Spaulding Gray, Feline Foodie, Reporting For Duty
February 26, 2011
The Lady caught me just as I was starting to dictate my next cheese review.
A Trio of Welsh Cheeses from Abergavenny Fine Foods
February 24, 2011
Vegetarian-Suitable
On the island adjacent to the cheese kiosk, The Lady carries three pre-packaged Welsh cheeses from the English producer, Abergavenny Fine Foods and exported to the US by Somerdale International. The cheese is packed in a parchment paper, weighs approximately 7ounces and retails for $9.99.
Tintern
Traditionally, this cheese is produced in wheels coated in bright green wax as shown in the picture to the left. Tintern is the name of the Abbey where the shallots first used in this cheese were farmed.
This mature Welsh cheddar’s taste is intensified with the addition of chives and shallots. The texture is smooth and creamy with the aroma of the chives prominent.
I would categorize this cheese as a “Pub cheese” that pairs well with beer and might sit on the bar next to a basket of crackers.
If you enjoy cheese with added flavors, you will enjoy this cheese.
I give Tintern 3 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).
Serving Suggestions: With crackers, this cheese is a great snacking cheese. It also melts well and would be terrific in a grilled sandwich or a twist in mac n cheese.
Wine Pairing: Merlot
Beer Pairing: Fuller’s Golden Pride – similar to a Belgium Abbey Beer.
Source: Cows’ Milk
Red Dragon
This cheese is named after the dragon symbol on the Welsh flag. Again, this cheese is produced in wheels, this one with red wax coating. For the US export market, it is shipped in the squares wrapped in parchment.
This flavored cheese is semi-soft blended cheddar with wholegrain mustard and ale added. It has some kick but not too much. The texture is buttery and melts on the palate. Again, this would be considered a pub cheese and goes better with an English beer.
I give red Dragon 3 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).
Serving Suggestion: With crackers and a beer, how can you go wrong. However, I must admit the mustard in this cheese cries out to be paired with some Boar’s Head Rare roast beef and nestled between some sourdough bread and grilled.
Beer: A rich English Beer from Fullers.
Wine: I would suggest Sauternes
Source: Cows’ Milk
Black Mountain
The third cheese in the trio is my favorite… I like to save the best for last…
Black Mountain, as you might guess, is coated with black wax…
This creamy Welsh cheddar is blended with garlic (lots of garlic), herbs and wine. This cheese is potent and will kick some serious ass on a cheese plate…
This cheese is quite versatile in use. The Lady stuffed some baked potatoes with this cheese and sent The Man into a swoon (surprise!!) and then a couple days later she used the rest to top a pizza. Both were hits here at the manse but those baked were “to die for”…
I give Black Mountain 4 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).
Serving Suggestions: On a cheese board, it’ll be the hit!! On a baked potato, it’ll be a hit as well. Personally I would like to stuff a split Gallus gallus breast (Foster Farms, of course) and make my own version of Black Mountain Kiev.
Wine Pairing: I think a light white wine would pair well with this cheese.
Beer: Gotta go with dark ale.
Source: Cows’ milk
Cheeses Awarded the Feline Foodie’s 4 Paws Designation
February 17, 2011
The Following cheeses and other items reviewed on the blog, all received 4 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got…)
34° Cracked Pepper Crispbread Crackers
34° Lemon Zest Crispbread Crackers
*34° Natural Crispbread Crackers
*34° Rosemary Crispbread Crackers
*34° Sesame Crispbread Crackers
*34° Whole Grain Crispbread Crackers
*Arbequina Extra Virgin Olive Oil
BelGioioso Tiramisu Mascarpone
Cahill’s Original Porter Cheese
Carr Valley Cows’ Milk Cheese Plate
Consider Bardwell Farm’s Pawlet
Consider Bardwell Farm’s Rupert
Crave Brothers Fresh Mozzarella
Fiscalini Farmstead Premium Aged Cheddar
Ford Farm Rugged Mature Cheddar
Fromager d’Affinois with Garlic and Herbs
Golden Age Cheese Super Sharp Cheddar
Golden Glen Creamery Farmstead Butter
Gothberg Farms’ Raw Milk Gouda
Gothberg Farms’ The Woman of LaMancha
Greens of Glastonbury Organic Mature Cheddar
*Hawthorne Fred Meyer Meat Counter Has Got It Going On
Ilbesa’s Aged Sheep’s Milk Cheese
Ilbesa’s Mature Sheep’s Milk Cheese
Laack’s Eight Year Extra Sharp Cheddar
*Long Clawson Dairy Lemon Zest Stilton
Mauri Gorgonzola Piccante D.O.C.
