gariotin

Just want to say that I am now totally addicted to this stuff and buy it every week. As I've said, I live alone and cook fast yummy things for myself - no more labor intensive recipes for this old cook. I've made the "Middle Eastern burrito" I described, almost once a week, but also used the sauteed leaves with pasta & chicken sausage, stirred into store-bought minestrone or Italian wedding soup - it always gives just the right veggie note during this cold, snowy part of the year. I've been able to find it without probs at my local WF store under Lacinato kale, but haven't seen it anywhere else, even in my good fruit & veg store.

Hum...Dave - with the caveat that the pix is small and some of the pieces are a little hard to see...I would say that the little ramekin is St. Marcellin or Felician, the front left is perhaps a Pyrenees, the center piece looks too moist to be Comte or Beaufort, so maybe Cantal or Lagioule, the rear blue is hard to see, but doesn't look wet enough for Roquefort - maybe Blue d'Auvergne? Front blue looks like the paste might be white - maybe a goat blue? That was fun! JB - can't help with much here, as I've never heard of the first and third. The second does sound like a commerially produced Fontal - light years away from a real Fontina Val d'Aosta, but can be a mild likable cheese. Iberico is a delicious cheese from central Spain and you should be able to find out lots about it by googling it by name. Buenalba is the brand name and is a very good one - smallish production - they make a great artisinal raw milk manchego as well. Can I ask what part of the country you are in - I haven't seen their Iberico here in the Northeast, only their manchego. Good luck!

Excellent choice on the Lingot. I shared my opinion a couple weeks ago that there is a special characteristic of French goats that is uniquely delicious. I am not sure exactly what it is, but their tanginess is almost flinty sometimes like a Sauvignon Blanc - while being salty at the same time. I think that might be the metallic - mineraly thing you are referring to. I mourn the raw milk ones we used to be able to eat, but these good ones are still a real treat. Just use those same kinds of descriptors - if you can talk articulately about wine, you can talk about cheese. Max McCalman's book "The Cheese Plate" has a wonderful chapter just about tasting and devotes several pages to "the language of cheese"...basically just the kind of things you learn to discuss when you speak the language of wine.

As usual, I agree with Lindsay Ann - Epoisse is so heavenly that it is best enjoyed on its own on a slice of baguette or rustic bread. It is one of the world's most wonderful cheeses - good choice!

Tamiam, If you have an awesome cheese store down the street, you shd have a conversation with the nice cheesemonger and let her/him know what you are looking for. They will let you taste some cheeses and maybe suggest a couple that would compliment each other. I will say that there is a smallish, beautiful (comes in a cupcake-type paper in a wooden box), moderate stinker called Affidelice. It is washed rind, so has an orangey rind, but the paste is smooth, rich, and yellow. It is strong, but very delicious. Pennylane, Ill bet that tarte really stunk up the house when it was cooking!

Except for the last pix, where it is getting a little slimy looking, the cheese looks inviting - nice creamy paste and clearly a washed rind. You might be on to something with the beer pairing - how about combining w/a neutral cheese like neufchatel and beer for a spread with dark bread?

Wow - that really sounds awful! Take a pix if you can, before you throw it out - "pinkish grey viscous rind" sounds ghoulish. It is not listed in the DK French Cheese book either... I have to say that I am now intrigued about finding this cheese on my next trip to France...maybe not to taste, but to see. On the other hand, due to an accident, I have no sense of smell. Sometimes I can easily deal with things that are problems for other eaters, like durian. Maybe I will try to taste that glob of putrifying animal matter....

pennylane, don't leave us hanging - what was it and what did it taste/smell like??

Ha Ha - Sandy, yes she's right! I didnt' think the Neal's Yard starts w/New York before I posted! There are some really nice Vt cheds - Shelburne Farms, Cabot cloth-bound and now Grafton is going the same thing.

I am not positive, but I know a lot of the NY ched is the Montgomery's cheddar. Here is a website: http://www.farmhousecheesemakers.com/about...default_12.html I agree - there are many different styles of cheddar, but the Montgomery's is one of the best.

My perfect meal: I read thru all the recipes and was inspired by the Paula Wolfert one I referred to earlier. I used that, and items on hand in my fridge, to come up with my idea of a perfect dinner. Confession: I LOVE Mediterranean/Middle Eastern flavors, so my concoction ended up being a Middle Eastern sort of burrito. I cut out the spines and coarsely cut the lacinato into 3 in sections. Sauteed in good olive oil till beginning to wilt, stirred in about 4 fat cloves of sliced garlic, and a splash of beef broth (hey...that's what I had in the fridge...). Turned the heat down, covered and cooked. Every few mins, I would take off the lid, stir, and add a little more broth as needed. While that was going on, I fried up a couple slices of Halloumi (cleaning out the fridge...). After about 10 mins, I stirred in a can of cannellini beans and a handful of chopped kalamatas. Heated it all up and then finished w/salt, pepper, and a drizzle of good oil. Took a piece of lavash, spread w/thin layer of hummus (thinking of the saucey, moist component), laid a couple thin layers of salami on top (this came from Ms. Wolfert, who suggested serving this dish as a side w/good salumi or cold cuts), then a piece of halloumi, then the lacinato/bean/garlic/olive mixture on top. Rolled it up and man...as I was eating, I was thinking that this was a 4 star quick dinner! Good news...there's more for tomorrow...sometimes it pays to live alone!

