the traveling cupcake: cheese

Showing posts with label cheese. Show all posts

Sunday, September 04, 2011

Canoeing in the Orb Valley

On our second day in southern France we decided to get our exercise on. And by exercise I mean half-heartedly dip my paddle into the water while basking in the sunshine and taking in the views.

I know...I know...I really shouldn't strain myself too hard, I'm bound to get an injury.

There were a couple of canoeing spots located close to where we were staying. We decided to drive to Roquebrun, a medieval town on the banks of the river Orb, about 40 minutes northwest of Neffies, where Canoe Roquebrun Grandeur Nature has several canoe trips mapped out along the Orb valley.

We decided to do a 5km canoe trip as we wanted to take our time and not be so "serious" about canoeing our little butts off. And, we were on vacation - you're lucky I even dragged myself away from the pool. The 5km trip that we were about to embark on was appropriately named "Ceps". It was fate.

Once we got 3943895380 pictures of B and I in front of the Ceps sign we were off on our little adventure! The weather was perfect - it was hot but not scorching, clear blue skies and a gentle breeze passed through the valley. Pretty much it was heaven on earth. The water was crystal clear and the river ranged from less than an inch deep (as proved by the numerous times we ran aground, the ten pounds of cheese and foie gras I had the night before dinner probably didn't help) to several meters (thats actually a guess, I'm not sure exactly how deep it got, but deep enough for me not to be able to see the bottom).

After a little while of paddling and taking in the incredible scenery we decided to stop for lunch.

What?? It had been, like, TWO HOURS since I had breakfast!

We pulled our canoes over on an embankment and spread out our feast. We had made a quick trip to the boulangerie and town store to pick up provisions - a baguette, goats cheese, sliced meats and the best little donut peaches I have ever had. These little guys were so ripe and juicy they actually tasted like candy to me. Which is good, because we forgot to bring dessert (and the bottle of wine we bought specially for the canoe trip - party FAIL).

After our bellies were full and I mustered the energy to go on, we continued down the river. If you were to take one of the longer trips you would encounter some pretty decent rapids for being in a plastic canoe. We, on the other hand, got the baby ones. No matter, they were a delight all the same! Just because they were mini doesn't mean that I didn't squeal my little head off! After all, they were the first rapids I had ever been on!

Sean and Adrienne braving the rapids!

After all that excitement were were happy to mosey on down the last part of the river quietly and calmly. We didn't want it to be over. I wanted to stay on that river forever. But alas, the end was near. The only thing that made it even bearable to get off our plastic boat of dreams was the allure of the pool and a bottle of rose waiting for us back at Maison Dix.

Check out Canoe Roquebrun Grandeur Nature and all the canoeing options they offer in the Languedoc region - it's a definite "must do" if you are ever in the area!

Apologies for the photo qualities in this post. I had to take most of them on my iphone as I didn't want to risk my dSLR ending up in the drink!

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Maison Dix

When we decided to travel to the Languedoc region in Southern France our first choice bed and breakfast was already booked for the nights we needed. We were so bummed - where were we going to stay now?? After looking around online and asking our friends and coworkers for suggestions, Maison Dix was recommended to us.

You know how they say things happen for a reason?

Maison Dix happened to us, and the reason why is because it's awesome.

Greeting us at the door, one of the resident chow chows

From the moment we arrived late in the afternoon on Saturday the owners, Erica and John, were warm and welcoming. This English couple uprooted their lives and made the permanent move to Neffies a little over a year ago and seem to be living the dream. Their beautiful old wine makers home has been lovingly restored to the highest standard. The bed and breakfast is comprised of four guest rooms and a guest apartment. They don't except children under the age of 16 so this is a perfect retreat for adults looking for a weekend getaway.

Upon checking in we were brought right up to our rooms so that we could settle in. We stayed on the second floor in the Syrah room (all guest rooms are named after local grape varieties - a cute homage to the buildings history). Our room was spacious, clean and tastefully decorated. The shutters were closed to keep the afternoon sun out and the terra-cotta tile floors helped keep the room nice and cool. The soothing blue grey walls and crisp white linens paired with the dark wood furniture made me want to pack up this room into my overnight bag and take it back to London with me.

Next we were shown around the common areas of the house, starting with the kitchen. Like the guest rooms the kitchen was refinished to the highest standard. The cream cabinets made me swoon at first glance and it had all the modern comforts of home (I nearly screamed with joy when I saw the Nespresso machine available for guests to use) - and guests can make use of an honesty bar for refreshments and treats (and at 1 EURO each it's a steal). The kitchen opens out into a comfortable living room area outfitted with oversized, comfy leather couches and a large table for those (rare) days when the weather prohibits having breakfast out on the patio. There is also a guest den, with a big screen TV (in case you just can't live without football for a few days), a large bookcase filled to the brim and a selection of movies for you to enjoy at your leisure.

