Quite a Tasty Trend!

<!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:purple; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} p {mso-margin-top-alt:auto; margin-right:0in; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} -->

The latest big culinary and lifestyle trend to emerge from France is Fromage Plates enjoyed with Champagne during aperitifs and cocktail hours.  The lure of the pairings will be showcased for Americans at the inaugural “Le Fooding D’Amour Paris-New York” event, to be held September 25-26 at P.S. 1 Contemporary Arts Center in Queens.

The French rise in popularity of the Fromage and Champagne pairing is significant.  The pairing – with its focus on “simplexity,” (the simple combined with the complex) – represents a return to a focus on the importance of terroir, and is viewed as the new culinary trend that casual diners and gourmets alike are adopting throughout the country. 

According to French chefs, fromagiers and trend-spotters, the richness of fromage and the effervescent freshness of Champagne create a particularly pleasant, refreshing effect. Cheese, by essence, is a food to share, while Champagne gives a warm and friendly touch to all of life’s celebrations.  The beauty of the cheese and Champagne pairing, then, is that it stands on its own in settings ranging from simple family affairs to larger, more formal events.

Specific examples of the pairing trend include Camembert and Brie pairing perfectly with Brut Champagne, while Livarot and Maroilles provide a great match for Rosé Champagne.  On the drier side, extra-dry Champagne lines up well next to France’s Fourme d’Ambert, while Compté and Mimolette provide a natural match with Vintage Champagne.   

The Sept 25-26 Le Fooding event comes at a time when French cuisine, once considered static and conventional, is in fact constantly evolving and taking surprising paths in gastronomy.  Sure to get the spotlight at the event will be the “Progressive Pairing” of fromage and Champagne to be offered by The Cheeses of France (www.cheesesoffrance.com).  On September 25, fromage classics Emmental, Brie and Livarot will be featured, while on Sept 26, St. Nectaire, Bleu d’Auvergne and Comté will be the day’s selections. 

During Le Fooding, guests will be invited to first visit the Champagne area for fine champagne samples, then walk to the neighboring Cheeses of France area to learn from three well-known cheesemakers and fromage specialists which premium French cheeses pair best with champagne selections, and why.  Also on hand will be two renowned French chefs – Stéphane Jégo and Yves Camdebordea – who will be preparing easy-to-make recipes including fromage favorites such as Fromage des Pyrénées and Camembert.  Through the event, American food-lovers will learn firsthand what their French counterparts already have discovered – that fine fromage selections perfectly complement champagne, and are a natural choice for simple, delicious recipes.

The Le Fooding event, a wildly popular success in France since its launch in 2000, is viewed as having liberated French cookery and cuisine by opening up the French culinary world to new techniques, interesting trends, and untraditional methods.  Le Fooding has, in effect, helped to revolutionize French cuisine and the gastronomic scene as a whole, by making them more accessible, approachable, and open to experimentation.  On this front, the upcoming Le Fooding event in New York will showcase for Americans France’s new modern, consumer-friendly approach in the culinary world.

The two-day event with an edgy, modern-gastro vibe is sure to draw a sizable crowd.  The lively scene will include two DJs, a vintner and a “mystery guest.”  Culinary creations from a long list of some of the most innovative, avant-garde chefs on the New York and Paris scenes today also will be featured, including:  DB Bistro Moderne’s Daniel Boulud and Olivier Muller; Chef Alberto Herráiz of “Fogón” in Paris; Chef Julie E. Farias of Brooklyn’s “The General Greene”; Executive Chef Sean Rembold of New York’s “Diner”; and, Yves Camdeborde of “Le Comptoir du Relais” in Paris.

For Fromage Plate suggestions, visit www.CheesesofFrance.com.