Tuesday, July 31, 2012

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.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

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.


Wednesday, July 18, 2012

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




Thursday, July 5, 2012

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.




Monday, July 2, 2012

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.



Sunday, July 1, 2012

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!