Comfort (food) and Joy…
/Hello Fellow Traveler!
I am finally back home from a long trip. While out on the road, life can be a little different, unpredictable, and…well, lacking the creature comforts of home. When my best food options are as unappetizing as this retailer’s idea of “Charcuterie”, it is a better option to just go hungry and wait for the next city.
When I am traveling, I am not just looking at the cheese departments, but all of the specialty foods that are normally merchandised around them. I must confess that I literally dream of cooking, so it should be no surprise that when I find a new item that peaks my interest, I will find some creative (and delicious) way of using it. Just like in Iron Chef, when today’s “secret ingredient” is revealed to the chef, the wheels start turning to think up the best way to enjoy it.
That was the case for today’s featured item...Duck Fat from Les Trois Petits Cochons! I may have only first heard of this new item from their post on Facebook on August 30th, but I have been a longtime fan of their products since my very earliest days behind my cheese counter.
I knew exactly what I was going to create with it the minute I saw it….Poutine Fries!! Several phone calls later, I found that my local specialty grocery store, Nugget Market had just authorized the Duck Fat and it would be on shelf shortly. One ingredient down, three more to go.
If you read my post of October 7th, then you may remember my writing about the joys of Poutine when I visited Toronto, Canada. From that same trip I brought back some Poutine Gravy across the border. This was essential to making it taste authentic. Two ingredients down, two to go…
For the fries, Nugget also carried some better quality frozen fries. Alexia Smart Classics Straight Cut Fries did the trick! Only one ingredient left to go…Cheese Curds
Okay, I am a cheese guy…Cheese Curds should be easy to find right?...Not so much on the West Coast. When I traveled across the Midwest, they seemed to be at every turn, but now when I wanted them, they were nowhere to be found. I shelved the ingredients and knew that finding the right ingredients would be worth the wait.
To circle back to the beginning of this story….So I was near the end of my last trip, when a coworker tells me all about this local little cheese shop called Sweet Freedom Cheese. How could I resist?...I had to stop by and check it out. This charming cheese shop is owned and operated by Jessica Keahey, one of only two ACS Certified Cheese Professionals in the great state of Arkansas. Her shop is located in the South Market Food Hall, and what a great space Jessica has created! I went on to learn that Sweet Freedom Cheese is the only “Cut to Order Cheese Shop in Arkansas”, not to mention a great space for cheese education and seating.
You could only imagine the smile across my face as I realized that they carried cheese curds!
Knowing that this was the final ingredient, I couldn’t wait to get back home and assemble all of them.
Finally returning home, I was anxious to recreate this Canadian classic. This last Saturday, I could wait no longer.
The Duck Fat gives an added depth of flavor, it has a higher smoke point than most fats or oils, and is much higher in monounsaturated fats (healthy fats).
In fact, this preferred fat which gained its popularity in the Gascony region of France has more health benefits than I ever imagined.
I think these Poutine fries were some of the best I have ever had…all in the comfort of my own home.
Where ever your travels take you this Thanksgiving week, I hope that you are surrounded with good foods, good friends and family, and all of the comforts of a home cooked meal.
Until next week…
Trevor
