Roquefort Souffle

Souffle=Scary... Or so I thought. After hearing many stories of souffle failures, I became too nervous to even try such a feat. Keeping true to my New Year's resolution, "be fearless", I found it suiting to make a souffle as one of my first new food ventures. I recently purchased Barefoot in Paris, an Ina Garten cookbook (Christmas gift for my mother, that I tend to monopolize), and found a wonderful recipe for a Roquefort souffle. I decided that this would be my first attempt. I studied and calculated each step, so when it came time I would be prepared. I found a comparable recipe in Food and Wine, and made some edits to form a finalized outline of the recipe that I would try.

Before starting I made sure I had all of my equipment out and ingredients prepared and measured: Mise en place. All I had to do was make sure everything was combined properly. I was extremely nervous that my souffle was going to fall, and as anxious as I was, I made sure not to open the oven until the complete 20 minutes had passed (cardinal rule of making souffles: DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN!).

It was light...it was fluffy...it was... SENSATIONAL! I couldn't believe my eyes when I opened the oven and the perfectly golden and fluffy tops held strong. They were begging for someone with a fork to pierce them and devour the deliciousness inside. The nutmeg and cayenne pepper proved to be excellent accents for the full-flavored, earthy Roquefort blue cheese. I chose to serve it with a light mixed green salad and roasted pork tenderloin for a substantial dinner. (This would also be perfect with a fruit tart for brunch). My drink of choice was a 2007 Hermann J. Wiemer Dry Riesling; a nice balance for the bold flavors in this dish.

My first attempt at a culinary success! I will maintain my fearlessness and try a souffle again, perhaps with a different cheese, spinach and/or ham!

GO FOR IT!

Nora

Feta Obsessed? Which is best?

Lets face it, feta is quickly becoming the new cheddar. During the summer months it is especially apparent that we are becoming a feta obsessed nation, from the mounds of featured recipes that incorporate feta in everything from salad to dessert. But like cheddar (and all cheeses for that manner) there are many varieties of styles/brands of feta and picking the right one can be hard. There is the French feta, Greek feta, Israeli feta, crumbles, blocks....OH MY! Don't feel overwhelmed, after much trial and error I am confident that I have officially found the perfect one and am here to share it with you.

The best feta: barrel aged. I am a cheese fanatic, so when I find a good one it sends me through a series of emotions. When I first tried Mr. Vikos barrel aged feta, I nearly cried. It is extremely flavorful and has a firm but not tough texture. It is also the perfect feta for baking or making a warm dish because of the way it is aged. I had been searching for a good feta for so long and up until this day was consistently let down. The week prior to my feta enlightenment, my roommate and I made a "Greek Style" meal of lemon parsley pasta with a light olive oil dressing, shrimp, kalamata olives, tomatoes, red peppers, onions, artichokes and spinach and were planing on finishing it off with feta cheese to melt in the steaming dish. We chose a French feta, and what a mistake that was. It was creamy and lacked flavor. As my roommate put it, "it tastes like fresh milk". I wanted a pungent hearty cheese to complete the dish and was left completely dissatisfied because of that one missing element.

Barrel aged feta tends to be a bit pricier than the average feta you find in the grocery stores (why I continue to spend my minimal college income on food...I will never know) but it is completely worth it. Go big or go home!

Do Your Own Taste Test,

Nora

I've Got The Blue(s) Cheese

Ah, blue cheese! Crumbled on a salad, shaved on a sandwich or just a good 'ol hunk by itself, there is nothing better than the succulent taste of blue cheese. To me, the best blue cheese has a strong flavor with a creamy finish that leaves you salivating for more. Because of the strong characteristics, blue cheese is often paired with fruit, sweet peppers and tomatoes and nuts. The sweetness of a Riesling really complements the piquant blue cheese.

This week, as I walked in to the bread department I was greeted by a big voice and...a hunk of blue cheese (YAY!). The cheese of choice: Amablu St. Pete's Select. It is America's first cave-aged blue cheese produced by Faribault Dairy Company in Minnesota. It was outstanding. End of discussion. Many of the American made blues I have tried tend to be creamy with little flavor. When I crave blue cheese, I want the powerful good stuff. The flavor of this cheese is strong but not over bearing. It has a creamy texture and a clean finish. This is the type of cheese that you want to pair with simple things, or eat alone. When I first tried this cheese I just wanted a chunk of hearty bread (well...to be more specific I really wanted a German-style malted barley bread) and a huge plate of heirloom tomatoes dressed simply with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The demo lady (I think I need to update my terminology...suggestions welcome.) had the cheese paired with a dense multi-grain with currant bread which was a phenomenal combination. The sweetness of the currants complimented the sharp earthy flavors of the cheese, and the texture of the grains was a perfect contrast to the creaminess of the cheese. Needless to say I was making myself little "sandwiches" and munching on them ALL night. It was one of those perfect food pairings where once you've had a taste, a little voice in the back of your head tells you to go back for more.


Get the Amablu(s),

Nora

J'aime Camembert de Normandie

mmm Camembert de Normandie!! Enjoying this cheese makes me feel as if I have France running through my veins. I automatically start believing that French is my first language and have a strong desire for a beret and a glass of wine (how stereotypical of me). Sure, I have had other Camembert type cheeses but real Camembert is a cow's milk cheese that originates from it's birthplace: Normandy, France. Slightly pale yellow in color and soft on the verge of runny, Camembert de Normandie has a pearly appearance that you know upon first glance will coat your mouth with an elegant goodness. It has the luxurious mouth feel that you would expect it to have upon examination: silky, smooth, and soft followed by a rich earthy flavor.The flavor is almost that of a good REAL French Brie. A little bit of Camembert goes a long way. The flavor lingers a bit and makes your heart sing praises to France. I am in awe of this cheese. Grab a good glass of wine, some crusty sourdough baguette and Camembert de Normandie and you will find yourself in the ultimate bliss.

au revoir,
Nora