Tag Archives: チーズ

Cheese, 美食, 観光, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

Cheese: Queso Fresco made by Jean Sabedora Garcia in Shizuoka City, Japan!

April 6, 2012 dragonlife 10 Comments

Who said they don’t make cheese in Japan?
Actually, a lot is made especially in the North, that is, in Hokkaido Island, and some had been made in the Eastern part of Shizuoka Prefecture from cow’s milk for at least ten years, not withstanding the numerous smoked cheese made here and there…

And now, I discovered a cheese maker in Shimizu Ku, Shizuoka City who makes his cheese from cow’s milk!

Jean Sabedora Garcia (I will have to check the proper spelling in a soon to come interview!) is a Peruvian gentleman who makes his cheese the way they fabricate it in South America.

The cheese is made with pasteurized cow’s milk, food salt, potassium chloride and rennet, all clearly indicated on the package label.

The consumption date is also clearly indicated and it is double-packed for maximum food safety. It should be stored at a temperature of 10 degrees Celsius.

Queso fresco (Spanish), Queijo Fresco (Portuguese) or “Natural Cheese” (Japanese) is of a beautiful white color and very firm, making it easy to cut and serve.
It is quite similar to feta in concept, firmness and color but slightly more salted.
The aroma is very pleasant.
Surprisingly well-balanced and easy to eat.
Although made from cow’s milk, it tastes very much like a very young goat’s milk cheese.
Best appreciated on its own with high quality crackers, or in caprese style salad.
I had a little weakness for it toasted on home-made bread!
Really worth discovering!

Jean Sabodera Garcia
DEKASEGUI PRODUCTS-JF Shokuhin Kougyou
Shizuoka City, Shimizu ku, Minato Minami Cho, 1-11-1F
Tel.: 054-537-0374
Mobile Phone: 090-65953065

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, 47 Japanese Farms Through The Eyes of Its Rural Communities, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento,Adventures in Bento Making, American Bent, Beanbento, Bento No, Bento Wo Tsukurimashou, Cooking Cute, Eula, Hapabento , Happy Bento, Jacki’s Bento Blog, Kitchen Cow, Leggo My Obento, Le Petit Journal Bento & CO (French), Lunch In A Box,
Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, The Herbed Kitchen, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Cooking Cute, Timeless Gourmet, Bento Bug, Ideal Meal, Bentosaurus, Mr. Foodie (London/UK), Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

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Cheese Tray at Gentil (2010/07/09)

July 10, 2010 dragonlife 8 Comments

Ranking:
Service: Very Professional
Facilities: Perfect allaround. Beautiful washroom
Prices: ~
Strong points: Best cheese tray in Japan! Great wines

It was about grand time that I visited Gentil Restaurant in Shizuoka City again with my cheese-lover friends!.
Gentil is renown all over Japan for the best cheese trays (within reasonability in a restaurant! Naturally one could always offer a mountain of cheese at ridiculous prices!) served at a restaurant.

I made a point this time to take picture of all individual cheeses for everyone’s references!

These were the 8 cheese presently served (there are more in store at the restaurants but all are served when perfectly ripened!).
Let’s have a look at each of them!

Vieille Mimolette, Cow’s Milk, 18-month old, Northern France. Very soft and elegant in spite of its venerable age!

Blue Stilton, Cow’s Milk, England. A rare combination of softness and pungency!

Langres, Cow’s Milk, Bourgogne & Champagne, France. My home’s cheese! Do I need to comment?

Gorgonzola Dolce, Cow’s Milk, Italy. Vey soft and elegant!

Petit Plaisir, Cow’s Milk, Hokkaido, Japan. It has recently been elected as the best cheese in Japan! A discovery! Remiscent of a beautiful Saint-Marcellin!

Chevre Noir, Goat’s Milk, Canada, 2-year old. Another discovery! very soft for an old goat’s cheese!

Malvaux, Goat’s Milk, Deux-Sevres (Western Loire), France. It is covered with spices like a Corsican Maquis! So many tastes exploding on your palate!

Talegio, Cow’s Milk, Italy. Both elegant and strong!

