Do you find the idea of selecting cheese for a dinner party daunting? Here's a quick guide to arranging a cheese course.
Posts with tag manchego
Tip of the Day - Creating the Perfect Cheese Plate
Continue reading Tip of the Day - Creating the Perfect Cheese Plate
Cheese Quiz
Think you're the big cheese? Test your cheese knowledge with our Cheese Trivia Quiz on Slashfood.
Cheese Quiz
In the 1980s, a television jingle for Velveeta described its distinctive flavor as a blend of these three cheeses.
- Brie, Swiss and Cheddar
- Cheddar, Jack and Cream Cheese
- Swiss, Jack and Colby
- Colby, Swiss and Cheddar
The dark line in the middle of this cheese isn't mold. It's ash placed between the morning's and evening's milkings.
- Morbier
- Taleggio
- Tomme de Savoie
- Scamorza
Mozzarella is traditionally made from the milk of cows, or which other animal?
- Water buffalo
- Sheep
- Goat
- Donkey
Which one of these cheeses is NOT classified as blue vein?
- Stilton
- Roquefort
- Gorgonzola
- Double Gloucester
In the cheesemaking cycle, who is responsible for the aging process?
- Fromager
- Cheesemonger
- Affineur
- Maitre d' Fromage
Abbaye de Belloc - Le Cheese Course
 |
| Abbaye de Belloc. Photo: Max Shrem |
When it comes to firm sheep's milk cheeses, most Americans are more or less familiar with Italian Pecorinos, like Pecorino Romano, and, of course, the renowned Spanish Manchego. But, in the Ossau valley in the French Pyrenees, cheesemakers also craft unique sheep's milk cheeses, like the famed Ossau-Iraty, and the less known Abbaye de Belloc.
These cheeses stand out due to their particularly sweet delicate flavor and firm, creamy texture that gradually melts on the palate. Among them, Abbaye de Belloc remains a gastronomic gem with its exceptionally well-balanced, smooth, unctuous texture, a result of the milk of the red-nosed Manech ewes (not to be confused with Santa's red-nosed reindeer, Rudolph).
"The best way to appreciate this kind of consistency is to eat a very thin slice," says Fromagerie Trotté's Jean-Philippe Trotte in Paris. "The thinner the slice, the better you'll take in the very sain [French for uncontaminated, healthy and wholesome] taste of the cheese's milk."
Can Nestle Make Manchego Cheese?
If Kraft can produce best-selling industrial cheeses why can't Nestle? It's slightly alarming to see that in Mexico Nestle is selling a cheese they call Manchego. Indeed, the cheese they call Manchego could not be any more different than the original Manchego, produced in the region of La Mancha in Spain. Instead of being made with sheep's milk, it's made with cow's milk. While Manchego has a striking bright dark rind, this one is rindless. In short, Nestle's version is highly manufactured; Manchego is artisanal.
The larger issue is whether or not the Spanish government should protect the Manchego name, like France has done with Champagne and Mexico with tequila. Nestle is taking advantage of a Spanish cheese and marketing their version under its name. It's no wonder why the company is selling it specifically in Mexican grocery stores. But, perhaps I am being too judgmental of Nestle. After all, think of what the American food market has done to mozzarella. Check out the poll below to let us know what you think.
Ingredient Spotlight: Dulce de membrillo
Living in Argentina during high school, I ate dulce de membrillo many times before I had a clue what the sugary, dark orange paste was. I later learned that membrillo is Spanish for 'quince,' and dulce de membrillo (literally, 'quince sweet') is simply a dense quince jelly.
The quince, which resembles an overgrown chartreuse pear, is a fruit native to Asia, now grown all over the world. Unlike pears, however, quince are not eaten raw (I've tried - they're sour and astringent and hard as rocks).
In Spain and Argentina, dulce de membrillo is sold by the slice from massive bricks and generally served with nutty, salty Manchego cheese or on buttered toast. I've also run across it in Israel, served for breakfast with thick, sour yogurt. Here in the US, you can find it at Spanish specialty stores, and some Hispanic markets and regular gourmet shops. It's got an interesting grainy texture and a somewhat floral, apple-like flavor. It's quite sweet - sweeter than most jams and jellies - which is why it's so good paired with cheese or plain yogurt. Try it with slices of Manchego on crackers, or slip some inside a wheel of brie and bake until gooey.
What Can I Get You Folks? - Eating Out for Thanksgiving
In Defense of Guy Fieri
'Top Chef Vegas' - And Then There Were Five
