100% Parmesan Crisps From Kitchen Table Bakers

Gluten-Free

The Lady met the owner of Kitchen Table Bakers through Linkedin. After they connected, Barry Novick offered to send samples of his parmesan crisps to The Lady. The Lady rarely (think never) turns down free food… does anyone turn down free food??? I doubt it… but I digress…

His samples arrived and in the box were three different varieties: Aged Parmesan, Sesame and Everything.

The Lady decided to serve them “naked” and after The Man and I tasted all three and shared our thoughts, she then delighted us further with a mini-cheese platter to accompany the crisps.

Before my reviews, let me tell you a bit about Barry and his company, Kitchen Table Bakers.

Barry’s mom, a home baker, told her family, “If you use only the highest quality and best tasting ingredients, you will always end up with something delicious and nutritious.” Barry took her philosophy to heart and in 2003 created his first Parmesan wafer, one small batch at a time. Soon he was making larger batches and friends and family helped spread the word. Barry began sending out samples with his phone number. His phone started ringing and didn’t stop. He left his career as a hospital administrator and never looked back. Recently, Vons Pavilions and Safeway Stores began carrying his Parmesan Crisps in their Specialty Food areas. (We love Pavilions; when we were still in SoCal, it was our “go-to” grocery store.) In 2010, Rachel Ray named these crisps one of her “Snack of the Day” choices. In 2009, KTB’s crisps won a Prestigious Gold Sofi Award at NASFT’s Summer Fancy Food Show.

These 100% Parmesan crisps have a lot of great things going for them: They are gluten-free, 100% natural, zero sugar and zero trans-fat. They are rich in calcium and protein. For complete nutritional values, please click here.

Now for my reviews:

Let me begin by saying, that I have my favorite of the three, but that in no way should diminish your perception of these crisps. All three that we sampled are scrumptious, borrowing a word from Miss Anne, mother of the late, great Hemingway, Joel (who has also left us behind) and The Lady and she’s a friend of mine.

All three of these flavors are round, flat disks of total cheese: nutty and a bit salty – exactly the way I like my Parmesan. They are baked to perfection with just the right amount of crunchiness. These crisps are thick enough to support toppings such as cheese, dips, spreads and still thin enough to be munchable.

100% Parmesan Crisps – “Everything” – This was my least favorite of the three but again let me reiterate, these are excellent crisps. You can never go wrong with anything that is 100% cheese, especially when it’s topped with poppy seeds, garlic, onion and sesame seeds. Personally, I thought the onion was almost burned and that’s the only thing wrong with this crisp.

I give the Everything Crisp 3 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).

100% Parmesan Crisps – “Sesame” – Sesame seeds add a nice mellow, nutty finish to these tasty treats. I could eat these crisps every day, if The Lady would allow… sadly her views and mine on my dietary needs don’t always connect…

I give the Sesame Crisps 3 out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).

100% Parmesan Crisps – “Aged Parmesan” – These were my favorite and also The Man was quite taken with these. I had to fight him paw-for-paw to get my fair share. I knew his mother and she taught him manners, but some days, especially when around food, I think he forgets and thinks only of himself… I remind him every chance I get that everything is all about me… but I digress… back to the review…

I think the less added to cheese, the better and these are pure, naked cheese. It just doesn’t get any better than this. Nutty, salty, crunchy, long finish – cheese perfection.

I give the Aged Parmesan Crisps 4 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).

Serving Suggestions: You can eat these straight out of the package and be perfectly satisfied. But you can dress these babies up as well with hummus, baba ghanoush, salsas or cheese spreads. You can use them as a “bottom” for your favorite canapé or with other slices of your favorite cheeses.

Wine Pairing: The Lady suggests a merlot or other robust red; the same as she would pair with parmesan in its original form.

Beer Pairing: American Brown Ale or an ESB.

Source: Cows’Milk

Awards: 2009 SOFI Gold

You can “Like” Kitchen Table Bakers Parmesan Crisps on Facebook.

You can follow them on twitter where they tweet as @ParmCrisp

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

 

Hoffman’s Vermont White Cheddar

Made with raw milk from the Jersey cow

The Lady sells several Hoffman cheese products but this one is the only one that is natural cheese.

We like cheddar around the manse; it’s a versatile cheese that is at home on a cheese plate and always a winner in mac n cheese.