*Rogue Creamery Rogue River Blue
Roth-Kase Natural Smoked Gouda
*Salemville SmokeHaus Blue Cheese
Sally Jackson Raw Sheep Milk Cheese
Sartori Bellavitano Gold with Pepper
Sweet Grass Dairy’s Thomasville Tomme
Tillamook 100th Anniversary Three-Year Vintage White Extra Sharp Cheddar
Tillamook Vintage White Extra Sharp Cheddar
*Tsunami Sushi at Hawthorne’s Fred Meyer
Upland’s Pleasant Ridge Reserve
Vermont Butter and Cheese Creamery Bijou
*Vermont Butter and Cheese Creamery Crème Fraiche
Vermont Butter and Cheese Creamery Cultured Butter
*Vermont Butter and Cheese Creamery Mascarpone
*Indicates Cheese is carried on The Lady’s kiosk or Cheese Island
Whole Foods’ Cheese Plate
February 17, 2011
The Lady and The Man stopped in the local Whole Foods to buy some White Truffle Oil and while there, The Lady couldn’t resist checking out the cheese counter. Whole Foods carries many cheeses that The Lady doesn’t carry at her kiosk. She went through the small morsel basket and came up with six small pieces she used to make up a Valentine’s Day Cheese Plate:
Before I begin, let me express a bit of disappointment that two of the pieces had mold under the label side although the dates were well in the distance. We all realize this can happen, but when cheeses are in the $10-$40 a pound range, you’d prefer to know they are freshly wrapped. Also, a couple of the pieces were on the dry side which also indicated more age than the label dates indicated… The Lady simply trimmed the mold away; but had these been larger sizes, she would have returned them. Do NOT hesitate to return cheese to your cheesemonger when you feel its quality is lacking in any manner…
Now for the cheeses we sampled:
Boschetto al Tartufo Il Forteto Coop: this semi-soft cheese from Italy is a mixed-milk cheese using cow and sheep milk and added to it are black truffles. The cheese is both sweet and savory with just a touch of salt. The truffles add a pleasant earthy and garlicky flavor. Neither the cheese nor the truffles over-powered the other and actually were complimentary. The Man was quite taken with this cheese, although he didn’t swoon… ($38.99 a pound)
Next on the plate was Cypress Grove’s Lambchopper: A sheep’s milk Gouda made in Europe exclusively for Mary Keehn’s Cypress Grove. In keeping with Mary’s sense of humor, her website states that this cheese is “Born to be mild”. This was the favorite of the three of us, particularly The Man who actually did swoon while eating this sample. The Lady had to go through the “Sharing is a Virtue” drill… This cheese was sweet and tangy and although mild, the sweetness lingers. This is a cheese that The Lady calls “Kid-friendly”. And it is Vegetarian suitable. ($27.99 a pound)
Tumalo Farm’s Rimrocker: Named after the rocky cliffs that surround Tumalo Farms, this semi-hard cheese is a mixture of organic cow’s milk from a neighboring farm and Tumalo’s own farmstead goats’ milk. As it ages, the flavor becomes more full-bodied. The piece we sampled was a little drier than we felt it should be and The Lady plans to buy another piece at another WF and taste it again before making a final decision on that issue. The flavor was mild with just the right touch of goat tang. ($21.99 a pound)
Leyden with Cumin from Best Uniekaas: Leyden in a Dutch Gouda seasoned with cumin and caraway seeds. In Holland it is called “komijnekaas” which means cumin cheese but due to its popularity in the region around Leiden, it is exported as Leyden. This was our least favorite; none of us cared for the cumin flavor in the cheese even though we love cumin in Mexican dishes… ($12.99 a pound)
Cordobes Mitica: A Merino Sheep milk cheese imported exclusively from Spain for Whole Foods by Mitica. This cheese is similar in taste and texture to Manchego which is a favorite around the manse. Again, this piece was a little drier than we like but the flavor wasn’t diminished by the dryness and with Vintner’s Kitchen’s Port Cherry Marmalade, the taste sensations were delightful. One thought about the Port Cherry Marmalade; a little less liquid would be better. The taste, however, was perfect; just tart enough and just sweet enough. ($16.99 a pound)
Reggianito Argentina from Provvista: The last sample was Parmesan from Argentina. Reggianito, which means “small Reggiano”, is a hard cheese similar to Parmigiano Reggiano and was first made in this South American country by the Italian immigrants who missed the parms of their homeland. This cheese is produced in smaller wheels rather than the huge wheels of Parmigiano-Reggiano. It is aged 5-6 months and generally used in cooking or grated on pasta dishes. However, serving it at room temperature and as the last cheese of the plate was a perfect end to our cheese plate. The Man topped this cheese with a little dollop of Vintner’s Kitchen’s Raspberry Mimosa Gelee and then he swooned… ($9.99 a pound)
It’s actually hard to rate this cheese plate when the quality (due to post-cheesemaker care) of a couple of the cheeses is in question… but I’ll go with 3 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got). However, I have to give the Cypress Grove Lambchopper 4 Paws out of 4 Paws…
The European Union Has 1000th Quality Food Name Registered
February 16, 2011
Very interesting article about how the EU is protecting the quality of certain specialty foods – bravo!!
