Paris Grocery News 4/15 Friday, Apr 15 2011

A cheesemonger's wedding cake.

Cheese @ PG

We’ve brought in some specially-priced wheels of our favorite cheeses.

Fleur Verte

Absolutely one of our best-selling cheeses, now at 5 dollars less a pound. This fresh goat cheese from Périgord is adorned with thyme, tarragon, and pink peppercorns, and it has a dense and cake-like texture. The flavors are lemony and boldly herbaceous. A beautiful cheese to look at and to eat—I call it the “wedding cake” of cheeses. ($24.99/lb)

Chistou: du vache et du brebis.

Chistou

Istara is well-known for their sheep’s milk cheeses from the Basque region. This one’s fun for being a mix of 50-percent sheep’s milk and 50-percent cow’s milk. It’s semi-hard, with a creamy texture. We found it slightly piquant, with equal notes of grassiness and nuttiness. ($15.99/lb)

Tomme de Savoie

A cow’s milk cheese from the mountainous Savoie with a distinctly raw milk flavor: beefy, hazelnutty, and pleasantly milky. With about 30-percent fat content, this is the most creamy “low fat” cheese out there. Enjoy with liver-stoked pâtés and light red wines such as Beaujolais. ($9.99/lb)

Can't go wrong with Camembert.

Camembert le Pommier

Earthy, buttery, and aromatic, this classic cheese from Normandy has a tender crust that crumbles when spread. Small production, high quality milk from family farmers, and superior ripening by affineur Herve Mons make this a superior Camembert to the many mass-market varieties out there. ($7.99/each)

Books @ PG

Two of my favorites from our latest shipment of new releases and new sale books.

Patricia Wells: food legend and cookbook factory.

Salad as a Meal by Patricia Wells

After a long winter of hot, fill-me-up dishes, a Big Salad for a meal sounds just about right. There’s a lot going on in this book beyond the obligatory frisée aux lardons recipe; I spot influences from specific French regions, Europe, Asia, and California spa cuisine. There are plenty of meat and seafood-based recipes, along with a few soups, starters, and even a section on bread and other accompaniments. And I have a weakness for cookbooks that don’t skimp on the colorful photos—I often copy the gorgeous plating ideas, even if I’m just cooking for one!

Adam Gopnik: If Molière had been born in Philly.

Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik, author of the New Yorker‘s “Paris Journal” from 1995-2000. One of my absolute favorite books, and certainly one of the most wry and tender books on living in Paris (in a crowded and sometimes mediocre field of rosy-hued memoirs). Brand new, but only $9.99!

“The chronicle of an American writer’s lifelong infatuation with Paris is also an extended meditation—in turn hilarious and deeply moving—on the threat of globalization, the art of parenting, and the civilizing intimacy of family life. Gopnik’s insights are infused with a formidable cultural intelligence, and his prose is as pellucid as that of any essayist. A brilliant, exhilarating book.”  —Francine du Plessix Gray

Thanks for reading, see you soon!
Rachel

and
Steve Winston and Sharon Baden
Owners, Paris Grocery

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Paris Grocery News 3/12 Saturday, Mar 12 2011

Do goat cheeses taste better when topped with a cute label? Answer: No (but it doesn't hurt).

Cheese @ PG

A goat cheese with a bit of age and a few washed rind cheeses with a bit of funk.

Crottin Frais du Périgord

These tiny drums of barely aged goat’s milk cheese come from Périgord, a region of Bordeaux known for its goat cheese delicacies. A soft and creamy texture, with a nutty flavor. Fantastic when heated and placed on salads or toasts. $1.99/each or 2/$3

Oh, you monks.

