gariotin

I don't know guys, I wouldn't be so quick to be so suspicious. The top level WF buyers are not bumpkins - they have great palates and understand the provenence of good products. I don't think they would fall for an inferior product and try to move it by calling it "limited and exclusive". I think you should buy it and tell us what you think. Just my opinion.

I have sold olive oil to retailers for many years. "Exclusive & limited" could just mean that there was a small harvest, thus a small production and WF bought it all. It happens. Have no idea if this is the case in this instance, but not necessarily a reason for your antennae to go up.

I meant that the supplier may be exaggerating to DiBruno's, not the other way around. I have no doubt that they are selling this with the best of intentions. I have been in the cheese business for 26 years, and I just find it hard to believe. Just my two cents.

I agree, mrbigjas, DiBruno's is a very good store. I think the problem lies w/the company supplying them with this product. I checked with a friend who is a major gouda importer in the US. He says there is no such thing as a 10 yr old gouda and they are being lied to. Giving the supplier the benefit of the doubt, maybe they are just embellishing and exaggerating to their retail customers like the food folks at DiBruno's.

Andie -just reread your post and saw what you said about Widmer's. That is too bad, as their cheeses are excellent.

Hi, Cheeseheads - I've been offline for a bit - undergoing a kitchen reno and it is wreaking havoc with life! Andie - I was looking thru my files, as I know I used to have a good article about Piave. It is a great Italian cheese. It is a favorite of Ari from Zingermans, so you might be able to find something on their website - www.zingermans.com. Just curious - was the brand name on your Wisc cheeses Widmer? Joe Widmer makes some outstanding cheeses including brick and aged cheds. He is a great guy and wonderful cheesemaker. gfron - I am totally with you on Crayeuse. It is made in the Alsace, and aged by a wonderful family of affineurs. You are right - "crayeuse" means chalky - this cheese ripens from the outside in, so usually the center is a bit crumbly. Looking at the Girl & the Fig next to it - you must buy from Cheeseworks? Tell us all the name of your store. In addition to the unbelievable cheese sculpure, I recognize that platter! I have about 3 of those that I use for cheese tastings, and am giving one as a wedding present. It is so cute! Chufi - Here is what I could find about Testun, again thanks to the wonderful writings of Ari from Zingermans...one of our best food writers, in my opinion: "A mountain cheese (from the Piedmont) made from a blend of raw cow's and sheep's milk. Aged for about a year, the name means "hard head" in the Piemontese dialect. Big mouthfeel, long finish, fine flavor that's in the same family as Ig Vella's dry Jack, a young parmigiano, or maybe a good Spanish mahon. Testun is a very good eating cheese, though the Piemontese - traditionally very poor - often used this instead of parm for grating on pasta." I not only thank you, but am in total agreement w/the people you spoke with regarding 10 yr gouda. I didn't want to appear like a know-it-all, but I do not see how this is possible. Whoever posted that - can y go back to DiBrunos and ask to see the label? Get us a brand name and I can check it out. Meanwhile...it is the middle of food show season for us in the business. I had the pleasure to exhibit next to the nice people from Vermont Butter & Cheese recently and they shared samples with me of some new aged chevres that they are doing. The Bonne Buche is about as close to a real Selle sur Cher as we are going to get over here. The Bijou is a crottin-type with the crenulated rind. They are packaged in little wooden boxes like the real French deal. Very nice cheeses.

Well, you are right Darcie - it is not exactly safety that keeps me away. I agree that supermarket food is sanitary and clean. I just think the quality is not what I would like. When I buy produce from a produce store, it always looks fresher and seems to last longer in my fridge. I don't know, but I would think that when buyers to go big produce markets, there are probably grades of fruits and vegs. I just don't think big chains buy the top quality. Fish is always older and does not look as appealing as a small local fishmonger, or even Whole Foods. And after reading "Fast Food Nation"...I am not going to rush to buy commercial meat.

I won't buy any fresh food in a chain supermarket anymore - fish, meat, produce. I go to small stores and WF, but don't trust the big guys.

WF sells the same pates that are in most of the other "gourmet" stores - Trois Petits Cochons, Alexian, Fabrique Delices, etc. These manufacturers have gone out of their way to source meat that is antibiotic & hormone free and they are made without preservatives. That's why they turn gray after they are sliced - no nitrates. I disagree with hjshorter - I think their pates are just fine.