The tray as served for 3 guests! A work of art, indeed!

Restaurant Gentil
420-0031 Shizuoka Shi, Gofuku-Cho, 2-9-1. Genan Kairaku Buiilding 2F
Tel.: 054-2547655 (Reservations advisable)
Fax: 054-2210509
Opening hours: 12:00~14:00, 18:00~last orders for meals at 21:30. Bar time 18:00~23:30. Closed on Mondays.
Credit cards OK
Homepage　(Japanese)

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Cheese Plate and Wine Tasting at Gentil

February 27, 2010 dragonlife 5 Comments

Cheese Tray of the day (2010/02/26):
-Top row: Brie de Meaux (4 months, France), Gorgonzola Dolce (Italy), Bleu D’Auvergne (France), Raclette (6 months, Hokkaido, Japan).
-Bottom row: Chevre Noir (2 years, Goat Milk, Canada), Mont D’or (France), Petit Agour Basque (Ewe, France), Cream cheese and Rum Raisins creation by Gentil.

It was about grand time I paid a visit to Gentil, the oldest French restaurant (1964) in Shizuoka City.
It is a great and accordingly expensive restaurant, but if you confine yourself to a plate of cheese and a glass of good wine, it is actually great value.
Ms. Keiko Kubota is THE authority on any cheese in Japan and actually helps mature cheese she acquires all year long in season only.

As for wines, the pairings are just sublime.

As I had oredered the full tray and requested a white wine, I was offered the following:

A white from my country!

Alsace, France, Riesling by Jean Ginglinger, 2008.

Very clear and clean. Bright golden colour
Aroma: Fruity and sweetish, very natural, green grass, Muscat and apples.
Taste: Soft attack, fruity at first with muscat, but quickly taking a very tangy turn with green grass, green apples and peach memories.
Very pleasant and great pairing with cheese. Kept it own all the time in spite of the strong cheese.

Now for the plate!
All the cheeses represented on the tray at the top of this article are feature except one!
Can you guess them all?

The raclette came on toasts!
I will not bore you with the tasting of the cheeses. They are just all top in their own categories and seasonal. The only thing I will say is that start chasing them around wherever you live!LOL

You do need some sugar to balance all the salt ingested with the cheese!
Chocolate cake, Mikan/Orange jelly and Creme brulee (and sorbets!)

Instead of coffee, I opted for the sorbet/sherbet farandole:
Camomille & Milk, Rum Raisins, Maro-Blue/Usubeni Aoi Herb.
The little mignardise is a snow ball bicuit made with chocolate and caraway seeds.

Need I comment more?

Restaurant Gentil
Address:420-0031 Shizuoka Shi, Gofuku-cho, 2-9-1, Gennan Kairaku building, 2F
Tel.: 054-2547655 (Reservations advisable)
Fax: 054-2210509
Opening hours: 12:00~14:00, 18:00~last orders for meals at 21:30. Bar time 18:00~23:30. Closed on Mondays.
Credit cards OK
Homepage　(Japanese)

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French Cuisine: Tartelettes Cressonieres au Chevre/Cress & Goat Cheese Tarts

February 19, 2010 dragonlife 6 Comments

This the perfect time of the year as cress is coming onto the markets (at least here in Shizuoka and also in Aichi)! Associated with goat cheese (perfect for cow’s milk/lactose allergics), it makes for almost a complete nutritious meal in itself!

Tartelettes Cressonieres au Chevre/Cress & Goat Cheese Tarts

INGREDIENTS: For 4 people

-Pate feuilletee/Puff pastry: 1 roll -Check this excellent recipe (in French) if you wish to make it yourself!)
-Fresh goat cheese: 200 g
-Eggs: 4
-Cress: a good quantity (up to you actually)
-Fresh Cream: 200 ml/cc
-Butter: 50 g
-Cornstarch: 1 tablespoon
-Curry mix powder: 1 teaspoon (or two saffron sprigs)
-Salt: to taste
-Ground pepper: to taste

RECIPE:

-Cut the stems off the cress. Wash the leaves and drain well. Fry them lightly in a non-stick pan with 30 g of butter for 5 minutes. Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Coat the insides of 4 molds with the remaining butter.

