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Slashfood http://www.slashfood.com Slashfood http://www.slashfood.com/media/feedlogo.gif Slashfood http://www.slashfood.com en-us Copyright 2009 Blogsmith, LLC. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Tasting and Testing a Wheel - Le Cheese Coursehttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/01/tasting-and-testing-a-wheel-le-cheese-course/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/01/tasting-and-testing-a-wheel-le-cheese-course/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/01/tasting-and-testing-a-wheel-le-cheese-course/#commentsFiled under: Cheese, France, Cheese Course

A wheel of Comté in Paris' Rungis Market.
Photo: Max Shrem

This summer, Slashfood blogger Max Shrem is apprenticing at renowned Paris cheese shop Fromagerie Trotté. For the next two months, in 'Le Cheese Course,' Max will share his impressions and opinions of French cheese à la francaise!

For many of us, tasting a cheese just involves swiping a cheese plane or knife against the surface (or the pâte) of a cheese and popping it into our mouths. In France, amongst fromagers (cheese mongers) and affineurs (cheese agers), a dedicated process involves not only tasting the cheese, but also touching it to feel its texture.

Faire la sonde is a cheese ritual in which a slender, curved instrument called a sonde à fromage is used to remove a small cylinder of cheese from a wheel. It's like performing surgery on a cheese to inspect the flavor development.

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]]>cheese courseCheeseCourseFrench cheeseFrenchCheesesondetasting cheeseTastingCheeseMax Shrem2009-07-01T17:00:00+00:00The (New) States for Cheese - Cheese Coursehttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/23/the-new-states-for-cheese-cheese-course/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/23/the-new-states-for-cheese-cheese-course/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/23/the-new-states-for-cheese-cheese-course/#commentsFiled under: Farming, Cheese, Trends, America, Local Eating, Artisan Foods, Cheese Course

Moonglo Cheese from Prairie Fruits Farm

Over the past five years, the local food movement has helped spur the production of local artisanal cheeses in non-traditional dairy states, such as Nebraska, Illinois and Georgia. Although Vermont, California and Wisconsin remain cheesemaking hubs, other states are beginning to lead the way with farmstead cheeses like Little Bloom on the Prairie from Illinois, Georgia's Green Hill and Nebraska's Lancaster Duet.

Leslie Cooperband from Prairie Fruits Farm in Illinois and Charuth Loth from Farmstead First in Nebraska are both diversifying their farms and selling cheeses directly to customers at local markets.

"The perception of consumers is changing," Loth says. "People are starved for a connection with the farm." Loth and her fellow co-owner Krista Dittman laughed, saying that they feel they're engaging in "rural counseling" -- helping to reestablish a lost connection between food and the earth.

Continue reading The (New) States for Cheese - Cheese Course

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]]>artisan cheeseArtisanCheesecheesecourselocal foodLocalFoodlocovoreMax Shrem2009-06-23T17:00:00+00:00Bklyn Larder - Specialty Shop Showcasehttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/16/bklyn-larder-specialty-shop-showcase/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/16/bklyn-larder-specialty-shop-showcase/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/16/bklyn-larder-specialty-shop-showcase/#commentsFiled under: Cheese, Trends, On the Blogs, Stores & Shopping, Local Eating, Artisan Foods, Food News

Brooklyn Larder

There's no doubt about it: The cheese boom is in full swing.

Over the past several years, specialty shops have blossomed across the country, from southern California to Maine (including Blue Fog Market, Fromagination and The Cave), all with super-dedicated cheese selections. This month renowned Brooklyn, N.Y., restaurant Franny's became the latest eatery to open its very own specialty food shop, Bklyn Larder, just down the street.

Aside from an array of prepared foods cooked by chef Travis Post, Bklyn Larder has its own cheese room, with an appropriate humidity and temperature for aging and storing cheese. "This will enable us to carry larger amounts of cheese," says Francine Stephens, who, along with co-owner and husband Andrew Feinberg, co-founded the restaurant back in 2004.