From euroalert.net
published on Tuesday, February 15, 2011 under Agriculture & Fisheries
On 15 February 1000th quality food products are registered by the European Commission. The latest one has been an Italian sheep’s cheese. On the other hand, Spain has 146 products in this record. In addition, the Commission considers these schemes essential for fast start-up of ‘Quality Package 2010’, by introducing several regulations that are bringing the production to the quality criteria demanded by consumers.
The European Commission has registered on February 15, the one thousandth quality food name. The ‘Piacentinu Ennes’, an Italian sheep’s cheese, held in the Sicilian province of Enna and whose ingredients are raw sheep’s milk and saffron crocus, pepper and salt. Since their creation in 1992, the EU schemes have registered quality agricultural products and foodstuffs throughout the EU and third countries in order to prevent fraud or imitations. In recent years, there has been an increase of applications due to the EU successive enlargements and a greater interest in countries such as India, China and Thailand among others.
To read the entire article, please click here.
Cheesemonger.WordPress Reaches the Big 5-0-0 With This Posting
February 14, 2011
Back in August 2008, when The Lady and I began our adventure with cheese, I don’t think either of us thought we’d write 500 blog posts and pages… but here we are today, posting number 500.
As 500 loomed on the horizon, in my bravado, I began a countdown and made promises of “Big Plans”… after 499, I realized I actually had to deliver on my “Big Plans”. I was reminded of Samuel Johnson, who said, “It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than open one’s mouth and remove all doubt.” SJ was a wise man indeed…
The Lady and I put our heads together… which is easier around here than one might think… and decided to go with our favorite Cheese Headlines. Followed by a few shout-outs to a folks who helped us along the way…
The Lady and I subscribe to a Google search alert titled “cheese” and every day we get an email filled with headlines and links to articles Google gleans from the internet about all things cheese. It’s a great research tool and keeps us up-to-date with the cheese world. Granted, we get a few things that have nothing to do with the cheese we know, love and write about… for example, cheese is slang for “money” and derived from welfare recipients receiving “government cheese”. Sadly, “cheese” is also slang for a new illegal drug hitting the urban streets…
From these alerts, I noticed the following:
- It is scary how many strange events occur in and around Chuck E. Cheese… few, if any, involve cheese or Chuck E.; many involve brawling…
- You can make a different Mac n Cheese recipe every day of the year for a decade or longer…
- “Say Cheese” is the favorite phrase used in news stories about cheese… followed closely by “The Big Cheese” and “Whey to Go”… all a bit “cheesy” if you ask me…
And now for my favorite Cheese Headlines from 2010:
Things a Monkey Could Cook: Macaroni and Cheese with Applesauce (how about a caveman???… with all due respect to the cavemen of the world…)
Cheesemaker’s growth udderly fantastic (seriously??? “udderly”??? – “Hey, copywriter, step away from the keyboard!!”)
Dog eats bagel; woman goes nuts (turns out the woman thought the cream cheese schmeared on the bagel would kill the dog… Ten bucks says she’s a member of PETA…)
Mr Dimon, Would You LIke Some Cheese With That Whine? (One of our favorites around the manse – Jamie Dimon is the head of Chase Bank (or in keeping with our theme here – he’s the Big Cheese at Chase), which is, in our still constitutionally protected opinion, one of the greediest banks in the country.
Cut the Cheese in “The Fart Without Fear” Cookbook (I don’t know where to begin…)
Cancer Patients Should Avoid Listeria Containing Cheese Products (Not that anyone asked me, but it seems everyone should avoid cheese products containing listeria… but what do I know, I’m just a cat.)
