Delivered and Delighted: Crémeux d'Ossau

THE STORY:

Despite living in France nearly five years, I must confess that I still, frequently, grocery shop like an American. That is to say that I buy enough for the week (or weeks) ahead in pretty big quantities. Then I have to figure out where to put it all in my French-sized fridge, cabinetry, and shelving. But, like most Parisians, I have no car. So how is a person (and a tiny one at that) supposed to get all those groceries home?

Read more »

Through the Looking Glass: Tomme du Lanset

THE STORY:

Fresh on the heels of my story on the Fleur de Lys and the Florence-Paris connection, here's a story about the close link between France and Italy. Italy, and Venice in particular, and Murano even more specifically, have always been famous for glass. Never was this more true than in the 1600s, when not only did Murano have the finest glass blowers in the world, but also some of them held the secret to making large, beautiful, even, reflective mirrors.

Read more »

500 - Halfway to a Jillion: La Guerchouette

THE STORY:

It's official -- I'm halfway to a jillion cheeses. Actually, this is my 500th French cheese posting (502nd posting, but I'm not counting the butter or the Belgian cheese), a landmark that gets me my 15 minutes of glory. On the eve of the big 500, I'm interviewed by Rémi Sulmont, a very well-respected journalist on RTL, a national French radio station for a morning show about my cheese project (click here to listen and read -- in French).

Read more »

Symbolic Connection: Royal Briard

THE STORY:

After a recent trip to Florence, Italy, I'm suddenly thinking a lot about the Fleur de Lys -- symbol of French royals. While it's often referred to as a stylized lily, many scholars argue that it's a stylized iris, which grew abundantly on the banks of the river Leie in Flanders, where the Franks lived before entering current French-territory. The symbols certainly feel much more iris than lily.

 

Read more »

Born to Hand Jive: Picodon de Serre

THE STORY:

I'll grant you that by middle school, most kids aren't playing hand games in the recess yard, and that this photo can be explained away as part of a choreographed routine for a gym class (graded finals). But since my girls have basically perfected their French in the school recess yard, I have a certain affection for these sorts of games.

Read more »