Emily in France 🇫🇷 Do You Love Goats?
My cheese life.
It kind of got lost in the shuffle, between Venice and filming last week, but in September, I spent an entire day discovering the art of Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine.
(I live a very difficult life. Thank you for noticing.)
The day began with a dawnbreak train ride, after which I was escoorted to three different producers of the local goat cheese – the most-produced in the region. At the Ferme de la Haute Piltière, I was the opportunity to sample it at four different stages of aging, including this absolutely bonkers six-month-old one that had the texture of Parmesan and wasn't nearly as scary as it looked. It had a pleasantly nutty, grassy flavor.
I also met many, many goats.
In fact, in speaking with the producers, one of the chief takeaways was just how wonderful these animals are to work with. (P.S. – did you know that capricious has the same etymological root as the word for goat in Romance languages?)
One producer even shared that despite coming from a cattle farming background, he made the switch to this local chèvre solely because of their personalities.
I've gotta say... I get where he's coming from.
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Cheese of the Week
I'll be sharing my newest cheese column on Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine soon, but for a little sneak preview, feast your eyes on this beauty. Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine stands out in the cheese case for its unique, log-shaped form, which is slightly tapered due to the shape of the molds, once weaved out of wicker. It's fairly mild and grassy, with a slight lactic acidity and a lovely nuttiness lending a balanced flavor to the cheese that grows only more pronounced the longer it ages.
Since we're talking about goat cheese, I thought I'd highlight a totally different form of chèvre in this week's cheese video: the starkly white goat brie.
To discover more of my favorite cheeses, be sure to follow me on Instagram @emily_in_france and tune into the Terroir Podcast, where Caroline Conner and I delve into France's cheese, wine, and more one region at a time.
What I'm Eating
While I was in the Touraine, aside from straight cheese, I also had the pleasure of trying a tasty Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine millefeuille from Au Chapeau Rouge in Chinon, which paired the cheese with another local specialty, poires tapées, or pears that have been dried and then rehydrated in local wine.
I also got to sample a Balzacienne, a unique creation invented by local cheesemonger Thierry Cartereau. This savory tart marries both local specialties with a filling made with dried nuts and fruit.
Discover more of my foodie finds via Instagram @emily_in_france and on the blog.
Where I'm Going
1. To the American Library in Paris for a talk with Merriam-Webster dictionary editor Peter Sokolowsky on the evolution of English at its storied links with French following the Norman Conquest. (#nerdalert)
2. Back to Halle aux Grains, albeit this time not to film but rather to eat!
3. To Honfleur for a shrimp festival. (Oh how glad I am to have nerdy friends who love food festivals as much as – if not more than – I do.
What I'm Writing
1. Montmartre's Fête des Vendanges has come to a close, but there are delicious things to enjoy in the 18th any day of the year. I contributed some reporting to this dining guide to one of my favorite neighborhoods for Paris by Mouth.
2. Old Bay is a Maryland classic, most frequently paired with crab. But these DC chefs are toying with the staple seasoning – I sussed out five cool ways for InsideHook.
3. RPM Steak's next-level wagyu smash burger is within your reach as a home cook, so long as you have a cast iron skillet. I got the recipe for InsideHook.
What I'm Saying
The media talk far too much about how the French manage to eat rich food without gaining weight or incurring health woes. The reality is that for the most part, they don't frame their dining around guilt at all! To explore how the French do perceive of their "guilty pleasures" Alex Partridge, a French instructor and content creator based in Paris, is joining me on this week's episode of Navigating the French. We address a phrase that directly translates to "cute sin" – péché mignon – and explore how and why a reframing of pleasure means the French can truly embrace deliciousness.
What I'm Reading
1. If you want to pay iconic Parisian restaurants a visit, you'll definitely want to do your research. Luckily, my friend Vicki Denig already did a lot of the heavy lifting for you in this new piece for Food & Wine.
2. Continuing in my dive into Italian culture, I found this project – collecting images of marginalized Italy online – truly fascinating. In the New Yorker.
3. Rebuilding Notre Dame as it once stood is an anachronistic project that requires the help of experts. Luckily, they've been building the medieval castle of Guédelon since 1997. In the Guardian.
A bientôt !