French Cheese.

Bonjour!

We have just returned from a week and a half trip to France (the trip of a lifetime, to say the least).  While I recover from the jetlag and continue to delve through the over 1000 photos we took (including many cheese, creamery/ fromagerie photos that I plan to share here), I wanted to first share with you my favorite cheese from the trip:  Saint-Marcellin.  

It's a soft cow's milk cheese with some bite to it, made in Lyon, the second stop on our trip.  Below are pictures of the packaged cheese in a fromagerie in Paris, and another one as it was served at our hotel cafe in Lyon.  I brought some back (thank God for vacuum sealing!) and enjoyed it last night -- it had more kick than I remember, perhaps because of the aging, but I wasn't going to argue.  So good.

Garden Pesto.

In an effort to keep up with my garden (the arugula continues to grow out of control - I put way too much in too small of an area), I clipped a ton more this weekend along with a handful of basil and made arugula and basil pesto.  Then added shredded chicken, goat cheese, and tossed with rotini pasta (I used whole wheat). 

So easy and a great summery dish to enjoy outdoors.

Arugula & Basil Pesto (nut-free)

•1 handful fresh basil leaves

•2 handfuls fresh arugula leaves

•1/2 Cup (ish) Parmesan cheese

•1 T minced garlic

•Olive Oil

Sauté garlic in olive oil to take some of the bite out of it.  Pour in food processor.  Throw in the rest of the ingredients, douse in olive oil, blend!  Add salt / pepper to taste.  

Toss with cooked pasta, chicken and 1/2 cup (or more) goat cheese crumbles (or blue cheese - I'm sure that would also be great). 

Done and done!

Farmers' Market Goat Cheese

I love Farmers' Markets.  I also love goat cheese.
Given these two factoids you can imagine my excitement upon discovering a goat cheese stand at my neighborhood farmers' market 2 weeks ago.
Even without the taste we were given (it was delicious) I was sold by the line, "The goats were milked four days ago." 
Of course it took me a week to actually use the jarred goat cheese (making it just 12 days old), but it was worth the wait and just as tasty. 


I decided to use it as a spread over a toasted baguette and it did not disappoint.

We leave for France in ten days and I hear their cheese shops have entire WALLS of just goat cheeses.  CAN. NOT. WAIT.

Top Chef Cheese.

I have become a huge fan of Top Chef & Top Chef Masters in the past few years.
Last night's TCM episode's "Quickfire Challenge" subject was - you guessed it, cheese. 


It was unbelievable (and so much fun to watch) what these chef's created in the mere 12 MINUTES allotted in the challenge.  Unfortunately the only clip available online was a sneak peak.  If they post the whole segment I'll be sure to share it on here.


I was even more excited to see the guest judge for the night (and provider of the cheese), Norbert Wabnig, owner of The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills.  Norbert was one of the caterers at my company's big shindig a few years ago.  A few weeks prior to the event my boss brought me along to his shop where he personally selected different cheeses for us to try for use at the party.  It was a euphoric experience for me!


I have yet to figure out how to post a video on here, but here's the link to the episode teaser:
http://www.hulu.com/watch/234314/top-chef-masters-twelve-minutes-for-five-thousand-dollars