The Hoffman’s Natural White Cheddar is a full-flavored cheese with a sweet, nutty mellow taste. It has those flavor crunchies that burst when you bite into them. This cheese is made in Vermont using raw milk from the Jersey cow. Jersey cows produce richer milk that has a higher butterfat, calcium and protein content than the Holstein cow.

I give Hoffman’s Vermont White Cheddar 3 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).

Serving Suggestions: The Lady served this for The Man’s tasting pleasure on Venta Crackers and cubed mine in one of my glass bowls. I was hoping for a little Varanus komodoensis tartare but The Lady explained that she can’t buy that at the Hawthorne Fred Meyer meat counter, most likely because it’s considered a “vulernable” species and approaching “endangered”… well excuse me, but these suckers are huge and should be able to protect themselves… must be that opposable thumb thingie again that gives humankind… well… the thumbs up over the VK… sheesh.

Wine Pairing: 2008 Shelburne Vineyard’s Chardonnay

Beer Pairing: Harpoon Brewery IPA

Source: Jersey Cow Milk

Sesmark Original Sesame Thins

While wandering around the cheese section of a competitor (aka “spying”), The lady discovered a tasty little cracker from Sesmark. According to their website, they use only natural products grown in the heartland of America; the sesame seeds come from Oklahoma and Texas.

These thins are made from wheat flour and white and black sesame seeds. They are slow baked and good for you. Sesame seeds are high in protein and filled with antioxidants. They are a good source of manganese, copper, calcium, iron and a bunch of other things that keep humankinds and felines healthy.

And these crackers are delicious with a robust and nutty flavor. The Lady served these with a cheese plate and the crackers enhanced the cheese tastes. As a special treat The Lady schmeared a bit of Fancy Feast Chicken Pate on one for me and like The Man often does, I swooned…

I give Sesmark Original sesame Thins 4 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).

The Lady promises to keep these crackers around the manse and bring home more varieties for this Feline Foodie to taste…

34° Whole Grain Crispbread Crackers

Before I begin this review, I must step aside for a moment and address my critics and let those same critics in on a secret… unless a cheese or cheese “accessory” is so bad that I cannot (in good conscience) withhold such information from my loyal readers, I rarely give out bad reviews.  I follow some sage advice I received from The Brain when beginning my blog journey, “If you can’t say something nice, then keep your paws to yourself”. So to those of you who are criticizing me for only saying “nice things” in my reviews, there are plenty of cheeses and other items that ended up in the litter box and not in the blog. Rest assured that if I say “nice things”, that means that “nice things” were earned… and let me add, you might find something important to worry about and not how I write my blog… after all it’s my blog and not yours… but I digress…

Robert from 34° Crispbread did a demo of his crackers at The Lady’s store recently and sent a box of their new 34° Whole Grain Crispbread Crackers home for your favorite Feline Foodie (that would be me) to taste and possibly review.

As many of you know from earlier reviews of 34° Crackers, they are a perennial favorite around the manse and for good reason: they are a perfect “cheese accessory”. They don’t overpower the cheese with too much flavor and yet you always know they are there and carrying their fair share of the load.

The Whole Grain is yet another fine example of 34° knowing how to make one fine cracker. Each serving of these Whole Grain Crispbread contain 12.86 grams of whole grain which is the equivalent of 15% of the US RDA. Each serving consists of 8-10 crackers and contain only 35 calories. That is 0 points on Weight Watchers!! And there are only three simple ingredients: 100% Whole Wheat flour, cheese and salt.

With that profile, let me ask you: what’s not to like about this healthy little crackers?

AND they’re yummy!!

This Feline Foodie gives 34° Whole Grain Crispbread Crackers 4 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got… and it’s all I need to get the job done…)

Serving Suggestions: The Lady served these with those also yummy goat cheeses from Rhonda Gothberg and Gothberg Farms.

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

DCI’s Limburger-Style Liederkranz Returns to the US Market

 

 

Back in the day (late 1800s) when refrigeration was inadequate (think: there was no Fedex Overnight), an apprentice cheesemaker at Monroe Cheese Company in Monroe, NY, Emil Frey, was challenged by his employer to duplicate Bismarck Schlosskase, a popular stinky German cheese that didn’t transport well across the Atlantic to New York. It took two years of experimenting but eventually, Frey stumbled upon a spreadable Limburger-style cheese.

