Monday 13 October 2014

(Contd.) UNESCO FRENCH GASTRONOMY : I was waiting for a long time for this post.It is time to write about the French Cheese & Dessert which is the concluding part of the UNESCO French Gastronomy series.Who does not like cheese and desserts?In my childhood I had an apathy for egg and having boiled egg at least thrice a week was a must.The only way how I could consume boiled egg was in accompaniment with sugar,sweets or cheese.
When in France, one must taste the different kinds of cheese. There are at least 365 kinds of cheese invented here.A different cheese can be enjoyed everyday in a year.Without a preparation of cheese any meal,dinner,party,ceremony remains incomplete for the French.
Every region of France has its own particular cheeses. Back in the time of General de Gaulle, France had 246 cheeses - and it has quite a few more than that now, given the large number of new products, inventions or copies of traditional cheeses, that have emerged from France's hundreds of dairy companies in the past 20 years. French cheeses can be divided into three main families:pressed cheeses (like most British cheeses), soft cheeses,such as Camembert
and blue cheeses to which can be added a number of hybrids or very individual cheeses.

French Cheese and wine are made for each other.The taste of the cheese remains incomplete until and unless it is paired with wine.I can remember a quote by Julia Child “Just like becoming an expert in wine–you learn by drinking it, the best you can afford–you learn about great food by finding the best there is, whether simply or luxurious.You savor it, analyze it, and discuss it with your companions, and you compare it with other experiences.” From ' Mastering the Art of French Cooking'
Sweet white wines do not go well with cheese - unless the cheese is being used in a sweet/sour combination.Red wines go best with most cheeses, though with some very strong cheeses it is better to choose a light-bodied red wine. Dry white wines also go well with cheese, especially with tasty but mild cheeses. But in the end, it has to be a matter of individual choice. Your idea of what goes well together is just as good as the next man's - even if the next man claims to be an expert. Remember the adage: "Even if all the experts agree, they may still be wrong." It's your taste against his.



France is known for its delectable foods, and dessert is no exception. According to Traditional French Food, "Dessert ... typically comes at the end of a meal, usually consisting of sweet food but sometimes of a strongly flavored one, such as some cheeses. The word comes from the Old French 'desservir,' to clear the table." With a culinary history that has influenced much of the world's cuisine, the French have created many notable sweet treats. Ranging from simple fare to complicated confections, French desserts are something to be savored slowly.

 The most common French dessert is also the most simple: a selection of seasonal fruits, savory cheeses and a small cup of strong coffee. Semi-soft cheeses such as Muenster, chevre (goat cheese) and Babybeh are popular coupled with crackers, bread and chocolate. Fruits may include strawberries, apples or other timely fare.






The upside-down apple tart is sticky sweet, flaky and delicate.In this recipe, the apples are caramelized with butter and sugar then baked. In The New York Times article, "The Wonders of Tarte Tatin," Edward Schneider wrote, "The amazing thing about tarte Tatin is how the caramelized apples are somehow transformed into something entirely new but at the same time remain intensely apple-y.Crepes are thin,moist pancakes which are often folded over and filled with fruit,topped with whipped cream or powdered sugar, or stuffed with a chocolate-hazelnut spread.A mousse is a light, whipped, chilled creamy dessert that comes in a variety of flavors.A mainstay in Hollywood depictions of gourmet cuisine, crème brûlée is a custard topped with a hard crust of sugar glaze.Madeleines are small cakes that complement tea, hot chocolate or coffee. The batter is sometimes baked with crushed almonds or vanilla flavoring and may be paired with chocolate-hazelnut spread.Chocolate Souffle - this complex sweet is known as a hard-to-cook delicacy, with fragile egg whites giving this pudding its signature puffiness.

I am simply tempted to learn and enjoy 
AGEN PRUNES WITH THYME FINANCIÈRES ANORANGE AND COGNAC CHANTILLY
                                          
You will need:
½orange finely grated rind and juice only,½lemon finely grated rind only,1English breakfast tea bag,2star anise,½cinnamon quill,1fresh bay leaf,185 gm Agen prunes.
Thyme financières :
125 gmbutter coarsely chopped,110 gmeggwhite (about 2 eggs),60 gmpure icing sugar sieved,40 gmhoney,45 gmplain flour,45 gmalmond meal,2 tsp thyme leaves.
Orange and Cognac Chantilly:
400 ml thickened cream,1 tbsp pure icing sugar sieved,2 oranges finely grated rind only,20 ml Cognac
                                                        Method
  • 01
  • Combine juice, rinds, tea bag, spices, bay leaf and 750ml water in a saucepan over medium heat, bring to a gentle simmer, cook until infused (8-10 minutes). Remove tea bag, add prunes, simmer for 10 minutes, set aside.
  • 02
  • For thyme financières, cook butter in a saucepan over medium heat until nut brown (4-6 minutes), set aside to cool. Whisk eggwhite in an electric mixer until starting to foam (1-2 minutes), gradually add sugar, then honey. Combine well, add flour, almond meal and thyme, then gradually add melted butter in a thin stream until a thick batter is formed. Refrigerate for 1 hour to rest. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 180C. Divide mixture among eight patty-case-lined, 80ml-capacity muffin tray moulds, smooth tops and bake until golden or until a skewer withdraws clean (10-15 minutes). Set aside, keep warm.
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