Photo: Pastoral
Consider mail-ordering a festive cheese platter for holiday events or as gifts. From one-time cheese platters and cheese-of-the-month clubs to special cutlery and distinct pairings, the gift offerings available from some of the nation's top cheese stores can't be beat. Here are three of our favorites.
Pastoral's "Best of the Midwest," $59.99
Are you feeling some Midwest pride? If not, then maybe you should. Chicago's Pastoral cheese shop offers a top-notch selection of artisanal cheeses from Wisconsin, as well as -- that's right -- non-traditional dairy states such as Nebraska, Illinois and Indiana. Wisconsin aside, the Midwest has some of the best emerging cheesemakers in the United States, like Charuth Loth and Krista Dittman from Farmstead First. Along with Farmstead First's Lancaster Duet, the "Best of the Midwest" package includes: Ader Kase Reserve, Wabash Cannonball, salted caramels from Das Caramelini in Chicago, and organic whole-wheat crackers from Potter's Crackers in Madison, Wis.
For an additional $20, Pastoral sends this assortment with local beer and wine, including L. Mawby Sparkling Blanc de Blanc from Leelanau Peninsula, Mich., and Flossmoor Brewery's limited-edition IPA from Flossmoor, Ill. This selection is perfect for those interested in discovering the country's lesser-known cheeses. For à la carte mail-order selections, check out other gift ideas on the Pastoral Web site.
Saladini Cheese Knife, $70.95
Ihsan Gurdal at Formaggio Kitchen is known for tracking down some of the finest cheeses and artisanal foods from Thailand to France. He takes the same exhaustive approach to cheese cutlery. This exquisite, stainless steel cheese knife comes from the Italian company Coltelleria Saladini, located in Scarperia, a 14th-century village known as "the town of knives."
The handle of this particular knife is made from Tuscan olive wood. The handles of the company's other knives (which can also be purchased online from Formaggio Kitchen) are made from natural materials, such as ox horn and water buffalo horn. Besides its obvious beautiful design, this Saladini cheese knife is forged with a specific kind of stainless steel that makes it sharp enough for hard cheeses, even big ones, and smooth enough for spreading softer cheeses on bread. It's the perfect cheese gift for someone who appreciates both presentation and craftsmanship.
Cowgirl Creamery's "Iconic California," $199
Ever since the late 1970s, when Laura Chenel pioneered her line of goat milk cheeses, California has been known for its excellent offerings, including the popular Humboldt Fog. So, this holiday season, in recognition of the state's "cheese innovators," you should check out Cowgirl Creamery's package of California cheeses. The package includes three shipments of three different cheeses. The first one includes: Red Hawk, Humboldt Fog and Dry Jack. Anyone who loves cheeses will relish in Cowgirl Creamery's top-quality assortment.