In September of 2007, Feinberg attended the Slow Flood cheese festival in Bra, Italy to seek out unique and tasty cheeses to eventually carry at the still-in-the-planning-stages Larder. They can all be spied through the glass window of the shop's aging room. (Food voyeurs -- you know who you are -- beware!)

Continue reading Bklyn Larder - Specialty Shop Showcase

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]]>artisanal cheeseArtisanalCheeseBKLYN LarderBklynLarderBrooklyn LarderBrooklynLardercheesefrannysgelatoopeningspecialty retailspecialty shop showcaseSpecialtyRetailSpecialtyShopShowcaseMax Shrem2009-06-16T16:00:00+00:00Green Hill - Cheese Coursehttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/16/green-hill-cheese-course/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/16/green-hill-cheese-course/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/16/green-hill-cheese-course/#commentsFiled under: Cheese, Southern States, Local Eating, Artisan Foods, Cheese Course

www.sweetgrassdairy.com

A culinary trip down to Georgia often includes shrimp and grits, barbecue, crispy flounder and red velvet cake. Now Green Hill, a creamy bloomy rind cow's milk cheese, can be added to that gastronomic list thanks to Sweet Grass Dairy in Thomasville, Ga.

Tasting a piece of Green Hill is like opening a taste bud treasure chest. Its lush creamy texture melts dreamily on the palate, leaving a pleasantly mild tang.

While Green Hill shares many characteristics with its imported French cousin, Camembert, it boasts a uniquely buttery consistency. And whereas most imported Camembert has become industrialized for the United States market, Green Hill remains a standout handmade farmstead cheese.

Continue reading Green Hill - Cheese Course

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]]>artisanal cheeseArtisanalCheesecamembertcheesecheesecoursegeorgia foodGeorgiaFoodgreen hillGreenHillsweet grass dairySweetGrassDairyMax Shrem2009-06-16T13:00:00+00:00Little Bloom on the Prairie - Cheese Coursehttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/09/little-bloom-on-the-prairie-cheese-course/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/09/little-bloom-on-the-prairie-cheese-course/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/09/little-bloom-on-the-prairie-cheese-course/#commentsFiled under: Cheese, Midwest Rural, Local Eating, Artisan Foods, Spring, Summer, Fall, Cheese Course

Little Bloom on the Prairie

Usually, the thought of goat's milk cheeses conjures up images of small, freshly ripened, creamy-to-crumbly chèvres, like the French Valençay or Brad Parker's ashed log, which come in pyramid and log shapes, respectively. Little Bloom on the Prairie, from Prairie Fruits Farm in Champaign, Ill., defies all such expectations. When ripe, its texture turns into a succulent cream that slowly oozes from its rind. (Trust us, that's tastier than it sounds).

Little Bloom on the Prairie is a goat's milk cheese with a bloomy rind similar to Mont Vivant, but with a luscious consistency that make its texture more comparable to a rich Brie. Still, even though the cheese's silky touch matches that of a bloomy rind, its flavors are distinctly herbal, floral and even grassy (tastes often associated with goat's milk cheeses). In short, based upon its texture and appearance (this bloomy rind cheese is in the format of a smaller Camembert), Little Bloom on the Prairie seems like a typical runny cow's milk cheese.

As with life, however, appearances can be deceiving: A bite of this fromage reveals an unexpected yet pleasant tang.

Continue reading Little Bloom on the Prairie - Cheese Course

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]]>artisanal cheeseArtisanalCheesecheese courseCheeseCoursegoat cheeseGoatCheeseLittle Bloom on the PrairieLittleBloomOnThePrairieMax Shrem2009-06-09T16:00:00+00:00Lancaster Duet - Cheese Coursehttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/02/lancaster-duet-cheese-course/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/02/lancaster-duet-cheese-course/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/02/lancaster-duet-cheese-course/#commentsFiled under: Farming, Cheese, Midwest Rural, America, Local Eating, Artisan Foods, Cheese Course

Krista Dittman and Charuth Loth each holding a wheel of Lancaster Duet

Gouda fans and those who love sweet, butterscotch-like flavors in their savory snacks may well go wild for Lancaster Duet, a cow and goat's milk cheese from Farmstead First in Lancaster, Neb.

