Emily in France 🇫🇷 Driving is Driving Me Crazy
Routard(e)
This newsletter is going to be a shorter one than usual, because I'm in my favorite place in the world... albeit not doing what I usually do here, which consists in 1. Reading by the river, 2. Swimming in the river, 3. Eating barbecued, flambéed snails.
No, friends, I am soaking up the auburn, autumn leaves of the local Carignan and Grenache vines from the (passenger's) seat of a car, as my friend shuttles me to and from driver's ed. At long last, I am getting my French driver's license. It is not the most fun, and it is making my bilingual brain hurt (especially given my problematic sense of direction), so please forgive the short missive this week, and instead, just look at this cheese.
Cheese of the Week
It seems only appropriate to highlight the Cathare this week, seeing as I am indeed in Pays Cathare! This flat, round goat cheese is emblazoned with the Cathar cross on its otherwise ashed surface. It's a difficult cheese to age, seeing as when it's young and delicate, its thin form can easily break. But it's so worth the time and effort it takes! This goat cheese has a fresh, subtle flavor with aromas of fresh herbs like thyme and rosemary, and it has an almost whipped texture inside.
Discover more of my fave cheeses on Instagram!
What I'm Eating
Before heading south, I took the time to stop by Le Grand Bain to sample the cuisine from Chef Emily Chia, who has taken over the helm since my last visit. Standouts included a combo of winter squash with “café de Paris” sauce – a buttery puddle of cream, shallot, tarragon, and caper (the latter of which I usually don't like!) – as well as the famous gougères, which are served hot and topped with a thin layer of lardo.
Discover more of my foodie finds via Instagram @emily_in_france.
Where I'm Going
To driver's ed and home again. Beep beep.
What I'm Writing
1. Boxed wine isn't just about Franzia anymore. After decades of Europeans (particularly Scandinavians!) embracing the more eco-friendly packaging, American producers are finally rolling out tastier boxed varietals. For Pix.
2. Canned foods are higher in salt, higher in sugar, and higher in chemicals. Are these myths true or false? Find out in Mashed.
3. From the archives: Falconry is an illustrious career that didn't end in the Middle Ages – at least not for these falconers, who I first discovered here in the Languedoc at the castle of Peyrepertuse. For Atlas Obscura.
What I'm Saying
1. The French word aimer is used to mean both like and love – but despite this dual role in the language of romance, it's not actually used all that often! Journalist and author Sylvia Sabes joins me to discuss why "I love you" is far from a perfect translation for Je t'aime on Navigating the French.
2. On Chez Toi, Caroline Conner and I pair your home-cooked recipes with the perfect wine and most complementary cheese. This week's recipe comes from culinary tour guide and concièrge Marie Alicia DeGross – a classic salade Lyonnaise from Caroline's home of Lyon. With thumb-sized hunks of bacon and a perfectly poached egg that makes the ideal dressing for the bitter frisée, both Emily and Caroline share local pairings (and chat brains, banana-flavored candy, and more.)
(And if you want your recipe featured in a future episode, shoot me an email! We're always up for a challenge.)
What I'm Reading
1. No review (yet!) because I'm finally finishing what I started this summer: Les Oranges de la mer by Georges J. Arnaud, a book about this region I so love, written by a local. I started reading it sunning myself on the riverbank, and I'll finish it huddled away from the Tramontane.
2. The youngest-ever chief of one First Nations community has declared climate change a state of emergency for his people and has inspired the Canadian government to take serious steps towards change. The Washington Post.
3. Lack of energy is a persistent problem folks assign to all sorts of culprits, but one journalist opted to take a deeper look at some of the most scientific, the most esoteric, and the most bizarre for the New Yorker.
A bientôt !