My visit to California's first goat farm, its cheeses, Richard Olney and Domaine Tempier, pizza with fried eggs and truffles in Asti, and toasted Raclette in front of a fire with very cold Aquavite.
When you move to another country, you miss the most unexpected of things. Sometimes you only realise it when going back on a visit.
So it was with us and goats' cheese when we moved from France to Spain. Spain has goats. And it has cheese. But it doesn't really have goats cheese - chèvre - at least not like in France. I don't think it's a failure of Spanish cheesemakers - there are plenty of queso de cabra - as a failure of Spanish consumers. They're simply not interested in goats cheese beyond the simpler pleasures.
So we found ourselves in a fromagerie in Touraine buying up some delicious, expressive chèvre to take back home with us to Galicía. We thought of some friends, wine producers and lovers of good food and bought extra chèvres for them. And as we descended through France, during a heatwave which our cold box could not compete with, and our car filled with the heady and most definitely pungent stink of unpasteurised goats' cheese, the thought struck us...... maybe our friends don't like goats' cheese? And so it turned out to be. They never answered us when we asked when we could bring the cheese over. At first we were perplexed by this but eventually we twigged. They just weren't into goats' cheese..... tant pis.... all the more for us.
Jeremiah, as always, is well written and enjoyable. I just downloaded The Last Magnificent. (Great title) I had thought I watched it when it first came out, but I'm not sure.
I absolutely love reading your articles. JT! I still have your book. Such great memories. Whatever happened to Jeanie Bell? I actually had a dream about Mark Franz and Valerie the hostess last night.. LOL!
All the more for you indeed. But you had the wonderful Rias Baixas wines of Galicia, and that world class seafood. Not bad.
And thank you, Frank. Our great privilege in knowing Olney!
Thank you, Victoria, and this week more egg recipes and stories.
Thank you Victoria. As for Jeanie, have not seen her on SM in a while. And as for Franz, he has gone quiet to many of his past friends.
It's all a dream. Magic and delicious the eggs and the cheeses. And, of course, your thoughts. Thank you!
When you move to another country, you miss the most unexpected of things. Sometimes you only realise it when going back on a visit.
So it was with us and goats' cheese when we moved from France to Spain. Spain has goats. And it has cheese. But it doesn't really have goats cheese - chèvre - at least not like in France. I don't think it's a failure of Spanish cheesemakers - there are plenty of queso de cabra - as a failure of Spanish consumers. They're simply not interested in goats cheese beyond the simpler pleasures.
So we found ourselves in a fromagerie in Touraine buying up some delicious, expressive chèvre to take back home with us to Galicía. We thought of some friends, wine producers and lovers of good food and bought extra chèvres for them. And as we descended through France, during a heatwave which our cold box could not compete with, and our car filled with the heady and most definitely pungent stink of unpasteurised goats' cheese, the thought struck us...... maybe our friends don't like goats' cheese? And so it turned out to be. They never answered us when we asked when we could bring the cheese over. At first we were perplexed by this but eventually we twigged. They just weren't into goats' cheese..... tant pis.... all the more for us.
Love the raclette in front of Richard Olney's kitchen fire!-- all dreamy, thanks for the stories!
Frank
Jeremiah, as always, is well written and enjoyable. I just downloaded The Last Magnificent. (Great title) I had thought I watched it when it first came out, but I'm not sure.
Do not miss The Last Magnificent. You will want to watch it more than once, mon ami!
👍
I absolutely love reading your articles. JT! I still have your book. Such great memories. Whatever happened to Jeanie Bell? I actually had a dream about Mark Franz and Valerie the hostess last night.. LOL!