A bite of this beautiful caramel-colored cheese initiates a complicated succession of flavors that begins with notes of dried dates and apricots, evolves into honey and candy and finally tapers off with a mild, sweet and milky tang. Its texture mimics its broad range of flavors: dense, with a sturdy exterior, it yields at a bite to reveal an incredibly creamy center.

In layman's terms, this is a handcrafted gastronomic masterpiece cave-aged to perfection. The complex cheese comes courtesy of Farmstead First, a collaboration between Krista Dittman (right) of Branched Oak Farm, 15 miles north of Lincoln, and Charuth Loth (left) of nearby Shadow Brook Farm. The name "duet" refers to the collaboration itself and the use of two different milks in the cheese. (Incidentally, this means Lancaster Duet is not officially a "farmstead" fromage, which must use milk from only one farm).

Learn more and find out where to find the cheese after the jump.

Continue reading Lancaster Duet - Cheese Course

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]]>artisan cheeseArtisanCheesecheesecheese courseCheeseCourseLancaster DuetLancasterDuetMidwestern cheeseMidwesternCheeseMax Shrem2009-06-02T15:00:00+00:00What's Shape Got to Do with It? - Cheese Coursehttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/27/whats-shape-got-to-do-with-it-cheese-course/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/27/whats-shape-got-to-do-with-it-cheese-course/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/27/whats-shape-got-to-do-with-it-cheese-course/#commentsFiled under: Cheese, Artisan Foods, Cheese Course

Creating Pyramid-Shaped Chevres

What's shape got to do with it?

Well, if you're a cheese, lots. From log-shaped ashed goat to pyramid-shaped Mont Vivant, the cheeses we've been covering in recent weeks come in different shapes and, believe it or not, those structures have a lot to do with how they taste.

A cheese with less surface area is often also a dense cheese, and sometimes needs to be aged longer for the flavors deep within the structure to fully develop. Consequently, small chèvres, such as the disc-shaped Rond Vivant from Rainbeau Ridge Farm may be more pungent. As Lisa Schwartz from Rainbeau expresses it, "the differences in surface area produce more than subtle variations in flavor."

Continue reading What's Shape Got to Do with It? - Cheese Course

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]]>cheese coursecheese shapesCheeseCourseCheeseShapesgoat cheeseGoatCheeseshape cheeseShapeCheeseMax Shrem2009-05-27T15:00:00+00:00Summertime Spinach Saladhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/27/summertime-spinach-salad/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/27/summertime-spinach-salad/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/27/summertime-spinach-salad/#commentsFiled under: Lunch, Dinner, Vegetables, Cheese, Recipes, How To, America, Soups/Salads, Memorial Day, Summer

spinach salad

An unmistakable perfume is in the air: the intoxicating vapors of resiny cedar, sweet applewood, sexy mesquite and reliable ol' hick'ry, arising from grills and escaping from smokers on every block and in every park. Brats are sizzling, hot dogs plumping, chicken breasts marinating, hamburgers being seasoned. And he-men and she-women can barely wait to tuck into perfectly seared T-bones, dry-aged Porterhouses, smoky brisket, even refined filets mignons.

In steakhouses, spinach, typically creamed, is a traditional accompaniment for steak. This is because steak demands to be in the company of strong flavors, and spinach -- among the most assertive of greens in both texture and taste -- delivers. So, as grilling season commences, Slashfood reminds you to eat your spinach. Beyond the jump is an original recipe for a spinach salad that's nothing like the oily, eggy cafeteria staple; gilded with lemon and oregano and with a smoky bacon crunch that resonates with food from the grill. C'mon, give it a try -- it'll please both your mother and Popeye!

Continue reading Summertime Spinach Salad

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]]>Eric Diesel2009-05-27T11:00:00+00:00Roquefort Returns - A Love Letter to a Stinky Cheesehttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/21/roquefort-returns-a-love-letter-to-a-stinky-cheese/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/21/roquefort-returns-a-love-letter-to-a-stinky-cheese/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/21/roquefort-returns-a-love-letter-to-a-stinky-cheese/#commentsFiled under: Cheese, Newspapers, On the Blogs, France, Food News

Roquefort Cheese

Good news for Roquefort lovers!