Le Poteaupré

This oozy washed rind cow’s milk cheese was created by the Trappist monks of the Chimay Abbey in Belgium. Intensly earthy, with flavors of wild mushroom, toasted hazelnuts, and a finish that resembles buttered popcorn. Pair with a Chimay or a fruity red. $15.99/lb

Les Frères

Don’t you love it when siblings play nicely? Semi-soft washed rind cheese created by the Crave Brothers in Waterloo, Wisconson. This mild American cow’s milk cheese is earthy and pleasant with flavors of sea salt and bitter herbs.  Pair with white wine or sparkling. $15.99/lb

Trois Laits

Another stunning cheese from affineur Pascal Beillevaire. This Pyrenees washed rind cheese has the creaminess of cow’s milk, the nuttiness of sheep’s milk, and the subtle herbaceous tang of goat’s milk. Rich, complex, and beefy, with notes of Alpine grasses, marjoram, and sage. $32.99/lb

Wine @ PG

It's still cold; we still prefer warmth.

So, we may have gotten ahead of ourselves with talk of rosé season and patios. Here’s a few more delightful reds to keep you warm for this last bit (please?) of drizzly winter.

Domaine Astruc  Vin de Pays de L’Hérault Vielles Vignes Carignan 2008

Smoky aromas. Round on the mid-palate, with supple and balanced tannins. Minerals and spice, with a note of bitter chocolate on the finish. ($9.99)

Chateau Jouanin Bordeaux 2009

Explosive and full-bodied, this 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc is aged for 15 months in new and used oak. Flavors of menthol, eucalyptus, and juicy red and black fruits. ($12.99)

Domaine de Nalys Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2007

Delicious, with loads of minerals and plenty of length. 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah. 92 points: Stephen Tanzer, Wine Advocate. ($43)

Craves @ PG

Just think of all the Manhattans you could make.

Les Parisiennes griottines

A customer favorite. These delicious Morello cherries have been pitted and prepared in a Kirsch liqueur. Griottines are famous throughout the world for their freshness and refined taste. And the grand, Belle Epoque packaging is simply too much. Add to desserts, aperitifs, and cocktails. ($24.99/18.5oz jar)

Feed Your Mind @ PG

Called "the poet of the appetites" by John Updike.

We’ve brought in a range of titles from the luminous American gourmand, Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher (thankfully known as M.F.K. Fisher).  Corny, but: she’s a personal hero of mine. Consider this quote from “The Gastronomical Me” (emphasis mine):

“People ask me: Why do you write about food, and eating and drinking? Why don’t you write about the struggle for power and security, and about love, the way others do. They ask it accusingly, as if I were somehow gross, unfaithful to the honor of my craft. The easiest answer is to say that, like most humans, I am hungry. But there is more than that. It seems to me that our three basic needs, for food and security and love are so mixed and mingled and entwined that we cannot straightly think of one without the others. So it happens that when I write of hunger, I am really writing about love and the hunger for it, and warmth and the love of it and the hunger for it.”

In stock (all are necessary):

Consider the Oyster

The Gastronomical Me

An Alphabet For Gourmets

How to Cook A Wolf

As They Were

Two Towns in Provence

Long Ago In France: The Years in Dijon

Sister Age

 

Thanks for reading, see you soon!
Rachel

and
Steve Winston and Sharon Baden
Owners, Paris Grocery

 

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Paris Grocery Newsletter 6/24 Sunday, Jun 27 2010

Even if it keeps raining, just pretend like you're in a French movie.

Singing in the rain

I lack, desperately, any form of vocal talent. My dancing skills are questionable at best. So what’s a body to do in a gloomy June, when the first day of summer looks a lot like the longest winter day? If you can tap dance over couches like Donald O’Conner, you’re all set. But for those of us who might risk life and limb in attempting such feats, we suggest coming in for some French treats and inviting a few friends over for an indoors picnic. Grab some travel guides and start planning your next travel adventure, or pop in a movie like Les parapluies de Cherbourg, a film that is both frothy and wistful. All of these activities are made extra delectable with some good food and wine, so read on for our suggestions for the summer-but-not dilemma, neither too light nor overly rich.

Wine @ PG
Buy any six bottles of wine and get 10% off!

