 Poster: A snowHead
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| oldsnowy wrote: |
Slightly off topic, but with the restrictions in place for meat & dairy being taken into France what local cheese would be a good substitute for a mature Cheddar - or is that actually available post Brexit?
Planning to stop at a decent sized supermarket in Chalons sur Soane prior to final leg of journey up to St Martin de Belleville and fingers crossed for a suitable Cheddar substitute. |
Nothing really similar in my experience, but Cantal works OK for many applications.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@oldsnowy, I don't undwerstand - why wouod you want a cheddar substitute?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| johnE wrote: |
| @oldsnowy, I don't undwerstand - why wouod you want a cheddar substitute? |
+1
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| johnE wrote: |
| @oldsnowy, I don't undwerstand - why wouod you want a cheddar substitute? |
I assumed real Cheddar cheese is either not available in the depths of France or may be prohibitively expensive?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@oldsnowy, but why would you want real Cheddar in France?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Hurtle wrote: |
| @oldsnowy, but why would you want real Cheddar in France? |
Macaroni cheese?
Edit: You can buy cheddar with union jacks on it in most Carrefour supermarkets. Look closely, and you will see that it is made in Ireland. Must be a result of br... I mean er, butter and milk products being cheaper there. Or something.
Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Sun 23-01-22 0:32; edited 1 time in total
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| Hurtle wrote: |
| @oldsnowy, but why would you want real Cheddar in France? |
Surprisingly, Cathedral City Cheddar is very popular in Switzerland.
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Don't get too much frozen stuff as there will probably only be a small freezing compartment in the fridge. Ovens are often microwave/fan oven/grill in one with no instructions so I would avoid doing anything like a roast. These are some of the things we do:
1. Pizza
2. Things that can be fried eg. turkey escalopes or steak (take small pot of cooking oil or use butter)
3. Salmon in the oven
4. Pick up one of the ready cooked warm chickens sold in deli/resort supermarket
5. Fondue - you can normally borrow the set from the residence and sometimes order the ingredients from a traiteur
6. pasta and a jar of sauce or make a cheese sauce from scratch (worth taking small pot of flour)
I usually pick up a few fresh veg but the tins of peas are good enough for a few days. Carbohydrate is usually baguette.
For puddings - a few packs of bonne maman mousse and mountain yoghurts (the type with blueberries at the bottom)
For breakfast - usually you can order croissants etc to be delivered to the residence reception..or take a bag of porridge.
Lunch eat at a mountain restaurant
The things we always take are coffee and tea bags...particularly if you like something like red bush that isn't always available
Find out what type of coffee machine will be in the apartment so you can take the correct capsules
The apartments we go to usually have a basic kit with dishwasher tabs. might be worth taking cling film, foil and kitchen roll
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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The breakfast of champions is good plain yoghurt mixed with e.g. raisins, dry banana chips, walnuts, seeds etc. Maybe a handful of oats and a spoon of honey.
Porridge never seemed to work out for me as it burns too fast resulting in extreme hunger by 10 a.m. In addition, when combined with a few cups of tea, I end up pissing like a race horse for some reason!
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A lot of cheese xenophobia going on  Any sensible person eats them all, regardless of their nationality or where they happen to be!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Our staple for v quick first night meal is pasta and blue cheese sauce, making sauce by crumbling blue.cheese.into.creme fraiche in a saucepan.on the hob.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@Elsie80, Can you send me a PM with your email address? I have a couple of files with 2 Pot "Ski Recipes" I can send you.
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| Hurtle wrote: |
| @oldsnowy, but why would you want real Cheddar in France? |
I don’t necessarily want real Cheddar just something that is equally as tasty and texture. I was aware of Cantal and it’s acceptable as an alternative (a little rubbery) but to save time in the supermarket dash on the last leg of the journey I don’t want to waste time trying out the multitude of great cheeses I know France has to find something akin to Cheddar 
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You know it makes sense.