The Wall Street Journal recently reported that increased tariffs on Roquefort have been dropped. The news comes as a relief to the many gourmands and cheese enthusiasts who were bracing for what could have been a frightening, extended period bereft of the luscious, pungent fromage bleu.

The tariffs that were initially going to be imposed on Roquefort were a retaliatory move in reaction to the European Union's ban on hormone-treated beef. But after a provisional agreement, officials from the EU and the United States decided to drop both measures. So, while the U.S. removed threats of tariffs on Roquefort, the EU has gotten rid of bans on imported beef from the U.S.

See how chefs are reacting after the jump.

Continue reading Roquefort Returns - A Love Letter to a Stinky Cheese

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]]>french cheeseFrenchCheeseroquefortroquefortcheesetarifftariffswall street journalWallStreetJournalMax Shrem2009-05-21T15:00:00+00:00Mont Vivant - Cheese Coursehttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/19/mont-vivant-cheese-course/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/19/mont-vivant-cheese-course/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/19/mont-vivant-cheese-course/#commentsFiled under: East Coast, Dairy, Cheese, America, Local Eating, Artisan Foods, Spring, Cheese Course

Mont Vivant

Pressed onto a baguette, crumbled over salads, or eaten straight, we can't get enough of goat cheese in springtime.

This year, voluptuaries and gastronomes seeking a decadently rich and creamy goat's milk cheese will go wild for Rainbeau Ridge Farm's Mont Vivant. Unlike other mold-ripened goat's milk cheeses (like Selles sur Cher or Valençay), this offering from Bedford Hills, NY has an exquisite bloomy rind (unusual in goat's milk cheeses) that seems to impart a more complex and cakey texture, as if it were a cross between Valençay and Brie.

Continue reading Mont Vivant - Cheese Course

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]]>artisanalcheesecheese courseCheeseCoursegoat cheeseGoatCheesemont vivantMontVivantny cheeseNyCheeseMax Shrem2009-05-19T11:00:00+00:00Pipe Dreams Farm Ashed Goat Cheese - Cheese Coursehttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/11/pipe-dreams-farm-ashed-log-cheese-course/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/11/pipe-dreams-farm-ashed-log-cheese-course/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/11/pipe-dreams-farm-ashed-log-cheese-course/#commentsFiled under: East Coast, Farming, Cheese, Local Eating, Artisan Foods, Spring, Cheese Course

Pipe Dreams Farm Ashed Log

Locavores and others yearning for an American alternative to French springtime goat's milk cheeses like Montrachet and Saint Maure de Touraine will most definitely delight in the ash-coated log from Pipe Dreams Farm in Greencastle, Penn.

This dense, 12-ounce "ashed log" of goat's milk cheese tastes mildly grassy, nutty and slightly peppery towards its edible ash rind. When the cheese is sliced, its paste exudes a seductive floral aroma with hints of citrus fruit. In a word, it's exquisite. But goat cheese is goat cheese, no?

Continue reading Pipe Dreams Farm Ashed Goat Cheese - Cheese Course

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]]>cheese courseCheeseCoursegoat cheeseGoatCheesePipe Dreams FarmPipeDreamsFarmMax Shrem2009-05-11T17:00:00+00:00St Pat - Cheese Coursehttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/05/st-pat-cheese-course/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/05/st-pat-cheese-course/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/05/st-pat-cheese-course/#commentsFiled under: West Coast, Cheese, Artisan Foods, Spring, Cheese Course

St Pat Cheese

In the U.S., many rich cheeses like Brie, Camembert and triple crèmes like Pierre Robert are too buttery and lack a distinctive kick of flavor. St Pat, on the other hand, provides a sensational surprise to the palate with a sweet, nutty vegetal taste reminiscent of artichokes. Tucking into a luxuriously creamy half-pound wheel of St Pat is like partaking of a springtime cheesecake.

