Never met a French cheese I couldn't replace with an offering from Italy, Ireland, the UK or the good 'ol USA. I recommend browsing Murray's for such things.

Hint: Check out Vermont's offerings.

As for the wine, my god man. Bertani Amarone, 1964 from northern Italy. It's only a car payment. Your bride will thank you. Repeatedly.

Mr. L -

I'd bought the wine some time ago, and had decided then to do a French country-gourmet dinner around it.

Next year will be Italian, and that's a promise.

Sounds yummy - enjoy.

It also all sounds terribly French. Since when did they get a monopoly on describing food? Give me a choice of Poires Belle Helene or Pears with ice cream and chocolate sauce and I'll go for the latter (won't taste much different mind you!).

The only good thing abot France is its food and drink. Enjoy and remember to thank the taxpayers of Germany for financing its production

For this kind of menu, the courses are in the wrong order: the salad must follow the main course and precede the cheese course.

It always amazes me when people declare that there is some written-in-stone way to do things as subjective as eating food.

"New Potatoes Sautéed in Butter & Thyme, and Carrots Vichy"
is this opposed to "old potatoes sauteed in thyme and butter and etc etc et"?

Errrr... Adam, new potatoes are the small ones with the red or white skin, and - so I'm told - are slightly sweeter than Idaho or Russet. I wouldn't know as I tend to pretty much drown any sort of potato in ketchup or mayonnaise or goo ("because it's no fun to eat what you can't even see, so don't drown your food.")

As for the order in which foods should be served, if it's based on complementary tastes then it's no more subjective (that is, somwhat, but there's a reason for it) than pairing the right wine or beer with a meal.

If it's based on "because that's how it's done," then it's rather silly.

All in all, though, the menu sounds great. A rather striking difference from your food choice the other evening at Rock Bottom.

The order courses is about having respect for the culinary tradition from which the meal you are about to eat comes. The menu is quite apparently one derived from the French repertoire (as one can tell by the names), and in France the salad would follow the main course.

This has to do with the rhythm of a French meal, which is of equal importance with the contents of the meal. The purpose of the salad course to cleanse the palate so that one can properly enjoy the cheese and dessert. Otherwise, the main course risks dominating what follows.

One is of course free to have whatever courses one likes, and in whatever order. But it pays to have some regard to the culinary tradition from which the meal comes, in order to benefit from the centuries of experience that have gone into organizing the flavor combinations for greatest enjoyment.

Personally, I've gone back to French wines, they're just a smaller proportion of my wine purchases than they used to be. No need to go overboard; we're not at war with the French, just having a spat, and they do seem to have at least gotten the point of diminished wine sales & tourism.

It's a special occasion. And dammit, if there's one thing VodkaPundit should stand for, it's not letting politcal correctness of any stripe get in the way of a nice dinner and a good bottle of wine!

Since I usually buy wine for Shabbat dinners, I buy kosher wine, so I end up subsidizing French Jews, which is a good thing. Actually my favorite wines are Italian and Australian anyway.

But cheese. I cannot give up French cheese.

we have not declared war yet soon, soon) but we are at war.. or rather they are.

so let em have it, both barrels, full steam ahead and damn the torpedoes...

i propose blockading all atlantic ports.. shouldn't be too hard, we've had the plans for a long time

Frenchy, j'ai bien l'impression que Stephen s'y connaît en cuisine et qu'il ne manque pas de respect pour l'art de la cuisine française. Laissons-le faire.

Fact is, it makes more sense to follow the meat with the roughage.

Kind of like chasing a martini with a bit of water.

But every time I try it, I end up skipping the salad because I'm just too full. So we're doing it the American way.

And that shouldn't be a cause for complaint.

I tried the latest New-vo Booze-o-lee on the train to Narita....ahhh...tonight. (I get two thursday's this week). "Just arrived". Not bad. 300 yen per glass.
I got some trinkets, but won't get them to you until sometime later. But, it will allow you to experience The Maid and the Butler game, with a little Ornimental twist.
hehehehehe
"Old Potatoes"?

Ed
In Seattle, on the last leg home.

I'll admit, there are a few vintages that are quite remarkable from surrender-monkey land. I used to buy a lot of French wine. The whole FOAD-Frenchie movement really got me trying some other locales, though, and I've been really quite amazed. Some of the things I've found from Italy, South Africa, and California have been real eye (and tastebud) openers. Same goes for cheese. Food diversity is a good thing.

Oh, and Stephen... chasing a Martini with water?! The correct Martini chaser is another Martini. Or a roaring fireplace and some soft Jazz, whichever is appropriate for the time and company. :)

"Carrots Vichy?"

You're making your wife french vegetables that gave up to the Germans?

Enjoy your dinner. You certainly are enjoying all the lead up.

Sounds great, bon apetit!

Let me know how the '99 CdP works, I've set my '98 & '99s CdP's aside from reports that they've gone into the proverbial 'dumb stage' that happens to Rhones. (drink 'em young to judge potential, hide 'em and drink 'em old when they've reached said potential). I'm drinking my '96 CdP's and the '97-2000 vintage Cotes du Rhones. (all purchased upon release, long before the current Franco-funk)

Re: said Franco-funk & French Boycott. IMO, the average French vintner/grape or dairy farmer isn't likely to have the ear of 'Black Jaques Shellac' Chirac, while the now-indicted leaders ELF-Total-Minetone did. If this war was 'all about oil' I think we actually had to fight because the French(ELF) were loathe to lose their oil contracts w/Saddam, and sent Chirac & his proxy De Villepin to do their bidding in the UN. End result: our UN efforts failed as Chirac proclaimed "I will veto anything!" and the US was left to go it with the Coalition of the Willing, Ready & Able.