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@oldsnowy, ah, OK, I'd go for Beaufort as previously suggested in that case. But, just as Cheddars are very different one from another, so are Beauforts...
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Swiss Soup de Chalet: Basically a vegetable soup with pasta and lots of Gruyère (salé if available): substitute if you prefer different vegetable.
Ingredients: 1x large Onion, 150g Leeks, 1x carrots sliced lengthways, florets from ½ a small broccoli, 200g tin of red beans, 200g tin of butter beans, 50g of tricolore spiral pasta, 50g Gruyére salé cheese, 200ml cream (more, if you like it very creamy), 100g baby leaf spinach 1x vegetable stock cube in 1½L of water, nutmeg (preferably fresh) and seasoning.
Cooking: Boil a kettle and make up a litre (thick soup) to 1½L (thinner) of vegetable stock while frying the onions and leeks. When they're sweated, add the carrots, sweat for a bit longer then add the stock. Bring to the boil and add broccoli, then simmer gently for 10 minutes. Add the butter beans, red beans, spinach and pasta and simmer for 8 more minutes. Add half the Gryuère salé and the cream. After a couple of minutes on a low heat, serve. Top with the other half of the Gruyère salé, grated, and grate some nutmeg on each bowl with seasoning to taste.
Make sure the cream is around room temperature, or else it will tend to separate when you add the cold cream to the hot soup. All of the ingredients are rough quantities and obviously, you can alter things e.g. I substitute broccoli for the original recipe's kohlrabi because I'm not a fan of the latter. Some people seem to prefer a thinner soup (more stock) and a different pasta (or none at all). If you're likely to make a big batch that gets re-heated then you might omit the pasta as it can get a bit soggy after being cooked twice. You can use ordinary Gruyère or even Cheddar for the soup mix, but the Gruyère salé variety is lovely as a topping (but probably only available in CH).
You can substitute kale for spinach, but have to add it right at the start, with the onions and leek. Or just leave the spinach out altogether if you prefer.
Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Sun 23-01-22 16:47; edited 8 times in total
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Poster: A snowHead
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Beaufort cheeses are either "winter", "summer" or "alpage", the last being the most expensive. I never bought that, as I feared it might spoil me for the delicious "Beaufort d'été" which I usually bought. It's the best of the gruyere cheeses. Texture quite different from Cheddar, I'd say - smoother, more dense, not crumbly. If you freeze a cheddar it comes out very crumbly. If you freeze Beaufort (which somebody might do who had brought a ridiculous quantity home from France  ) that doesn't seem to happen.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@pam w, You just reminded me that on the trip back from Arc 2000 that I did a trip report on a few years back, we brought an entire wheel of reblochon home! I was only in the same vehicle from BSM to Geneva (I flew home) but others had to endure the aroma all the way back to England! Upon arriving home I discovered that reblochon freezes very well!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I have a childhood memory of bringing Reblochon back in the car. Just the once. 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Freeze a couple of casseroles at home and take them out frozen. If flying they will still be frozen when you get there
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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For a 2 minute super easy meal - boil up a couple of packs of fresh filled tortellini, bung over a jar of pesto and some grated cheese… kids demolish this so buy plenty. If you like you can add some spinach leaves.
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Great thread, reading this I was thinking a box of dried porcini mushrooms and some arborio rice would be a good thing to bring on a ski trip and probably light enough to take on a flight. Easy mushroom risotto with some cheese, stock and butter.
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3 minute pasta and jar(s) of Barilla Bolognese sauce, there are others but Barilla is best, already contains meat so nothing extra to do.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Just as I have a first aid kit in our apartment cave I always keep an emergency meal - 2 tins of minced beef with onions, a jar of pasta sauce, a packet of spagetti and 2 bottles of red wine. Tea and instant coffee are also there for the morning.
