Who is in for Grilled Cheese Sandwich?

June 19th, 2012

Who doesn’t love grilled cheese sandwiches? From little kids to seniors everyone loves this cheesy treat! That’s way it’s not a surprising you could find this rich creamy delight on almost any restaurant’s menu prepared in a variety of ways.

A recent article in  huffingtonpost.com ”The Big Cheese: Ultimate Grilled Cheese” describes a number of fabulous grilled cheese sandwich spots in the states, including Outerlands, San Francisco; Beecher’s Handmade Cheese, Seattle and New York Cit; Pinewood Café, Houston; Butcher & Bee, Charleston, SC and others.

Also check out the amazing Slideshow: Best Grilled Cheese in the U.S.  at foodandwine.com

For those who prefer to enjoy homemade food we’ve got a variety of amazingly delicious original grilled cheese recipes that feature French fromage from goat cheese to Brie.

Bon appétit.

Ile de France Jam Session Giveaway & Ile de France Coupons

June 18th, 2012

Summer is a perfect time to savor your favorite cheese along with a variety of delicious fruit preserves, especially if it’s Bonne Maman Preserves and Ile de France cheeses.

That’s why we partnered with Bonne Maman Preserves to offer you a fabulous prize packs that include five jars of Bonne Maman fruit preserves and an assortment of Ile de France Cheese coupons each!

Enter our Jam Session Giveaway every week through June 27 for a chance to win a refreshing gourmet prize pack!

Also check out our cheese and preserves pairing guide to get started with!

Good luck!

 

Happy National Cheese Day!

June 4th, 2012

Today is National Cheese Day! The perfect day to eat, cook with or discuss your favorite cheeses! To celebrate National Cheese Day the right way check out some of our best recipes featuring different fromages!

-       Provencal vegetable grill with toasted Goat cheese nut rounds

-       Brie and Cherry Kolaches        

-       Batter-Coated Camembert Cheese Loaves

-       Glazed Fruited Winter Squash with St. Andre Cheese

-       Ile de France Roquefort and Apples Lasagna         

-       Oranges with Balsamic Caramel and St Agur

What cheese are YOU having today?

Video recipe: Goat Cheese and Pen Seared Foil Gras Sandwich

May 18th, 2012

There’s no reason to serve a boring sandwich at your next dinner party – simply adding some gourmet cheese can take a simple sandwich recipe to a whole new culinary level. Don’t believe? Check out our amazingly delicious Sandwich with Goat cheese, Fois Gras and Raspberry Sauce recipe prepared by Jerome Cormouls at Provence Grill, Miami, Florida. Click on any picture to watch the video!

To make this gourmet sandwich you need:

a loaf of walnut bread,

a raw duck foie gras,

a raspberry sauce or jam,

delicious goat cheese, of course,

mache salad, pepper blend and salt seasoning, a few fresh berries, fig vinegar and virgin olive oil.

Start out by cutting 2 slices (1/2 inch) out of the loaf and toast them.

After that in a medium non-stick pan over high heat, sear the foie gras 40 seconds each side. Reserve them on a plate with paper towel, season with salt and pepper.

Spread one slice of toasted bread with goat cheese, the other one with the raspberry sauce.

Then add the foie gras and close the sandwich.

Serve the sandwich on a plate with the garnish salad with fresh berries.

Note: As you prepare your salad, keep the sandwich in the oven to serve it warm.

Bon appétit!

Cheese and Red Wine, Together Again

May 10th, 2012

According to Eric Asimov’s recent column “Cheese and Red Wine, Together Again” in nytimes.com many red wines can successfully be paired with a variety of gourmet cheeses. While many people like to focus on white wine pairings, there’s plenty of fantastic red wine options, too:

“While it may be true that white wine is more versatile with cheese than red, it’s a question of experience and instinct, rather than absolutes. The most important message is not to let fear be your guide, – continues Eric. The point is not to obsess over the specifics of food and wine pairings or, but to feel free to explore different matches. Seeking perfection is daunting and more often than not will disappoint. Looking for the good rather than the perfect allows more flexibility and fewer inhibitions, and opens one up to the quality of versatility. Exploration is the best way to develop one’s own instinct about which food and wine pairings work better than others. And instinct is the best guide of all.”

In general, reds match best with hard cheeses. The more pungent the cheese, the sweeter the wine should be. Try to find your perfect reds and cheese match and here’re some delightful pairing suggestions to start with:

Red, Robust and Delicious

Cheese with sweet wine

What to serve with Brie?

 

2012 Springlicious Recipe Contest

May 8th, 2012

Attention Cheese Lovers

Let’s savor the refreshing flavors of Spring along with our Springlicious Recipe Contest!

