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A Goat and a Ewe

Av OstePerler 27/05/2015 Legg igjen en kommentar Ost

I called on one of my favorite cheese mongers this last Saturday. A sunny day, by the way. It’s been rather cold and wet lately so the warming sun was very welcome. That’s where the theme for this blog post turned up; a goat and a ewe.

Lou Rocaillou

It so happened they had announced a soft ewe’s milk cheese called Lou Rocaillou that was new to me. Most of the ewe milk cheeses are either semi firm or even on the firm side, so a soft one was especially tempting. Always eager to try out new cheeses stuff of course, I called on them to shop my piece.
From a village called Hures-la-Parade in the Department of Lozère; that’s the Midi-Pyrenées.

Le Pisé du Lot

As I was there, scanning the cheese counter, I spotted a goat milk cheese from the south west of France, Lachapelle Auzac in the department of Lot right to the east of Bordeaux. New to me this one as well. Chèvre. There is a multitude of different Chèvres in France, so you’re lucky if you know them all. I certainly do not. Yet, at least. Not that it is a goal, even though I am vey fond of this style. This Chèvre is called Le Pisé du Lot. Disc formed and from raw milk.

Soft, but mature

Both of them are matured for two weeks, giving them a little more strength than the very fresh ones. The ewe milk cheese being milder than the Chèvre, as always. I think especially the Chèvre has had a few weeks shelf life. transport and so on because it gave a burning impression on both sides of the tongue. Typical for rathe mature Chèvre. As long as it’s not too intense it is okay.

Two rather rare and fine soft cheeses that I am glad I came across. A goat and a ewe.

To drink

Not necessarily the same wine with these two. For Le Pisé du Lot I would recommend a dry white Bordeaux, from Entre-deux-Mers. If you want to step up the quality and the price; look for an AOC Pessac-Léognan. The Lou Rocaillou comes from an area further south east and I suggest you choose a local wine. From the Languedoc-Roussillon region. Dry this one as well. For both of them, try to avoid too much oak as most wines from these regions have been kept a while in barrels. At least check the oak is well integrated.

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A Goat and a Ewe

Av OstePerler 27/05/2015 Legg igjen en kommentar Cheese

Lou Rocaillou

Le Pisé du Lot

Soft, but mature

Two rather rare and fine soft cheeses that I am glad I came across. A goat and a ewe.

To drink

Cheese & You, chevre, Soft ewe milk cheese

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The French Cheese Paradox

Av OstePerler 23/05/2015 Legg igjen en kommentar Ost

There is something with France, well there is a lot with France that attract us as visitors and our attention in general. Among the latter is the French Cheese Paradox. Originally it was the French paradox, and still is, but lately something called the French cheese paradox has also appeared on the radar.

The French Cheese Paradox

The French paradox is why are all French so healthy in spite of drinking a lot of wine, cooking with oil and so on. Well, wine is generally good for you, even though scientists argue pro and con, so I don’t think we’ve reached the big final answer yet. Then the oil, but also the vegetables. They use olive oil of course, a lot of fish and light meat like chicken and veal. That’s good for you.

SONY DSC — Persille de Malzieu – blue Ewe’s milk cheese

Blue cheese

But then, what I have chosen to call the French cheese paradox appeared. First related to blue cheese. And they have a lot of it. Not just Roquefort. Scientists, I even think they were from Britain, found a correlation between eating blue cheese and good health. The French are eating a lot of blue cheese, they’re making a lot of blue cheese as well. Some called just a name like Roquefort, some called Bleu de and and something, still others Persille(s) de….

..and then all cheese

Then recently science has come up with a theory that all cheese is good for you, and that of course underscores still more the fact that the French are so healthy. At least that is the impression. The French cheese paradox. They make a lot of cheese. They eat a lot of cheese. As it is; milk fat, when processed into a cheese, is not bad for you at all. Rather to the contrary.

Goats and Ewes

They also eat a lot of cheese made from goat’s and ewe’s milk that are generally healthier than cow’s milk under any circumstance. In my country, most of the cheese consumed is from cow’s milk.

My experience

Just look at myself. Not doing a lot of exercise, drinking very moderate amounts of alcohol and mostly wine, eating more than average amounts of fish I must admit, but also a lot of cheese. And I have very low cholesterol levels. Some of that of course from the fish, but also a lot from the cheese. I am convinced; because it has not always been like that. Also have to add, I have never in my whole life smoked. These days I probably have to add: anything.

And I think that’s the secret to the low rates of cardiovascular diseases in France; called the French cheese paradox. Cirrhosis; that’s another story.

What the French drink..

Wine for the French is generally red wine. White is for aperitifs and with Chèvre.;-)

Disclaimer.
You are solely responsible for what you are eating and any consequences following thereof. A balanced diet and exercise is generally accepted as the best solution to staying healthy. This blog post is non-scientific, and only relies on some published theories quoted by the public press, a general assumption about French cardiovascular health and my personal experience. Following these ideas may not have any effect for you. Take responsibility for your own life, and don’t blame others, the government included.

Osteperler. The French Cheese Paradox

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Brie de Meaux

Av OstePerler 13/05/2015 Legg igjen en kommentar Cheese

It’s not that many days since I wrote about The Art of Brie. The picture illustrating that post is of a ripe Brie de Meaux which you can clearly see from the reddish spots on the rind. This week I came across a very fresh cheese with the typical white hard part of paste in the middle. Actually, most French prefer their Brie this style; fresh rather than overripe.

It’s from Fromagerie Renard-Gillard in Biencourt sur Orge which is quite a bit to the east of Paris and the town of Meaux for that sake. Still within the AOP area. Unpasteurized but pretty industrial.

Have you ever tried Brie de Meaux with banana?

A lot of taste

A ripe Brie de Meaux can be somewhat pungent. And not everybody like that. That’s probably also one of the reasons why so many prefer the pasteurized so called Bries. Very neutral taste except hints of mushrooms, but that’s because of the bloomy rind, of course.

But this one was not pungent at all, a bit hard in the middle which actually softened quite nicely after an hour or so on the kitchen bench leaving hints of the so characteristic Brie de Meaux taste.

Brie de Meaux and banana

Try it with a ripe banana. Never had that before? Then you should. They sort of complement each other. If the cheese is mild it’s mild and mild together which do no real harm. If the cheese is more on the pungent side the banana will round off the pungent taste and make it more acceptable.

To drink

Red wine from the east side of Bordeaux, i.e. a Merlot based wine, light and fruity wines such as Beaujolais or a village Syrah. If you want to drink a white wine, try a half dry Sauvignon blanc or preferably Riesling. Champagne, Brut or even Sec, always works with Brie de Meaux, after all it’s the neighbor.

Brie de Meaux, Cheese & You

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