After a quick run into town to grab a few necessities before the shops closed we decided to relax on the patio by the pool. There are various tables and sun loungers scattered along the patio from which you can take your pick morning, noon or night. There is an shaded, outside kitchen and living room at the back of the courtyard where you can relax, play some games or chat with other guests. Most mornings breakfast is served on the patio and I can think of no better way to wake up - warm french press coffee, fresh baguettes from the village boulangerie, local yogurts, sun ripened fruit and homemade jams...I'm drooling now just thinking about it.

There is another honesty bar in the outside kitchen area which also contains your complimentary bottle of local rose wine. One of the best moments of our entire weekend trip was spending a hot afternoon lounging by the pool, drinking the rose wine and playing board games. It really doesn't get much better than that.

If you have more time, or are feeling particularly active, you can take advantage of the gym or the bikes that are available for guests to use. We, unfortunately, ran out of both time and energy. Maison Dix is located in the small town of Neffies, which has a boulangerie, a small general store supplying locals with basics (and some of the best cheese we've had in a long time) and a superb restaurant, Les Goutailles, which draws in locals and visitors alike. We heard there was also a local bar, but after several bottles of house wine at dinner, the most we could manage was to stumble back to our home away from home - Maison Dix.

Interested in staying at Maison Dix? Check out their website here! I'd like to give a big THANK YOU to Erica and John for making our stay at Maison Dix warm, welcoming and perfect in every way! We can't wait to return again in the (hopefully) near future! Cheers!

Monday, December 13, 2010

A better way to see Firenze...

After our lesson in cheese making we decided to head down to Florence a day early. We found a charming hotel in Fiesole, in the hills surrounding Florence. The views of the city were magical...

*read more*

Sunday, November 28, 2010

How to make Parmesan Cheese

After we left Castelrotto we drove east towards Cortina and spent the next day or so exploring the eastern and southern Dolomites. We had an extra day before we were due in Florence and didn't really know where to go. A quick google search and tripadvisor consultation and we decided that we would go to Parma. Thats right, land of parmesan cheese and parma ham. *cue angels singing*

We ended up at the highly recommended Agriturismo Leoni, a working dairy farm that gives tours of the parmesan cheese coop that it is a part of. Best. Decision. Ever. We ended up being the only two people in the tour the next day (bonus points for traveling off-peak) and it was definitely in our Top Three Italy experiences.

Without further ado...how to make parmigiano reggiano cheese:

1. Milk the cows. Not just any cows - these cows can only be a very specific type of cow, they cannot roam the fields, they must stay inside and eat a very specific diet of grains and grasses.

2. Take the milk to the cheese factory and dispense into large metal vats.

3. Let the milk sit for 8 hours and then skim off the fat that has risen to the top (the fat is taken away to be churned into butter). Add more milk and drain into the copper vat.

4. Add whey and rennet and crank up the heat to cook the mixture.

5. Once the soft cheese curds collect at the bottom of the vat the cheese is scooped up into muslin and hung to drain.

6. After draining (the left over whey liquid is drained, mixed with cereal grains and fed to the pigs that are later used to make parma ham) the cheese is cut into two, each weighing approximately 45 kilos (thats 100lbs for you folks in the US).

*at this point the cheese has very little taste - it is basically semi-skimmed cheese curds, believe me - I tasted it*

7. The cheese wheels are then put into a round mould and shortly after moved to a metal mould that has an adjustable buckle (to be tightened as the water dries out) for 24-48 hours.

8. At this point the cheese is wrapped in a plastic belt with the iconic parmigiano reggiano name stamped into it, along with the plant number and date the cheese was produced, and sits for another 24 hours.

9. Finally the cheese is removed from the moulds and immersed in a salt water bath (60% salt content) and left to cure for 20-25 days.

10. After brining for 3 weeks the cheese is removed and brought to the aging room (aka heaven on earth) and aged for a minimum of 1 year and a maximum of 3 years.

11. After 12 months of aging an employee of the Consorzio inspects every.single.cheese. They tap it with a hammer and depending on the sound that the cheese makes the Consorzio decides if it passes or not. If it passes then the wheel of cheese is branded with the Consorzios logo and immediately worth hundreds and hundreds of euros.

If it doesn't pass it gets an X or line across the outside and is sold as lesser quality cheese. Considering it takes a minimum of 13 months (1 month to make the cheese, 12 months to age it) before the producers even have a chance at making any money from the cheese, you better hope that every single one of your cheeses passes the inspection.

Like what you see?