Read more about St Pat after the jump.

Continue reading St Pat - Cheese Course

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]]>artisanalcheesecheesecheesecakecheesecoursecowgirl creameryCowgirlCreameryst patStPatMax Shrem2009-05-05T15:00:00+00:00Le Tantalizing Croque Monsieurhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/01/le-tantalizing-croque-monsieur/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/01/le-tantalizing-croque-monsieur/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/01/le-tantalizing-croque-monsieur/#commentsFiled under: Cheese, Recipes, Comfort Food, France, Meat, Sandwiches

croque monsieur

One of the simplest French dishes is also among the most surefire crowd-pleasers -- the croque monsieur. At a holiday dinner last year a room erupted into moans of pleasure when these were served. All for a ham and cheese sandwich!

The name of this crisp and creamy treat derives from the French verb "croquer," which means "to crunch," and the word "monsieur," for "mister." Together they make "Mr. Crunch," which doesn't sound nearly as appetizing as en Francais, in which seems an elegant name worthy of its flavor and Proustian roots. (The meal first popped up in literature in Marcel Proust's "In Search of Lost Time.")

Learn more about "Mr. Crunch" after the jump.

Continue reading Le Tantalizing Croque Monsieur

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]]>Bistrot ZincBistrotZinccroquecroque monsieurCroqueMonsieurFrench sandwichesFrenchSandwichesTim KirkerTimKirkerMonika Bartyzel2009-05-01T15:00:00+00:00Tilston Point - Cheese Coursehttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/28/tilston-point-cheese-course/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/28/tilston-point-cheese-course/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/28/tilston-point-cheese-course/#commentsFiled under: Cheese, Midwest Rural, Local Eating, Artisan Foods, Cheese Course

Tilston Point Blue

Our expert's weekly look at the world of cheese.

Those mourning the loss of their beloved, stinky French Roquefort (which just saw a hefty tariff bump) will delight in this wallet-friendly blue from the good old U.S. of A.

Mineral Point (Wis.)'s own Tilston Point is not the most attractive hunk of cheese we've ever seen, with a yellow-orange hue and blue veins that lend it the appearance of a past-its-prime cheddar. For its unctuous flavor, though, it's worth it: Tilston Point features the complex, luscious texture of its French counterpart along with the earthiness of a Stilton. Its refined flavors range from sweet to mineral-like and linger on the palate. Tasting this fromage is like getting stuck to a bench, enraptured, in front of Monet's water lilies. (OK, maybe we're getting a little carried away. Long story short: It rules.)

Hook's Cheese Company's Tony Hook and wife Julie have been handcrafting cheese including cheddar, Colby and Monterey Jack for more than 30 years. In 1997, they began perfecting a series of blue cheeses and in 2004 created Tilston Point, their sole washed-rind cow's milk blue, aging it for 10 months to a year. The company gets all of its milk from family-owned small local dairy farms boasting anywhere from 11 to 50 cows.

Continue reading Tilston Point - Cheese Course

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]]>artisanalcheeseblue cheeseBlueCheesecheesecourselocal cheeseLocalCheeseroquefortTilston PointTilstonPointMax Shrem2009-04-28T13:00:00+00:00Get Your Goat - Feast Your Eyeshttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/23/get-your-goat-feast-your-eyes/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/23/get-your-goat-feast-your-eyes/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/23/get-your-goat-feast-your-eyes/#commentsFiled under: Hors D'oeuvres, Snacks, Food Porn, Cheese, Artisan Foods, Feast Your Eyes

cheese

Looking at this cheese is a little like meditating. It's the most serene, perfect thing we've laid eyes on in the past week -- a little cloud floating innocuously against a blue (OK, teal) sky. The knife at its side hints at its imminent demise, but really, who aside from vegans or the lactose-intolerant wouldn't want to partake of the cheese's ample charms? Former Chez Panisse pastry chef David Lebovitz, the author of numerous wonderful cookbooks and a Paris resident for the past seven years, purchased this silver dollar-sized disc of Rocamadour (a raw goat's milk fromage) for a dinner party he was throwing for friends. While much of his accompanying commentary extols the virtues of the comté he also bought, it's this diminutive beauty that has us dreaming of baguettes, a drizzle of honey and deeply discounted Air France tickets.