OK, its not a brilliant meal but it will fill bellies
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| Mjit wrote: |
Tinned Confit duck is the food of the gods - and was chatting with an ex-kitchen seasonare back in Dec. who said his chef scoffed at tinned confit...till he spent all day making from scratch week 1 of the season and did a taste-off with tinned ones. They did tinned every week from then on. |
Will keep an eye out for this - we had a tinned cassoulet the other day brought back from Carrerfour or similar and that was quite pallatable.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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We always take the spice mix for a chilli and buy all the other ingredients in a local supermarket. Another meal will be a spag carbonara, again makings bought locally. We eat out all other nights on a ski trip.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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The tinned in cassoulet is great, it's also good as a base to serve with leftovers on the last night if you have anything to use up.
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Another idea is couscous - 3 parts couscous to 4 parts water by volume. Chuck couscous in with boiling water (you can also add a stock cube) and leave for 3 minutes. I normally do this with roasted (easier as you can just leave it) or fried veg (e.g. aubergine, courgette, peppers, mushrooms), optionally topped with halloumi, and a quick tomato sauce (tin of chopped tomatoes with a slug of red wine, and either mixed herbs or chilli powder or a heaped teaspoon of harissa paste, heated up in a microwave).
Tinned fish (e.g. sardines or tuna) is an easy and fairly cheap way to add protein to a meal of rice/pasta and sauce - just chuck in with the sauce
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You know it makes sense.
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I swear by M&S tinned chicken tikka masala. Only time in year I eat tinned curry. It's gorgeous. Just heat up, cook rice and job done. Easy peasy ski meal with no effort but tasty and filling.
French supermarkets also sell cartons of ready made (sometimes organic) soup. Just heat and serve with lots of crusty bread.
We have a nibbles night - supermarket dim sum, cold cuts, cheese etc. Quick and tasty. Then there's Toulouse sausages over a nice salad.
From the UK we always bring a few packets of Gallo porcini mushroom risotto (just add water). Very nice accompaniment but could be used for a main meal.
We drove back on Sunday and services had 'cheddar' fillings in baguettes so must be available if that's what you really want. Personally I love the stinky stuff.
We've always had meat sandwiches in the car when we cross (oops) but are never asked or searched. Interestingly, and for the first time I can recall, we were really grilled about our roof box when returning through UK customs on Sunday (when was it packed, has it been left unattended, how long for, when did we last go into it etc). No searches but expected one.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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We've often made do with whatever has been left by previous visitors, although I drew the line at instant mashed potato. In summer there are often tins of sardines that people have bought at the local market, or a tin of really good tuna and some black olives. Add chilli flakes and olive oil and some garlic if you have it, serve over spagehtti (we usually have pack of that stashed), but our supplies of confit are down, and our supermarket was in short supply in January. Carbonara is often first night dinner too, if we've managed to get to a supermarket and picked up lardons etc.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Hells Bells wrote: |
| although I drew the line at instant mashed potato. |
A mistake, in my view. French instant mash is great (I often bring 4 sachets or so home for a quick and easy supper). Add some decent grilled sausages (merguez-style particularly good) and some veg (tinned petits pois if vey lazy) and/or salad and some good mustard (or harissa) and dressing & you’ve got a super-quick meal.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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There’s a French minimarket around the corner from my flat in London which does a good trade selling tinned duck confit, cassoulet etc to French expats. There are different brands but the ones from Castelnaudray are v good. Wouldn’t bother with supermarket own brands though
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@Arno, yes always Castelnaudray if we can find it.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I always take a few small things, paella spice mix, curry spices, couple of tablespoons of cornflower, herbes de provence, stock cubes, salt and pepper for example.
Fav recipes are:
Carbonara with added chicken breast &/or sliced courgette, served on a bed of lettuce with small vinaigrette over. Really really easy. But I normally take the parmesan because it's over £40/kilo up the mountains!Vegetarian option is leave out the chicken and use courgette. Red wine, bordeaux. I can't stress just how easy and amazingly tasty this is.
Pesto pasta: Even easier. Linguini. Red pesto but can use green. Bunch of spring onions, 150ml chicken stock. dollop of Creme fraiche, served on a bed of salade vert avec vinaigrette. White wine, bordeaux. Add chicken from left over...