Frey’s employer, Adolphe Tode, also owned the popular Manhattan Delicatessen. He took samples of the new cheese to the famous NYC singing society, The Liederkranz Club, whose members were patrons of the deli. When the members of the society pronounced it wonderful, Tode named the cheese “Liederkranz” in their honor. Liederkranz means “wreath of song” when translated from German.

After several changes of ownership, production of Liederkranz was moved to Van Wert, Ohio, which aided the cheese’s distribution and put it closer to its biggest purchasers: the Midwest German population. Overtime, its popularity waned and production ceased in 1985.

In March 2010, DCI Cheese Company located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, decided to resurrect Liederkranz and re-introduce this pungent and full-bodied cheese to the US market.

The Lady brought half of the small foiled brick of this cheese home after sharing the cheese with Amy, her BCFF. We have now tasted this smelly cheese on two occasions.

The first was earlier this week when The Man decided to grill burgers and top them with Liederkranz. I must admit, the aroma of warm Liederkranz is not an aroma soon forgotten. Around the manse, we rarely have stinky cheese and the smell sure takes over when the cheese hits a hot, sizzling burger. While the taste is robust and yet oh-so mellow, you must get past the smell to enjoy it. Once you do, the experience is divine.

Today The Lady served it simply on a plate with Croccantini Original by LaPanzanella.

This cheese has a moist edible rind that is a golden yellow color. The interior is a creamy ivory with a honey-like consistency. With age, Liederkranz will become stronger both in aroma and taste.

I give Liederkranz 3 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got) and I give DCI Cheese Company 4 Paws for responding to the Liederkranz fan base and bringing this niche cheese back to the market.

Serving Suggestions: Snacking with crackers is a winning combination. As mentioned above, it melts well on burgers and brings a new dimension to an All-American favorite.

Wine pairing: This is a tough one as this cheese needs a wine that stands up to the robust taste of the cheese. Maybe a full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon.

Beer Pairing: Porter or Bock would go great with this cheese.

Source: Cow Milk.

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

Golden Glen Creamery Cheese Plate

Vegetarian-Suitable Cheeses

The Lady’s cheese friend, Kim, General Manager at Golden Glen Creamery in Bow, Washington, sent a few cheeses as a gift for a “Help Wanted” post on the blog that we made a few weeks back.

We previously reviewed their fabulous Farmstead Butter which immediately became the “Main” Butter of the manse.

The Lady made a cheese plate of four of the cheeses and suggested that maybe I could taste them and review them on my blog… this Feline Foodie (that would be me) is always up for cheese tasting and reviewing…

The first cheese on the plate was Golden Glen Tall Grass, a Havarti-style cheese made from pasteurized cow milk. This cheese has a white, creamy paste and was mild and pleasantly sour and had a slightly bitter after taste which I really liked. The Lady served Ficoco with it and Vinta Crackers from Canada’s Dare Foods.

After Tall Grass we moved onto Bow Field Provolone, a favorite of The Man. This ivory and crumbly cheese was mild, buttery and sweet. The Man asked that some be held back for his next Italian Meat Sub Sandwich. He pronounced this as a perfect pairing for his favorite Italian Meats. As a fan myself of most Italian meats, especially Alpine Marmota marmota tartare, I concur that Bow field would be a food terrific pairing.

From the Provolone we moved to River Cheddar, a double cream cheddar that made The Lady swoon (as you know most swooning around here is done by The Man… not this time…).  This cheddar is buttery, creamy and tart with a taste of pineapple. Sure to remain a favorite and regular cheese around the manse. I have a sneaking suspicion that The Lady will be adding this to her next pimento cheese spread.

The fourth cheese we tasted was Judy’s Parmesan. It had the nutty aroma and taste of a younger Parmesan and was creamier than the Italian Parms that The Lady sells at the kiosk. We enjoyed this cheese and The Lady plans to grate it into a gratin dish she has planned for today’s dinner.

All-in-all, we loved these cheeses and give them all 3 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).

Serving Suggestions: included with the notes above.

Wine Pairings: These cheeses pair well with either a Pinot Noir or a Chardonnay.