[Via David Lebovitz]

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]]>air franceAirFrancecheesechez panisseChezPanissedavid lebovitzDavidLebovitzparisrebecca flint marxRebeccaFlintMarxrocamadourRebecca Flint Marx2009-04-23T10:00:00+00:00When Should You Eat the Rind? - Cheese Coursehttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/21/when-should-you-eat-the-rind-cheese-course/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/21/when-should-you-eat-the-rind-cheese-course/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/21/when-should-you-eat-the-rind-cheese-course/#commentsFiled under: Cheese, How To, Cheese Course

Willow Hill Vermont Brebis - Bloomy Rind Cheese

Cheese rinds: To eat or not to eat?

Tia Keenan, fromager at Manhattan's Casellula Cheese and Wine Café, divides rinds into three categories: manmade (plastic or wax, as on Gouda) that should never be eaten, natural rinds not recommended (due to an unpleasant taste) and natural rinds that should always be eaten. Let's start with the third category -- rinds that should never be treated as fromage trash. Keenan explains that the rinds of bloomy rind cheeses like Camembert, Brie and Brillat-Savarin are a crucial part of their flavor profiles. According to her, choosing not to eat these rinds "is like eating a cake without the frosting or a pie without the crust."

Many food enthusiasts eat all natural rinds (which arise out of the same mold and bacteria that comprise the cheese) because they view them as part of the overall flavor. Sergio Hernandez, cheese expert and the manager of the soon-to-open Brooklyn Larder (an offshoot of the highly-acclaimed Franny's restaurant), states that eating the rinds of a cheese allows him to develop a "sense of memory."

"When I recognize a cheese just by smelling it," Hernandez says, "it is because I remember very specific things that I tasted in that rind." Keenen eats every single natural rind she encounters because they "can add great dimension and flavor to cheeses and are often a work of art."

In short, whether or not you want to eat all natural rind cheeses is a matter of taste, but keep in mind Keenan's words: "We know how hard cheesemakers work to make beautiful bloomy rinds, and it's heartbreaking to see someone dig the cheese out of the rind on a Camembert."

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]]>cheesecheese coursecheese rindsCheeseCourseCheeseRindsMax Shrem2009-04-21T13:00:00+00:00Greek Grocerieshttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/20/greek-groceries/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/20/greek-groceries/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/20/greek-groceries/#commentsFiled under: Cheese, Recipes, Stores & Shopping, Did you know?, America, Europe, Spices, Ingredient Spotlight, Spring, Herbs

greens

Ancient yet modern at once, Greek cuisine radiates with sunshine and bright, fresh flavors. Succulent lamb enlivened with rosemary and garlic, a classic dish, is as redolent of Greece as it is of springtime. And as is true of anywhere with a shoreline, seafood is center stage. Always present are plates of local feta, stark-white and salty, and olives whose depth of flavor will keep you from ever opening canned olives again. For dessert, honey forms a sinful pact with walnuts and cinnamon, or yogurt made in-house just that morning cozies up to macerated cherries.

A Greek dinner is lovely to prepare and a joy to eat. Many of the ingredients are staples you probably have in your kitchen, such as lemons, herbs, eggs and olive oil. Here are some ingredients you might want to try.

The Basics: Olives and Feta. Olive oil is central to Greek cooking. The essential Greek olive is kalamata. They should be deep black and packed in an olive oil and vinegar brine; a taste should reveal a distinctive, fruity flavor and a firm bite without mealiness. Here's a great recipe for using these beauties. There are other Greek cheeses beyond feta, but this standard should be available in every cheese case. The cheese should be pure white with a gently pocked surface, lounging in a clean bath of salt-water brine (never buy dry feta).