-Unroll the pate feuilletee/puff pastry. Cut out 4 circles and line the molds with them. Puncture the bottom with a fork. divide the cheese into four portions. Line the bottom of the pastry with a equal share of goat cheese (break it into small lumps with your fingers as you drop it in). Lay four equal portions of the cress over the goat cheese.

-Beat the eggs in a bowl. Mix the cornstarch and fresh cream first in a separate bowl. Add the beaten eggs and mix well. Add salt and pepper for taste. Mix. According to your preferences add curry powder or saffron and mix.

-Pour the egg-fresh milk mixture onto the cress and goat cheese. Bake for about 25 minutes.

-Serve lukewarm or hot with a well seasoned salad.

NOTE:

-If you wish to make a sole big tart, you will have to bake it for 10 more minutes.

-Serve it with a dry white wine.

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French Cuisine: Croustillants a la Feta

February 15, 2010 dragonlife 6 Comments

Cheese is a staple in most European Cuisines.
Traditional Feta is a Greek cheese that should only include sheep and goat’s milk, although modern feta might also consist of cow’s milk.
As Feta is an aged cheese, commonly produced in blocks, and has a slightly grainy texture, it is easy to cook/use in all kind of pastries.
Here is a simple French-inspired recipe of this Greek delicacy:
Croustillants a la Feta/Feta Croustilla g
nts

INGREDIENTS: For 8 pieces

-Feta: 200 g (try and use real Greek feta!)
-Brick/filo sheets (thin pastry brick or filo/fillo): 4
-Young fresh spinach: 100 g
-Egg: 1
-Butter: 20 g
-Freshly grated Parmegiano: 30 g
-Pine seeds: 40 g
-Oil: 200cc/ml
-White pepper: to taste

RECIPE:

-Clean the spinach in running cold water. Drain them thoroughly and fry them in the butter for 5 minutes on a medium fire.
Dry fry the pine seeds for 3 minutes in an teflon pan.

-In a bowl mash the feta with a fork. Add the egg, parmegiano, spinach and pine seeds. Keep a fine pine seeds for decoration. Mix well and add white pepper.
Do not add salt as the feta is already salted!

-Cut the filo/brick sheets in four portions lengthwise. You should have 16 strips. Place one strip each on another one to form 8 double strips. If the brick is round, fold the thr curving part inside.
Place some feta mixture in one corner of the double strip and fold the rest of the strip over it so as to obtain a triangular-shaped pastry (see above picture).
Repeat with the other 7 double strips.

-Heat the oil in a deep enough pan or deep-fry pan. Deep-fry each the pastry 2 minutes for each side until you obtained a nice dark golden colour.

-Serve them immediately decorated with a few roasted pine seeds.

NOTE:

-Instead of deep-frying them, you can brush the pastries lightly with oil and cook them in the oven (over a baking sheet) for 7~8 minutes at 210 degrees Celsius. Turn them over halfway in that case.

Drink a solid dry white wine with it!

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Japanese Cheese: NEEDS Co. (Hokkaido)

October 21, 2009 dragonlife 4 Comments

CHEESE-NEEDS2

I have already said that the Japanese have been steadily increasing their own cheese production for the last 10 years or so with some reamarkable results.
Moreover, these cheese have slowly but steadily become available over the whole country at specialised shops and department stores.
As a futher proof I have discovered four more cheeses by a different company I hadn’t heard of before: NEEDS Co Ltd in the island of Hokkaido!
NEEDS stands for “Northern Eco Economy Developing System”.
The amusing details are that names are in English or Japanese while weights and packaging are written in French.
NEEDS Co. Ltd. is relatively new as it was founded in 2003.

CHEESE-NEEDS1

They are all made from raw cow’s milk and very safely packaged, a must in this country with very changeable climates!

CHEESE-NEEDS3

The above cheese, a hard type variety is called Kashiwa/槲 (Japanese Emperor Oak), the name of a tree found in Hokkaido.
It is a cross obtween Emmental and Gruyere, with some welcome pungency and solid taste.

