Célébrez Bastille Day!

Posted by Jennifer Sendrow

Each July 14, France celebrates its national holiday, Bastille Day, with parties, fireworks, and, of course, food. If you want to get into the festive spirit aux États-Unis (in the United States), host a cocktail party with two of the country’s most famous exports: wine and cheese. Here’s a peek at a summer soiree chez moi (at my house).

Any good party starts with an apertif. We made two using the French herbal liqueur Bénédictine. Both recipes below are from "The Essential Bartender's Guide" by Robert Hess.

Poet's Dream
Ingredients:
3/4 ounces gin
3/4 ounces dry vermouth
3/4 oounces Bénédictine

Directions:
Stir with ice and strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Antibes
Ingredients:
2 ounces gin
2 and 1/2 oounces pink grapefruit juice
3/4 ounces Bénédictine

Directions:
1. Stir with ice and strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange slice.

Our first cheese plate had a creamy cow's milk cheese called chaource from Champagne and a tangy goat cheese, a.k.a. chèvre, from the Loire Valley.

Our second cheese plate included a hard Gruyere-like cheese called Comté from Franche-Comté, a creamy blue called Fourme d'Ambert from Auvergne, and a farmhouse cheese called Tomme de Belloc made by monks in the Pyrenees.

Some cheeses can use a little accessorizing, so we set out jars of Provençal olives, cornichons, dried figs, and cranberry sauce.

A crusty baguette is a must.

SEE MORE PHOTOS AFTER THE JUMP

We tuned our Sirius XM radio to the French pop music station (channel 87)  to get in the mood.

Everyone expects to pair wine with cheese, but this French ale turned out to be an even better match for the rustic Tomme de Belloc cheese.

Soft cheeses are at their most flavorful when brought up to room temperature before serving, and should never be served cold. It's the one time you can say that oozing is a good thing.

We served a few red wines from Languedoc, as well as a 1990 Chardonnay from Robert Sinskey we'd been saving since our trip to Napa. It was worth the wait!

Comments

[Debbie]

today on the radio a listener called in about a dessert she made for the office with cherries what was the name agian and maybe a recipe
Thanks