What Cheese Nerds Do On Their Days’ Off
August 7, 2011
The Lady brought home lots of re-pack labels from Denver and made collages to hang in both our home office and her work office… this is what cheese nerds do in their spare time… cheese, glorious cheese:
Cello Riserva Artisan Parmesan
May 14, 2011
Made in Wisconsin, this domestic parmesan is sweet, nutty and just salty enough to make it a new staple around the manse.
The Lady brought home a wedge and she started by cutting samples for The Man and your favorite Feline Foodie to taste. As The Man swooned, I remained stoic and maintained my cheese dignity while quietly thanking The Brain for allowing The Lady and me to hook up for her “Cheese Years”.
After our tasting, The Lady shredded some and made our new favorite sauce: Lemon and Garlic Cream Sauce. She made this sauce last week using the Cello grated Romano. You can check out the recipe by clicking here.
Using the Cello Parmesan changes the taste of the sauce: the Romano makes a terrific sauce, but let’s face it, cream sauce and Parmesan Cheese were made for each other… just like The Lady, The Man and Moi… made for each other.
Few people realize that Parmesan at room temperature makes for a terrific snacking cheese and can be added to any cheese plate… there’s a reason the Italians call Parmesan “The King of Cheeses”… and as a grated or shredded cheese; this cheese is perfect as the main ingredient or added to round out pizza, sauces and just about any dish you might create at your manse.
I give Cello Riserva Artisan Parmesan 3 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).
Serving Suggestions: Any dish that calls for cheese can only get better with Cello Riserva Artisan Parmesan. Also, pair this cheese with crisp apple slices.
Wine Pairing: Merlot or a Sangiovese.
Beer Pairing: So many beers pair well with Parmesan; IPA, Imperial Stout, Dunkles and Biere de Garde
Source: Cow’s Milk
FTC Full Disclosure – The manufacturer/distributor sent me their product, hoping I would review the product/cheese.
Up Next: The Lady visited Chuck’s Produce on Mill Plain in Vancouver, Washington; met their charming Cheesemonger, Jodi and brought home a couple of wedges which we will review after The Lady and The Man return from the Portland Farmers’ Market this morning: Unikaas Alpenhorn and Cahill Cheddar with Whiskey… stay tuned…
Coming soon: Tumalo Farms’ Pondhopper and Fenacho Aged Goat Cheeses
Follow @cheesemonger2011 UNITED STATES CHAMPIONSHIP CHEESE CONTEST RESULTS
March 10, 2011
2011 U.S. Championship Cheese Contest results are complete! Please note that only the top five scores in each class are displayed, yet all entries are listed in order of place.
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US Champion
Katie Hedrich
LaClare Farms Specialties,
Chilton, WI
Evalon
Champion Round Score: 99.0695
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First Runner Up
John Griffiths
Sartori Foods, Plymouth, WI
SarVecchio Parmesan
Champion Round Score: 98.9739
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Second Runner Up
Holland’s Family Cheese Team
Holland’s Family Cheese
Thorp, WI
Gouda Super
Champion Round Score: 98.9522
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The Lady sampled the Grand Prize Winner, Evalon, and you can read her review here. We have also reviewed Sartori’s SarVecchio Parmesan.
For complete list of winner in all 76 categories, Please click here.
Congratulations to all the winners!!
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
Update on Saxon Homestead Cheeses
December 10, 2010
The Lady and I reviewed Saxon Homestead Cheeses earlier this year: Big Ed’s, a Gouda-style cheese; Saxony, an Alpine-style cheese; Pastures, a clothbound cheddar that won 2nd place in its class at the 2010 American Cheese Society Competition; Green Fields, a Monastery-style cheese that won 1st Place in its class at the 2010 American Cheese Society Competition and LaClare Farm Evalon, a semi-soft, raw goat milk cheese.
The Lady and I first met Jerry Heimerl last spring when we visited Wisconsin courtesy of the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board and DPI (the same folks who have banned my blog from their internet network… but I digress…). The Lady chatted with Jerry right after his cheeses won the two awards this past August and thinks he’s one terrific guy.
Recently, her cheese friend, David, appeared with 4 Saxon Homestead Cheese wheels and asked The Lady to cut, wrap and display them for photographing. The Lady was pleased to assist. For her efforts, David gave her a few wedges of the 4 cheeses (LaClare Farm Evalon was the only cheese not included) and The Man and I got super lucky when she brought them home for us to taste… woohoo…
We had a cheese plate of the four offerings: Pastures, an earthy cheddar in the tradition of the English clothbound cheddars; Saxony, a complex Alpine-style reminiscent of Gruyere (a favorite around the manse); Green Pastures, a washed-rind, mellow semi-soft cheese; and Big Ed’s, a mild Gouda. The cheese plate was served with Becky’s homemade raspberry preserves, grapes, Bartlett pears and a couple slices of honeydew melon and 34° Sesame Crackers.
