Book Blog: The Whole Fromage: Adventures in the Delectable World of French Cheese by Kathe Lison
I review everything I read and post reviews on Goodreads and LibraryThing. That’s not enough. Good books are meant to be shared. Therefore, I’m spotlighting some of my favorite reads here on my site.
The Whole Fromage: Adventures in the Delectable World of French Cheese by Kathe Lison
out now; Indiebound, B&N, and Amazon
New life goal: become a cheese knight.
That is a real thing in France, if you are so blessed by one of many local brotherhoods/sisterhoods of local cheese. The facts of cheese knighthood are among many very real delights described in this book by Kathe Lison, a Wisconsin native who arose from humble beginnings of Kraft boxed macaroni and cheese to explore the cultural and historical nuances of French fromage. If you’re a history geek (ME!) who loves cheese (ME!) with a yearning to travel, even if vicariously through literature (ME! ME!) this book will hit all of your sweet spots (and savory spots besides).
I found out about this book by listening to a podcast of the author in conversation with travel guru Rick Steves upon the subject of French cheese. The book delves much deeper into the subject, and does so in an easy-to-relate-to breezy tone. Chapters focus on cheeses such as Salers, chevre in southwestern France, Camembert and the mythology around it, Reblochon, Comte, Roquefort and its caves, sheep cheese of the Pyrenees, and of course, Langre and its cheese knights. There is a great deal about traditional methods of cheesemaking, the ever-changing industrialization of it, and the peculiarities of AOC labels and terroir.
This was my first book of 2020 and I hope it sets my destiny for the year–one filled with delicious artisanal cheese.
Read MoreBready or Not: Fougasse
Bready or Not goes full-on bready with this week’s feature: Fougasse, a French style of bread fragrant with herbs and formed into two leaf-shaped loaves.
I first encountered this bread on the Great British Bake Off, where it was presented as a technical challenge with minimal instructions. (I highly recommend watching season 4 episode 6 prior to baking, if you can, as it provides great tips and visuals of the bread).
I found this bread dough surprisingly easy to work with. I opted to make it in my Kitchen Aid, which is in line with the original recipe, but it could certainly be mixed in a bread machine or by hand.
The end result reminded me of focaccia with the herby, salty flavor, but I found the leaf shape of the fougasse to be incredibly fun. It really makes for a great presentation.
To use Bake Off terminology, this bread is a technical challenge that also works as a showstopper.
Modified from Paul Hollywood’s recipe as published on the BBC’s site.
Bready or Not: Fougasse
Equipment
- 2 large baking sheets
- parchment paper
- pizza cutter
- pastry brush
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil plus more for greasing and drizzling
- 500 grams bread flour plus more for dusting (1 lb, 2 ounces)
- 10 grams fine sea salt (1/4 teaspoon)
- 7 grams instant yeast (2 1/4 teaspoon)
- 350 ml warm water (12 ounces)
- 4 teaspoons chopped rosemary plus more to finish
- 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
- fine cornmeal for dusting, or substitute semolina flour
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- sea salt flakes to finish
Instructions
- Grease a large container with some olive oil. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a mixer with a dough hook (or with a dough whisk and arm muscle), combine the bread flour and sea salt. Add yeast, followed by the measured olive oil and most of the warm water. Mix on low speed. As the dough comes together, slowly add the rest of the water. Continue to mix on medium speed for about 7 or 8 minutes. Add the herbs and make sure they are evenly distributed. Dough should be quite elastic and easy to work with.
- Dump the dough into the oiled container. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until at least doubled, about an hour. Dough should be bouncy and shiny.
- Dust a work surface with extra flour and cornmeal (or semolina). Tip the dough onto the surface. It should be loose and flowing. Divide dough in half.
- Place each piece of dough on the prepared parchment. Spread into a flat oval, then use a pizza cutter to slice twice down the middle (to make a stem) with six cuts on the side of each leaf (see photograph for example). Gently stretch out the dough to emphasize the holes.
- Cover both loaves with plastic wrap and allow to set for 20 minutes as the oven preheats to 430-degrees.
- Brush or spray additional olive oil atop each leaf, then sprinkle on the dried oregano.
