Raw Revolution

Raw milk, pasteurised, unpasteurised, ...Whats the difference? Hey, is Raw milk even legal? Come join our August installment of "Cheese 101" where we discuss and taste raw and pasteurised cheeses. The last few years have seen a raw milk/raw food movement like never before. We will taste the the differences and discuss the ins and outs of the milk controversy. Come join our tasting where we will feature raw and pasteurized cheese from America and beyond.

Cheese of The Week: Cashel Blue

http://goo.gl/1WM2Z
Cheese Of The Week: Cashel Blue

Now i love many Blues but this one is my wifes favorite and shes the boss!

Irelands prize winning cows milk cheese..Most blue cheeses are an aquired taste, tend to have metallic undertones but Cashel is special, mild and creamy yet bursting with flavor. Its Ireland's first farmstead cheese and no cream is added because their milk is that good!

Completely family owned. Above is an interesting interview with the second generation of Grubbs making this incredible cheese and yes we do indeed sell it at Elm City Market. Even if you dont like blue cheese you should give this a try.

Accoutrements

cheese pairing, cheese accoutrements, cheese accompaniments, honey, preserved walnuts

Ok so yes cheese on its own is a beautiful thing but there are sauces and jellies that just make it better. When we started having private tastings we thought it would be awesome to make our own so my wife still makes a lemon honey walnut sauce to die for and honey as simple as it is, is perfection with so many cheeses.

A amazing product i have discover is White Oak farms with such spread offerings as Strawberry Rhubarb and Bluberry Basil to name but a few.

And lets not forget the fig sauce please!

Lately in our cheese life!

Well tryin to catch my breath these days! Another Cheese 101 class has passed July brought with it super hot days and Viva La France. We featured french cheeses this month starting with the lovely decadence of Pierre Robert and Brie Nangis, also present was Valencay, our goat offering, a truly special ash rinded cheese thats moist and cakey, shaped as a pyramid with its top cut off thanks to Napeleon. We also showcased Ossau Iraty made from pastuerized sheep milk, supple and creamy when young to become more firm as it ages upon aging 90 days retains a delish nutty flavor. Also on the plate were Mimolette and Fourme d'Aambert, havta have a blue onboard and this one can be dated back to roman times. Creamy with a light fruity and mushrooms overtones. Lastly, Munster now when alot of us think of Munster we tend to think of the bland commercial version, nice but forgettable. True Munster is anything but, the smell is obnoxious but honestly for me a pungent cheese most times guarantees amazing flavor. Munster is savory and silky smooth not at all what you expect at first sniff. I was happy to gift one of our tasters with a surprise, an entire piece of Valencay. Congratulations Leah! Looking forward to Augusts class, see you there Elm City Market

Learning Cheese: the resources

Conversation with a Cheesemonger

So maybe you have tried a few cheeses and want to learn more. Let me first tell you how i fell into cheese. I was a fine dining server working at a five star restaurant and alot of these restaurant operate on a points system, whereas you rise in the ranks gradually by doing well in every job and you start at the bottom. Cheese was a big deal there, they had a cheese board that held over thirty cheeses at all times, passing the test to serve cheese was a big pay jump and while studying i fell in love and found a way to be the Cheese Guru, being the only one serving cheese. I learned first by tasting and falling back on old skool studying tools like flash cards, i kid you not! Not only did i fall in love with the cheeses themselves but the history and stories themselves.

The most important way to learn is going out and tasting, which is usually available at most cheese counters. By the way, cheesemongers love to talk cheese so ask questions!!

Some other tools that are helpful are books and blogs. Books i like are Everything about Cheese, Murrays Cheese Handbook and ofcourse The Cheese Primer. Ofcourse we love our blog but a few others that are amazing are Cheese and Champagne, Cheese is Alive, and The Cheese Underground. But the internet is chock full of sites.

Cheese Of The Week: Brie Nangis

La Société Rouzaire

Welcome to Cheese of the Week, a new feature here. We will be featuring a cheese each week that is available at Elm City Market.

To be honest i can usually walk right by a brie available in the US. After trying Pierre Robert i was enticed and glad of it.

In the thirties Nangis dissapeared with the onset of World War two, when it had been produced for public consumption only to be revived by the Rougaire family in the eighties.

