie@atasteofparis.net

April 25th 6:30-8:30 Let’s Make Dinner  A new offering at the cooking school; come and make and enjoy a 4-course meal.  The fun begins with a CoCo-Light Martini as we will dive into our menu. We will prepare and enjoy a Texas tradition Jalapeno Poppers MORE

May 3rd 10:30-1:00 Make and Take Dinner for Two A new offering in the cooking school!  Come and take a cooking class and take home a 4-course dinner for two.  Share it with your spouse or a friend!  This class promises to be lively and full of fun!On the Menu:Appetizer- Blue Cheese Pecan Crusted Grapes is a flavor explosion MORE

June 21st 10:30-1:00 Make and Take Dinner for Two A new offering in the cooking school!  Come and take a cooking class and take home a 4-course dinner for two.  Share it with your spouse or a friend!  This class promises to be lively and full of fun!On the Menu:Appetizer- We will master the art of precious Chinese Dumplings in Pork MORE

Handcrafted Cheeseboard Shopping LIST:

3 wedges of cheese

Thinly sliced salami

Assorted fresh fruits

Dried fruit

Nuts

Olives

Cornichon

French bread

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Various Cheeses at a French Market, Barthelemy

Barthelemy One of My Favorite Parisian Addresses!

On By Lorie FangioIn A Taste of Paris, Be Inspired, Discover1 Comment

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The French are serious about their cheese.  The average French citizen consumes more than 55 pounds of cheese annually compared to a meager 34 pounds for Americans. No matter how you slice it, thats a lot of cheese!

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In France there is an entire course of the meal dedicated to cheese.  The cheese course is served after the main course and before or instead of dessert.  Cheese is considered a digestive, it “closes the stomach”.  I tend to close my stomach with chocolate but I digress.

Barthelemy 2

Because the French love their cheese, every community in France has a Fromagerie, an entire shop dedicated to cheese.

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If you’re visiting Paris and have time for only 1 cheese shop, Barthelemy is a must.  This quaint little shop is packed full of wonderful cheese. It’s worth noting that Barthelemy is the supplier to the Elysee, the official residence of the President! So if you go there and taste cheese, you will eat the same cheese as President Macron, pretty cool huh?

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When I visited in September, I could  not  wait to get my hands on the petit coeur de neufchatel.  These darling hearts had mine at first glance and the flavor was incredible.  If you like creamy cheeses the house made Fontainbleau should not be missed.  It has a dreamy cloud like texture, is mild in flavor and made with cows milk.

It makes me want to emulate the French and have a dedicated cheese course with all of my meals!

If you want to learn more about French cheeses, join me this Saturday, February 23rd  for a demonstration The French and Their Cheese at the Dallas Arboretum

Or register for French Provencal 2 Day Workshop April 5th and 6th, a cheese course is served each day in this deep dive into provencal cooking for a once in a lifetime cooking class experience.

OR

Come with me to France and taste it all for yourself!

Registration for

A Taste of Paris Goes Pink

AND

A Taste of Provence is NOW OPEN!

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