Read Online Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Dorie Greenspan
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the rack; invert and cool right side up.
MAKES 1 LOAF OR ABOUT 8 SERVINGS
SERVING
The bread can be served when it is still slightly warm, but I think it tastes better when it has cooled completely. If the bread is keeping company with drinks, cut it into 8 slices, about ½ inch thick, and cut the slices into strips or cubes.
STORING
Well wrapped, the loaf will keep for about 2 days at room temperature or for up to 2 months in the freezer (thaw in the wrapper). This is not a very moist loaf—it's not meant to be—so it may seem a little dry after a couple of days. At that point, it's good to toast the slices.
BONNE IDÉE
You can use whatever hard cheese you like most or whatever combination of cheeses you have on hand. You can vary the herbs just about any way you wish—I really like this with basil or a mix of herbs that includes basil—or you can skip the herbs. And you can have a field day with add-ins; for example, you can mix in diced ham, bacon bits, toasted chopped nuts, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, minced shallots, or small pieces of cooked vegetables.
BONNE IDÉE
Bacon, Cheese, and Dried Pear Bread. For this bread, you'll need 5 strips of bacon, cooked until crisp, patted dry, and chopped into thick bits, 1 cup finely chopped moist dried pears (about 3½ ounces), and 1 tablespoon minced fresh sage instead of the chives, stirred in just before the dough goes into the pan. I think the toasted walnuts are a must in this one. If you really want to change things up, instead of adding cubes of Gruyère or other hard cheese, fold in a blue cheese, like Roquefort, Fourme d'Ambert, or Gorgonzola.
----
complaining, the french way
Shortly after we'd moved into our first Paris apartment, I went shopping in one of the city's most esteemed cheese shops. It's very narrow, with barely enough room for the salespeople and a couple of customers to maneuver. It's not an easy place for a beginner because the lines are long and when it's your turn, it's not just the person behind you, but the salesperson as well, who wants you to be snappy about making your choices.
One day, I was having six people for dinner and needed some help choosing an assortment for my cheese platter. I asked for
quelques conseils
(some advice) and made it as clear as I could that I wanted everything to be absolutely perfect, meaning the cheese had to be at its prime, no leaving it under a dome for a day or two or microwaving it to "age" it.
It turned out to be my lucky day: the saleswoman was patient, and after discussing each cheese and giving me a taste of those I didn't know, she handed me my purchases and wished me
une très bonne soirée.
And the evening really was very good and the cheese was terrific—everything except the Brie, which was just shy of ready and probably would have benefited from a quick spin in the microwave, if only I'd had the nerve.
The next day, with four more friends expected for dinner, I was back in line for cheese, and, as it happened, I ended up with the same saleswoman. She greeted me warmly—show up twice to the same store and you're almost a regular—and asked how my dinner had gone. I told her everything was great and then I sheepishly mentioned that the Brie wasn't as creamy as I thought it should have been: it was white at its heart. You'd have thought I'd told her she was responsible for the collapse of the Eiffel Tower. Such regret. Such desolation. Such profound sadness. (The French can be charmingly overdramatic.)
This was a little overwhelming, since I'm the person who thinks that when I get home from the market and find that the milk's sour, it's my fault. But it seems that diffidently mumbled disappointment conformed to the rules and, after all the apologies, the saleswoman helped me choose a new assortment, then declared, "Tonight's cheese will be
impeccable.
" And it was.
Having caused a fuss, I thought it was only right to return to compliment her on her choices. So, there
MAKES 1 LOAF OR ABOUT 8 SERVINGS
SERVING
The bread can be served when it is still slightly warm, but I think it tastes better when it has cooled completely. If the bread is keeping company with drinks, cut it into 8 slices, about ½ inch thick, and cut the slices into strips or cubes.
STORING
Well wrapped, the loaf will keep for about 2 days at room temperature or for up to 2 months in the freezer (thaw in the wrapper). This is not a very moist loaf—it's not meant to be—so it may seem a little dry after a couple of days. At that point, it's good to toast the slices.
BONNE IDÉE
You can use whatever hard cheese you like most or whatever combination of cheeses you have on hand. You can vary the herbs just about any way you wish—I really like this with basil or a mix of herbs that includes basil—or you can skip the herbs. And you can have a field day with add-ins; for example, you can mix in diced ham, bacon bits, toasted chopped nuts, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, minced shallots, or small pieces of cooked vegetables.
BONNE IDÉE
Bacon, Cheese, and Dried Pear Bread. For this bread, you'll need 5 strips of bacon, cooked until crisp, patted dry, and chopped into thick bits, 1 cup finely chopped moist dried pears (about 3½ ounces), and 1 tablespoon minced fresh sage instead of the chives, stirred in just before the dough goes into the pan. I think the toasted walnuts are a must in this one. If you really want to change things up, instead of adding cubes of Gruyère or other hard cheese, fold in a blue cheese, like Roquefort, Fourme d'Ambert, or Gorgonzola.
----
complaining, the french way
Shortly after we'd moved into our first Paris apartment, I went shopping in one of the city's most esteemed cheese shops. It's very narrow, with barely enough room for the salespeople and a couple of customers to maneuver. It's not an easy place for a beginner because the lines are long and when it's your turn, it's not just the person behind you, but the salesperson as well, who wants you to be snappy about making your choices.
One day, I was having six people for dinner and needed some help choosing an assortment for my cheese platter. I asked for
quelques conseils
(some advice) and made it as clear as I could that I wanted everything to be absolutely perfect, meaning the cheese had to be at its prime, no leaving it under a dome for a day or two or microwaving it to "age" it.
It turned out to be my lucky day: the saleswoman was patient, and after discussing each cheese and giving me a taste of those I didn't know, she handed me my purchases and wished me
une très bonne soirée.
And the evening really was very good and the cheese was terrific—everything except the Brie, which was just shy of ready and probably would have benefited from a quick spin in the microwave, if only I'd had the nerve.
The next day, with four more friends expected for dinner, I was back in line for cheese, and, as it happened, I ended up with the same saleswoman. She greeted me warmly—show up twice to the same store and you're almost a regular—and asked how my dinner had gone. I told her everything was great and then I sheepishly mentioned that the Brie wasn't as creamy as I thought it should have been: it was white at its heart. You'd have thought I'd told her she was responsible for the collapse of the Eiffel Tower. Such regret. Such desolation. Such profound sadness. (The French can be charmingly overdramatic.)
This was a little overwhelming, since I'm the person who thinks that when I get home from the market and find that the milk's sour, it's my fault. But it seems that diffidently mumbled disappointment conformed to the rules and, after all the apologies, the saleswoman helped me choose a new assortment, then declared, "Tonight's cheese will be
impeccable.
" And it was.
Having caused a fuss, I thought it was only right to return to compliment her on her choices. So, there
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