Golden Glen Creamery Flavored Cheddar Cheese Plate

 

It’s so hot here at the manse that I can’t even get my twenty hours of snoozing.

It’s so hot here at the manse that The lady has suspended cooking for The Man and your favorite Feline Foodie (that would be me)… but that’s not such a bad thing; no cooking means time for a cheese plate and we had a humdinger today.

The Lady’s friend Kim, GM at Golden Glen Creamery sent moi (and I suppose The Lady) several wedges of cheese and we have been enjoying them now for several weeks. Today The Lady prepared a cheese plate using for cheddars, three were flavored and the fourth was a 4-year aged cheddar.

The three flavored were all made using medium cheddar. Each is made using pasteurized whole milk, vegetable rennet and all are r-BST free.

The first one we tasted was a Sweet Basil flavor and this was the favorite of The Man. What we all liked about these cheeses is that the flavoring doesn’t overpower the cheese and become the dominate taste. The basil is quite subtle; it’s there, but it doesn’t stomp out the medium cheddar. The cheese is creamery and ever so sweet and nutty. Quite a nice cheese.

Up next, we sampled Red Pepper, Onion Garlic flavored medium cheese. It was a few bites before I had one that told me the pepper was a hot pepper and not a sweet pepper. Now, that’s subtle. Again made using Golden Glen Creamery Medium Cheddar and complimenting it without throwing the cheese under the bus. Again, a cheese we enjoyed and will have again.

The third flavored cheese was a Garlic Dill and with this cheese, the flavor was a bit more noticeable; but still the enjoyment of the cheese was not diminished in any way.

As mentioned before, some of my fellow cheese gurus poo-poo flavored cheese; not this Feline Foodie. Flavored Cheese…bring ‘em on; I love ‘em…

The last cheese on the plate was Aidan’s Reserve, a four-year aged cheddar. This cheese has legs and made the roof of my mouth tingle. This cheese was very crumbly and perhaps not a perfect cheese plate cheese; but it has got great flavor.

I give the Golden Glen Flavored Cheddar Cheese plate 3 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).

Serving Suggestions: These cheeses all make excellent choices for cooking. A little bird tells me that The Lady has plans to use the leftovers tomorrow in a mac n cheese (if the weatherman is telling the truth and the heat wave will be over today…). The Lady served these with whole grain crackers made by Sesmark with grapes and apple slices. A perfect meal on a hot summer afternoon.

Wine Pairing: An unwooded chardonnay such as one from Australia’s Yalumba Winery.

Beer Pairing: Live Oak Pilz, a Bohemian-style pilsner

Source: Cow Milk

FTC Full Disclosure – The cheesemaker/manufacturer sent me their product, hoping I would review the product/cheese.

Tillamook 100th Anniversary Cheddar Cheesecake

The Lady was wandering around Costco a few days ago and saw the two pound 100^th Anniversary wheels of the special three year Tillamook Vintage White Cheddar, which is a favorite around the manse. It’s one of our “everyday” cheeses. She couldn’t resist and bought a couple of wheels.  She had been on another cheese mission, but hit the “Abort” Button when those yummy wheels caught her eye…

She came home and announced she was going to make a cheesecake using our favorite cheddar… and she did.

The taste is quite savory and The Man, as is to be expected, swooned when he had his first bite. I was a bit more reserved but this Feline Foodie was thrilled… this is damn fine cheesecake…if I do say so myself. Of course, it might have just been cheesecake if it weren’t for Tillamook.

Click here for the recipe.

Finger Lakes Cheese Trail to Hold Open House Event

From: pressconnects.com

When: Tomorrow, July 10, 2010

Where: Upstate New York

The cheese houses of the Finger Lakes region hope to build on the success of their inaugural open house tour this year with their second Finger Lakes Cheese Trail tour event, scheduled for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. The small-scale, artisan cheese shops make cheese from milk produced right on the farm. Featured are many varieties of cheeses, made from goat, sheep and cow’s milk.

You can learn more and find a complete list of participating cheesemakers by clicking here.

The Long Quiche Goodbye by Avery Aames

Announcing for my “cheesy” friend, Avery Aames, the first mystery in her new series, “The Cheese Shop Mystery”: The Long Quiche Goodbye

Here’s what the publisher has to say about this book:

“Welcome to the grand opening of Fromagerie Bessette. Or as it’s more commonly known by the residents of small-town Providence, Ohio-the Cheese Shop. Proprietor Charlotte Bessette has prepared a delightful sampling of bold Cabot Clothbound Cheddar, delicious tortes of Stilton and Mascarpone, and a taste of Sauvignon Blanc-but someone else has decided to make a little crime of passion the piece de resistance. Right outside the shop Charlotte finds a body, the victim stabbed to death with one of her prized olive-wood handled knives.”

The Lady has promised to pick up a copy this weekend and read it to me. Once she does, I’ll post my own Feline Foodie review…

(Rumor has it that Fromagerie Bessette has its own feline resident… stay tuned…)

You can purchase The Long Quiche Goodbye by clicking here.