Now Drinking | The Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup Martini (is nothing sacred???)
Oprah: Depression Made Me Eat 30 Pounds of Mac ‘N’ Cheese (now, that’s a lot of mac n cheese…)
A foodie rates Chili’s 2 for $20 deal: Trying out that little bistro on Sawyer (I’m sorry, I just never thought I’d see “Foodie” and “Chili’s” in the same sentence…)
The secret to great fudge is … Velveeta? (I don’t even have to make this stuff up…)
And here are a few Chuck E. Cheese specific headlines…
Below the Scroll: Chuck E. Cheese’s brawls, Miss America, weightless cats (I take great exception to Chuck E Cheese brawls and cats being mentioned in the same headline… even the weightless ones.)
Beaumont man arrested after brawl at Chuck E Cheese (The Lady and I watched the video of this event but decided it was in poor taste to link to it… however, you can find it at youtube.com. (Telling you where to find it is tasteless as well; but a little less, don’t you think???) There’s also a news video about another brawl at a Chuck E Cheese somewhere on the East Coast… what’s up with brawling at Chuck E Cheese – isn’t it supposed to be a family restaurant where you take the kids to have fun???)
Police log: Women fighting at Chucky Cheese (evidently, just another typical evening at Chuck E. Cheese)
Calling All Cars: Trouble at Chuck E. Cheese’s, Again (what can I say… “It must be The Hickeys again”….)
Man Punches Woman at Chuck E. Cheese (I ask you, shouldn’t this be the exception rather than the rule when it comes to CEC… alas, I would be wrong…)
On a more serious note, a few shout-outs to folks who helped The Lady and moi, your humble Feline Foodie, as we wander through the world of cheese:
First, and most important, is The Man. He is the love of The Lady’s life; he takes care of all my needs when The Lady is at the cheesemines and he’s been a good sport regarding the comments I make about him… well, most of them, anyway… 
My friend Katy Ellis O’Brien, who drew the caricature of moi that has become my signature portrait. Katy, you’re the best and amazingly talented… you captured my soul (and heart)… Please visit Katy’s website and blog to view her art.
Amy, The Queen of Cheese, who ignited the first passion for cheese in The Lady…
DPI, for taking me off their banned blogs list and allowing their employees to once again read what I have to say, in the event anyone at DPI actually cares…
Gordon “Zola” Edgar, cheesemonger extraordinaire, for generously sharing his knowledge with The Lady and moi. Please buy his book, Cheesemonger, A Life on the Wedge and read his blog.
And finally, The Brain. If not for him, The Lady and I would never have hooked up…
Greens of Glastonbury Organic Mature Cheddar
February 10, 2011
Reviewing this English Cheddar got buried under a pile of other reviews… my apology to the folks who make this terrific cheese… cheese happens…
When The Lady began her second career as a cheesemonger, this cheese was part of the kiosk schematic… sadly over time, it went away…
It had nothing to do with sales of quality… perhaps the demand was too high for this farmhouse cheddar produced in the West Country at the foot of the Glastonbury Tor by the Green family. The Lady misses this cheese; her customers miss this cheese and as with most things of the greatest importance I, your Feline Foodie, miss this cheese…
According to John Green, he along with his two sons and one nephew are carrying on the tradition of his family that now spans eighty years of cheesemaking. On their 600-acre farm they have a herd of 750 cows and about 25% are raised organically. It is this milk that is used to make the mature cheddar. Fans of their cheese include members of the English Royal Family.
You can view the Green Family taking you through their cheesemaking process by clicking here. It is well-worth taking a few minutes to enjoy their story. They still wrap the cheese by hand, actually there is still a lot of hands-on production at the Green Farm.
The paste of this cheese is a pale buttercup and crumbly. It melts on the palate as the full-bodied flavors pop and explode in your mouth. It is buttery, slightly sweet and nutty with that pleasant earthiness that comes with English cheddars made in the traditional manner. Because the milk is heated to only 35-40° Celsius (95-105°) and not fully heated to a pasteurizing level, you can still taste the hints of the grass and other flora the cows eat.
I give Greens of Glastonbury 4 Paws out of 4 Paws (because that’s all I’ve got). And further add, if you get the chance to taste this cheese, don’t pass it up…
Serving Suggestions: As you know that cheddars in general rate high around the manse because cheddars are beyond versatile when it comes to what you can do with cheddar… you can do almost anything with cheddar… The Lady presented it to The Man and me on a cheese plate with strawberry jam and water crackers… for us it was a complete meal… But cheddar is also perfect in mac n cheese either as the “Stand-Alone” cheese or as a blend. It makes a perfect grilled cheese.
