Welcome to my little corner of culinary delights.

Before going westward, I wish to mention one more interest regarding the northeastern region.  There we have the province of Champagne.  Most, if not all of us, know about bubbly; properly known as either sparkling wine or the classic Champagne. 

What some of us may not know is that not every wine that goes “Pop” is Champagne.  Officially, the only effervescent wine allowed to be called Champagne is wine that come from the province of Champagne.  The effervescent wines made elsewhere should be known as and called sparkling wine.  Never let a true Frenchman here you call any wine “Champagne” that did not come from that province.

In the days of my youth, I have made various types of wine at home; white and red, from dry to sweet.  I even tried making Champagne.  Oh, excuse me.  I meant to say sparkling wine.  It is not an easy task.  It requires constant vigilance.  First comes the cleaning and crushing of the white grapes and put into vats with special yeast and sugar.  There are to be no drags left in the bottle.  Therefore, after the initial fermenting, it is poured off leaving the drags behind.  Or it is filtered.  It then goes for its second fermenting in a thick heavy bottle.

The wine is bottled while the wine is still fermenting.  In this way, the carbon dioxide is trapped within the liquid.  If it is sealed too early, the bottle might burst.  If it is sealed too late, the effervescent would be minimized.  While sealed in the bottle, the bottle is stored at a slight angle downward and periodically turned.  After sufficient time has passed, it is carefully packed in crates and shipped throughout the world.  True Champagne comes from that province in northeastern France and is very expensive.  I find California wines to be excellent.

I had also made beer.  I wanted to see if I could do it.  It too is canned or bottled while on its last leg of fermentation.  It too must have that carbon dioxide trapped in the liquid for it to taste good.  Have you ever had flat beer?  It is not nice.  But it has a use.  Save it for any unwanted guests that arrive unexpectedly.

Beer too must be watched carefully.  A hydrometer is used to measure the alcohol content.  It must be bottled and sealed at the right time as indicated by the hydrometer.  Outside of what I drank in Munich, Germany, homemade is better than store bought; much better.  In the case of soda pop, the carbon dioxide is introduced via the flavored syrup being blended in with carbonated water.  We called it fountain coke when it is made at the soda fountain by a soda jerk.  This brings back memories of Helen Chambers at Chamber’s Drug Store making me fountain cokes.  This was in the early 1950s.

Western France is next.

Until next time, peace to all.