The Lady also made Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Pastures and Saxony and a couple slices of ham.
And yesterday, she surprised us with mac n cheese she made using the last of Big Ed’s, Saxony and Pastures. It was perfect!!
The Man, The Lady and I are sure hoping these cheeses find their way into The Lady’s kiosk sooner rather than later… stay tuned…
World Cheese Awards 2010 – Select USA Winners
November 29, 2010
Congratulations to the USA Winners. I am pleased to call many of them friends as well, which makes their winning all the sweeter for me… for them… not so much (being friends with me…)
Class: 5001 Soft goats’ milk cheese plain – fresh
5001 12 – Fresh Chèvre – Cypress Grove Chèvre Inc. – Gold
Class: 5002 Soft goats’ milk cheese plain – mould-ripened
5002 32 – Yellow Buck Chevre 24oz – Marin French Cheese Company – Silver
5002 09 – Camembert – Haystack Mountain Goat Dairy – Bronze
5002 22 – ^ **Humboldt Fog – Cypress Grove Chèvre Inc. – Bronze
Class: 5003 Semi-hard goats’ milk cheese plain
5003 22 – Manchester – Consider Bardwell Farm – Gold
5003 19 – ^Midnight Moon – Cypress Grove Chèvre Inc. – Bronze
Class: 5004 Hard goats’ milk cheese plain
5004 31 – Bandaged Billy – Carr Valley Cheese Co. Inc. – Gold
Class: 5005 Goats’ milk cheese with additives
5005 18 – Vermont Creamy Goat Cheese with Roasted Red Peppers – Vermont Butter & Cheese Creamery – Bronze
Class: 5006 Goats’ milk cheese blue
5006 04 – Mountain Top Bleu, soft ripened. – Firefly Farms – Gold
Class: 5102 Semi-hard ewes’ milk cheese plain
5102 15 – Lamb Chopper – Cypress Grove Chèvre Inc. – Silver
Class: 5106 Hard ewes’ milk cheese plain
5106 37 – Cave Aged Marisa – Carr Valley Cheese Co. Inc. – Silver
5106 39 – Native Sheep – Carr Valley Cheese Co. Inc. – Silver
Class: 5206 Mature block creamery Cheddar made between 01/08/2009 and 23/11/2009
5206 13 Prairie Breeze Milton Creamery LLC Gold
Class: 5209 Extra Mature Traditional Cheddar made between 24/11/2009 and 30/03/2009
5209 03 – BWC Extra – Fiscalini Cheese Company – Silver
5209 07 – Cave Aged Clothbound Cheddar – Grafton Village Cheese Co. – Bronze
Class: 5210 Extra Mature creamery Cheddar made between 24/11/2009 and 30/03/2009
5210 32 – Private Stock Cheddar – Cabot Creamery Cooperative – Silver
Class: 5232 Gouda – made after 01/12/09
5232 11 – Marieke Gouda Super – Holland’s Family Cheese – Silver
Class: 5234 Any very hard cheese not in any other class
5234 04 – ^ **American Grana (r) – Bel Gioioso Cheese Inc. – Silver
5234 11 – ^Sartori Reserve SarVecchio Parmesan – Sartori Food Corporation – Silver
Class: 5235 Any hard pressed cheese not in any other class
5235 13 – San Joaquin Gold – Fiscalini Cheese Company – Bronze
Class: 5236 Any semi-hard cheese not in any other class
5236 75 – Spring Brook Farm Tarentaise – Farms For City Kids Foundation – Super Gold
5236 74 – Toma – Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company – Silver
5236 23 – ^Asiago – Bel Gioioso Cheese Inc. – Bronze
Class: 5302 Cottage cheese American style chunky
5302 03 – Vermont Style Cottage Cheese – Cabot Creamery Cooperative – Silver
Class: 5304 Ricotta
5304 14 – Whole-milk Ricotta – Bellwether Farms – Bronze
Class: 5305 Mascarpone
5305 07 – Mascarpone – Sorrento Lactalis – Bronze
5305 08 – Bella Gento Mascarpone – Sorrento Lactalis – Bronze
Class: 5306 Quark plain or with additives
5306 02 – Vermont Quark – Vermont Butter & Cheese Creamery – Bronze
5306 05 – Quark Blackberry 8oz – Marin French Cheese Company – Bronze
Class: 5307 Mozzarella, fresh, cows’ milk in balls (large or small)
5307 21 – Sliced Fresh Mozzarella (12oz) – Sorrento Lactalis – Gold
5307 24 – **Galbani Fresh Mozzarella (8oz) – Sorrento Lactalis – Silver
5307 06 – Fresh Mozzarella – Bel Gioioso Cheese Inc. – Bronze
5307 07 – Mozzarella 16oz ball – Lactalis American Group – Bronze
