Hello and happy Wednesday,
It’s been a busy week for me, packed with interviews and research for an upcoming article on Dutch cheese for Culture. I visited a farmstead cheesemaker in the northern province of Groningen yesterday, and what a great learning experience that was! I can’t say much about it at this point, but what I can tell you is that there’s definitely more to Dutch cheese than Gouda and Edam. We’ll be headed to the east of the country tomorrow where I’ll be meeting another farmer who’s thinking outside the box with cheeses that are being discovered by connaisseurs and served at some of the country’s top restaurants. I’m looking forward to seeing this story develop, but in the meantime, if you’re in the mood for some delicious cheese reads, check out the last two features I wrote for the magazine, one on the cheeses/wines of Dordogne and the other on how to properly host a French apéro (with recipes).
Once again, I’d like to thank everyone who has subscribed to The French Life. I’m thrilled that so many of you have also signed up to receive the exclusive posts of the newsletter (published every Friday). Part of this includes my video and recipe series (you can get a ‘taste’ for this exclusive content in the video featured above). It’s always a joy to hear that you’ve learned something from my posts or that my words have touched you in some way. Writing this newsletter (and your support!) has given my creativity wings. My mind is overflowing with a multitude of ideas!
One of the things I’ve recently been considering is writing a series of posts (more like a mini-course) on how to get started in freelance food and wine writing. It’s how I’ve made a living during the past two decades – as a writer who has to pitch stories, but also as an editor who has to consider them. I would love to share some of this knowledge with those who are interested in taking their first steps in professional writing.
For now, there’s plenty up ahead to make you look forward to The French Life’s Fridays. This week we’ll be rounding off our series on French desserts and food in art with a seasonal galette and a look at the evolution of Dutch table pieces. Although at first glance, these artworks appear similar, they went through different stylistic phases during the course of the 17th century.
Still-Life with Cheese, Floris Claesz van Dyck, ca.1615, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Understanding the characteristics of each phase can help you gain a better understanding of the table piece. But where did this tradition, which along with the flower piece is part of the still-life genre, have its roots? After this read, you’ll never look at a Dutch food still-life the same again! And… you’ll know how to make a beautiful galette!
À très bientôt!
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Good things ahead!