Introduction

Frugality is not something I excel in. Being a passionate foodie, I hesitate to limit my food budget even during these tough financial times, but when being frugal includes an assortment of cheeses, wine, butter, herbs and garlic, then I'm in.

Fromage Fort, meaning strong cheese, was created by the French as a way to use up all the little odds and ends of cheese that you might have hanging around in the fridge. You know those pieces I am talking about? After a trip to your favorite Fromagerie, with a wide assortment ranging from a soft and tangy blue to an unctuous triple crème, you and some lucky guests (or just you) enjoy an evening of fine cheeses. What remains on the plate that once held your delicious array, are small chunks of each variety. It seems rather silly to wrap each piece individually to be put back into the fridge only to be left there uneaten for several days. Fromage Fort is the solution to such a dilemma.

Toss the remaining pieces into your food processor with the aforementioned wine, butter, herbs and garlic. Pulse until smooth, and then you have an entirely new cheese perfect for spreading on bread and crackers. You can eat as is (paired with a French baguette, La Panzanella Croccantini and Rainbow Crisps) or place the bread with the spread under the broiler until brown and bubbly. Enjoy with a glass of white Burgundy or Alsation (dry) Riesling wine.

As with snowflakes and fingerprints, no two Fromage Forts are the same, because different cheeses are used each time. You may use any variety of hard, semi-soft, and soft cheeses. This time around my cheese selection included a cave-aged Gruyère, a Vacherin-style brie (l'edel de Cleron) and Tomme de Savoie (a semi-hard French cheese).

Isn't frugality delicious?

Fromage Fort

• 1 pound left-over cheese, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves
• 1 small clove garlic

Remove any rinds from hard cheeses. Grate hard cheeses and cut others into 1/2-inch cubes. Place cheese, wine, butter, herbs, and garlic in a food processor and blend until smooth, approximately 2 minutes.

Serve immediately or refrigerate for at least 1 hour for a firmer consistency.

Fromage Fort can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

About Ashley E. Rodriguez

Food became my life while living in Italy. Growing up I was fortunate to have been brought up around a mother who intuitively knew how to cook, and just by being around that, it rubbed off on me. But it was in Italy where I truly began to appreciate the power of good food.

For me food is so much more than following a recipe in order to reach a desired product. As much as I enjoy that tasty product and the process in which it was created, my personal infatuation with food focuses on the aspects that go beyond satisfying a bodily hunger. I am completely and utterly obsessed with food because of its effect on the people who consume it, grow it, produce it, enjoy it, and live for it. Food is culture, it nourishes our bodies, it is passion, it is hard work, and for many it is their livelihood.

My culinary career has been primarily pastry focused. I worked under the Captain of the winning American Coupe du Monde team (the Olympics of bread baking) at the Essential Bread Baking Company in Seattle, WA. From there I went on to Los Angeles where I studied under Sherry Yard (Executive Pastry Chef for Wolfgang Puck's restaurant empire) at Wolfgang Puck's famous Spago restaurant in Beverly Hills. While working with Sherry, I also assisted her with her second book, Desserts By The Yard.

I moved back to Washington State and began my pastry business, fulfilling all sweet needs. You can see my work in numerous publications including Seattle Metropolitan Bride & Groom. Currently I am focusing on training my two young boys to have distinguished palates. You can also find me writing, teaching and creating a television program on the subject of real, good food.

Photographs copyright by Gabriel Rodriguez. Used with permission.