Beer Pairing: An IPA would go nicely with these cheeses.

Source: Pasteurized Cow Milk

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

Sartori Foods’ SarVecchio – America’s Most Decorated Parmesan

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The Man and I caught a lucky break; The Lady brought home a wedge of Sartori Foods’ SarVecchio. She tasted it when she visited the Sartori Foods’ Plymouth headquarters on our recent Wisconsin trip (one more time I was left on the bus…). When it appeared at the manse, The Man and I were quite pleased.

SarVecchio is aged at least twenty months and is mellow with caramel and nutty flavors and has lots of those crunchy crystals that drive The Man and the Feline Foodie (that would be me) to distraction.

This is amazing Parmesan.  This cheese is made under the supervision of Master Cheesemaker, Larry Steckbauer; cheese hats off to Mr. Steckbauer!!

I’m pretty sure the fine cheesemakers of Parma have this cheese on their radar and are more than just a bit worried. They are probably annoyed that an American cheese company would have the nerve to make Parmesan of such high quality.

Trust me; Parmesan doesn’t get any better than this.

The Lady has only one disappointment regarding SarVecchio and that is that she doesn’t currently sell it at her cheese kiosk – it would be such a distinguished, Wisconsin-made and American-Icon cheese to sell. Perhaps that will change in the near future. It certainly has the vote from The Man and the Feline Foodie.

I give Sartori Reserve SarVecchio 4 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got – but I am willing to grow an extra paw for this cheese…)

Serving Suggestions: We enjoyed it with grapes and Dare Vinta Crackers on our cheese plate. This cheese would pair well with walnuts and dark chocolate as well. The Lady plans to use the remainder (if The Man and I don’t raid the fridge before she gets the chance) in a couple of pasta dishes she has planned on her next days off… stay tuned…

Wine Pairing: A nice Northern Italian red such as Barolo or Barbera.

Beer Pairings: Dark Ale or Sweet Cider.

Awards: No less than 25 over the past few years making it the most decorated Parmesan made in the United States.

Source: Pasteurized Cow Milk

A Rogue Creamery Cheese Plate That’s Not Singing the Blues

Not long after The Lady became a Cheese Steward she attended a DPI seminar that included cheese tastings with several cheesemakers and cheese experts. I wrote about this in a post that discussed the importance of terroir.

One of the speakers was David Gremmels, President of the American Cheese Society and one of the owners of the Rogue Creamery located in Central Point, Oregon. The Lady was struck by his level of passion regarding cheese, in general, and especially the cheeses he makes. He treated the group to three cheeses that were not blues, the cheeses most associated with the Rogue Creamery.

After much haranguing from her favorite Feline Foodie (that would be me), The Lady brought wedges of those three cheeses home for moi to sample and review.

The first I sampled is a recent addition to the long list of wonderful cheeses that Rouge Creamery makes: Tou Velle. Tou Velle is a sharp cheddar made from raw cow’s milk and is sweet, nutty and creamy. It melts on the tongue and would be delightful when added to your favorite mac n cheese recipe.

A bit of trivia: this cheese is named after Tou Velle State Park in Southwest Oregon; not too far from the Rogue Creamery.

Second on this Rogue Creamery Cheese Plate was Lavender Cheddar. I was surprised lavender could successfully be added to cheddar; but Rogue Creamery has done it. In fact, this combination is so good, it won a 3^rd Place Award in 2009 from the American Cheese Society.

The lavender flavor is subtle and the cheese is very creamy. The Lady and The Man ate it atop a Beecher’s Hazelnut Cracker and pronounced the pairing a good choice.

Last, and certainly not to be considered less than the other two was the Chocolate Stout Cheddar, which combines three winners: cheese, chocolate and beer!! How can you go wrong??? Well, you can’t with this cheese. It’s hoppy, yeasty, creamy and chocolatey… woohoo!!

Three great cheeses from David and the gang at Rogue Creamery. The Lady wishes she sold these at the kiosk, but alas, she doesn’t and has to sneak into the competition to buy them for her favorite Feline Foodie.

I give these three non-bluesy cheeses from Rogue Creamery 3 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).

Serving Suggestions: The three of these on a cheese plate are a definite winner. You could make it better by adding Oregon Blue to the plate.

