October Marks the First American Cheese Month
August 19, 2011
The American Cheese Society has named October “American Cheese Month” – all American cheeses… not that rubbery stuff… The Lady is attending a meeting next Monday afternoon at the Denver Headquarters of the American Cheese Society to help kick off this first ever American Cheese Month… stay tuned… we will post events as they unfold and are scheduled… woohoo!!!
Sartori Gorgonzola Dolcino
August 19, 2011
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The Lady brought home a wedge of this delightful gorgonzola and The Man and I have enjoyed it three times this week. The first tasting was on warm French bread fresh from the oven and then The Lady used it to make a salad dressing which is featured on our recipe blog. She used the last to make a pasta and chicken dish that had The Man swooning for hours… it was almost embarrassing… but since it was The Man… not really much of a surprise. (Links to the recipes are below.)
Sartori Cheese in Wisconsin makes cheese that is always a hit around the manse. In addition to the Dolcino, they make the most-decorated Parmesan made in America, SarVecchio and one of my favorites, Bellavitano Gold. When The Lady was cooking last night, I caught a glimpse of a few other Sartori cheeses in the fridge… stay tuned… more reviews to come…
This is one creamy cheese; the cheesemaker adds extra cream and carefully ages this gorgonzola to perfection. On the blue scale, this is on the mild side but distinctive enough to satisfy even the most discerning turophiles. It’s smooth and silky; spreads easily on the warm bread. You will never regret adding this gorgonzola to your cheese board.
I give Sartori Gorgonzola Dolcino 4 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).
Serving Suggestions: The possibilities are endless. In three short days, The Lady served this cheese in three ways and each was a hit. The Salad Dressing she made was divine; but the chicken pasta dish she made was truly to die for… seriously… You can also pair this cheese with pairs and red grapes. The Lady served Dolcino on a cheese plate last year and you can read my thoughts by clicking here.
Wine Pairing: The Lady always likes a sweeter wine with her blues like a Port; but with the pasta dish, she chose her new favorite wine, Pinot Noir.
Beer Pairing: How about a Stout?
Source: Pasteurized Cow Milk
FTC Full Disclosure – The cheesemaker/manufacturer sent me their product, hoping I would review the product/cheese.
Murray’s Cheese Boot Camp… Cheese, Glorious Cheese
July 2, 2011
"Something Old; Something New; Something Stinky and Something Blue"
The Lady has been back from her trip to New York and Murray’s Cheese Boot Camp for a few days and has been especially attentive; she knows I am annoyed; I know she knows I am annoyed… which I, of course, use to my advantage.
The Lady explained that Murray’s is yet another one of those “No Pets Allowed” places…” we gotta keep those pesky dogs and cats away from where we sell and serve food”… I am more than willing to put my personal cleaning habits up against any humankind, any day of the week. Unlike many, maybe even most, humankinds, this Feline Foodie is fastidious when it comes to cleanliness… in my not-so-humble opinion, there are far more humankinds who shouldn’t be allowed inside food establishments than cats… as for dogs, there are so many other reasons to ban them… but I will save that argument for another day.
Since The Lady started her new cheese adventure, she has been traveling a lot and always comes home smelling of cheeses… lots of cheeses… ones of which I can only dream. At least while she’s away, I have The Man”Servant” at my beck and call. He is one easy dude to get to do most everything I wish… but I digress.
The Lady returned with wonderful tales of the cheeses in the cases at Murray’s and the cheeses she tasted during boot camp; a total of seventy-five plus many wines and several beers… as mentioned (numerous times), she gets the glory; while I do the heavy-lifting…
She took a photo of the cheese plate that followed the tour of Murray’s Cheese Caves… be still my heart… caves filled with cheese…
Affinage is the specialized art of aging cheese. The affineur finds the best sources for cheese and then nurtures them to their optimum ripeness for the best flavor of the cheese. This includes brushing, washing, bathing and turning to promote everything good in the cheese and keep the bad “stuff” out.
Brian, Murray’s resident affineur, led the class on a tour of the caves which Conde Nast Traveler named one of the 50 Coolest Places to be in the world. After the tour, he served a cheese plate that reflected the many talents involved in being a successful affineur.