CHEESE-NEEDS4

This cheese is called “Ｏｏchi no Hoppe/大地のほっぺ” meaning the “Cheek of the Large lands”!
Reblochon-style, it is quite soft and pobably will do better with some more maturing.

CHEESE-NEEDS5

The cheese above is called “Sakeru Type Mozzarella/White pepper/String/さけるタイプ・モッツアレラチーズ・ホワイトペッパーストリング”. in brief it is a string-type cheese you can tear easily. great as a snack. The pepper contained in the cheese is a good initiative. As for the name Mozzarella, it just shows that the Japanese laws are somewhat a bit lax! great snack with beer.

CHEESE-NEEDS6

As the name “Caciocavallo” indicates, the above cheese is Italian-inspired!
Softer than its Italian counterpart, it has nonetheless a solid taste with plenty of supleness, making for a great snack!

NEEDS Co. Ltd.
Hokkaido, Nakagawa Gun, Makubetsu cho, Shinwa, 162-111
Tel.: (819(0)155-57-2511

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow
5 Star Foodie
Think Twice
Frank Fariello
Cheesemonger’s Weblog

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French Cuisine: Young Cod and Lentils

October 6, 2009 dragonlife 4 Comments

CABILLAUD-LENTILS

Young cod or “Cabillaud” in French is one of those white-fleshed fish which are so easy to prepare and do not require complicated recipes!

Here is a recipe which will make you sound like an accomplished chef:
Paves de Cabillaud aux Lentilles/Young Cod Steaks and Lentils!

INGREDIENTS: for 6 persons

-6 large pieces of cod fillets, 150 g each
-Puy green lentils: 500 g
-Bacon or Pancetta: 6 very thin slices
-Carrot: 1
-Onion: 1
-Olive oil (EVO): 4 tablespoons
-Xeres vinegar: 1 tablespoon
-Bouquet garni (if unavailable, make your own with fresh of dried rosemary, thyme, sage, etc)
-Salt: to taste
-Black pepper, freshly groungd: to taste

RECIPE:

-Peel the carrot and onion. Slice the onion very thin and cut the carrot into small dices. Drop the sliced onion and carrot dices and lentils into a large pan and cover (a little higher than the whole level) with cold water (containing as little calcium as possible=soft water). Add the bouquet garni. Bring to boil. Set the heat as to simmer the vegetables for 45 minutes.

-10 minutes before the vegetables are cooked fry the bacon slices on a large non-stick frypan until golden. Take excess fat off by laying them on a kitchen paper sheet.
In the same frypan heat a tablespoon of olive oil. Lay the cod on the rypan and fry on high fire for 2 minutes on each side. Turn the heat low. Sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper and let cook for 5 more minutes on a low fire.

-Drain the lentils. Pour them on a serving dish.
Prepare a vinaigrette with salt, pepper, Xeres vinegar and the remaining olive oil. Pour it onto the lentils. Mix. Place the the bacon slices and cod onto the lentils and serve at once.

-If you serve them individually, keep six plates warm. Place each cod fillet on a bed of lentils and a slice of bacon. Sprinkle the fish with a little freshly chopped Italian parsley and just a little olive oil. Place a sprig of Italian parsley on the whole for the fnal touch.

Serve a good Beaujolais with it (not Beaujolais Nouveau, for people’s sake! LOL)

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Japanese Cheese: Kyodo Gakui Shintoku Nojyo

October 6, 2009 dragonlife Leave a comment

CHEESE-JAPAN-2

This is the second set of cheese made by Kyodo Gakui Tokunojyou in Hokkaido Island I found In Lavigne, Shizuoka City.

hok-cheese-2

I have already introduced other cheeses from the same company (see above picturse).
They iincluded Sasa no Yuki, a Camembert style wrapped in a small bamboo leaf, Koban, Sakura and Raclette

CHEESE-JAPAN-1

These two cheeses seem to complete the whole series from that particular company.

CHEESE-JAPAN-3

This one is simply called “Camembert-type”, and it is very near the French product, the more for it that it ismade with raw cow’s milk.
Actually it is the Sasa no Yuki minus the bamboo leaf!
Well-matured and soft, it can be matured a longer time.