I still boycott ELF's US gasoline brands (Total & Fina) and will always do so, world without end, amen. But I'll drink French wine, eat French cheese when and as I see fit, and boink French women whenever possible. YMMV, of course..Fina and Total gasoline never gave me good milage anyway.

Would an extra slice of tomato be handy in case she wanted one more?

Jay, that would defeat the purpose of the amuse bouche "Amuse the mouth," it's provided to get the gastric juices going and increase the appetite.

It's like priming the pump -- and the risk remains of flooding the engine.

Steve-quit talking and get cookin' then enjoy and tell Missy happy B-Day for us.

Steve,

Do you deliver? I know St. Louis would be a bit of a drive but...

I hope all that cooking helps get you out of the hole you dug for yourself when you misplaced your wedding ring! If Mrs. GedänkenPundit produced a meal like that for me I'd forgive just about anything...

I'm hungry . . .

What Intimate Dinners Really Involve

Chow

Booze

Sex

:)

If I was going with a French wine, I would go with a Bordeaux. I used to buy those all the time. Of course, I have a family now, so I can't afford them even if I was willing to give the French my money.

Ch. Mouton-Rothschild. Yummy!

The French make the best wine in the world. They also make the worse wine in the world. Quality has a tendency to fluctuate wildly. California wine (my home) is excellent and is very consistent from year to year.

One question. What did you really serve for dinner? Mac & Cheese with beer?

Steve, tell your bride I send my love on her b-day... a good bottle of wine will accompany our next visit! Have fun!

Man, what a great dinner. Mrs. Vodka is a lucky woman.

Of course, I've always liked baked eggs for "country French" meals. But I'm weird.

Will you be posting recipes?

"How was a man whose own official menus feature comfort food such as brisket and cornbread to know that a menu of "Delice de Fletan Roti aux Herbes" is nothing more dangerous than halibut?"

From the Washington Post on the President's state dinner with the Queen.

Stop them before the wax frenchical again.!

Here I am reading this instead of fixing dinner. Boy, will that be a letdown!

TO: Stephen Green
RE: The Bride...

...does she 'cook' or 'bake' or do 'desserts' or something to assist in all these celebrations?

Regards,

Chuck(le)
[The kitchen is the power-plant of the household. However controls it controls the home.]

TO: All
RE: Dinner

Tonight, grilled pork chops, marinaded in red-wine vinegar and olive oil with rosemary and thyme. Rice creole. Tossed salad with balsamic vinegarette. Rustic bread. The wine is the 'house' white...Inglenook Chablis; soft, fruity, tastey and inexpensive. Goes down like water with a kick.

We'll work out the dessert....

...probably a cherry-almond-fudge ice cream with white chocolate chunk cookies and cognac....

...followed by whatever.

Bon Appetité,

Chuck(le)
[There is no love sincerer than the love of food. -- George Bernard Shaw]

P.S. Doing the second installment of Helen of Troy.

Steve, I need your help. How do I pack a romantic, "French", picnic for two? I'm pretty clueless. While food is obviously not the primary thing, the girl I'm dating would appreciate a classy touch in that department. She's a fitness freak, so heavy food is out of the question. I'm thinking a good champagne or wine, French bread, fine cheese, a fresh salad, fresh fruit. Any suggestions? Also, in general, how do you cook for a really health-obsessed gal who's almost a vegetarian?

The champagne rasberry strawberry was presumably a violation of the embargo. Cognac is also French.

I assume Mr Lion's ability to "replace" a French cheese with another from various other countries relates to his ostensibly having no tastebuds. Other cheeses may be good, very good, but they do not taste the same.

Of course, it would always be hard to get a decent French chees in America as most of them are banned (since long before this childish spat.)

Jif,

I always made it a point to never date a girl who was that picky about what she put in her mouth...

All kidding aside, I'm not kidding at all.

But:

Just some fresh fruit (grapes and a peach to share would be perfect), a dry white wine, a little bread & butter (good unsalted butter), and a tiny wedge of Brie should do it.

Jif

If you want a good sparkler on the cheap, try "Amplexus" from Toad Hallow.

QUITE yummy... Has the yeasty taste of the good French Champagnes and tiny tight bubbles.

I'd say it is 85% of the quality of DP with 20% of the price. (or less)*

Yummy indeed.

Paul

hmmm- I say 85% of DP but my tongue is pretty finely gradated. Many would (however sadly) not be able to tell a difference.

TO: Tom Fox
RE: Cognac

"The champagne rasberry strawberry was presumably a violation of the embargo. Cognac is also French." -- Tom Fox

Use Paul Mason brandy from California. We ain't boycotting them....yet.

Or you can use Slivovits....

Regards,

Chuck(le)
[The Poles are a GREAT people. Just ask the Pope.]

I know from nothing about wines or beers, which of course entitles me to share my opinion, n'est ce pas?

Lanceer's Rose (or the white, with fish). Portuguese. Sweet, but a bit of tart. Light. Serve slightly chill, not room temp (I had a horrible experience in one otherwise fine place, I think the wine rack was in the oven - not room temp, body temp).

Thanks a lot, Steve and Paul!