Wine Pairing: The Lady chose a full-bodied red that stood up to this bold cheddar.
Beer Pairing: The Man chose Pilsner Urquell.
Source: Organic Thermalized Cow’s Milk
Awards: Many
(Stay tuned… the next post will be our 500th post (includes pages also) on cheesemonger.wordpress… we promise it will be fun and informative…)
Mondrian, Another Dutch Master from Holland
February 8, 2011
KH De Jong, a Dutch Cheesemaking Company, has a line of cheeses they call the “Dutch Masterpieces”. Each cheese in the line is named after a Dutch painter or artist. The Lady sells several of these cheeses and they are popular here at the manse. Included in this line are two I have previously reviewed: Rembrandt and Vincent, both tasty aged Goudas.
Today she brought home another “Dutch Masterpiece”, Mondrian which is a Swiss-style cheese named after Piet Mondrian (originally “Mondriaan”). Rembrandt and Vincent have pictures of the famous painters on their labels. Mondrian cheese instead bears a painting that appears vaguely Cubist, but is what the Artist called Now-Plasticism. Although Mondrian painted landscape scenes, he is primarily remembered for these paintings which consisted of a white ground with thick black vertical and horizontal lines with blocks filled with red, blue and yellow. 
This cheese arrives vac-packed and is carried on the cheese island, adjacent to The Lady’s kiosk. It is an ivory-colored cheese with large “eyes” that sets Swiss-style cheese apart from most other cheeses, although many aged Gouda may contain “eyes” as well. (The eyes are created late in the production of this style cheese as a result of CO2 being released as part of a natural reaction as the bacteria used in production consumes the lactic acid. See the “trivia” note below…)
Mondrian, the cheese is nutty and sweet with a more pronounced flavor profile than found in the milder Jarlsberg, a Swiss-style cheese made in Norway (so noted for my friend, Mary, and her battalion of fellow travelers protecting the Easter US Quadrant commonly known as Virginia). However, it doesn’t reach the heights of complex flavor found in the King of Swiss cheeses, Emmenthal.
The Lady served this fine cheese with crackers and a little jar of Spicy Red Wine Mustard from Vintner’s Kitchen (The Folks at Vintner’s Kitchen have really got it going on when it comes to making jams, jellies and mustards – all containing the fruits of the vine… check them out; you’ll be glad you did). As you might expect, The Man swooned while I quietly maintained my dignity and prayed I would get my fair half-share before The Man ate it all.
I give Mondrian 3 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).
Serving Suggestions: This cheese works well on a cheese board but is equally qualified to proudly be part of a grilled ham and cheese panini. You can also use it in mac n cheese and other cooking creations.
Wine Pairing: This cheese pairs well with a white such as Pinot Gris; a red like Zinfandel and even with a Port.
Beer Pairing: Your favorite Dortmunder is an excellent choice with Mondrian.
Source: Pasteurized Cows’ milk
Trivia: Swiss-style cheese without eyes is called “Blind”.
(Stay Tuned: we are only 2 posts and pages away from our 500th post here (doesn’t include our sister recipe blog, cheesemonger recipes). We have big plans for 500!!)
Red Hot Edam
February 6, 2011
A recent addition to the cheese line-up at The Lady’s Kiosk is a hot little number from Holland: Red Hot Edam. It’s a round ball about the same size as a Civil War cannonball The Man bought in New Orleans that had been “allegedly” pulled out of the Mississippi River. However, that’s where the comparison ends… the cannonball is reddish-brown and rusty and Red Hot Edam is coated with a bright yellow wax and wrapped with a bright red sash… and, of course, inside is a creamy cheese, speckled with red hot chili flakes… we have no idea what’s inside the cannonball… but it’s safe to assume it’s more rusty… cannonball…
The level of heat you like will decide how hot you think this cheese is. The Lady loves hot food and the higher it hits on the Scoville Heat Index, the better… The Man… not so much… the woose… but he’s my woose and I love him… The Lady thinks it’s mildly spicy and the man thinks it’s off the charts… you be the judge…
Inside the yellow wax is a creamy semi-soft, young Edam cheese chocked full of red chili flakes to give it an extra kick. A young Edam is very mild with the chili bringing more life to this cheese. The Lady served it with crackers but she and The Man suggested using it on nachos was probably a better use of this particular cheese.
