I have found local sources for Fallot mustard, but whatever it is they send to the States is, unfortunately, crap designed to taste like Dijon mustard made in the States. Therefore, it does not make me happy.

One of the main reasons it’s hard (not impossible, though) to get real cheese is that it’s illegal to sell cheese made from unpasteurized milk that’s been aged less than 60 days–that rules out real Camenbert, Epoisses, and even Brie de Meaux, I think. Pasteurized milk, especially when pasteurized in the slower, less expensive manner, lacks the character of the unpasteurized stuff.

However, that does not rule out th harder, aged cheeses–you can get real English or Vermont Chedder, Roquefort, etc.

Look for your local cheese shop and talk to an expert–they can help guide you.

The ‘Cheese Shop of Beverlly Hills’ near (relatively) me does ship though, give them a call. They are one of the top cheese shops in the nation.

G

I don’t know what part of the country you are in, but you can get real Dijon or Dijon-style mustard in gourmet markets, particularly in more affluent areas (I live in Newport Beach, CA).

Recommended producers are Edmond Fallot (my favorite, actually from Beaune, near Dijon, not Dijon proper) who is the last, to my knowledge, to grind mustard the old-school way with silex stone, and then there is the widely available De Maille as well.

If you can’t find the stuff near you, you can certainly order them online–do a search in google.com or someting. Watch out, though–sometimes they have different versions for domestic consumption and for export.

G

One morning on the way to the Louvre, we stopped by the local bakery and picked up some baguettes and then when to a grocery and procured some soft cheese (yeah, unpasteurized!), jelly and red wine. I think the whole feast ran something like $12 US.

After spending some time viewing the exhibits we went outside and has a picnic on the steps of the building. It was wonderful: delicious food, good art, and talking about old times. Sure, the pigeons tried to attack us, but that’s what mainland europe is all about.

Have you tried champagne biscuits while in France? They are divine and I don’t know how to get them, other than my usual sneaking them past customs

Had a discussion with my Toronto-bred aunt while I was there about why, after 50 years of trying, they still cannot make Montreal-style bagels in Toronto. I’d heard of a recent attempt, but my aunt assured me that it was a vain attempt, because it’ll all in the water. This probably doesn’t explain Benoit’s observation, though.

Bread? Don’t get me started. Especially dark rye.
Y U C K.

However, Nat and I recently acquired some extremely sassy mustard at the May Market, from some chaps named Davis and Davis. They’re apparently based in Glenshaw, and we like both their Farmhouse Mustard and the Hot Garlic Mustard, which is unholy good.

Even if it is not anything like Paris mustard, it is DAMN tasty.

Oh, and, somehow, in cities in the francophone parts of Canada. So it’s not a North America thing. Must be the language.