Step 1: Fly to France. Step 2: Go to Carrefour or Leclerc or your favorite supermarché. Step 3: Purchase fromage frais.

What is fromage frais? It is a fresh white cheese, unavailable in all but the most special of specialty shops in the United States. It is a creamy soft cheese made with whole or skimmed milk and cream. In Europe, it is available plain or flavored with fruit or with herbs and spices. It has the consistency of a cream cheese but with fewer calories and less cholesterol.

Substitute low-fat cream cheese in the recipe (but please, not nonfat cream cheese, which we are sure is one of the 10 worst food products of the last 10,000 years).