Roquefort pain au chocolat

The king of cheeses is one of the names given to Roquefort, the blue cheese made from ewe's milk in the south of France. The Penicillium roqueforti used in the production must be produced in France from the natural caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon. This pain au chocolat was inspired by a recent post by Anya called a complete guide to heaven. Having never tried the combination of cheese and chocolate until today, I was most pleasantly surprised. My friend sitting opposite me said she found the taste delicious. It was also a quick and simple luxury snack on a Sunday when once again we are quite busy. Our topic, rice, has been in the news as the BBC reports that India and Pakistan are to cooperate in the protection of Basmati rice against attempts by foreign companies to patent the traditional crop. Roquefort also has its origin protected by EU law, and it seems that the only way to conserve the biodiversity of traditional crops and foods is to describe and define their region of origin and prevent the use of patent law to deprive traditional farmers of their livelihoods. Traditional food crops should be a part of the commons that belong to all humanity, and not limited to the whim of a corporation. A rich biodiversity of food plants is one of the best strategies for a sustainable future.
My organic chocolate bar is still in my bag and, as the night temperature drops below zero, there is very little risk of it melting, unless I put my bag next to the heating. For the first time this winter I saw ice on top of the water in the park this morning. Thank you everyone for your Valentine good wishes. I liked the pink in Vegetalion's cupcake post and the lovely heart with strawberries posted by VeggieGirl. When the weather is cold warm colours make all the difference. As I try to think of a way to finish this post there is a French coffee brewing in the kitchen. What is your favourite winter warmer? A hot toddy? A cup of tea? Or maybe a strong beer that has been warmed up on the stove? Perhaps a hot cup of drinking chocolate? I can hear some steps on the stairs. My coffee with cognac has arrived.