A disc of mild, semihard cheese made with cow's milk. It has an ivory white paste and a smooth, glossy, golden, washed rind. It is made at the Abbey of Belval in Picardy, south east of Amiens. This cheese, which is reminiscent of Saint-Paulin and recorded since 1892, is eaten all year round and is made with raw milk. The curds are uncooked and pressed. It contains 40-45% fat (dry). It may be found in the following dimensions: 20 cm (8") diameter x 4.5 (2") cm deep and weighing either 400 g (14 oz) or 2 kg (4 lb). Affinage is 8 weeks. Otherwise it is identical to Abbaye de Belval.

A well-regarded dessert wine from the village of the same name just south of Bergerac. It is also excellent with foie gras.

A creamy, 'persillé' cheese, a blue cow's milk cheese with the appearance of a speckling of parsley, from the Vendée. It has quite a hard skin.

To blanch. This term means to lightly cook raw ingredients for varying amounts of time in boiling water, with or without salt and vinegar. The ingredients are then refreshed in cold water It also means to cover with boiling water for a few seconds to facilitate peeling. Tomatoes, peaches, almonds and pistachios can be treated in this way with no damage to the flesh.

A firm, smelly, fruity double cream, cow's milk cheese. It is a cylindrical cheese and has a white rind dotted with red. It is a typical, rich Normandy cheese with a strong flavour.

"Of the mountains."

The name of a town in Franche-Comté where artisinal sausages are made which are flavoured with caraway and cumin.

Mont des Cats is a disc of firm, semihard cheese made with cow’s milk. It has a supple yellow paste and a brine washed rind. It has been made since 1890 at the monastery on the hill of Mont-des-Cats, near Godewaersvelde, north west of Lille in Flanders. This cheese is eaten all year round and is made with raw milk and contains 45-50% fat (dry). The curds are uncooked and pressed and it is rather similar to Port-Salut. It may be found in the following dimensions: 25 cm (10") diameter x 4 cm (1½"), weighing 2 kg (4½ lbs). Affinage is usually at least one month. It is at its best with red Graves and is sometimes eaten as a breakfast cheese with coffee because of its relatively mild flavour. In 1826 someof the nuns from the Abbaye du Port-du-Salut came to the Abbaye du Mont-des-Cats bringing with them the recipe of Port-Salut. This cheese is the result - a typical trappiste cheese.

An alpine cheese usually of thick pancake shape, soft or runny, with smooth pink rind and mild creamy flavour, made on mountain farms. (AOC).

A method of thickening a sauce a little by swirling unsalted butter into it, a little at a time. It makes a visible spiral in the sauce as it melts. It is added at the last moment before serving to lend a sheen to the finished dish.