Now don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with this cheese, but it’s not going to become one of those “everyday” cheeses The Lady keeps on hand for whatever entertaining or cooking possibility that might arise.
I’ll give Red Hot Edam a limp 3 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).
Serving Suggestions: This cheese probably is more at home on nachos or between two tortillas than on a cheese plate. With ham, it would probably make a respectable grilled sandwich.
Wine Pairing: How about a fruity sangria?
Beer Pairing: The Man suggests an IPA while Beer Enthusiast, Mike Wright, suggests Bud Light…
Source: Cow Milk
(Stay Tuned: we are only 3 posts and pages away from our 500th post here (doesn’t include our sister recipe blog, cheesemonger recipes). We have big plans for 500!!)
President Comte
February 4, 2011
Made from Raw Milk
At the cheese and wine tasting event with our friend, Waldemar Albrecht, The Lady received a couple wedges of President Comte which she brought home for moi, your not-so-humble Feline Foodie to taste and review. Our first tasting was in the 3-cheese Mac n Cheese she made using the Comte along with Bellwether Farms Carmody and Kirkland Signature Cave-Aged Vermont Cheddar. The combination of the three cheeses created what The Man declared “The Best Mac n Cheese I have ever tasted” as he swooned out-of-control. He does that a lot; he and I are both eternally grateful that The Lady enjoys cooking for us. I would also like to thank the Cooking Channel, sister network of the Food Network, for inspiring The Lady… God Bless Cable… but I digress…
Last night, as the evening hors d’oeuvre, The Lady brought out a wedge of the President Comte with Vintner’s Kitchen Strawberry and Pinot Noir Jam and toasted Georgia Pecans (sent to us by Miss Anne and The Tall Guy). The Lady has her “everyday cheeses” which she always keeps around the manse. She has added Comte to the “must-carry” cheeses in my cheese fridge… yes I have my very own “Cheese Fridge”… The Lady thinks it’s her cheese fridge… ignorance truly is bliss…
Comte became an AOC-protected cheese in 1958 with complete regulations established in 1973. The following are the regulations that control the production of Comte (sometimes called Gruyere de Comte):
The AOC regulations state (from wikipedia.com🙂
- Only milk from Montbeliarde Cattle is permitted, and each must have at least a hectare of grazing.
- Fertilization is limited, and cows may only be fed fresh, natural feed, with no silage.
- The milk must be transported to the site of production immediately after milking.
- Renneting must be carried out within a stipulated time after milking, according to the storage temperature of the cheese.
- Only one heating of the milk may occur, and that must be during renneting. It may be heated to no more than 40˚C.
- Salt may only be applied directly to the surface of the cheese.
- A casein label containing the date of production must be attached to the side of the cheese, and maturing must continue for at least four months.
- No grated cheese may be sold under the Comté name.
As mentioned, this is an everyday cheese around the manse and for good reason. This cheese is quite versatile. It can be the centerpiece of any respectable cheese plate and then go directly into cooking mode. Around the manse, we use it in both capacities.
This cheese is nutty and sweet; it is a bit milder than Gruyere and lacks the slight “metallic” after taste of Gruyere (the metallic after taste should NOT be interpreted as bad; it’s not; it’s simply a characteristic of that cheese). The paste is a deep ivory color and melts on the palate, leaving you craving for more. When you pair this cheese with a jam, such as the Vintner’s Kitchen Strawberry and Pinot Noir Jam mentioned above, the combination of sweet and savory is out-of-this-world (one of the reasons I love living in this world as opposed to the Mother Ship).
It’s a slam dunk here at the manse: The Lady, The Man and I all love President Comte… although, as we all know, it’s only my opinion that really counts…
I give President Comte 4 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).
Serving Suggestions: I’ve actually covered this but a few more specifics: perfect on a cheese plate; perfect in a mac n cheese; perfect in au gratins; perfect with jams, mustards, olives and nuts… it’s pretty much perfect no matter how you serve it.
Wine Pairing: This cheese can be paired with many different wines: Sancerre, Merlot, a bold Cabernet Sauvignon and even champagne. As is to be expected, The Lady prefers 14 Hands Merlot… surprise…
Beer Pairing: A dunkel or a porter are nice pairings for this cheese.
Source: Raw milk from the Montbeliarde Cow.
Bit of trivia: There is a long-standing rivalry between Comte and Gruyere as to which is better…
(Stay Tuned: we are only 4 posts and pages away from our 500th post here (doesn’t include our sister recipe blog, cheesemonger recipes). We have big plans for 500!!)
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