5307 22 – Ciliengini Fresh Mozzarella (3oz) – Sorrento Lactalis – Bronze
Class: 5308 Mozzarella, block, slices or string
5308 04 – Mozzarella – whole milk high moisture – Sorrento Lactalis – Bronze
Class: 5311 Brie made from pasteurized milk
5311 13 – Rouge et Noir Triple Créme Brie 8oz – Marin French Cheese Company – Gold
5311 11 – Rouge et Noir Original Brie 8oz – Marin French Cheese Company – Bronze
5311 14 – French Gold 24oz – Marin French Cheese Company – Bronze
5311 15 – Rouge et Noir Original Brie 5lb – Marin French Cheese Company – Bronze
Class: 5313 Camembert made from pasteurized milk
5313 12 – Le Petit Camembert 4oz – Marin French Cheese Company – Silver
Class: 5314 Any other mould ripened, soft or unpressed cows’ milk cheese – plain
5314 13 – Green Hill – Sweet Grass Dairy – Silver
Class: 5317 Rind washed cheese not in any other class
5317 24 – Schlosskranz-Herz – Marin French Cheese Company – Gold
Class: 5318 Smoked cheese – soft/semi soft
5318 04 – Smoked Mozzarella – Lactalis American Group – Bronze
Class: 5403 Gorgonzola
5403 03 – Montforte Gorgonzola Wheel – Arthur Schuman Inc. – Bronze
5403 05 – ^ **Black River Gorgonzola – DCI Cheese Company – Bronze
Class: 5404 Blue vein cheese any variety, uncut, natural rind
5404 23 – Le Petit Bleu 4oz – Marin French Cheese Company – Silver
Class: 5501 Cheese made with the milk of more than one animal
5501 27 – Mélange Brie – Marin French Cheese Company – Gold
5501 39 – ^Ménage – Carr Valley Cheese Co. Inc. – Silver
5501 42 – Cave Aged Mellage – Carr Valley Cheese Co. Inc. – Silver
Class: 5503 Semi-hard cheese produced on farm or dairy with a total output not exceeding a weekly average of 2t.
5503 17 – Pawlet – Consider Bardwell Farm – Silver
5503 08 – Promontory – Beehive Cheese Company – Bronze
5503 09 – Full Moon – Beehive Cheese Company – Bronze
5503 18 – Butternut – Willow Hill Farm – Bronze
Class: 5504 Soft cheese produced on farm or dairy with a total output not exceeding a weekly average of 2 tonnes.
5504 12 – Dorset – Consider Bardwell Farm – Silver
Class: 5509 New Cheese – hard or semi-hard. Open to any new cheese first marketed after 01/10/09
5509 19 – Aged Fontina – Sartori Food Corporation – Bronze
Class: 5511 New Cheese – with additives. Open to any new cheese first marketed after 01/10/09
5511 07 – Cinnamon BellaVitano – Sartori Food Corporation – Gold
^ – Reviewed on Blog
** – Sold at The Lady’s Cheese Kiosk and/or Island
Award-Winning Uplands to Roll-Out New Cheese
November 1, 2010
DODGEVILLE — It’s been a successful 10 years for Uplands Cheese Co.’s Pleasant Ridge Reserve but maybe a little bit lonely.
The cheese has been Uplands’ sole consumer product, made with unpasteurized milk from the farm’s grass-fed cows. It also has stood alone among farmstead cheeses in the U.S., winning the American Cheese Society’s top honor three times in a competition in which no other cheese has even won twice.
Now, Pleasant Ridge Reserve is getting some company. Next month, Uplands will debut Rush Creek Reserve, a soft, rich French-style cheese that will be available for only a few months, said cheesemaker Andy Hatch, who has been at Uplands since 2007. “The hope is they will both express our farm. Pleasant Ridge is dry and aged for a long time; Rush Creek is young and moist. It’s two different ways to express the same terroir (the unique characteristics of a specific place).”
To read the entire article, please click share.
Cheese 101: Kosikowski’s Eight Basic Steps of Cheesemaking – Step 2: Cutting the Curds
October 18, 2010
The Lady’s nose is buried in Max McCalman’s latest book, Mastering Cheese and just finished the chapter that outlines the eight basic steps of cheesemaking. Max used the work of a Dairy Science Professor. The Lady shared this information with me and I made an executive decision to include this information in our Cheese 101: Learning the Basics to Make You an Expert.
