[pinkcell]

Hello!

I am a French women who has just moved to Niantic, CT (close to New London). I'm so excited to have moved in USA!!

Cooking is in my genes and I love making pastries. I'm really picky about the products I use (quality product is essential for a cook!).

I would really appreciate your help for locating these stuff close to where I live (everything that I found is at least 1h drive away).

I'm looking for:

-fresh yiest
-culture for yogourt or greek yogourt (I hate non fat or light product!!!)
-thick cream (best for "quiche")
-cheese of course ;-)
-"lardon" (small strips or cubes of fatty bacon or pork) I cut them from bacon but it is not the best
-true baguette what I mean is crusty baguette (yes I'm French!)
-good bakery (with good pastries when I'm lazzy to make them)
-fat duck products: "magret" (fat duck breast), fresh liver (to make "foie gras") or the whole duck (for Christmas)
-good butcher offering all kind of meat: lamb, beef, pork...
-fresh vegetables and fruits (from a farm??)
-spice shop
-shop where I can find chick pea flour, grinded almonds (for macarons), grinded nuts, high quality chocolate for pastries (dark, milk, white)
-"charcuterie": to buy ham, sausage, paté, confit.... (maybe imported from Italy, Spain or France?)
-fresh puff pastry (so hard to make!)
-"feuilles de brick" (sheets of brick pastry) so good with banana and nutella!

My colleagues are really impatient to taste my cooking but without my ingredients it is a mission impossible.

Last question: do you know a cooking club around Niantic??

I hope you will be able to help me thank you for your time

Cheers

[ED BUCHANAN]

All of them can be found on line, just enter them in your computer.

[pinkcell]

I have already tried to locate them online but I did not find them and also it doesn't say if the quality is good.

Thanks

[ED BUCHANAN]

For many of the things you are looking for, it seems you need a good local butcher and bakery, look in yellow pages as far as yogurt culture, dannon plain could be your culture starter at right temperature , I have done this .
. Baquette, make your own, same as puff pastry. yeast my local supermarket has that. Since you are in an upscale area I am sure there are local upscale farmers markets, and gourmet shops.lardoons fat back or unsliced high quality bacon or pancetta fat As far as quality? you will have to determine that yourself by trial and error.

[shel]

Take a look at this page: Downtown New London Events (New London, CT) and possibly check out the Farmers' Market, as Ed suggested.

In a few days, on October 15, there will be a food festival in New London - you may be able to make some connections at the event.
2008 Historic Waterfront District Fall Food Stroll

[amazingrace]

For yogurt starter, go to Amazon.com and type in yogourmet yogurt starter. This search will yield several choices. If there is a natural foods store in your area, you inquire there for starter also.