What do you bring home from France?

[Wimpy]

Thanks Cabrales and everyone else for inputs!

I of course realize that freezing and bringing home is a poor 2nd choice to eating the stuff fresh and at its peak in Paris. However, I will endeavor to take with me those items which suffer least from freezing.

I will definitely try Pierre Herme. Have heard lots about him in magazines. I just hope they are not on hiatus like every other commercial establishment in Paris in August! I am hoping Paris won't be like New York (i think it's NY) in that Charleston Heston movie where he's the last man on Earth (after nuclear fallout).

[Margaret Pilgrim]

What wonderful contributions to this thread! It's either the shopping list from heaven or hell!

CABRALES: Will personally message Steve P. for address of Bernard Anthony, and will post if he comes across.

GAVIN JONES: Cheese does not freeze well. There are major changes to the texture, most usually causing it to become grainy or to become crumbly.

I always travel with zillions of assorted size ziploc bags. Don't even want to get into their universal usefulness.

I do want to post again information regarding meat importation. I was under the impression that you could bring in any COMMERCIALLY CANNED MEAT PRODUCTS. This is not so! The last time we entered, I was told that you CAN NOT bring in meat from ruminants IN ANY FORM. This means that I could keep the canned whole foie gras, but would not have been able to keep any beef, veal, lamb, goat or deer product. And of course, you can never bring in as canned meat, such as cassoulet or confit, those cute, traditional glass jar/rubber ring products.

[cabrales]

Here's some additional information on cheese:

http://www.library.unr.edu/friends/tours/a...ce/fromage.html

("Roger Alleosse, 13 rue Poncelet (17th arrondissement): Patricia Wells says this is the best cheese shop in Paris – a wide selection of cheeses from France, Italy, Greece and the Netherlands, 'a mini cheese university.' The Alleosse family has seven cellars under their store where they pamper their cheeses to perfection . . . . Barthelemy, 51 rue de Grenelle (7th arr.): Wells calls owner Roland Barthelemy "king of Fontainebleau, Camembert and Brie. Everyone from French presidents to actress Catherine Deneuve shop here, especially for Barthelemy’s specialties he created. (i.e., Boulamour, fresh cream cheese enriched with crème fraiche, currants, raisins and Kirsch, and a Camembert laced with Calvados.)")

The indicative schedule for one of Patricia Wells' overpriced Paris classes includes various Alleosse references:

http://www.patriciawells.com/cooking/sampl...ris_classes.PDF

See also:

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/food.../archive/648227

(describes Barthelemy's and Cantin, which also seems to be cited with some frequency)

Note I have not visited any of the above fromageries. For Wimpy, I would imagine there would be a question about the *incremental* advantage of visiting one of the "top" Paris cheese stores versus a store that is closer to some of the non-cheese vendors from whom he would be making purchases.

[Fat Guy]

By the way, Plotnicki, have you ever been up to the Harney tea place in Lakeville, CT? They might have an acceptable verbena teabag, and they appear to do mail-order.

http://www.harney.com/

[oakvilleonca]

The most important things we bring home are memories especially of Provence. So much so that I started a discussion group at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/provence/group

As well, soap, pottery, santons and fabrics

[Sandra Levine]

acceptable verbena teabag

BTW, lemon verbena tea can very easily be made without recourse to a teabag. You can just put the dried leaves (amount to taste) in the cup and pour boiling water over them. At first the leaves rise to the top. When they eventually sink to the bottom, the infusion is ready to drink. The leaves do not have to be removed, since they stay on the bottom, out of harm's way, while you enjoy your tisane.

[Steve Plotnicki]

As I Pm'd Cabrales yesterday, I had recommended Barthelmy to her. It is on rue Grenelle just off the corner of Blvd. Raspail, about a 6 block walk from Poillane. Good to hit one after the other and then make a beeline for either the parc at the Rodin Museum or the Jardins Luxembourg for le picnic.

Some people prefer Anne-Marie Cantin to Barthelmy but I don't get that at all. And Alleose while a fine shop isn't in the same category either. Barthelmy is the fromagerie of your dreams. One of my favorite things to do is to buy one of the small Boule d'Amours from Barthelmy and eat it while walking down the rue de Bac and peeking in the shop windows. Occassionaly I get one of those small cups of St. Marcellin but that necessitates a plastic spoon which unfortunately they don't offer at Barthelmy. The French while great food providers, are not good at allowing people ways to improvise eating it. That's why they like American jazz.

