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Madame Loik

One of the things I promised myself when I moved to France, was not to buy cheese in the supermarket. It’s not that you can’t get good cheese there. You can. But if people continue buying cheese at the supermarket, eventually les fromageries will lose business and disappear, which would be a terribly sad thing for France.

And even sadder for me, since I’d probably move.

But there is one damsel I’ve become acquainted with, and she’s unattached, not affiliated with any fromager: Madame Loïk.


Simply spread on slices of bread without anything getting between me and her snow-whiteness, Madame Loïk is one of my sinful pleasures from the supermarket. In the past, I’ve added finely-chopped fines herbes and olives and used her as a spread. And just the other night, I made a simple snack for l’heure d’apèro by topping a bit of bread with a smear of Madame, then delicately draping an anchovy filet over her.

I don’t know much about her, though; she’s a woman wrapped in mystery.

She calls herself “fromage fouetté nature” (whipped cheese) and I don’t think she has an equal anywhere else. And although there’s a couple of different varieties, my hands-down favorite is the one with sel de Guérande noted on the label. (Don’t you wish in America they’d start telling you what kind of salt they use? Seems like there’s everything else on labels over there.)

I don’t buy her very often, since she’s incredibly rich, so I’m sure she’s not dependent on me, financially. But every once in a while, when I’m at the store, I’ll bring her home, lift her top, and dive in, enraptured in the creamy madness, the fluffy freshness, and the silky softness of her snow-white crevasse.

Afterwards, we take a break until I can’t stand it anymore. Then I’ll go back for more.

Madame Loïk…Je t’aime

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31 comments

    • Deb Schiff

    Wonderful! Thanks for putting a smile on my face this morning, David.

    • Sarah

    Love that picture! I wish we could get Madame Loik (or any good dairy spreads, really) in Australia.

    xox Sarah

    • Babeth

    Brittany rocks!

    • Kim

    I have never had the pleasure of meeting Madame Loik. I wonder if she is planning a trip to the states anytime soon? If she is. I hope she is accompanied by the bread that she is pictured with!

    • Casey

    Kim speaks for me. Come to California, Mme Loik.

    • David

    Casey, Kim and Sarah: I think you’ll just have to come to her!

    • Mrs.W

    Oh, my… David, you’ve made me blush.

    • Linda B

    *drool*

    • Terrie

    Oh David, how you make me long to be in Paris again!! I haven’t had the pleasure yet of meeting Madame Loik, but she’s on my list for next time.

    • Maxine

    I’m sure that your Madame Loik is a million times better, but she kind of looks like my favorite Passover whipped cream cheese: Temptee. I love Temptee, so I can only imagine how wonderful Mme. Loik is!!

    • Ms. Glaze

    I’ll tell you what I buy here in the supermarches, but please don’t let any one else know. I buy Laughing Cow cheese. I know, disgusting right? Like you I’m a Fromagerie supportist, but there are times I need my Laughing Cow. Maybe it’s time to switch to Madame?

    • Abra

    Madame Loik is also excellent smeared into a buckwheat galette with some smoked salmon and a sprinkle of chopped chives. That’s her highest and best use at our house.

    • Hillary

    It sounds like you’re having an affair, nicely written?? Hehe. I would love to try some of that!

    • chanelle

    oh my. is it hot in here?

    • Connie

    You are talking about cheese , right :)

    • Yooli

    David, after five years I’m moving away from DC and headed to Davis for law school. This all means my mom’s Korean food will be readily available to me….which means that YOU can have some next time you’re in the Bay Area (or LA for that matter).

    Will trade for some of that divine torrone/nougat and a bottle of Savora!

    Vive la kimchi fridge!

    • Jeremy

    Oh David, I mean how kinky is that, cheese spread and some dark slice of who knows what kind of delicious bread that is?
    You really can get my pulse going!

    • mummyji

    AHAHAHA, that is one entertaining read!
    Love your blog, thanks for great insider info on Paris, the lovely food pictures n recipes…
    cheers

    • Lucy V

    Yes. This cheese also caught my eye.

    • La Rêveuse

    I admit to a love affair with M. Brillat-Savarin, from Reflets de France. Creamy, gentle, perfectly balanced–it was the ultimate. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, and gouter as well. Ahhh… thanks for the reminder. :)

    • Mimi

    I will look for Madame Loik next fall – thanks for the tip. I hope I can find her in the southwest, as our time in Paris will be limited this year.

    • June

    Very interesting reading and I have learnt a little more about Paris. I love it!!!

    • David

    Mimi: Like Marianne, I think Madame Loik is everywhere around here. But consider yourself warned: one smear and she’s got ya! I polished off the whole container rather quickly.

    • corine

    David, vous etes trop mignon.

    • Phyllis

    David, although my fridge is stocked (not difficult, since these Parisian versions are like something from Barbie’s Playhouse Set) I am now planning a trip to the local supermarché to meet Madame Loik! Merci!

    • Anna

    oh la la Mme Loik!

    • ross-la

    plenty of good Aussie artisan cheese spreads, maybe not the same range as France, but plenty if you bother to look:-) And there are even some imported French ones too!

    • Belle

    David, You certainly are feeling la naissance du printemps,aren’t you ;)

    I hope that at least you share where you got that sinful looking bread upon which you so brazenly slathered her – it is the gentlemanly thing to do,after all.

    Ms Glaze, I find it shocking that a palate as sophisticated as yours is would have anything to do with La Vache Qui Rit – especially considering that no one with an ounce of culinary respectability would be caught enjoying said fromage!

    **Especially atop slices of warm baguette,perhaps drizzled with honey or thinly sliced just out of the fridge & paired with,
    say, pate and a glass of wine – quelle scandale!

    • David

    Belle: I love that bread! I plan to write up the bakery in the future…although someone commented when I used it in a previous post that it didn’t look very good…huh??

    The bakery is Maison Yhuel, 29 rue St. Antoine, in the Marais.

    • swan

    I am so happy to be going to france next week…. Guess who’s on my list?!?!?

    • Ms. Glaze

    I’ve been to 2 FranPrix’s and 1 Monoprix and I can’t find Madame anywhere! She must be very popular (hee, hee). And yes, Belle, I’m ashamed of myself, it’s true.

A

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