Know your French cheeses!

France has long been synonymous with cheese, and with good reason. It's serious business here. Many cheeses carry the AOC designation, or 'Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée'. Like Italy's DOC and Canada's VQA, this designation specifies that the product has been prepared in a traditional way and in a traditional region (think Champagne, Dijon, and Chianti). Here's the skinny on a few French cheeses I've learned to love - in alphabetical order as not to offend the French. Being the wine snob at the dinner party is overrated. Be the cheese snob.

Bleu - Classic blue cheese is well known. Various cheese can be called 'bleu' after the right culture has been added to the mix, often Roquefort, Gorgonzola, or Stilton. Known for their pungent flavor, creamy texture, and of course, color. Great with salads or melted on a burger.

Brebis - Named for its origin, Brebis can be any cheese made from sheep's milk. Brebis is often buttery, smooth and pungent.

Brie - From the region of Brie, Brie is a soft, creamy, white cheese, cut into rounds.

Camembert - Similar to (but not the same as) Brie, Camembert is from the North of France. Traditionally made with unpasteurized milk, Camembert is also soft and creamy with a slight hint of ammonia. The classic apéro cheese, it's a good one to learn to like! 

Cantal - Cantal is a harder cheese, from central France. Almost like cheddar, Cantal has a strong creamy taste (depending on its age). Old Cantal can be pretty strong tasting so maybe opt for a fresher one. Cantal is great for recipes too.

Chèvre - Creamy goat's milk cheese, Chèvre is another French classic. Various kinds exist in France. One of my favorites, tart Chèvre is great on crackers with a sweet onion confit.

Mimolette - Probably the closest thing to Cheddar that the French have, Mimolette is a hard orange cheese from the North of France. It tastes somewhat like Parmesan.

Saint André - Like a very strong Brie, Saint Andre can take a bit of getting used to. It is also very creamy and rich.

Saint-Nectaire - A more nutty flavor, Saint-Nectaire is another common addition to a cheese board.

Tomme - From the French Alps, tomme is fairly dense and dry. Tomme is also the key ingredient in one of my favorite French dishes, Aligot.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, go try them!

GG

The Jamaican Side Dish

As rich and delicious as French food is, I can't help but miss the things I can get back home that I just can't find here. A big one for me is Caribbean food. Unfortunately, the fact that France has several Caribbean departments doesn't contribute to the availability of said food. As if by divine intervention, just when I thought I couldn't bear it any longer, a bottle of jerk sauce and a recipe for rice and peas miraculously appeared at my door... or maybe it was the girl coming back from a trip to Toronto. Either way, I now had the means to satisfy my craving.

Here's what you need for some real rice and peas:

- 1 1/2 cups dried kidney beans (soak them for at least 4 hours)
- 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 1/2 cup of coconut milk
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper, whole
- 3 sprigs of green onion
- 1 large teaspoon of thyme
- 1 1/2 cups of white rice

* Drop the beans into a pan with the crushed garlic, and add enough water to cover them by a centimeter or so
* Simmer until they're cooked - they're done when they break easily between your fingers (1 hour)
* Once the beans are cooked, add the coconut milk, green onions, whole pepper, rice, thyme, and bring to a boil with the pot covered
* Once most of the liquid is absorbed, the rice should be nicely cooked (if you're having trouble getting the liquid amount right, you can always drain off some of the excess, or add water)
* Remove the pepper, sprigs of onion, and serve

The only thing more difficult to find in Paris than Caribbean food is a barbecue, but the marinated chicken still turned out pretty well in the oven.

GG