CHEESE-JAPAN-4

The last one, a hard type cheese also made with raw cow’s milk is called “Lera He Mental”, obviously inspired by Emmental and Comte cheeses. Surprisingly strong in characteristic, it makes for a great snack with wine and bread. Can definitely be used in somewhat extravagant cooking!

Another discovery!

Kyodo Gakui Shintoku Nojyo
081-0038 Hokkaido, Kamikawa Gun, Shintoku Machi, Jishintoku, 9-1
(081-0038 北海道上川郡新得町字新得９－１)
Tel.: (81)(0)156-69-5600

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Cheese Plates at Gentil (’09/09/25)

September 27, 2009 dragonlife 4 Comments

GENTIL-09-25-3

Last Friday, as said in previous reports, my two friend students and I visited Gentil, the oldest French restaurant in Shizuoka City.
It is a great and accordingly expensive restaurant, but you confine yourself to a plate of cheese and a glass of good wine, it is actually great value.
Ms. Keiko Kubota is THE authority on any cheese in Japan and actually help mature cheese she acquires all year long in season only.

As we were three of us, she served us two trays of them.

Above picture:
-Top left: “Tsuki no Okurimono/The Moon’s Present”, Cow’s milk, Hokkaido, Japan.
-Top left: Ossau Iraty, Ewe’s milk, Pyrenees, France
-Centre: Bleu des Causses, Cow’s milk, Causses, France
-Bottom left: Mimolette, 18-month old, Cow’s milk, North, France
-Bottom right: Bleu du Vercors Sassenage, Cow’s milk, Alpes, France

GENTIL-09-25-2

The second plate was an original combination:
-Top-left: Sainte-Maure, Goat’s milk, Loire, France
-Top-right: Aged Camembert, Cow’s Milk, Normandie, France
-Centre: Cosne de Porte Aubray, Goat’s milk, Loire, France
-Bottom left: dried black figs
-Bottom right inside a small dish: “Baby Cheese”, Cow’s milk, Canada!

What did wedrink with that?
A very fine Morgon from Bourgogne, France!

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Japanese Cheese: Tokachi Millenium Forest

August 30, 2009 dragonlife 12 Comments

TOKACHI-CHEESE1

The Japanese have been steadily increasing their own cheese production for the last 10 years or so with some reamarkable results.
Moreover, these cheese have slowly but steadily become available over the whole country at specialised shops and department stores.

TOKACHI-CHEESE2

My last discovery concerns a whole range of goat cheeses created by Fran Fran Farm under the name of Tokachi Millenium Forest Company. The company was founded on September 21st 1996 with the idea of producing local products and promoting the environment.
The cheeses, if somewhat mild in taste, are definitely worth exploring!

Here is what I found about them:

TOKACHI-CHEESE3
http://www.tokachi.com/

This cheese is inspired by, if not the shape, French Saint-Maure, a fresh goat-cheese type covered with wood ash.
Firm, but easy, it is very mild. To be savoured on its own.
Pasteurized.

TOKACHI-CHEESE4

This particular cheese has the shape, colour and texture, and the taste of a French Valencay. Solid but soft on the tongue. Great on its own or with a salad.
Pasteurized.

TOKACHI-CHEESE5

This cheese is semi-hard type, very reminscent of the same produced in Italy.
Stronger taste, but very pleasant. Great on its own or cooked.
Pasteurized.

TOKACHI-CHEESE6

This cheese is reminiscent of a French Santranges before aging dries it up and leaves mold on its surface.
Firm in texture,but soft on the tongue in spite of a pronouced taste.
Would be greated toasted on a salad!
Pasteurized.

TOKACHI-CHEESE7

This cheese is the only one made from raw milk in that series.
Very much like a fresh Brousse from Corsica, France. Has already developped a strong taste of its own. If aged properly, coild become a very interesting cheese. To be eaten on its own with a Port!

All these are surprisingly “mature” in taste for Japanese cheese, which shows that cheese in Japan definitely has a future!

