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There’s a revolution going on in the world of cheese. In restaurants, supermarkets and specialty shops, cheese is being discovered as the near-perfect food that it is, and French cheese, or fromage, is at the center of that revolution.
This first issue of Club Fromage Quarterly is going out to all of our friends who have expressed an interest in the Cheeses of France — the “charter members” of Club Fromage. In this and future newsletters, we’ll introduce you to cheese experts, offer tips on shopping for cheese and info on cheese health benefits...and give you first crack at our Fromage Quest game.
Whether you are a connoisseur or apprenti, Club Fromage puts you at the center of the revolution in French cheese. Read on...and enjoy!
Vincent Maniaci of The Cheese Iron
Vincent Maniaci along with his wife, Jill Dutton, owns and manages The Cheese Iron in Scarborough, Maine, a full-service, European-style cheese shop, which stocks over 200 domestic and international cheeses, wines, charcuteries and confections. The shop boasts its own on-site cheese cave where cheeses are turned and ripened in a temperature-controlled environment until they are au point, that is, at the point of perfection. Maniaci has been a fromager for 15 years, an education that includes a stage in the maturation room at Neal’s Yard Dairy, the famed artisanal cheese store in London. He and Dutton opened The Cheese Iron in Maine two years ago and its arrival prompted Food & Wine to attribute Portland’s “emerging cheese scene” to the shop’s extensive selection of cheese, wine and charcuterie.
Read our interview with Vince, who talks about tastes, trends and the “Ultimate Fromage Plate” for summer. Bonne dégustation!
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From Market to Fromage Plate, the “Queen of Cheeses” is a Reigning Classic
Although “Brie” has come to be a common descriptor for any bloomy-rind, soft French cheese, “true” Bries hail only from their titular French region, and have a distinctive flavor that sets them apart. The savory, creamy, sour-milk flavors of Brie de Melun, Brie de Meaux or Brie de Nangis have long made Brie, dubbed France’s “Queen of Cheese,” the most widely sold soft-ripened cheeses in supermarkets.
Though traditionally made with raw cow’s milk, Brie is pasteurized for export and sale to the United States. While many inferior, factory-made and industrial cheeses manage to reach the market under the name of “Brie,” many Brie de Meaux-style cheeses (often called Fromage de Meaux) sold in the U.S. emulate the authentic raw-milk taste. For instance, Fromage de Meaux, although pasteurized, achieves a praiseworthy full-flavor and earthy bite. According to Vincent Maniaci, owner of The Cheese Iron, “Fromage de Meaux has a good acidity and a nice thin rind, so your palate is not inundated with too much of the mushroom notes which a thick rind would give.”
When shopping for Brie at your local market, make sure you are purchasing Brie deserving of its royal moniker. Read on for more tips on how to buy Brie at its best.
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French Cheese and the Big Apple: A Perfect Pairing
Cheese experts, in town for New York’s annual Fancy Food Show, gathered at The Cellar Bar to celebrate the Fromage Plate. The evening featured 50 different French cheeses and wines, perfectly paired and designed to show off the amazing versatility of the Cheeses of France. Do try this at home!
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Official Cheeses of France Apron
32"x24" Full Color Poster
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What is the secret of the “French Paradox”?
People can’t stop talking about it: how can a nation continue to enjoy a diet high in fat and appear to maintain heart health? Bread, wine and cheese have long been essentials of the French diet, and yet, the nation has the lowest cardiovascular mortality rate in the industrialized world. Scientists have struggled to explain this “French Paradox” for years. Now, new research in the field is beginning to uncover the link between heart health and the French diet.
When it comes to unraveling the mystery of the French Paradox, cheese, a French diet essential, provides a fundamental clue. Cheese plays a pivotal role in protecting arteries, is high in calcium, and helps the body eliminate certain harmful fatty acids. It also provides important daily nutritional benefits. What’s more, cheese is even more beneficial when paired with the two other essentials of the French diet: fiber-rich bread, and wine, which has a positive effect on cholesterol.
One of the world’s healthiest diets includes a daily slice of cheese!
The more researchers find out about the benefits of cheese, the more apparent it is that the French don’t exactly hold a secret key to health — they are simply enjoying the remarkable effects of their traditional, Mediterranean Diet. Read more about the compelling discoveries surrounding the health benefits of cheese and the Mediterranean Diet.
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