More Zabar Videos for Vegetarians, Raw Milk Foodies and Kosher Passover

These videos from Leah and Zabar’s are terrific: The Lady and I are enjoying these videos that the gang at Zabar’s is producing to share with all of us cheese hounds. I hope you enjoy these as well.

For Passover, this first video features 3 Kosher cheeses: Tnuva, an Israeli Feta; 5 Spoke Creamery Redmond Cheddarm nade from Raw Milk; and Redwood Hill Farm’s Camellia, a goat Brie. Paired with these cheeses are a Kosher Fig Spread and Kosher Crackers. Zabar delivers the cheeses in their original packaging to maintain their Kosher status.

Another Kosher cheese collection. This one includes: Ermitage Brie; Fromage de Chevre from Soignon, a traditional fresh goat in the pyramid shape; Swiss Tilsiter, a raw cow’s milk tomme and Danablu. Also in this video, Leah takes a moment to speak about the kosher aspects of the cheeses:

The third video is 4 vegetarian-suitable cheeses: Coach Goat Buttons, shipped the day they are made; Mt. Tam, that wonderful triple creme from Award-Winning Cowgirl Creamery; Coastal Cheddar which I have reviewed and Cashel Blue from Ireland.

Campo de Montalban

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Before I review this Spanish mixed-milk cheese, I have to step out and make a few comments about The Lady… now I don’t mean to be rude (OK, maybe just a tad rude)…but after living with me for five human years (about 35 in feline years) you’d think she’d realize that when I want something… mainly food… I’m not going to give up until she does what I want. Felines are far more patient and persistent than the humankinds we own and if we had that opposable thumb thing going for us, we would indeed rule the entire world.

For the past five years, I regularly wake up at 2am and realize I need a snack. At first I work gently at trying to wake The Lady… nudging her eye with my wet, cold nose; sitting on her head; gently applying my paw to her cheek without claws extended… and then with claws extended. You’d think after five years, anyone, including The Lady, would be clever enough to get up, attend to my needs… or whims… and return to her slumber. We’re going to get there eventually, why not just cut to the chase?

 Last night, this Kabuki Dance went on for thirty-five minutes before The Lady finally climbed out of bed, using a few choice words, and fed me… sheesh, if she had gotten up immediately when I stuck my nose in her eye, she would have been back to sleep in under five minutes.

I sent a message to The Brain and he replied by casting aspersions on my training techniques…

Now for Campo de Montalban

This Spanish cheese is a combination of cow, sheep and goat milk and until 1985 was known as Manchego. At that time, the Spanish government changed the laws governing cheese and decreed that certain cheeses from the La Mancha region could only be called Manchego if made from sheep milk. I have written about these government designations to control quality in an earlier blog posting.

This cheese looks like Manchego as the molds used for pressing the curd have the same basket weave pattern as Manchego. The rind has an olive green hue whereas Manchego is brown. The texture of the paste is slightly dry with the individual curds still visible like Manchego; but the taste is quite different.

The blend of the three milks is quite pleasant on the palate with a goaty finish. It is slightly salty, nutty and a bit sweet. Manchego was purported to be a favorite of Don Quiote and because he was around before 1985, perhaps this was the Manchego he preferred. The Man really flipped over this cheese; The Lady…not so much… you know The Lady and goat milk cheese (except Cypress Grove’s Midnight Moon, in particular).

And to add it this cheese’s allure: it’s about 30% cheaper than Manchego.

Despite The Lady not being as impressed, I give Campo de Montalban 4 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).

Serving Suggestions: The Man put a little dollop of Dalmatian Fig Spread on his and pronounced (he likes to do that… a lot) it a perfect pairing. And here’s a surprise… most everything you do with Manchego, you can do with Campo de Montalban. The Lady paired this cheese with the new 34° Lemon Zest Crispbread Cracker and said the combo worked quite well. She also paired it with Quince Paste and munched on a few Marcona Almonds… I spread a little Friskies Mariners Catch on mine…divine…

Wine Pairings: Tempranillo or Rioja

Beer Pairing: A Pale Ale would pair well with this cheese.

Source: Cow, Goat and Sheep milks – something for everyone…

The Lady found this Zabar’s (one of The Lady’s favorite NYC delis) video online that includes Campo de Montalban and thought you might enjoy it: