Brie-illiant

At times, I admit, I have been quite lax about updating my blog.  Tonight, however, I've been inspired.  While making a tour of Whole Foods during my weekly grocery event,  I found a plethora of brie choices.  The fromager (cheese seller) I spoke with was very apt at discussing over 8 types of brie.  You should know that I plan on trying them all, eventually, and in no particular order.  

I finally decided on a Fromager d'Affinois.  A French, cow's milk double-cream cheese made in rounds.  It has a texture and appearance like brie, but goes through an ultrafiltration process. The process removes water and leaves nutrients, proteins and fat behind.  The ultrafiltration speeds up the cheese making process and cuts the timeline that it would take for a traditional brie to form by up to 60%.

After shopping for cheese, I shopped for a petit baguette, and found a whole wheat one.  

Total shopping cost:  $7.90

$6.50 for the Fromager d'Affinois, $1.40 for the whole wheat baguette.

Slice the baguette thinly.  Anyone who prefers crostini can quickly toast the baguette rounds in the oven.  I think it's easier to spread the cheese on the fresh bread, though.  It's much more forgiving. 

Whole Foods also offers 2 other flavors of the Fromager d'Affinois: black pepper and herb encrusted.   Watch for reviews soon on these variations. 

Anonymous Comment: 

"In your opinion, what is the tastiest cheddar or type of cheese to serve on or adjacent to french fries?  Also, what cheese would you recommend after a grueling soccer match?"

Dear Anonymous, 

I would actually recommend a stilton or blue cheese with a great basket of hot french fries.  Here's a link to a hot blue cheese dip that you can easily substitute with stilton.  It has bacon, garlic, cream cheese and blue cheese - served hot.  Fried potato wedges or cottage fried would work with this dip, too.

After heavy exercise is a good time to consume carbs to replenish the calories your body has used as energy.  A homemade pizza with fresh mozzarella is a good choice.  You can even get some made partly with skim-milk for a lower fat option.

Happy cheese shopping! 

~Cheese Guru

Wine and Cheese Party

A few weeks ago I hosted a small wine & cheese get together for some neighbors.  I used some of my new cheese boards and decorative papers.  

I wanted to try a new goat cheese as I've been stuck in a rut lately with the Montchevres.  So the cheesemonger suggested I try Cypress Grove Humboldt Fog goats milk cheese.  In actuality, it looked like a piece of white birthday cake - there is a tiny layer of edible vegetable ash running through the middle and the rind form a look-a-like frosting.  My guests were pleasantly surprised at how creamy and tangy it was.  I don't think I would buy it for every day use, but this cheese is a great departure for goats milk cheese enthusiasts. 

One of the more complex cheeses selected for the fete was a Black Mountain Welsh cheese.  It is a semi-soft white cheese in a black wax rind that's easy to remove.  The Welsh cheese contains subtle hints of garlic, white wine and herbs.  It can be easily paired with beer, rather than wine, if you have some non-wine drinkers at your fete.

I picked 2 cheddar cheeses.  The Borough Market cheddar was great with the wheels of pretzel bread and green apples.  The name Borough Market comes from a actual food market in London.  Neil's Yard Dairy has a booth there and is the chief retailer and exporter of this cheddar.  

To complement the British farmstead cheddar above, I chose a 3-year aged Wisconsin white cheddar - classic and well loved by all.

Numerous plates and baskets filled the table in an eclectic manner.  And I prepared most of the plates in front of my guests - this was unintentional as I was running a bit late, but it turned out to be a great conversation point.  How does one go about presenting the cheeses?  

I had been gifted a few packages of decorative paper leafs from my friend Cindy.  So I used these sparingly and artfully underneath the fruit (cut apples and pears) and the cheeses. It added a focal point to each tray and I thought it made the entire presentation a bit more polished and cohesive. 

All in all, the selections made for an interesting evening and my guests and I enjoyed discussing the wide variety in palates and pairings.

Cheese Etiquette

Something new to bring to your next cheese tasting... 

Despite what your current ideas are as an American about cheese plates, the Europeans have a preferred way to participate.   Cheese is a delicate and well cultured food item.  In order for each successive person to have an equal opportunity at tasting the subtleties and nuances of each cheese, all of us that are sampling should make a conscious effort to think about how we're sampling the cheese.  Typically displayed on the cheese plate will be rounds, slices of rounds, blocks, pyramids, logs, etc.  Some cheeses even come in little wooden boxes.  Images on the left show ideal sampling sizes and cuts.  

The interior and exterior of a cheese age differently and provide a gradation of flavor.  The most polite way to sample cheese is to allow every person a portion of the rind.  By taking a moderate and appropriately chosen sample, you - and everyone else - can experience the full range of flavor.

This blog site talks about one American's experience in Italy.  It's definitely worth a quick read, because you can save yourself the same embarrassment as the blogger.  The moral of the story is - it is advisable to not consume the entire cheese plate.  The intention is that the plate to be sampled and then passed along to the next group of diners.  It may seem like an unusual tradition, but we should put forth the effort to honor the French cheese etiquette and eat only a portion of the entire cheese selection.  Is is good to remind oneself that the few samples you do choose from the plate should be savored.  Remember - the idea is quality, not quantity. 

A meal of more than one course usually provides plenty of food.  When the cheese board or plate is passed around after the main course and before desert, it is intended for you to sample and to appreciate the delicacy and fine grade of cheese.  Concentrate on transitioning your palate, and not filling your stomach.  This may be difficult because you will most likely enjoy the cheese selections quite a bit. 

I try to use a mnemonic to keep my correctly chosen sample portions to a minimum while still being able to appreciate the selection: SLICE - SAVOR - SHARE.

Enjoy! 

Coming shortly - a posting about cheese etiquette.   

Goat Cheese for Everyone!

I found a new trio pack of Montchevre this week at Trader Joe's.  See picture.  You get Herb/Garlic, Original & Four Pepper in a lovely size - crottins (small disks).  As usual, I advise pairing with a simple water cracker.  The cracker package in the picture is also from Trader Joe's.  The best presentation for the crottins would be to place each one on its own small decorative plate.  Use the flat, wide spreading knife, as it's a soft cheese. 

Happy tasting! 

Cheese Plate for a Party - Success!!!

Ok. I'm back. Here's the skinny on my successful cheese plate for Brian's party.  As I said in the last post, it was super helpful to ask for assistance from the cheese counter attendant at Whole Foods.  Brad made some really great suggestions and I made a new friend.  Live just can't get better than making a new friend WHILE shopping for cheese.  Fabulous! 

2 semi-hard cheeses.  2 Cheddars;  one yellow cheddar from Wisconsin, 2 year aged.  One white cheddar, 2 year aged made by Cabot (New England cheese maker). Both were very party popular and it was interesting to hear people compare the 2 Cheddars.  (I like to hang around the cheese plate and listen to the critiques - guilty pleasure of mine. It also helps to get feedback from the tasters in order to make decisions for the next cheese shopping occasion.)

1 hard cheese, an aged Gouda.  Not smoked.  That doesn't always go over well with a picky crowd. So Brad suggested an aged, dry, salty Gouda, that had some precipitate salt and an unusual orange color.  This unique cheese went over extremely well with some palates, while Brian thought it was too "stinky".  Which got me thinking about doing a blog post about our more odorous cheeses.  Anyway...

1 goat cheese.  This cheese is one of my absolute favorites.  I can pair this Montchevre with any kind of hard fruit (extra crisp apple, under-ripe pear) or plain, unsalted cracker and it truly shines.  By the way, my favorite cracker is Carr's Table Water Crackers.  This particular goat cheese has just enough herbs and a bit a garlic blended throughout to enhance the goat cheese and not become overpowering.  Again, I highly recommend this as an entry level goat cheese to anyone who has not given goat cheese a fair shake. 

1 soft cheese.  Brie.  Traditional and refreshing at the same time.  With so many options, it was a difficult decision. Nonetheless, I did choose a double cream, French Brie (and a large slice, at that). It was only $7 for a considerable wedge and I was entirely pleased with my selection.  I am not always a fan of rind, but in this case I ate the rind right along with the gooey goodness inside.  This Brie really won me over.  I think the best starch pairing for this Brie was a day old baguette, sliced thinly like crostini.  Yummmmm!  Oh, make sure to serve your Brie room temp.  No need to heat - the best flavors will come through at about 70 degrees. 

So there you have it!  And not a morsel left to take home with me.   That just leaves more cheese shopping for me to do in the near future, I guess.  Can't complain about that!