Weekly A to Z, August 26th.
Cheese, you say? Fromage, oui? I’ve got you covered! A reminder that for all of the below, I was a guest of Sopexa , CNIEL, the French dairy board , and the Say Cheese team from the UAE. I always enjoy going on press trips, especially well-run visits with other like-minded foodies. If you’d like to see the highlights from my trip, please click here . I’ll be sharing Reels during the next week.
After a relatively easy flight from Dubai to Lyon (although, seriously, why does EK want to depart late on all of my flights recently?), we started Sunday night at Tetedoie with stunning al fresco views of the city. The restaurant was worth the climb, but I would stick to drinks and snacks.
On Monday, we drove to Fort des Rousses to stroll through the (slightly chilly) on-location Juraflore Comté caves and taste delicious cheese in one of the largest cheese caves in Europe. Challenged with a blind tasting to determine the correct order of 6, 12, 18, and 24 months, our intrepid group managed to get the cheeses right. Personally, I felt that the 18 and 24-month Comté were delicious (and I will be looking for some on shelves next time I’m grocery shopping in the UAE).
On Tuesday, we visited the Cooperative Laitiere de Haute Tarentaise to learn all about Beaufort cheese production. This included a literal pasture-to-farm experience, including a lovely picnic in the mountains and getting to meet some of the beautiful cows (!).
On Wednesday, we attended an informative cheese-tasting workshop at the fromagerie Pierre Gay in charming Annecy. Led by MOF Francois Robin , I (respectfully) now know the correct way to enjoy cheese (and yes, there is a right way). After a beautiful lunch at Le 1903 , we made a visit to a family-run Serraval farm to better understand Reblochon cheese production. Did we also go directly from a farm to a 2 Michelin-star restaurant? We did! I’ll be sharing additional thoughts about La Table ** for my subscribers in an upcoming review. (Merci beaucoup to Chef Gregoire for helping us get a table!)
On Thursday, to wrap up the trip, we attended a fabulous cheese workshop at the Fromagerie Saint-Jean . At the charming shop, we made five different recipes (some of which are currently en route with me back to Dubai). In the afternoon, we were quizzed about our cheese knowledge, and I’m proud to say that our entire group retained a lot of information. There will be a video produced from our trip, and I can’t wait to share it with you.
Friday was our last day in France. I finished up with some new art pieces and souvenirs for my nieces; then it was back to Dubai.
If you have any questions about any part of our trip, please reach out! I’d love to tell you more about my experience (or get together and eat Comte).
领英推荐
Links, please.
This weekend? Catching up!
Next week? Dubai, she is busy again. I’m hoping to visit La Barra at Nakheel Mall on Monday, and on Tuesday, I’m back to K9. On Thursday, I’ll be hosting an event with Marriott ahead of their Restaurant Month with More Cravings . Check out all the details here . And finally, on Friday, I’m back in front of the camera with Dubai byFood, as we’re heading over to check out the Westin Mina Seyahi.
What were my favorite dishes in August? Although I wasn’t out as much as I could be, there was still plenty to choose from! In no particular order, the simply divine crayfish gratin from Le 1903, the Clasico ceviche from Fusion Ceviche, and finally, from La Table Yoann Comte, the carrot sorbet (trust me). A few honorable mentions — the 18-month Comte Juraflora and the strawberry dessert from 1903. What were your fave dishes this month? Let me know!
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C.