Fran Fran Farm
Hokkaido, Kamikawa Gun, Shimizu Cho, Hatainan, 10 sen
Tel.: (81)(0)156-63-3400
HOMEPAGE

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Cheese Plate at Gentil (7)

August 8, 2009 dragonlife 4 Comments

GENTIL-09-08-04

This article is again dedicated to Cheese Monger as he is interested in what we can expect here in Japan!

I don’t need to introduce Gentil and Ms. Keiko Kubota in Japan who is THE authority on cheese in Japan!

Look at picture above to find out what I sampled last Wednesday:

Left top: Chaource (Cow, France)
Left bottom: Bon de Sologne (Cow, France)

Centre under muscat raisins: Merois (Goat, France)
Centre bittom: Tsuki no Monogatari/Moon Story (Raw Cow milk, Japan, Hokkaido)

Right top: Mimolette, 2 months old (Cow, France)
Right bottom: Bleu d’Auvergne (Cow, France)

Another great plate, I can assure you!

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Cheese Plate at Gentil (6)

July 25, 2009 dragonlife 1 Comment

GENTIL-CHEESE-09-07

This article is dedicated to Cheese Monger as he is interested in what we can expect here in Japan!

I don’t need to introduce Gentil and Ms. Keiko Kubota in Japan who is THE authority on cheese in Japan!

Look at picture above to find out what I sampled lately:

Right top: 6-month old Gouda (Holland)
Right centre: 12-month old Mimolette (France)
Right bottom: Epoisses (France)

Centre: Fourme d’ambert (France)

Left top: Sakura (Hokkaido/Japan)
Left centre: Bon de Sologne (France)
Left bottom: Gorgonzola Dolce (Italy)

Great plate, I can assure you!

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Dessert: Ricotta, Orange Peels & Chocolate Tart

July 22, 2009 dragonlife 6 Comments

RICOTTA-TART

Italy and France can make up for some great combinations with a little imagination.
Here is a failry simple recipe that should please quite a few people as it includes cheese:
Ricotta, Orange Peels & Chocolate Tart!

INGREDIENTS: For 6~8 persons/20 cm wide mold than can opened.

-Pastry:
Flour: 200 g
Butter: 150 g (not too cold, please!) + a little for the mold
Milk: 1 large tablespoon
Egg yolk: 1 small
Sugar: 30 g
Vanilla sugar: to taste
Cinnamon: a large pinch
Salt: a little pinch

-Cake filling:
Ricotta: 600 g
Mascarpone: 100 g
Eggs: 2 whole + 3 yolks
Sugar: 90 g
Black/dark chocolate: 90 g
Orange peels (preserved): 35 g
Vanilla essence: 1 small teaspoon

RECIPE:

-Prepare the pastry ( a little in advance if possible):
In a large bowl, mix the flour with the sugar, vanilla sugar, cinnamon and salt.
Add the butter in small pieces and knead with your finger tips until you obtain an homogeneous sable pastry.
Beat the egg yolk with the milk and mix quickly to the pastry to “link” it.

-Spread the pastry on a working boarded on which you will sprinkled some flour (to prevent sticking).
Insert into the mold. Cut out whatever pastry is over the rim. Keep inside refrigerator for 30 minutes.

-Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

-Prepare the filling:
Cut the orange peels in small pieces. Chop the chocolate very finely.
In a large bowl mix the ricotta and mascarpone, the whole eggs and egg yolks, the vanilla essence and the sugar. Mix well. Add the orange peels and chocolate. Mix well.

-Take the the pastry inside its mold out of the refrigerator.
Fill it with the cake garnish and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes~ 1 hour 30 minutes.
Check with a knife that the garnish is properlu\y cooked in its centre.
If the surface colour gets too darke cover it with a sheet of foil paper.

-Let cool completely before serving!

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French Cuisine: Cheese Souffle

July 3, 2009 dragonlife 12 Comments

When you mention the word “Souffle”, the first reaction you get is: “Too difficult”. It is actually dead easy, and I can tell you that some restaurants make an enormous profit from them!

