Slow Down and Savor Alouette® Cheese Review & Four Recipe/Coupons Booklets to First Four Responders

I think I recall seeing a brand of cheese called Alouette® but never really paid much attention to it until I had the opportunity to try it from SheSpeaks.com.  I received two coupons to try two varieties of Alouette®  to slow down and savour.

If you are not familiar with Alouette® brand of cheese, here is more information:

• Soft Spreadable - fresh and natural ingredients that provide a creamy, flavorful cheese
• Sundried Tomato & Basil
• Garlic & Herbs
• Savory Vegetable
• Spinach Artichoke
• Light Garlic & Herbs
• Alouette® Crème de Brie® - Ultra-creamy, spreadable cheeses, there's no rind to remove.
• Fine Herbs
• Original
• Alouette® Baby Brie® - Rich, double crème Brie, has a soft, creamy center with mild flavor, and silky white rind, all characteristic of a fine Brie.
• Original
• Garlic & Herbs
• Original Wedge
• Hickory Smoked Wedge
• Alouette® Crème Fraîche - All-natural, kosher cultured cream product is a culinary alternative to heavy cream and sour cream.
• Alouette® Elégante® - Multi-layered, flavorful spreadable cheese blend.
• Roasted Garlic & Pesto
• Roasted Red Peppers & Olive Tapenade
• Sundried Tomatoes & Garlic
• Alouette® Crumbles - gluten free
• Feta
• Feta Garlic & Herb
• Goat Cheese
• Blue Cheese
• Gorgonzola Cheese
• Feta Mediterranean
• Goat Cheese Provencal

I used my two coupons to try the Sun Dried Tomato & Basil and the Spinach Artichoke spreadable cheeses. 

Although I didn't really care for the Sun Dried Tomato & Basil, I LOVED the Spinach Artichoke spreadable cheese.  I loved it so much, it was gone in one day..oops!

If you need ideas on how to use the various products, Alouette® has a great site for recipes.  The options are endless on picking the right one and I choose the Alouette® Mediterranean Pizza to showcase:

• Category: Entrees
• Makes: 4
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Product: Alouette® Soft Spreadable Cheese

Ingredients

• 1 pkg. (6.5 oz.) Alouette Garlic & Herbs, or Alouette Spinach Artichoke, or Alouette Peppercorn Parmesan Spreadable Cheese
• 1 10"-12" ready to use pizza crust
• 1 can (12 oz.) of artichoke hearts, drained and sliced.
• 1 jar (7 oz.) of roasted red peppers, drained and julienned
• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Spread Alouette Cheese on pizza crust.
3. Top with sliced artichokes and roasted red peppers. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
4. Bake 18-20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.
5. Cut into 8 wedges and serve.

Special promotion here on Baby Brie Wedges HERE.

I have FOUR booklets of recipes and three $1.00 coupons attached to each booklet to giveaway.

The first four people interested, can have them.  Please leave a comment if you would like to experience this great tasting cheese!

Chocolate: A Love Story: 65 Chocolate Dessert Recipes from Max Brenner's Private Collection (Hardcover) Review

Product Details:

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (November 2, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316056626
• ISBN-13: 978-0316056625
• Product Dimensions: 12 x 9.1 x 0.8 inches

Chocolate A Love Story is a collection of 65 chocolate dessert recipes from Max Brenner's private collection.  Max Brenner, at an early age of 10, read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and decided from that point forward, he was going to find a river of chocolate.

Max has locations in Philadelphia, New York City, Australia, Phillipines, Singapore and Israel and there are many products available at his online shop HERE.  One product that Max is known for is the "Hug Mug" which is a coffee mug shaped to keep your hands warm.  In NYC and Philadelphia, this is a great idea!  If you are looking for a great gift with a chocolate or indulgence theme, this is your spot.

What I enjoyed the most about Chocolate A Love Story was Max's inclusion of himself into the various pages of this creative book.  The artist, Yontan Factor, provides an interesting and unique perspective to introducing art into this clever display of mouthwatering chocolate creations.  I have to admit, my first impression was one of confusion as I couldn't understand how this was a recipe book but after opening my mind, reading personally about Max and the artist, finally each recipe, I quickly fell in love with the concept of the book.  I feel this would be a great gift to any chocolate lover, a chef, a novice or even as a romantic gift.  This is not your run of the mill cookbooks as it's a piece of art on many levels from this chocolate genius.

I believe by reading Max's path towards his reality of bringing his chocolate to life, one can understand the passion behind the book, the recipes and the man himself. 

"On the one hand, it is the most romantic gift; on the other hand, a commodity that is traded in the bourse. It is sold like precious jewelry that is picked carefully from a crystal glass, but also is an addictive snack in every corner kiosk. It is tasted like a fine wine and licked straight from the bowl...These diverse aspects of chocolate and of life are the inspiration for our book."

This is a sample of recipes:

• The Belgian Street Waffle <-- My Favorite
• Spy Thriller Chocolate Black Forest Cake
• Military Porridge
• Pretentious White Chocolate Panna Cotta
• Overwhelming Oriental White Chocolate Malabi
• Meaningless Sweet Spaghetti
• Home Industry Chocolate Cheese Pockets

The entire book if filled with mouth watering enticements which made me want to try nearly all of them.  One thing to note, they are not all easy recipes and are involving with a variety of ingredients and a few steps but well worth it! This is a great way to either indulge yourself or someone else.

I tried the Belgian Street Waffles and loved them!  I had to buy a few extra ingredients that I don't normally have on hand but most recipes are like that unless you are already a master chef.  The bonus I like about Chocolate A Love Story is that Max describes how to display your own masterpiece on the plate for the final touch. 

I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes to cook and who likes chocolate.  This makes a great table book or an addition to the recipe book collection.  It's a beautiful display of creativity coupled with delicious recipes.

Special thanks to Hachette Book Group and The Product Review Place for providing this opportunity to review Chocolate A Love Story.

          

Note:  Hachette Book Group provided this opportunity to review Chocolate A Love Story.  I was provided the book and received no financial compensation to provide my independent review.