Nangis is crafted in classic Rougaire style of decadent creaminess with hints of earthy mushroom, melt in your mouth buttery it is somewhat mild yet rich in flavor that only grows more pungent with age. This cows milk brie is a must try and try and try.

Viva La France

About French Cheese
I could'nt have another class without paying homage to France. When we think of France, we think of romance and beauty, do we not? Well their cheese is no exception. Eating Eppoisse or Pierre Robert is a downright sensual experience. We have all had Brie i am sure but you have never really had brie until  you've had a good Camembert. If your taste leans to Goaty, one must try Valencay and Sant Maure De Tourraine. The french varieties shared with the swiss with cheeses such as Emmental and Gruyere are also great as cooking and tasting cheeses. If you have a kink for the stink, a must have is Munster. There are over 750 cheeses in france, some aren't even available to us but if you can, you must!

Elm City Market Cheese Class

Last months Cheese class was such a success we're going to do it again! "Viva la France!" In this class, We will taste cheeses from France. Across the beautiful Loirre Valley,(known for it's wonderful goat milk cheeses), to the Majestic Pyrenees Mountains, from Burgundy to Normandy, France boasts a rich history in cheese. We will taste 7 or 8 cheeses and discuss the differences and similarities, flavor profiles, even a few production notes. It's just what the novice needs to get an understanding of cheese, and a cheese lovers delight. From Brie to Epoisses there is sure to be something for every palate, and preference. So come on out to Elm City Market Wed. July 22 at 6:30pm Its sure to be a blast. And for those of you who cant make it. you will be able to get read a recap right here.

Work

We're about to have our 2cnd cheese class. This classes theme: France, it may seem an easy choice, but its a great place to start. Last months class was called "Whats your favorite?" This is a question i get asked at the cheese case almost daily, so i thought my first class would be an answer to that. I have too many favorites to name just one. First, I'd have to narrow it down to a category. Then, i can start to Start to zero in on some favorites. There are so many ways to categorize cheese, but we started by differentiating milks. We started with 2 goat milk cheeses, Humboldt Fog, and Drunken Goat. We noted colors, texture, rinds, and flavors Next we tasted two Sheep milk cheeses, Ossau Iraty and Lambchopper. Now we were really clear on those notes above and these new colors, textures,, rinds. The cow milk portion consisted of Epoisses, and Jasper Hill's Moses Sleeper. We decided to go full circle and end with Chaubier, a half goat milk and half cow milk cheese. Wow! By the time we got here the road map was clear, and we had travelled full circle.

Cheesemaker of the week: Judy Schad

Makers, Mongers & Mavens » Blog Archive » Judy Schad-Capriole Farmstead Goat Cheese

Fondue

Cheese Fondue
Who doesnt love fondue! Gruyere and Emmenthaler definitely great choices, a oil and garlic fondue for meat is amazing as well and lets not forget the chocolate! Whats your favorite fondue recipe?

The cheddar has it

http://www.tillamook.com/ourstory/slice_of_history.html
Did somebody say cheddar? Usually we aren't much for packaged cheddar but theres one that definitely stands out, Tillamook, with offerings like Medium Cheddar, Smoked and their award winning Colby and Monterey Jack this cheese definitely delivers with smooth, mellow flavor and can you say Grilled Cheese!
Tillamook hails from the Tillamook Valley and is a cooperative effort of many tillamook dairy farms that make up the Tillamook County Creamery Association who has been making cheese for over a hundred years. Affordable and delish

Cheese in Conneticut

We are settled in and thinking business again! While we have as yet had a chance to check out cheese made in Ct there is already a stand out Butterfield Farm..They are all about goat, from chevre to lotions they score! Their chevre is decadently creamy and fresh tasting, their flavored spreads offer delish in lavender and fig to name a few. I've been using the lotion and lovin it. Http//www.promotethegoat.com

New Year New Possibilities

Happy New Year!! We are finally settled in New Haven and looking forward to making new friends and settin up shop. Cheese tasting paloosa people! In case you dont know us we offer cheese tastings, platters whatever you need thats cheese. Our tastings are unique because they are fun, delicious, affordable and we come to you. Maybe you want to learn about cheese or just impress your guests, whatever your style its your party. Contact us today at FromageFete@gmail.com