French dinner

We have some good friends who embody a lot of what is good about the French culture, and sometimes they say they want to make dinner for us like they do back at home, and we are happy to partake!

In order to fit the theme, I picked up some a bottle of Domaine Labbe 2010 Abymes Vin de Savoie at River City Cellars. This wine is made from Jacquere grapes produced in the French Alps just south of Geneva, Switzerland, and it is delicious. It is a crisp and dry white wine with a taste of green grapes, along with a light floral aroma. It has a sweet and smooth finish and went well with the chicken main course. I also got some Bon Bouche and French Goat Cheese Pico, both excellent for different reasons. The Pico is a clean and easy goat cheese, with a slight kick to keep it interesting. The Bonn Bouche is actually from Vermont, but made in the French way (ash-aged) and was aged to perfection. It is extremely creamy and is topped with blue mold. Funky, complex, rich and deep, this cheese keeps you thinking about it for a long while after you've had that bite. It's amazing. I also picked up a bottle of Coriberes at Kroger's (2006 Chateau Aiguilloux Corbieres Tradition, Languedoc-Roussillon, France), which is a red blend of Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, etc, and was not terrible impressive. It leaned towards a heavier bodied wine, but had an herbal quality that didn't finish as well as i wanted it to.

Following the French order of courses, this is how the meal went: appetizers, main course, salad course, cheese plate, dessert, and a digestiv! With bread and wine throughout, of course.

The risotto balls with swiss cheese and ham for a starter was delicious and got me in a creamy mood. Adrien had prepared a chicken with cream and mushroom dish, which was really delicious, and along with Ashley's homemade (!) mashed potatoes, it was comfort food to the tee. We then had a salad with balsamic vinagrette that helped to clean the palate, and we went on to have the cheese plate with giant grapes, that Julia had brought. The cheese plate also had sharp swiss, smoked gouda, and another delicious cheese that tasted like a mix between a brie and gouda. Julia also brought a decadent chocolate cake, which I thought I was going to be too full for, but lo and behold, I wasn't. I mixed up a quick autumn cocktail for the finish, and there you have it. Three hours of eating, and we were stuffed!

I don't have much pictures from the night because I forgot my camera, but here are some images from my iphone.

Thanks again, Chaumards, for having us!