Fat Guy I never tried Harney's but I willl give it a shot.

[robert brown]

Has anyone encountered the food-sniffing dogs at JFK baggage claim area or anywhere else in the USA? I asked a handler what the dog's name was, and she said she was forbidden to tell me. The pooch did pick up the scent from the residue of the food I bought to eat during the flight. But has anyone been made to fork over any food purchases as a result of being bitten, so to speak, by one of these dogs? (Beagles seem like the breed of choice).

[Michael Laiskonis]

My great mission when in Paris was to find a liquid chicory extract that a chef friend turned me on to a few months ago. Far and away better than granules. Eventually found it at La Grande Epicerie. Brought back armloads of it.

[Fat Guy]

Interesting. Chicory extract is an ingredient in a lot of pet foods. I wonder what that's about.

[Michael Laiskonis]

Most Americans would know chicory as a coffee substitute (roasted and ground) and is quite common in New Orleans where it is added to coffee itself (the name of the specific drink escapes me, though I think the famous Café du Monde serves it). The liquid chicory, as it was explained to me by a French expatriate, is a favorite children's after-school drink, added to hot or cold milk, with a little sugar. I use it in ice creams, sauces, chocolates, etc. The liquid is nice; there can be a bit of guesswork with infusing granules. A little goes a long way! I do not, however, know exactly how the extract is produced.

I don't have the bottle in front of me, but the brand is Leroux, dark brown bottle with a yellow cap and maybe 250 ml or so. About 2-3 euros. The few super-marchés I went to didn't carry it.

Didn't know about the pet food connection. Intrigued.

[Lesley C]

I can't find Nescafe Expresso powder in Montreal, which is the best instant coffee for baking. I always bring back jars of that from France along with Quart de chaumes wine and Flexipans and SilPats from MORA, around the corner from Dehillerin -- much cheaper than in N.America. I once tried to bring home a Corsican wild boar and hazelnut sausage, but they nabbed it at customs.

[Bux]

I do want to post again information regarding meat importation.  I was under the impression that you could bring in any COMMERCIALLY CANNED MEAT PRODUCTS.  This is not so!  The last time we entered, I was told that you CAN NOT bring in meat from ruminants IN ANY FORM.  This means that I could keep the canned whole foie gras, but would not have been able to keep any beef, veal, lamb, goat or deer product. And of course, you can never bring in as canned meat, such as cassoulet or confit, those cute, traditional glass jar/rubber ring products.

This is interesting and depressing news. I have also been under the impression that canned meat products were legal. As a matter of fact, not so many years ago we brought back a few canning jars of terrines from Georges Blank as souvenirs. They were declared and passed agricultural inspection. My suspicion is the the law has been changed recently likely in reaction to BSE. I would assume that the cooking temperatures of canned products would be great enough to destroy anything responsible for hoof and mouth disease.

But neither pigs nor ducks are ruminants, as far as I know. So why not jarred (canned) terrines, cassoulets without lamb, beef, etc. and why not confits?

We declared food last time and when asked we said "cheese." They didn't ask what kind but opened one suitcase and stuck a hand in it. We didn't flinch and they didn't ask to see the rest. As a matter of fact, we had a six pack wine carton that was tied with string and the inspector just pointed to it and said that's okay. As a matter of fact, only four of the compartments had wine. The other two had jars of honey.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

Bux, perhaps I wasn't clear. On our last entry in April, we were told that meat from ruminants is not allowed now in any form, and I have to think this is a new regulation. Commercially canned (TINNED) meat products, other than ruminants, are allowed, and certainly include TINNED cassoulet, confit, and other pork products. However, the glass jar/rubber ringed/snap closure meat preserves, usually put up by artisan producers, regardless of whether they are foul or meat, are not allowed, but might get through if declared properly and luck was with you.

[Wimpy]

Margaret: can you recommend any particular brand of either artisanal or commercially made confit and cassoulet products (the ones in jars)? There's not point in my getting Rougie for example, as I can get that at home...

Thanks!

[Wimpy]

On the non-food side, (but still related), I was thinking of buying a set of Laguiole steak knives. I bought a Laguiole corkscrew with olive wood handles in 1999 (in a wine shop just next to Hediard at the Place de la Madeleine) and it has served me very well.

