The Scout List: A Curated Agenda For Discerning Vancouverites
October 13, 2011
The main objective of this website is to scout out and promote the things that make Vancouver such a sweet place to be. We do this with an emphasis on the city’s independent spirit to foster a sense of connectedness within and between our communities, and to introduce our readers to the people who grow and cook our food, play the raddest tunes in our better venues, create our most interesting art, and design everything from what we wear to the spaces we inhabit.
The Scout List is our carefully considered, first rate agenda of super awesome things that we’re either doing, wishing that we could do, or conspiring to do this week. From our calendar to yours… Read more
BEYOND CHEDDAR: On The Rouzaire’s Brie-Like “Fougerus” From Ile-de-France
September 12, 2011
by Joe Chaput | One of the more easily recognized products in our store is the Fougerus; a soft brie-like cheese that is considered part of the Coloummiers family. Robert Rouzaire (of the Fromagerie Rouzaire) originally produced it in the 1960’s for personal use, but its popularity increased over the years to the point that it has become a huge commercial success. While Rouzaire is not a small company by any means, it is nevertheless family-run and independent, and the cheese is the end result of three generations of cheese0making and affinage.
The name Fougerus comes from the word “Fougere” which is French for “fern”. Because the fern frond is added just prior to packaging, it doesn’t impact the flavour, but it does looks pretty on top. While I’m sure it’s edible, I don’t recommend eating it.
Milk is collected daily from 25 farms in Seine & Marne, part of Ile-de-France, which is east and south of Paris. The herd is composed of around 900 Prim Holstein cattle. Natural grazing in summer and winter feeding of farm-produced hay is encouraged. All farmers are members of the Good Production Practices Charter. It takes 6 litres of milk to make one 750 gram wheel of Fougerus. Everything is done by hand, including cutting the curd, ladling the curd into the moulds, turning, flipping, and salting. After production, the cheeses are then ripened in their old underground cellars in Tournan en Brie.
The outside of the cheese has a white bloomy rind, and is distinguished by the sole fern on top. The interior is straw coloured. The pate is firmer when young, and runny when fully ripe. I personally like it when it still has that slight band of chalkiness in the center. Fougerus has earthy, almost vegetal aromas. The flavour is also vegetal, with hints of mushrooms when younger, and leaning towards turnip or cauliflower when riper. You may find it a bit saltier than other brie, with a lingering sharpness on the finish.
Fougerus is $4.50 per 100 grams, and is only sold by the quarter wheel. Enjoy it with a full-bodied chardonnay or pinot noir.
—————————————————————
Joe Chaput is the Cheese Editor of Scout Magazine (because of course we have a Cheese Editor!), the co-proprietor and fromager of East Hastings’ Au Petit Chavignol, a member of the Guilde des Fromagers Confrerie du Saint-Uguzon and a Red Seal-certified cook. His by-weekly column – Beyond Cheddar – deals with all things stinky, oozy, sharp, soft, creamy and delicious.
—————————————————————
Another Horrible, Next To Impossible, OMFG Game Of Name That Restaurant (Solved)
April 11, 2011
Please submit your guesses in the comments. No hints. Why? Because one among you is always geeky enough to know. Good luck!
PS. If you work there, shhh!
On UR Discussing The Loss Of Lumiere, The CCC And The Coming Of Nicli & Stackhouse
March 8, 2011
I mention in the show that out of 300 or so restaurants that have opened in recent years, only nine have flirted with fine dining and out of that 9, five have either closed or been re-imagined/re-branded. I woke up to some emails asking for names. For the record, these restaurants are Yew (still open), Oru (still open), Market (still open), Voya (closed), Fuel (closed, re-imagined as Refuel), Gastropod (closed, re-imagined as Maenam), Lumiere (soon to close), Rare (closed) and Metro (closed).
Scout List: An Eclectic Agenda For Discerning Vancouverites
February 17, 2011
The main objective of this website is to scout out and promote the things that make Vancouver such a sweet place to be. We do this with an emphasis on the city’s independent spirit to foster a sense of connectedness within and between our communities, and to introduce our readers to the people who grow and cook our food, play the raddest tunes in our better venues, create our most interesting art, and design everything from what we wear to the spaces we inhabit.