All you need is to create an original recipe featuring Ile de France Brie, Camembert, Goat Cheese, Roquefort, St. André or St. Agur and to send the ingredients, instructions and pictures or video to: contest@iledefrancecheese.com

We’re awarding the best spring recipes with cash and fabulous gourmet prizes from Boska Holland!

Check out our nominations and awesome prizes below:

Grand prize: $600

2nd Place: $300

Runner Up: $150

Best Presentation: Cheese dome serving set

Most creative use of cheese: Fondue set

Top Appetizer: Boska Holland Barbeclette

Top Entrée: Boska Holland Barbeclette

Top Dessert: Boska Holland Barbeclette

For more information please click here.

We look forward to seeing your fabulous recipes! GOOD LUCK!

Cheese And Teeth

May 1st, 2012

Cheese is not only good for the taste buds, it’s also good for dental health – especially childrens, according to dentists like Tiny Tooth in Las Vegas.

“Every parent worries about what their kids eat. What’s good for them? What tastes good, but will create problems for their teeth and overall health? How much is too much? Especially when you hear on the news nearly every day that what was good for you yesterday is bad for you today, how can you be sure you’re giving your child the best and most healthy snack possible? It’s enough to drive anyone just a little crazy, trying to be sure you’re giving your kids the right things!

The good news is, cheese is one snack you can feel good about giving your kids! Most kids love cheese, and it’s one of the healthiest snacks you can give your kids. Your children’s dentist Las Vegas parents trust can tell you that cheese is an excellent snack for kids’ teeth. Not only does cheese contain lots of calcium for healthy teeth and bones, but cheese is also great for preventing cavities!” Read more...

So the conclusion is eating cheese coats the teeth with calcium that helps protect them against caries, or cavities. Eating just one cube of cheese can increase plaque-calcium concentration by up to 112%, helping to harden teeth and discourage softening which leads to cavities. It appears that cheese – whether cooked or uncooked – also prevents demineralization and, at the same time, encourages remineralization of teeth.

Eat cheese and be healthy!

By the way cheese is good not only for our teeth, it has a lot of other health benefits:

Calcium and other benefits!

Vitamins in cheese!

 

Fruit and Cheese Symphony

April 27th, 2012

The season of cool, natural and light snacks is upon us. Nothing could be better than the gourmet combination of ripe, sweet fruits with cheese on a spring sunny day!

“Pair cheese and fruit for a healthy snack or easy appetizer when entertaining!” says cheese lover Nadia Muna Gil in her Cheesaholics Anonymous blog. “The salt in the cheese” – she continues -  “is balanced by the sweet in the fruit, and the crunch of the fruit contrasts the suppleness of the cheese. In short, your salivary glands will think they died and went to heaven.”

We couldn’t agree more!

What is your favorite fruit and cheese pairing? If you still need some delicious inspiration check out our  amazingly delightful pairing ideas for your seasonal savoring:

Berries and Brie;

Black Corinth grapes with St. Agur;

Cherries with Charles Arnaud Comté;

Melon with Goat Cheese;

Papaya with Cantorel Roquefort

Video Recipe: Wild Mushroom and Brie Cheese Crispy Rolls

April 20th, 2012

Today we are happy to present an amazingly delicious Wild Mushroom and Brie Cheese Crispy Rolls video recipe! Well known in Miami, chef Jerome Cormouls at Provence Grill offers a step by step guide to make these incredibly delightful cheese rolls at home. Click on any picture to watch the video!

So if you are ready to impress all your guests with a delicious gourmet dish lets get started!

The ingredients you need are: spring roll wrappers, sliced Brie cheese, mixed wild mushrooms, 2 garlic cloves, 2 peeled shallots, parsley, fresh spinach, sundried tomatoes, baby greens salad, roasted pinenuts, sun-dried tomato pesto and olive oil.

Start out by cooking the wild mushrooms with the garlic, shallots and parsley in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. In the same pan, sauté the seasoned fresh spinach then set aside as well.

Fill up the spring roll wrap with the Brie, the wild mushrooms and spinach, sun dried tomatoes and fold it. Put it in the stove for 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, toss the baby greens with olive oil, raspberry vinegar, roasted pine nuts and sun dried tomato pesto! Serve the spinach salad with the Brie wraps on top.

Bon appétit.

Happy National Cheese Ball Day!

April 17th, 2012

Did you know today is National Cheese ball Day! Cheese balls are the perfect item to serve as a snack or appetizer at any party! They can be prepared in just a few minutes as a snack or whenever an unexpected guest drops in.

Gourmet cheese balls can be made with softened cheese decorated with nuts, spices and herbs. This type of cheese ball is usually served as a dip.

So let’s celebrate Cheese Ball Day by making these delightfully gourmet and simple cheese balls and sharing them with family or friends! Serve with crackers, crusty bread and veggie sticks!

- Chicken & Goat Cheese Ball;

-Chèvre Mini Boules.