INGREDIENTS: For 4 people
-Eggs: 4
-Flour: 50g
-Butter: 50g
-Milk: 300cc
-Shredded cheese: 100g
-Salt/ a lttle is enough as cheese contains much
-White Pepper
-Nutmeg
-Thyme
-Laurel

RECIPE:

-Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
-Butter well the inside of a (possibly round) deep oven dish (about 18cm x 8cm). This will help the souffle rise and prevent it fom sticking.

-Separate egg yolks from egg whites.
In a large bowl add a little salt to whites and beat until solid.

-On a small fire, prepare a Bechamel sauce (white sauce):
Melt butter completely, pour in flour and mix well with spatula until smooth. Pour in milk and mix well (diffferent people have different techniques, but I found that the best technique is to mix half of the milk little by little first, then pour in the rest and use a whisker to make a smooth sauce). Add salt, pepper and spices. Keep stirring gently.

-Once the sauce has thickened to the point of almost solid, take off the fire (or switch off the fire).
Mix in the egg yolks with a spatula until colour is even. Then proceed the same way with the cheese little by little until mixture comes smooth off the spatula.

-Check that the whites have not gone back to liquid (That happened to me quite a few times, so make sure to check! In such a case, just beat them again. They will go back to a satisfactory state quite fast.). Mix in half first as delicately as possible with a spatula (not a whisker, or you will break the air bubbles in the whites and the souffle will not rise!). Then do the same with the second half. Pour in the mixture in the dish and put in the oven to bake for 45 minutes (although that depends with every oven). To check whether the souffle is properly cooked, insert a thin wooden stick or knife deep into the souffle. It should come out smooth.

-Before serving, make sure that everybody is at the table before serving. ” The guests wait for a Souffle, a Souffle does not wait for the guests!”

NOTES:
1) This souffle can be cooked in individual dishes. In that case the cooking time shall be about 30~35 minutes.
2) Instead of cheese you could use tinned tuna (2 x cans), or fresh spinach (one bunch; boil it a couple of minutes in salted water first, then drain thouroughly, and mince it as thinly as possible), or crab (add a little brandy and mix beforehand), or thin short narrow strips of ham, or even ham & cheese. The variations are endless.

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Cheese Plate at gentil (5)

March 28, 2009 dragonlife 2 Comments

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Last night I paid a belated visit to Gentil Restaurant In Shizuoka City in the company of two good friends to check and taste what was on offer at that nationally famous restaurant.

My good friend, Ms. Keiko Kubota, the only Japanese Cheese Sommelier to hold the title of compagnon d’Honneur de Taste Fromage came up with the tray of Cheeses she is currently maturing:

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Front from left to right:
-Cone de Port Aubray (Goat Milk, Loire, France)
-2 year-old Chevre Noir (Goat’s Milk, Canada)
-10 year-old Red Cheddar (Cow’s Milk, Wisconsin, US. Yes, you read well!)
-Bleu de Sassenage (Cow’s Milk, Alpes, France)

Back from left to right:
-Talegio (Cow’s Milk, Piemonte, Italy)
-Gorgonzola Picante (Cow’s Milk, Piemonte, Italy)
-Gorgonzola Dolce (Cow’s Milk, Piemonte, Italy)

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-10 year-old Red Cheddar (Cow’s Milk, Wisconsin, US. Yes, you read well!). A rarity!

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Another rarity: look at the pic at the top of this posting. It is the large cheese “standing” on the right:
-“Hokkaido Shintoku”, semi-hard type from Hokkaido, Japan. Only served presently at Gentil!

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We actually tasted all the cheese on the tray.
This particular dish offers:
-Cone de Port Aubray (Goat Milk, Loire, France), top
-Gorgonzola Picante (Cow’s Milk, Piemonte, Italy)
-2 year-old Chevre Noir (Goat’s Milk, Canada) Standing
-10 year-old Red Cheddar (Cow’s Milk, Wisconsin, US.)!
-Gorgonzola Dolce (Cow’s Milk, Piemonte, Italy) in the wooden spoon.

What did we drink with that?
Chateau Talbot from Bordeaux, and wines from Crozes-Hermitage and Bourgogne!

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