- Bake for about 7 minutes, then switch positions of bread on the oven racks. Continue baking another 8 minutes or so (15 to 20 minutes total) until each fougasse is golden and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Remove from oven. Immediately brush more olive oil on top, followed by a sprinkling of sea salt.
- Bread is delicious fresh or at room temperature. Loaves can be well-wrapped and frozen for later enjoyment.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: Millionaire Shortbread
Millionaire Shortbread. Gorgeous. Delicious. A little bit of extra effort to make, but SO WORTH IT.
I wanted to concoct the best-possible Millionaire Shortbread. This involved strenuous testing of recipes. Much baking. Much reliance on test subjects (husband and his co-workers).
The resulting feedback? I wrote it down.
“This shortbread is enjoyed, and feared.”
“To call them excellent would be an insult to your wife.”
So yeah. The test subjects approved. I personally would rank this up there with my best all-time bakes, because it really combines the best of everything.
The shortbread layer is firm yet soft. THEN THAT CARAMEL. It is thick, luscious, and sweet. The chocolate provides the perfect balance, especially with the help of some Maldon salt flakes.
Do note that the ganache needs to be semisweet chocolate, or an even darker variety. Milk chocolate is just too sweet against that thick caramel. I say that, and I usually prefer milk chocolate.
I wish I could say how long this keeps in the fridge, but my test subjects were a bit too voracious to provide perspective on that point.
Bready or Not Original: Millionaire Shortbread
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- 1 cup unsalted butter 2 cubes, softened
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 egg yolk
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Caramel
- 2 14-ounce cans sweetened condensed milk
- 14 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1/3 cup light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Chocolate Ganache
- 11 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter 1/2 stick
- Maldon sea salt flakes for top, optional
Instructions
Shortbread base
- Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a 13x9 baking pan with aluminum foil and apply nonstick spray or butter.
- In a large bowl, beat butter until creamy. Add both sugars and beat until light and fluffy. Follow up with the egg yolk and vanilla extract. Scrape bottom of bowl to make sure everything is incorporated.
- Gradually work in flour along with the salt. Don't overmix. It should still be crumbly. Drop dough into prepared pan and compress into an even layer. (A piece of waxed paper and a heavy glass make this easier.)
- Bake shortbread layer for 20 to 25 minutes, until edges are turning golden brown. Set pan aside to cool while the next layer is made.
Caramel
- In a large saucepan at medium heat, stir together the condensed milk, butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup. Stir constantly as it rises to a boil. Immediately drop heat to low, and continue to stir nonstop for about 10 to 15 minutes, until mixture turns a deep caramel color and thickens up; watch out, the caramel can spit out of the pan at times!
- Remove pot from heat and promptly stir in vanilla extract and salt.
- Pour caramel over the shortbread, using an uneven spatula or knife if needed to smooth it into an even layer. Cool pan for several hours until it reaches room temperature, or set in fridge to chill.
Ganache topping
- In a microwave-safe bowl (or, alternatively, on the stove top in a pot) melt together the chocolate chips and butter. Once it can be stirred smooth, pour over the caramel. Spread out into an even layer. If desired, sprinkle Maldon sea salt flakes over the top.
- Chill in fridge to let chocolate harden for at least 30 minutes. Use foil to lift contents of pan onto a cutting board. Let chocolate warm again, just a touch, perhaps for 5 or 10 minutes, before slicing into bars (otherwise, the chocolate will crack rather than be sliced through).
- Store bars in fridge with waxed paper between layers. Keeps for days.
OM NOM NOM!
Read an Excerpt of my Monarchies of Mau story
Whether you just love a good fantasy story or perhaps are looking to delve into a new RPG setting for 2020, check out this excerpt of my story “By Footpad and Clenched Paw” over at Onyx Path Publishing. My story, about a young cleric with a chronic health condition and a murder to solve, is set in the fantasy world of the Monarchies of Mau. Think fantasy world with magic and quests and all the classic trappings, along with mysterious leftovers from human civilization. Oh, and giant cats. (If you prefer dogs, look up Pugmire, the elevated-canine aspect of this setting.)
This story is a special one, a tribute to my beloved cat Porom who died of kidney disease a little over two years ago.
#SFWAPro
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