Cheese ~ Storytelling ~ Authenticity ~ Creativity

Something Tasty: A cheese pairing to try

Langres

Langres (pronounced “lawn-gruh”! Champagne’s best friend.

Origin: Champagne, France // Milk Type: Pasteurized Cow (in the U.S.) // Age: ~ 2 weeks // Cheese Family: Washed Rind

Langres + Champagne is pretty much as close as you can get. Both from the same region AND a very traditional (and festive) way to eat Langres is by scoring the top of the cheese with an X and pouring champagne inside it’s signature divot.

This cheese is less intimidating than it may look- I promise. It can fit in the palm of your hand and packs a ton of flavor into a small format. It is washed so there is a bit of funk in the aroma BUT fun fact:

The wrinkly rind comes from Geotrichum Candidum. It’s yeasty qualities give this fudgey cheese some bready notes that are very fun and savory and pairs with the brioche-y notes in champagne (and bread).

(see- when you’re describing food you can add a “Y” on the end of anything and it works- trust your taste and do what you want my friends)

Yeast is the star- for this cheese, champagne, and bread to pair it with. Yeast is cool! Try them all together and see if you can pick out the common flavor notes!

Something True: A truth about myself

Manifesting Power

Here’s the truth.

I’ve been thinking a lot about ~manifesting~ lately.

With the year coming to a close, I always try to carve out some time in the holiday chaos to set intentions for the next year.

(One of the ways I do this is with Spark File’s New Years Creativity Kick Off) to get clear on what my creative dreams are and what action steps I need.

Every few months my partner Adam and I will do this with each other (it often comes after I have somewhat of a breakdown, but it’s a good process nonetheless).

We ask each other what we’d like to manifest. Now—

Whether you’re into this kinda thing or think it’s a bunch of woo-woo crazy talk, there is always value in asking the question “What do you want?”

If there was a guarantee that what you want would happen…what would that be?

P.S. This question often paralyses me 🙂 

Among other things, I wanted to start this newsletter, he wanted to create his first photography zine.

We always joke that he uses so much Kodak film, they should sponsor him at this point.

So this year for his birthday I got him a “swag package from his new sponsor: Kodak” that included a bunch of film, some cool Kodak stuff like a branded bag from the 80’s and some vintage water glasses from the 60’s.

Well- here I am writing this and here you are reading this. So the newsletter is in the world. AND:

Kodak just shared Adam’s work and promoted his zine which is VERY exciting and- shameless/ proud-partner plug: you can pre-order The Scene Zine HERE.

They say luck is when preparation meets opportunity. Universal law aside, I think manifesting is hard work with intention.

It’s wild to go back and see that so much of what you wished for that seemed so far away is now reality.

So when I inevitably start thinking about the year and feeling like I’ve done absolutely nothing (spoiler: it’s already started!) I try to remember things like this.

Also I’m totally taking partial credit for putting Kodak into the universe because that’s unfortunately how my ego works.

Farm to Fable: How food shows up in storytelling 

Bread, Salt, & Wine in It’s a Wonderful Life

Speaking of wishing and wanting, we all know the story of what happens when George Bailey wishes he’d never been born. SO MUCH TO SAY ABOUT THIS MOVIE. But how does food show up?

My theory- each time food is introduced in the movie, there is a pivotal shift. When I scoured the internet to see if anyone agreed with me I found Silver Screenings, a movie review blog who shares my theory in The Culinary Side of It’s a Wonderful Life.

One of my favorite food scenes: the housewarming where they give:

“BREAD that this house may never know hunger SALT that life may always have flavor and WINE that joy & prosperity may reign forever.”

This scene is there to show how personal they are- they welcome you to your home and wish you well- unlike the soulless Potter.

More proof we believe food is a gift, and a sign of care.

This tradition spans most of Europe and the Middle East (mostly the bread and salt with sugar and wine as added variations) and has origins in both Slavic and Jewish cultures.

So Happy Hanukkah everyone- I hope you have some good bread and great wine this week- maybe champagne so you can pour it into some Langres.

Until next time,

Anne-Marie

P.S. - Sunday Scaries

A terrifying AI image to help us all rest knowing AI bots could never replace a real human artist:

This week the prompt was “It’s a Wonderful Life Christmas scene with a bunch of cheese.” ….this makes absolutely no sense but should we make shirts with this on it?

Send me your best interpretations of this nonsense.

www.annemariepietersma.com