In 1983, Cornell University’s Frank V. Kosikowski announced his intention to create the American Cheese Society. He did, serving as its first president. This event helped launch the renaissance of artisan cheese making in the United States. Sally Jackson was already making cheese in Washington State after obtaining a government grant during the Carter Administration and both Laura Chenel and Mary Keehn were making chevres that would become award winners… the American cheese game was on…
As a dairy science professor, Kosikowski developed the eight basic steps in cheesemaking. As with all artistic endeavors, these steps aren’t etched in stone, unless you are a sculpture…, but it’s a great general outline in what goes into basic cheesemaking.
The Lady and I thank Dr. Kosikowski for his work in making this outline and Max for sharing it in his book. We will share this information in several installments here on the blog.
Step 1: Setting the Milk can be viewed by clicking here.
Step 2: Cutting the Curds
As soon as coagulation occurs, the curds naturally begin to expel the whey, which is mostly water. Cutting the curd will help decide the moisture content in the finished cheese. The more surfaces the curd has, the more whey is expelled. If the cheesemaker wants to make a softer cheese with a higher moisture content, then he cuts the curd into large pieces; if the cheesemaker wants a harder cheese with less moisture, then he will cut smaller curds. The smaller the curd, the more whey that is expelled and the harder the cheese.
This is a very important step because the curd must be cut properly to expel the whey properly. If the break is ragged, then the moisture content will be off and the cheesemaker will not be able to make the cheese with the texture and moisture desired.
Curds should be uniform in size, again to guarantee even moisture and texture in the finished cheese. Traditional recipes use familiar items to recommend the correct size: peas, grains of rice, nuts, etc. When The Lady made cheese at Emmi Roth-Kase in Wisconsin, a “harp” was used to cut the curd when they were making the Award-Winning Gran Queso. A harp is a metal frame that consists of wires evenly spaced within the frame. Some cheesemakers use knives.
Some curd is barely (or not at all) cut; but gently ladled into hoops or molds to make a very soft and high moisture content cheese. For this style cheese, Step 2 is not necessary.
Up next: Step 3: Cooking and Holding
The Cultured Way Yogurt Cheese
October 8, 2010
Vegetarian-Suitable
Made with active yogurt cultures, The Cultured Way’s Yogurt Cheeses have health benefits and are delicious. The Lady brought home two blocks of yogurt cheese: the original (plain) and jalapeño flavored.
Low sodium and lactose free and, of course, rBST free, this cow’s milk cheese is made using live yogurt cultures, acidophilus and bifidus. Each serving contains 120mg of sodium which is quite low for cheese and for those with lactose tolerance issues, this cheese is a great alternative.
And it tastes great. It’s creamy; The Lady used the jalapeño flavored to make quesadillas for The Man. He swooned. She served me the plain, cubed small and it melted on my palate and made for a perfect appetizer for me. 
Made under the supervision of Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker, Paul Reigle.
I give Cultured Way Yogurt Cheese 3 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).
Serving Suggestions: as a snacking cheese, it’s a hit!! It melts well making it perfect for cooking as well.
Wine Pairing: A nice, fruity Riesling is a nice pairing.
Beer Pairing: A moderately hoppy Pilsner.
Source: Cow Milk
2011 Wisconsin Cheesemaker Calendar Now on Sale
September 16, 2010
The Lady’s and my friend, Jeanne Carpenter, founder of Wisconsin Cheese Originals, teamed with Photographer Becca Dilley to produce the 2011 Wisconsin Cheesemaker Calendar.
The calendar features twelve of Wisconsin’s artisan cheesemakers who are the firing line of making exceptional award-winning cheeses in the Dairyland of America.
Among the cheesemakers featured in this calendar are Andy Hatch whose Pleasant Ridge Reserve from Uplands Cheese won Best of Show last month at the 2010 American Cheese Society Competition. It is the only cheese to win Best of Show at the ACS 3 times; wait it’s also the only cheese to win that honor twice… also featured is Joe Widmer of Widmer Cheese Cellars and maker of a favorite of mine, Wisconsin Aged Brick.
Jerry Heimerl, whose cheeses I recently reviewed, of Saxon Homestead Creamery and winner of two 2010 ACS Awards is featured on the June 2011 page; and the October page features Sid Cook of Carr Valley Cheeses. Sid has the distinction of having more cheese awards than any other cheesemaker in the world. Last count, Carr Valley was approaching three hundred awards, worldwide. I have reviewed several of Sid’s cheeses and a list is available on the cheese review index.
All twelve featured cheesemakers are winners and Jeanne and Becca captured some terrific pictures.
You can purchase the calendar for $19.95 at Wisconsin Cheese Originals. Unfortunately, it doesn’t include samples of the cheese but you can find many of them online or at your local specialty cheese shop.
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