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In Minnesota, we love the
outdoors, and in addition to hunting, fishing, running,
and skating, there are more bicycles per capita
than in any other state in the US. Perhaps it’s
no wonder that the first American to win the Tour
De France, Greg LeMond, was from Wayzata. It was
LeMond who first brought the famous French race
into the American psyche. Tour De France fans were
thrilled to watch on ABC news as the underdog American
rocketed down the Champs-Elysées to overcome
a 50-second deficit and defeat a horrified French
champion, Laurent Fignon. Of course, in later years,
the greatest of all the Tour Champions, Lance Armstrong,
captured the hearts of millions of Americans --
a man who was expected to die of cancer that came
back to not only win, but absolutely dominate, the
world’s toughest race for seven years.
The French have always used
the drama and global fascination that this 3000km
bicycle race inspires to show off the beauty, culture,
and variety of the nation’s regions. France
has always touted itself as the center of cultural
sophistication, and it’s impossible to have
an unbiased mind and not be inspired by the art,
philosophy, music, and of course food of France’s
many regions. Following the tour, which is conveniently
divided into stages, can be a fun excuse to bring
friends together and explore some terrific regional
French cuisine. You have plenty of chances to host
a Tour de France tasting party during the race’s
23-day span starting July 1st. But because there
are so many amazing French foods, we will focus
on just 3 special delicacies inspired by “Le
Tour.”
Stage 1 - Strasbourg
to Strasbourg: With a nod to the soccer
World Cup tournament in Germany, The Tour De France
begins in Strasbourg this year. Strasbourg is in
the Lorrain-Alsace region and is famous for vineyards,
music, and perhaps most of all -- quiche! Strasbourg
also sits on the foothills of the Vosges Mountains,
an inspiring sight. So inspiring in fact, a Chicago
chocolate company has named itself after these mountains.
The Vosges chocolate company has been producing
high quality flavor-infused bars and truffles for
the last several years. Breaking rules in all the
right ways, Vosges offers extraordinary bars between
40% to 60% cacao that blend far-out tastes, including
wasabai (Black
Pearl Bar), New Orleans chicory (Creole
Bar), pasilla chilies (Oaxaca),
and many others. This is chocolate for the chocolate
lover.
Stage 1 Food recommendation:
Vosges chocolate paired with unflavored Perrier
water or espresso.
Riders to Watch: Watch
for Australian Robbie McEwen (Davitmon-Lotto), and
World Champion Tom Boonen (Quick Step) to fight
it out in a sprint for the stage win in Strasbourg.
Stage 6 - Lisieux
to Vitre: There is just no way to ride
a bike through France without running into a cheese
region. During this stage, the racers will pass
through the Camembert countryside. According to
legend, a Normandy farmer, Marie Harel, received
the secret to making cheese from a priest who was
traveling from Brie. Camembert cheese, similar in
some ways to Brie, became popular in America partly
because it could be shipped long distances in its
famous wooden box.
Stage 6 food recommendation:
Put together a cheese plate featuring Camembert
with good quality baguettes. Also consider that
Camembert is a powerful, strong smelling cheese,
and therefore, it’s a great idea to cut some
of that flavor with more delicate cheeses. Pear
confit and/or walnut confit is also a good
pairing with Camembert. To preserve the quality
of the cheese, serve it on a slate or marble cheese
board, which can be chilled. Slate or marble boards
will hold a chill much longer than wooden or plastic
ones.
Riders to Watch: Watch
for the bicycle climbing specialist to attack the
category 3 hill in Camembert, but this windy region
may still favor the sprinters McEwen and Boonen
at the finish in Vitre.
Stage 13 - Beziers
to Montelimar: When thinking of French
regional delicacies there is no way to ignore Montelimar.
This stage is the longest of the Tour De France
this year and it ends in a town famous for its almond
trees and the development of nougat candy. Nougat
as a candy was developed and perfected in Montelimar,
which is considered the nougat capital of the world.
This product, made from almonds, beaten egg whites,
and honey or sugar, is far different than the fructose
invention added to many American candy bars claiming
to have nougat. Bottom line: If you have never tried
“Nougat de Montelimar” you simply haven’t
lived yet.
Stage 13 food recommendation:
Have a party and make your own “Nougat de
Montelimar,” using Bruce Weinstein’s
The
Ultimate Candy Book as your guide. You’ll
be surprised how easy it is! Or, as a less hands-on
but equally delicious alternative, you can purchase
nougat under several brand names in specialty candy
stores in the U.S.
Riders to Watch: Keep
an eye out for American Chris Horner, who loves
to sneak away on long stages for a shot at the win!
Well, if you haven’t
found any inspiration here, there are still 17 other
stages to supply great ideas for a Tour De France
culinary adventure. Perhaps the best part about
the tour is the great opportunity to learn more
about regional delicacies, and a good excuse to
bring friends together! They say the favorite rider
to win the overall race this year is Italian Ivan
Basso. You know, there is a lot of good Italian
food out there too…
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