Pontormo, I heard thru the distributor who has been selling Galloni proscuitto into WF for over 10 years. Galloni is a family-owned business, making proscuitto for many years. It is crazy to say that their products are not "good" enough for WF. I think they are stepping over the line here - this should be an individual decision, just like eating meat.

Good ideas, andiesenji - thanks! I used to use a glass cheese keeper from Germany - y put a couple drops of vinegar on the bottom and there were raised ridges to keep the cheeses up and away. It was great any time but the summer - you are right about that!

gfron, I have always wondered what people did w/Sapsago cones, besides grate them over pasta or veggies. Do you like the flavor? How do you serve and enjoy it? I would like to get to know this cheese again, but have bad memories... The chaource pix are beautiful - I like mine a little more ripened with a glass of champagne!

Apparently the decision to sell imported proscuitto is being left to each region. Some regions still intend to carry Parma & San Daniele. Apparently the concern is that in Italy, they give the pigs antibiotics for the first 12 weeks of their life. Anyone know how old they are when slaughtered? I gotta believe it's close to a year?

I'm a big fan of the Roaring 40s - it has a great story regarding the name. It is made on King Island, which is between mainland Australia and Tasmania, and supposedly has more cows than people. It is situated at the 40th parallel, and the ocean winds that come off the water are called the "Roaring Forties". The waxing makes it a rindless blue and helps it age in an interesting way. And the Rogue cheeses are delicious - they have a smoked blue that is very interesting.

The only domestic brand that is comparable to Parma or San Daniele, in my opinion, is the Proscuitto Americano referenced before from the Midwest. He does a great job and it is different, but just as good as imported. All meats made to be exported to the US must be from FDA-approved slaughterhouses - the only ones are indeed the Danish ones. This means all the raw material for Italian proscuitto and Spanish Serrano is slaughtered in Denmark, Once again, our government is sure looking out for us. So what if millions of other people in the world eat meats slaughtered in their own countries...not good enough for us! I know one brand of Parma that is shipped as full legs to the US and sliced here into presliced packs.

Yes, real Wensleydale is still made in North Yorkshire, in the old market town of Hawes. The area is right in the middle of the Yorkshire Dales Natl. Park, and as I previously babbled about its beauty, you'll just have to go some day to see for yourself. They make a regular Wdale, mature one which I think is the best, (sharper and more aged), and a blued version which is interesting. I defer to Davebrown about the Stinking B question - sounds like he has actually spoken w/the cheesemaker. I do know it is washed w/pear liquor (perry, as he calls it), which gives us a clue to the "Stinking" part. It is still dribbling over - as he noted, the cheesemaker never fills orders 100%, but he sends what he has. It is a great and beautiful cheese, but not for the timid.

A Dirty Martini is heaven for olive lovers. Whoever thought that up should win a medal.

Yay for you, Johnsmith! I am so glad that you enjoyed your olive exploration. Those stuffed olives at WF are probably the hand-stuffed ones from Greece. There is no comparison - the ones w/red pper are suffed w/real pepper, not pimento paste. They also have cheese stuffed ones like feta and blue cheese that are to die for. And you are right - olives are a fruit. Sometimes you can remember that when you have a crunchy fruity Lucques or a oil cured black Thasos that has a smoky, almost pruney flavor. And Smithy, glad y liked the tip. Wait till you try chard or kale when you've used some brine in the braising liquid. Tart it up w/some garlic or onion, a small handful of dried currants and some pine nuts...maybe crumble a little feta on there. To die for.

Yep, Dave's story tells it all - when y visit Hawe's Dairy, the gift shop is full of W&G paraphanalia. I might add, that the area around the dairy is one of the most spectacularly beautiful places I have ever seen - the hills and the dales. We apparently visited during one of the "3 sunny days in North Yorkshire" every year, but I was smitten. I think real, mature Wensleydale is a very underappreciated cheese and was happy to hear that they are applying for a PDO designation. I agree with the comments on retailers - Whole Foods definitely does the best job in quality and selection for a national chain, and they are committed to supporting small, traditional cheesemakers. But your good small retailer, if you have one, can often get new cheeses in the case more quickly. And because they can hand-sell each item, they are more likely to take a chance on some wildly expensive fabulous new cheese that they have fallen in love with. I think there is definitely room for both. That being said, I generally drive the 5 miles to my local WF, rather than 20 miles to go to a smaller store.