Does anyone have anything good (or bad) to say about their knives (not the folding type)? Are they cheaper in France?

Are there many brands from Laguiole (similar to Solingen knives where Solingen denotes a famous steel producing areas and not actually a brand of knife)?

6 more days till I'm off to France! Having trouble focusing on work!

[Margaret Pilgrim]

Wimpy, off hand I don't have a list. I seem to remember that Quercy Village, for one, does both tin and glass product. I will keep an eye out and message you a list in a couple of weeks.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

Wimpy, I just read your second post and realize that you are almost on the plane! My best recommendation would be to taste the various brands that present themselves at markets. If you appear to be a serious buyer, they will sample out anything they sell. Buy what you like.

I find that there is a tremendous difference in Laguiole quality, vis a vis some of the really awful stuff available here in the US. Again, I would recommend that you shop and test and buy the best quality you are up to. If you are not going to the source, there is a Laguiole shop in Paris on Place d'Opportune just off rue de Halles that carries good quality if not the lowest priced cutlery.

[Wimpy]

Thanks Margaret! But just to spare you the effort, I'm flying off in a few days, so I'll figure it out some other way re the confit/cassoulet in bottles.

Btw, I'll be spending a couple days in Strasbourg. I don't suppose the bottled stuff I'm looking for is better there?

[Lesley C]

I just purchased a set of good-quality Laguiole steak knives in Avignon, for I think, about 130 euros (maybe more). I didn't go for the top-of-the-line knives because they seemd a bit stodgy to me, but settled instead on a nice set of gleaming stainless steel Laguiole Extra G. David that are actually dishwasher-safe (though I try not to stick them in the dishwasher). So far, they cut beautifully and I've impressed many friends.

Beware of the shoddy cheapo Laguioles you can usually pick up for nothing (I've heard some foie gras company actually gives them away in supermarkets upon proof of purchase). They are lightweight, the blade is shitty and they usually come in garish colours. The bee on a cheap Laguiole is usually oversized, but if you've ever held a decent Laguiole you'll know the difference.

If you're in a city outside Paris, be sure to buy them at a Coutellerie. There are usually one or two in the small cities.

[Fat Guy]

If you're in a city outside Paris, be sure to buy them at a Coutellerie. There are usually one or two in the small cities.

Agreed. I can't even remember the name of the city in the Franche-Comte where I picked up a whole mess of decent-quality Laguiole and Opinel knives for next to nothing. Probably Besancon. Knives were the only thing to buy in town. Well, actually the wife got some good sneakers back when bowling-style shoes were just coming into style. The prices on eyeglasses were surprisingly good too, but I wasn't going to be fooled for a second into thinking a French optician could actually deliver a pair of eyeglasses same-day.

[Bouland]

I used to bring back lots of food items 5 or 6 years ago when I was passing through Paris at least once a month. Nowadays I only make a couple of trips a year, usually for about a month at a time, and often don't get to Paris at all. I only travel with carry-on luggage so I have less opportunity to fill the empty space than in the past. Almost everything I used to bring back I can now obtain where I live in California, albeit for more money. One item I can't get is Maggi dehydrated veal stock. Luckily it's very light and doesn't take much space so I usually bring back 4 or 5 cans.

[Fat Guy]

I didn't even know there was such a product. This is Maggi as in Nestle?

[Bouland]

I didn't even know there was such a product. This is Maggi as in Nestle?

Yep. And it's much different than the boullon cubes cubes Maggi sells here. This stuff is great when you need only a little veal stock. The also do a fumet de poisson that's quite good.

[Beachfan]

Some people prefer Anne-Marie Cantin to Barthelmy but I don't get that at all. And Alleose while a fine shop isn't in the same category either.

I seem to remember Anne-Marie Cantin to have a slightly larger selection of artisinal goat cheeses. The main reason for my preference of her shop over Barthelmy is the uncanny ability of the store clerks to divine my tastes in cheese in just a couple of questions and unerringly give me some to match my taste to a tee.

I love going to all three shops (and last time, La ferme Saint Aubin) on different days and get one common cheese to all and one that was unique. Last time, it was aged Comte cheese. I think either Cantin or Barthelmy had the best (oldest, nuttiest). That particular quest was inspired by the cheese cart at Le Grand Vefour