The Scout List is our carefully considered, first rate agenda of super awesome things that we’re either doing, wishing that we could do, or conspiring to do this week. From our calendar to yours…
If you know of something cool going on in the city and you think we should consider adding it to our list, please send the details to michelle at scoutmagazine dot ca. Read more
On Facebook And The First Look At The New Version Of Scout…
January 16, 2011
We will be rolling out the new version of Scout this week, perhaps as soon as Wednesday night. If you’d like to see a larger screenshot of the new version, be sure to “LIKE” the site’s brand new Facebook page here. The new look and functionality is the happy consequence of our collaboration with design friends Phoebe and Aren of Glasfurd & Walker (see also the brands for Bao Bei, L’Abattoir, Meat & Bread) and Karen Hamilton of TinyBites. We love the results, and hope you will too (soon). Now back to work!
Field Trip #623: Heading Out To Toronto To Speak At “Terroir IV”
February 28, 2010
(photo: Zaniac)
I’ve just finished watching the closing ceremonies and wiped my upper lip clean of the last of its beer froth. Now it’s time to pack for a red eye flight to Toronto, as I’ve been invited to speak at Terroir IV, the 4th annual hospitality industry symposium, with several other food writers and not a few chefs. My particular contributions, I think, will center on new media and the restaurant trade (ie. blogging, twitter, etc.), but I’m really stoked to be on the panel for the Media In The Kitchen discussion:
We want to be culinary stars. The media establishes what is hot for the consumer and the knock down effect is what makes them patronize our restaurants or indulge in the newest culinary ‘trend’. Do local media have a responsibility to help support our culinary culture? A panel of five top food journalists will help us unravel what stories’ make top press and how we elevate ourselves as a culinary destination.
Moderator: Bonnie Stern
Presenters: Sasha Chapman, Adam Sachs, Mitchell Davis, Corby Kummer, Andrew Morrison, Alan Richman & Gabriella Gershenson.
I’m really excited and honoured to be part of such a line-up. I mean, Alan Richman? Wow. I believe we’re all staying at The Drake, which should be plenty of fun, and it will be awesome to stumble around my old stomping grounds once again. We’ll also be dining out for every meal over the four day trip, so look out for lots of updates on Twitter. If you’re not yet following us, come along and say hi @scoutmagazine.
Scout Photos: Goodbye January We’re So Bummed To See You Go…
February 2, 2010
Michael Eckford photobombs competing barman Geoff Robinson (who would ultimately win) at the Inniskillin icewine cocktail competition held at The Diamond on January 18th
It’s been a good and interesting month. It began with my friend Nathan, notorious dog gobbler and sous chef at Lumiere, inviting my wife and I to dine at the Relais Gourmand restaurant. Not since a lunch with the CCC folks at West a couple of months ago had I done a fine dining, multi-course affair with paired wines and petit fours or felt compelled to don a jacket while in a restaurant, so this was something of a special occasion. For certain, I’d been on a tear reviewing inexpensive restaurants for the newspaper, and felt like I’d paid enough dues in poutine, ramen, and burgers to warrant a little foray back into the world of refined excess. I don’t mean to say that I had deserved or earned it, but rather that I supped and drank heartily and naturally in good conscience. Read more
Scout Photos: Goodbye August, We’re So Bummed To See You Go…
September 3, 2009
From Scout’s bad to marginally alright cameras comes a variety of shots taken during the month of August… Read more
The Scout List: “OH MY GOD The Summer Is Almost Gone” Edition
August 6, 2009
The main objective of this website is to scout out and promote the things that make Vancouver such a sweet place to be. We do this with an emphasis on the city’s independent spirit to foster a sense of connectedness within and between our communities, and to introduce our readers to the people who grow and cook our food, play the raddest tunes in our better venues, create our most interesting art, and design everything from what we wear to the spaces we inhabit.
The Scout List is our carefully considered first rate list of super sweet things that we’re either doing, wishing that we could do, or conspiring to do this week. From our calendar to yours… Read more