The plate started with two wedges of Haystack Peak, a soft-ripened cheese produced by Haystack Mountain Goat Dairy in Colorado. (A detailed review will be posted soon.) The first wedge of this cheese was new and the second was aged about two weeks. While both were delicious, the aging made a good cheese only better.
Next on the plate were two wedges of Petite Frères, from one of our favorites, Wisconsin’s Crave Brothers. The first wedge was “as produced” by the Brothers, a wonderful small wheel of a fruity, earthy washed rind semi-soft cow milk cheese. The second wedge had been washed by Brian in a local brewery ale. Brian was experimenting with a new wash and the improvement to the cheese was amazing.
St. Nectaire, a French cheese from the Auvergne region of Central France was the next cheese up on the plate. This is an AOC –protected cheese. This is a washed-rind Tomme-style cheese that is shipped at the age of two weeks to the affineur for another six weeks of aging before the dense paste reaches perfection and is ready for the consumer. We will be reviewing this cheese in the next few days.
Up next were two versions of Cabot Creamery’s Aged Cheddar. The first was a creamy wedge of their cheddar that is shipped in cryovac to grocery stores national-wide. A very respectable wedge of cheese; one that appeared at the Burbank manse more than once. This is what The Lady and I like to call “an everyday cheese” – one that is respectable in its taste profile and inexpensive enough to have available for everyday use.
The second version from Cabot was their Clothbound Cheddar which is aged by the Cellars at Jasper Hills in Vermont. With absolutely no disrespect to cryovac cheddars, once you’ve had a clothbound cheddar, you’ll never go back.
Following the cheddars was a wedge of Black River Blue; an award-winning blue cheese from Wisconsin. A milder blue that is slightly softer than butter and easily spreadable on a baguette for “everyday” enjoyment. Black River Gorgonzola is one of the “everyday” cheeses you can find around the manse.
The final cheese on the plate was Bayley Hazen Blue from the Kehler Brothers of Jasper Hills Farm in the northeast kingdom of Vermont. This is a cheese I have been dying to taste and thankfully, The Lady shipped a wedge home in her luggage for The Man and moi to taste and enjoy. A review of this cheese will follow this Cheese Plate posting… but let’s just say, I’ll be using all my paws…
The Lady thanks Brian for leading the boot camp on a tour of the caves and if you would like to tour the caves, Murray’s Cheese offers tours of the cave along with many other great, cheesy classes at its Greenwich Village location. Check out their array of classes here.
Rosenborg Blue Becomes Castello Blue
May 20, 2011
Castello Blue Cheese launches its new name and label in stores this month.
Shoppers are invited to celebrate the official name change from Rosenborg to Castello by entering to win one of five brand-new iPad 2s or one of 10 sets of Orrefors crystal glassware with a signature blue drop. The promotion launched in stores on May 1, and the sweepstakes will be open for online entry through the end of June.
The imported blue cheese and winner of 33 worldwide awards for taste and quality is transitioning its name to Castello. New packaging for the Rosenborg line of blue cheeses, including the Traditional Danish Blue and Extra Creamy Danish Blue in their signature tablepacks, will feature a new logo. The prize-winning cheese inside will not change.
Castello is owned by Arla Foods Inc., which is based in Denmark with production facilities in Michigan and Wisconsin. For more information, visit castellocheeseusa.com.
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
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Mark Your Calendars Now for April 30th in Chicago:
Our friends at Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread & Wine will host their First Annual Artisan Producer Festival, a free event to meet Pastoral’s featured culinary artisans from throughout the U.S., sample their products and celebrate small batch foods, beer and wine while enjoying live music on Saturday, April 30, 2011, from 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., at Pastoral’s Chicago French Market location, 131 North Clinton Street, in Chicago.
The lineup, which includes more than 25 producers, features more than 12 cheese makers, including Illinois’ own Prairie Fruits Farm, Michigan’s Zingerman’s Creamery, Vermont’s renowned Jasper Hill Farm and Vermont Creamery as well as a host of other award-winning cheese makers from Wisconsin and around the country.
Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/264948#ixzz1IHmQNuhL
Also, visit Pastoral’s blog by clicking here.
2011 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
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…)
Kirkland Signature Clothbound Cave-Aged Vermont Cheddar
January 27, 2011
Update February 3, 2011: Curtis, the Costco buyer of their specialty cheese and The Lady chatted this morning and while he wouldn’t confirm who made this fine cheese, he did let The Lady know (and she asked me to pass this along), this cheese is a LIMITED EDITION that was added for Holiday 2010. That means what is in the stores now, is all there is and WHEN IT’S GONE, IT’S GONE… but Curtis assured The Lady it will return in the fall of 2011. Out thanks to Curtis for returning The Lady’s call.
Despite best efforts by your favorite Feline Foodie (that would be moi) I was unable to suss out which of the Vermont cheesemakers produce this superb cheddar for Costco’s private brand, Kirkland Signature. A phone call to Costco’s corporate office (complete with detailed message) went unreturned… shame on Costco employees for not returning calls to customers… especially to customers who will be writing a review of their product… you don’t need to be a brain surgeon… well, what do I know??? Perhaps you do need to be a brain surgeon to return phone calls… but I digress.
In our never-ending quest to taste every cheese in the world, The Lady picked up a wedge of Kirkland Signature “Cave-Aged Vermont Cheddar” at our local Costco and brought it home for The Man and moi to taste.
A little Costco/Kirkland Signature history/information first. The Lady and The Man have been members of Costco (and the previous Price Club) since the early 80s. They are devoted members and believe that Costco only sells top-of-the-line product in pretty much every product they carry. They have never been disappointed with anything that comes from Costco and the price points are amazing.
Kirkland Signature products must be as good or better than the national brand providing the product to Costco and must offer a substantial savings to the customer. In 2010 the percentage of Kirkland Signature product was about 10% of the entire inventory and the percentage will continue to grow. Costco chooses the products and then lets the members decide if the product stays or goes according to sales.
Now for the Cave-Aged Vermont Cheddar:
The rind indicates this is a clothbound cheddar made in the traditional English manner and only a small handful of Vermont cheesemakers produce a cheddar of this superb quality: Grafton, Jasper Hills, Cabot…
This just in… From a “secret source” we just learned that this cheese is from Cabot Creamery and is a younger version of their own clothbound cheddar.
The aroma is earthy, which is how clothbound cheddar should smell. The paste is an ivory cream color and the texture is crumbly. The taste is sweet and nutty… everything you look for in a cheddar of this quality. The lingering aftertaste is nice and mellow. The cheese is robust without overpowering the palate.
The Lady served it with Dare Cabaret Crackers and Pinot Colada Jam from Oregon’s Vintner’s Kitchen. (The Lady previously paired this jam with The Isle of Man Cheddar back in October, 2010 – Pinot Colada is a great pairing for mature cheddars…) As you might expect, the flavor burst between the cheese and the jam made The Man swoon. More people need to pair cheese and jams: the savory and the sweet combination is hard to beat.
I give Kirkland Signature Cave-Aged Vermont Cheddar 3 Paws out of 4 Paws but I must give the pairing of this cheddar with the jam 4 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got). (I won’t rate the “call-Return” service from Costco… you be the judge…)
Serving Suggestions: On a cheese plate with jams, salamis and even mustards would create an immediate hit. This cheese would also be great in a mixed-cheese mac n cheese recipe. I suspect it will end up in such a recipe as the wedge weighed north of a pound… that’s another Costco trait – no small wedges…
Wine Pairing: Bota Box Merlot. The Man was stunned when The Lady brought home wine in a box; but her Wine Merchant friend, Mark from Southern-Odom, sells it and The Lady bought it based on his recommendation. Now Bota Box seems to appear more and more around the manse…
Beer Pairing: Following her trip to The Tualatin “No Pets” Country Club for the cheese tasting with our friend, Waldemar Albrecht, The Lady has developed a taste for Rogue Chocolate Stout and decided this cheddar would pair well with it… she was correct…
Source: Cow’s Milk
Stay Tuned: we are only 8 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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