Comestiblog

Thanksgiving, Calvados, and the Trou Normand

Today we give thanks and celebrate the bounty of the harvest.  To those expecting to feast heartily, may I suggest punctuating your meal with a trou normand (pronounced true nor·MAHN; literally, "Norman hole")?  At a certain stage of a grand dinner in Normandy, it was customary to pause for a glass of calvados to boost the metabolism and create a "hole" to make room for additional comestibles.  Nothing prolongs the pleasures of overindulgence more than a good shot of calva.

Calvados (pronounced cull·vah·DOSE) takes its name from the eponymous département in the northwest of France, a region that does not produce wine.  Normandy's rich pastures and orchards are better suited to dairy farming and apple growing than to viticulture.  Apples have a lengthy history in this area: cider dates back to the eighth century, long before its first documented distillation in 1553.

Although best known as an apple (cider) brandy, calvados can, by law, be produced from apples or pears.  Over 200 types of apple—ranging from sweet to inedibly tart—are permitted in its production.  The fruit is harvested, pressed, and allowed to ferment (four to six weeks) into a dry cider, whereupon, it is distilled and aged.

As with grape brandies, calvados is protected by its own appellations.  Pays d'Auge, the premier appellation contrôlée designation, applies to the core of the apple brandy production area, and continues to yield the highest-quality calvados.  Second-tier appellations refer to areas surrounding the Pays d'Auge.  The biggest difference is that Pays d'Auge cider must undergo a double distillation in a pot still, whereas others typically go through a single, continuous distillation in a column still.  The former method yields more flavor and complexity, while the latter produces a lighter, more apple-like flavor.

Age is a matter of taste and budget, of course.  Nevertheless, the older the calvados, the smoother and rounder it tends to be.  The age given on the bottle refers to the youngest component in the blend.  The following is a guide to age-related terms found on labels:

• Trois étoiles, ***  (2 years)
• Vieux, Réserve  (3 years)
• VO, VSOP, Vieille Réserve  (4 years)
• XO, Extra, Napoléon, Hors d'Âge, Age Inconnu  (6 years)

My personal favorite comes from Château du Breuil, in the Pays d'Auge.  The Réserve des Seigneurs - XO and, especially, the Royal are among the smoothest, richest, most complex I've tasted.  Their deep, dark color makes no secret of old age.  It's well worth spending a little more for a more mature brandy.  Regardless of your choice, a good calvados makes the perfect digestif—tried and trou Normand.  Santé!

Misspellings on the Menu at the State Dinner

Anahad O'Connor of The Caucus, the politics and government blog of The New York Times, reported that a number of spelling errors appeared on the menu at President Obama's state dinner last night.  Among the mistakes:  a reference to a wine from Oregon's Wilamette (instead of Willamette) Valley; a description of a dish made with chick peas (instead of chickpeas); and the unhyphenated name of Thibaut Janisson Brut, a Virginia sparkling chardonnay.

The author also condemned the misspelling of Grenache as follows:  "The correct spelling of the popular varietal, one of the most widely planted types of red grape in the world, is actually 'Grenache' with only one 'a,' not two."  Sorry, Mr. O'Connor, but Grenache, when described as a type of grape, is correctly called a variety, not a varietal.  (The wine produced from the grape variety is the varietal.)  If you're going to split hairs, at least try to use the proper terminology.

Fat Franks—The Wurst Place in Bellows Falls, Vermont

Fat Franks, the self-proclaimed Wurst Place in Bellows Falls, is a place to relish.  Anyone can serve a hot dog, but not everyone can do it right.  This little place offers perfectly prepared frankfurters, sausages, and burgers in a clean, friendly, and welcoming environment.  Though the franks and such are not made here, their provenance is local and regional.  To wit, the bacon and most of the smoked sausages come from nearby Claremont, New Hampshire, while the wienies and other wursts come from Boston, Springfield, and Mattapan, Massachusetts.  Even the ale used to poach the knackwurst and bratwurst hails from Vermont's own Long Trail Brewing Company.

Proprietor Jim Mort with daughter Lila Pellerin

Begun some three-and-a-half years ago, this excellent wurst venture was a result of some compelling circumstances.  While Jim Mort was growing dissatisfied with his job, a Chinese restaurant, the sole tenant of his building next to Miss Bellows Falls Diner, closed and vacated the premises.  The time was right for his embarkation into the man-eat-dog world of wieners.

Visitors to this Bellows Falls wienery can enjoy their red hots in three of the wurst ways: eat-in, take-home, or self-serve.  Perusal of the comprehensive menu reveals every manner of encased meat imaginable, including lamb, chicken, andouille, and Italian sausages, kielbasy, and German-style würste.  Each of the seven types of sausage is smothered in its own perfectly matched sauce-and-veggie concoction.  For the dogs, at least 15 toppings are available, along with several sides such as hand-cut Russet fries (with optional chili and cheese), homemade coleslaw, and beans laced with maple syrup.  Beyond the wurst, Fat Franks offers seven-ounce beef burgers (as well as turkey and vegetable varieties), also prepared in seemingly infinite ways.  For those who prefer a doggie bag, three sizes of frankfurter—Everyday, Skinny, and Fat—are sold by the pound, along with the aforementioned bacon and sausages.  One can even purchase the perennially popular Sabrett's sauerkraut by the bag.  Finally, to satisfy stomachs growling for a quick bite, there's the self-service steam table at which one can dress up a so-called Everyday Dog in fine fashion.  This is how my Comestaccomplice and I sampled the best of the wurst.

The Everyday Dog’s meaty flavor and proper "snap" reflect Fat Franks' attention to quality.  Though not all the menu's add-ons are available here, the superior toppings and condiments more than adequately round out a truly delicious experience.  While this New Yorker has grown accustomed to Sabrett's sauerkraut (and was pleased to see it among the self-service offerings), I've never enjoyed a tastier, spicier (homemade) chili topping anywhere.  In addition, the well-chosen Raye's Stone Mill Mustards from Maine afford a deeply-flavored sauce for every sausage.  Lastly, to help tame the dogs, beer and wine are available.

Frankly speaking, in the world of wursts, this place is a wiener.

Fat Franks

92 Rockingham Street
Bellows Falls, VT   05101-1316   (map)

(802) 463-4388

http://fat-franks.com/

By train:  Amtrak's Vermonter to Bellows Falls, VT (BLF)