2009 Marc Plouzeau “Rive Gauche” Chinon ($15.99)
This young Cabernet France is tart, with juicy pomegranate and morello cherry notes. Spicy herbal notes lead to a taut, minerally end. From an organic estate in the Loire Valley. A delicious bistro-style wine that pairs nicely with a range of foods.

2005 Chateau Capion “2C” Coteaux du Languedoc ($12.99)
This is a clean, well balanced blend of Syrah (60%), Grenache (30%), and Mouvèdre (10%). A savory, ripe palate of cherry, black currant, and pepper lies beneath the smoke-tinged nose. Medium bodied with a lovely concentration, this wine was aged for 14 months in new and used barrels. It is always a hit, no matter the occasion!

2005 Domaine du Fontenay “L’Authentique Gamay” Côte Roannaise ($13.99)
Situated on a latitude south of Mâcon, Domaine du Fontenay has more in common with Beaujolais than with the more northerly Loire vignoble. The grapes for this wine are picked later than the rest of the domain’s crop, to optimize phenological maturity. The wine is built around a structure of ripe tannins, with particular attention paid to airing the wine at strategic moments to maximize fruit flavors. The result is a serious Gamay with balanced acidity and flavors of cherry and black licorice. Some earthy notes will emerge with bottle age. Pairs well with rich seafood dishes or charcuterie.

2007 Domaine Michel Juillot Mercurey ($23.99)
For four generations, the Michel Julliot Estate has been cultivating 30 hectares of vines in Mercurey, a village in Burgundy, and producing a large selection of the best “climats” the appellation has to offer. This superb chardonnay offers a savory and minerally nose with a round mouthfeel. Notes of lemon and well-integrated oak combine with a restrained hint of sweetness that is nevertheless refreshing. Serve with shellfish and grilled asparagus.

Cheese @ PG
Some real “cheese spouse” candidates

With all the exciting new cheeses there are to get to know and love, sometimes we can forget about the cheeses right under our noses. Here’s a cheese plate lineup of five of the hardest working cheeses in, well, cheese business: easy to like, always available, and constantly delicious. Let’s try not to take them for granted anymore.

St. Marcellin
A tender cow’s milk cheese from Dauphine in the Rhône-Alpes region. Savory, nutty, and slightly tangy, this cheese makes an excellent snack or starter for a cheese plate. Pairs well with Rhône reds. $8.99/wheel

Grès Champenois
Silky, oozy, nutty, rich, tart, and moist. We could go on and on! This deliciously creamy triple cream cow’s milk cheese comes from the Champagne region- meaning it’s fantastic when paired with fizzy. A treat for yourself, or for a gathering. $9.99/wheel

Fourme d’Ambert
A semi-soft cow’s milk cheese from Auvergne. Richly savory and nutty flavor, yet mild and creamy. A bit of pungent earthiness on the finish. Melts or crumbles well- an absolute classic! $3.99/quarter lb

Abbaye de Belloc
A semi-hard cheese from the Pyrenees made from raw Manech sheep’s milk and aged 4-10 months. Abbaye is mild and nutty with an unique “lanolin” and toasted brown sugar characteristic. Rich, smooth, and buttery! $7.49/quarter lb

Tomme de Savoie
A cow’s milk cheese from the mountainous Savoie with a distinctly raw milk flavor– beefy, hazelnutty, and pleasantly milky. With about 30 percent fat content, this is the most creamy “low fat” cheese out there. Enjoy with liver-stoked pâtés and light red wines such as Beaujolais. $5.25/quarter lb

Craves @ PG

Provençal Candies

Feed your Mind @ PG

In the Merde for Love

You don’t need the beach to indulge in this light cultural satire! It’s the familiar but quite funny tale of the misadventures of a British expat who must win over the French woman he loves.

Thanks for reading, see you soon!
Abi & Rachel

and
Steve Winston and Sharon Baden
Owners, Paris Grocery

Leave a Response »