Comté cheese
If any nation can claim cheese superiority, it’s France. French cheese is so legit that its authenticity is literally protected from imitators under French law—Roquefort, for example, can only be legally made in Midi-Pyrénées. There are about a thousand distinct French cheeses, and they’re all divine. If the only French cheeses you think of are Brie and Camembert, it’s time to bring a hard French cheese into your fridge, like Comté. Aged for months in alpine caves, its fragrance evokes toasted hazelnuts and brown butter. Creamy, salty, and fruity, it is ideal sliced on a baguette or toast, stacked with ham and Dijon mustard (another French pantry staple) in a sandwich, or melted into an omelette with chopped chives.
Buy now: $20 for a one-pound cut, igourmet.com
Pinot Noir from Burgundy
Burgundy Pinot Noir, or as the French call it, Bourgogne Rouge, is a foundational French wine if there ever was one. And not just for drinking, but for cooking as well. The quintessential, rustic dish Coq au Vin—chicken braised with wine, lardons, button mushrooms, and brandy—traditionally calls for it. Wine Enthusiast describes The Maison Roche de Bellene here, as “a ripe, black cherry-flavored wine, strengthened by tannins and with a crisp edge of acidity.” We’ll be cooking with and sipping on that.
Buy now: $37, artisanwinedepot.com
BOOKS
Dining and Cooking