Continue reading Greek Groceries

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]]>Eric Diesel2009-04-20T16:00:00+00:00Hoja Santa - Cheese Course http://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/14/hoja-santa-cheese-course/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/14/hoja-santa-cheese-course/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/14/hoja-santa-cheese-course/#commentsFiled under: Dairy, Cheese, Artisan Foods, Cheese Course

Hoja Santa Cheese

Hoja Santa cheese looks as though it's been gift-wrapped by Mother Nature.

Pronounced OH-ha SAHN-tah, the goat's milk cheese is aged in the minty leaves of a Texan plant called hoja santa ("sacred leaves," in Spanish). It's a gift for the palate, too (unlike some cheeses wrapped in chestnut, grape or fig leaves) -- not too funky, with a clean finish reminiscent of sassafras, eucalyptus and lingering mint.

A relatively recent discovery in fromage terms, this cheese arrived on the scene courtesy of Texan Paula Lambert, a self-proclaimed "urban cheesemaker" who has been crafting it since the early 1980s. After seeing hoja santa used to wrap salmon at a local restaurants she had a "Eureka!" moment a few years later while pondering the French banon, which is covered with chestnut leaves. Wishing to create a Texan incarnation, she found herself stumped for greenery: "I wanted to use something local," she recalls, "and had a hoja santa plant in my garden. Then I remembered [those] fish dishes and voila!"

This mix of cakey, creamy goat's milk cheese and mint is a truly unique gastronomic experience. If the typically strong flavors of wrapped French cheeses are a bit much for you, give it a try. Purchase it directly from Lambert's Mozzarella Company online for $21 per pound or in specialty food shops where available.

Have you tried hoja santa or other wrapped cheeses? Got a favorite?

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]]>cheesecoursegoat cheeseGoatCheesepatricia quintanaPatriciaQuintanapaula lambertPaulaLambertMax Shrem2009-04-14T11:00:00+00:00Cleaning Cheese Graters - Tip of the Dayhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/09/cleaning-cheese-graters-tip-of-the-day/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/09/cleaning-cheese-graters-tip-of-the-day/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/09/cleaning-cheese-graters-tip-of-the-day/#commentsFiled under: Cheese, How To, Tip of the Day

Residue from sticky, soft cheeses can be a pain to remove from graters. Here's how you can easily clean them.

Continue reading Cleaning Cheese Graters - Tip of the Day

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]]>cheesecheese graterCheeseGratercleaningcleaning tipsCleaningTipstip of the dayTipOfTheDayMax Shrem2009-04-09T09:00:00+00:00Boucher Blue - Cheese Coursehttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/07/boucher-blue-cheese-course/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/07/boucher-blue-cheese-course/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/07/boucher-blue-cheese-course/#commentsFiled under: Dairy, Cheese, Local Eating, Artisan Foods, Cheese Course

Boucher blue

Though we've been covering goat's milk cheeses for the past couple of weeks, today I'd like to concentrate on an American blue raw cow's milk cheese from northern Vermont called Boucher Blue.

This sweet and creamy fromage has an earthy flavor reminiscent of the famous French Fourme d'Ambert. What sets it slightly apart is a unique taste of chestnuts and vanilla and a long finish on the palate. While Boucher Blue is certainly tasty eaten plain, it would also make a great addition to a fresh spring salad, such as one with watercress, prosciutto and hazelnuts.

Boucher Blue is handmade by brothers Daniel and Denis of the renowned Québecois Boucher family, whose 1,000 acre farm boasts 120 Holstein and French Normandy cows. The brothers have deep roots in the region: Their family has been cultivating land for nearly 400 years. Long ago they tilled the land by the Lake Champlain and St. Lawrence River valleys in what was once New France (now Quebec). Their ancestor Pierre Boucher was celebrated after the French and Indian War for making peace with the Iroquois.

Fnd their cheese at farmer's markets such as the Burlington Farmers' Market or purchase it from Saxelby Cheesemongers here in New York.

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]]>artisanalcheeseblue cheeseBlueCheesecheesecoursevermont cheeseVermontCheeseMax Shrem2009-04-07T11:00:00+00:00