Coq-au-vin. Prepare the day before while A.N.Other is cooking something. Much easier than you think if you use a rotisserie Coq from the supermarche. Serve with tatties which I can't be arsed to peel. Don't forget to bung in, but not eat bouquet garni. red wine, bordeaux or if you can afford/find it, bourgogne/rasteau. One pot for everything except for tatties.
Paella: takes a bit longer, chicken or frozen king prawns. just about anything to drink.
Mushroom curry (can be modified if the vegetable, sorry, vegetarian stayed at home) really easy, I mean dead easy but only if you've ready mixed the spices at home and remembered to bring them with you!Mushrooms, onions, tins toms, and rice. That's about it and is delish! Gin and beer.
I generally serve most things as I said with a salad vert avec vinaigrette, or at the start of the week a beetroot salad to help with the altitude sickness.
You can be even lazier as others have said...tinned cassoulet on a ...you guessed it, bed of lettuce with tatties on the side is great too, just buy the more expensive cassoulet because the cheaper ones aren't as good. Wash it down with Leffe blonde. Chicken rottiseried is a godsend too. Saves so much time but can be greasy.
Mushroom and courgette risotto is dead easy too, white bordeaux gets used and drunk!
Some sort of omelette with beetroot slalad and tatties is easy.
Even chicken or beef stroganoff is dead easy but need to take a few spoons of plain flour with you.
I generally recommend abondance to those seeking cheddar, cheaper than beaufort and very nearly as good. Beaufort D'Ete can be a bit of a shock for those not used to fresh grass cowpat tasting cheese...god I love french cheese! How about using St Agur and a bit of cream to make a very rich sauce for that rare steak you've just bought as a treat to go with garlicky beans and tatties? Red bordeaux is a must!
Use stale french bread with toasted abondance and sliced cherry tomato, or just open a jar of tapenade to spread on it as apero.
Generally eat out/take away on the first and last nights, Pizza Importer or posh nosh somewhere to save on the cleaning.
can't wait...only a week and a half to go!
Can't be arsed with pud though, which I know some will see as a sacrilige...sorry.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I usually take a pot of home-made paste for a Rendang or similar which can go in a slow cooker all day, or a pressure-cooker (more common in French apartments) after skiing. I'm not a morning person, so have always preferred a pressure cooker. At one time, any French apartment would have one, but not so common any more.
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We took some curry powder.. To be fair just mild stuff, a pepper mill and some salt - all mini ones.
Chicken Curry and rice or similar
Spaghetti Bolognese or Carbonara
Ate out twice, once takeaway pizza and a usual Savoyard/local style meal
May well have had supermarket pizzas one evening as well, obviously depends on the facilities. May well have been day 1, can't remember as that was a long day, as we were on the snow train!
Tried microwave popcorn as a snack - we've got a container which goes in the microwave - it didn't work very well out there... then again the french crisps + snacks are so good!
Porridge, large bag/box for breakfast. Simple, cheap and filling, quick to make and keeps you going all morning!
Then bought yoghurts, fruit, milk etc.. plus a bit of chocolate and some snacks + beers for the most of the evenings!
Tea bags - of course!! Having worked abroad for a few long-ish stints, on the continent and as we go to France at least once a year, every year, proper teabags have to be taken! The teabags on the continent are usually terrible!
To be fair, keep it as simple as possible, but filling and tasty 
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Carton of soup and half a baguette.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@ski3, Not one of "the" hairy bikers, just "a" hairy biker but it's nearly all gone now! Yes, the Gixxer is obvious, but that's gone now too, maybe I should request a name change to Milleniknik! 
If I'm on holiday I don't want to eat slops, and good food doesn't have to take all day, most prep can be done whilst sipping a G&T and having a natter. I mean let's be honest, what else is there to do in the evening if you don't want to go out on the town?
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I've never before heard of hot food being served on a bed of dressed salad.
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FAQ