Dave, I don't know for sure, but the Brits are in love with cheese with stuff in it at the moment. They have hundreds of different combo cheeses like Stilton w/Mango & Ginger or Wensleydale w/Cranberry or Double Gloucester with Mexican Spices. It is mind-boggling! Any UK readers on this thread - who actually buys this stuff?? It must sell, b/c there is a ton of it. People do love it - over here Cotswold (Double Gloucester w/chive) probably outsells Stilton and English cheddar. The "real" British cheeses are still products of distinction - Stilton, West Country Cheddar, Wensleydale, and the small production ones like Durras, Berkswell...fabulous! One of the things I LOVE about food in general, and cheese is a great example, is how an area's cuisine is reflective of it's culture. Cheese is so like certain areas: British cheese is forthright, sturdy, simple on the surface yet complex underneath, hearty and no nonsense. French cheeses are distinctive, refined, sophisticated, sometimes a little mysterious, demanding your full attention. As just mentioned, Iberian cheeses are lusty, hugely flavored, wild and passionate. OK, now I'll sit back and you can all throw smelly cheese at me for these glaring stereotypes, but I think they are true and one of the marvelous things about cheese and food and eating and culture and history.

Been on vacation and loved catching up on all the new beautiful cheese shots! Yum! I went well-provisioned with some nice, middle of the road, crowd pleasers - Seal Bay Triple Cream from Australia, Grafton Stone House 6 yr ched, and aged Mahon. Also some sheep's feta and Roquefort for salad additions. A little something for everyone that did not disappoint. Bard, your cheese plate at Artisinal was a nice mix of styles and milks. The tangy note you refer to in the Portuguese Serra d'Estrela can also be found in other soft cheeses from the region like Evora and the Spanish Torta del Casar and La Serena - they all are coagulated using natural rennet from a native thistle plant. It imparts a tart, herbaceous flavor to these otherwise rich and unctous cheeses - they are some of my favorites, but you are right - some people find them off putting. No offense to the wonderful traditions of French, Italian, and British cheeses, but I think Spanish and Portuguese offerings are some of the most interesting right now. They run the gamut in flavors, but all the best have a wild, artisinal quality that comes through. They are not too refined...more full of passion.

Lindsay Ann, You stumbled on a goldmine with that one! Judy Schad from Capriole, has been making incredible cheeses for about 20 years. She was even featured in "People" magazine a few years ago. All of her cheeses have a wonderful flavor and she scoops up ribbons at the American Cheese Society year after year, for good reason. I am a huge fan of her washed-rind, called Mont. St. Francis. If they have that at the market, give it a try. Also the Crocodile Tears are great for entertaining - cute little cone shapes and yummy paste. But, I agree, that Wabash Cannonball is a little sphere of delight. You must have a great farmer's market!

Yeah, go for it! It's not a bad cheese, just so un-French. I think of it as France's answer to Dutch cheese. I've seen it being made and it's pretty cool in those aging rooms. They scrape a pile of "dust" together on the floor and then keep telling you factoids. You look down about 4-5 minutes later and the pile is MOVING! Nontheless, I like Mimo and it's an enjoyable part of a cheese course when you have a mix of adventurous and timid eaters. (I don't tell the mite story till after - heh heh!)

Yes, I agree with Dave on the rind question. Most artisinal cheesemakers would be very upset if rinds were cut off as a matter of course. They do add to the flavor, and since the cheese directly under the rind is often a different texture, also provide a big part of the eating experience. I think it's personal preference - if you like the rind, eat it. In France, I once saw a guy eat the dustiest damn rind I ever saw on a piece of Tomme de Savoie and he looked happy. Maybe 2 exceptions I can think of - Dave's point about waxed cheeses would be one. I always cut a little extra away to avoid the waxy taste or bits. The other would be Mimolette. It has one of the most interesting rind formations - uses an old tradition of aging on wooden planks with colonies of cheese mites. The mites eat away at the rind, forming little hard craters that protect the cheese inside. Know it sounds icky, but when you think of it, it's a perfectly natural way and probably started when farmers were aging cheeses in their cool basements. Sometimes you can see some dust on the rind of a mimo, and just because, I cut it off. Not to mention that it would probably break your teeth.

The pecorino w/juniper sounds very interesting - I love that resiney tang it provides. I'll look for it - did y get it at Formaggio? I love Serrano ham - it's got a meaty quality vs the sweeter proscuitto. I like them both, but they are different. I can't wait to try Iberico - finally going to be available here - does anyone know when for sure?