Merideth, I got mine at Whole Foods in Massachusetts - you may be able to find some in NJ.

I'm glad you posted the bruschetta recipe - there is a similarly simple one in the River Cafe Cookbook, and I paid no attention b/c it seemed so ....naked and unadorned. Now I'll have to reconsider....

Thanks a million, Margo - I think that Saveur article was the one that piqued my curiosity. I am going to try the braised cavolo nero recipe. Also found a good one in Paula Wolfert's "Med grains and greens" for Lacinata kale w/white beans that sounds great. I just never realized that Lacinata kale is the same thing as Cavolo Nero! D'oh! In general, I just love all leafy winter greens - escarole, chard, kale, turnip greens - bring them on! While I am not a vegetarian, I am perfectly happy with a dinner involving these greens - maybe sauteed w/garlic and things like olives or artichokes, tossed with pasta, or in a soup. They are very full of flavor and satisfying.

I have been reading about Lacinto (sp?) kale and it sounds and looks so beautiful. Managed to snag some yesterday and I have some ideas about what I want to do with it, but it is pretty much my usual winter green prep: cut out the ribs, cut into strips, saute w/olive oil, sliced garlic and smoked paprika, salt & pepper. I would welcome any other ideas - I read somewhere that you can toss w/olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in the oven. This sounds good if it softened the leaves, but also like it could completely dry out the leaves and make them crunchy - not appealing to me. Has anyone ever tried this?

One of my favorite blue cheese pasta combos is to toss cooked pasta w/roasted beets, sauteed beet greens and chunks of blue cheese - gorg, or any medium intensity blue. Top with some roasted pine nuts - takes no time and is REALLY good!

Sounds like a plan!

Just returned from the Fancy Food Show in San Diego - lots and lots of great cheese there, I can tell you! Nice to see the American Cheese Society organized a whole section for small cheesemakers and many attendees from Vermont, California, Wisconsin, Quebec - great offerings! I have extolled the virtues of the new Truffle Tremor from Cypress Grove, so I was happy to tell Mary Keehn, the cheesemaker, how much I have been enjoying this new cheese. She said it took them a long time to figure out just the right amount of truffle, without it being too much and overpowering. If you see it in a US store, it is definitely worth trying. As usual, Dave's photos provoke intense jealousy...those aged cabs look unbelievably good. I think we would be hard put to find anything so aged here in the US - hey guys, let's all go to France and visit Dave! But Lindsay, you should be able to find the younger cabs at WF or Pastoral. I am a big fan of American goat cheeses (aside from the boring 4 oz fresh logs!), but there is something about these small French chevres - they taste more tangy and complex that domestic - maybe it's my imagination, but maybe it's the terroir. I do know that in France, many of these cheeses are hand-ladled - meaning that the curd is ladled by by a person with a big metal soup ladle into the molds. They believe this results in the unique texture and flavor development of the cheeses as they ripen...maybe that is part of the difference.

...mmmmm.the Rocchetta is one of my absolute favorite cheeses - it is delicious and the texture is divine!

[Moderator note: This topic became too large for our servers to handle, so we've divided it up; the earlier part of the discussion is here: Cheese (2005–2008)] Keep trying, Moreace, you might find a blue you really love! Sometimes it's the smell that puts people off, so try to focus on the texture and taste. Blues also pair beautifully with a little sweetness, so try drizzling w/honey, or eating on a piece of apple, pear, or fig - yum! Of course, a little glass of Sauternes to wash it down with doesn't hurt...

So true - it's expensive even in Spain! Fermin did export some hams to the US earlier in the year, and then there was some sort of supply problem. New product just came back in this month - I am looking for it up here in Boston - anyone seen it yet? I'll be Formaggio would have it.

I think that the Roaring 40s might be a good blue to try as well. Many many people who say they don't like blue cheese, find it to be delicious. Altho, I must say that the Australian milk shortage has taken its toll and there has not been enough Roaring coming into the US during the holidays, so it may be hard to find. I think everyone's comments on cheese buying etiquette are spot on. I also think that any serious cheesemonger will be more than happy to offer you tastes of things, Tamiam, so don't ever hesitate to ask. I just purchased a new cheese book - new ones seem to be coming out every day - that I think is great. It is "Cheese Essentials" by Laura Werlin, who is a great writer and very active in the American Cheese Society. It is organized very well, and talks about groups of cheeses, as well as pairings and recipes. Great color photos too. It's the best book I've seen come out all year, and in paperback too - I got it on Amazon. Cheese spreads....much as I love great cheeses, I am never above a good schmear of cold pack ched or garlicky boursin style cheeses. They are admittedly not too sophisticated, but deliver a good creamy burst of flavor - I love to dip veggies or pretzels in them.

Yes, that's true - real reblo is raw milk, and of course our government wants to protect us from that. Always looking out for our best interest, and making us eat bland, crappy, cheese! But you can get pasteurized, as Shel did. And it is a great dish for the season...

You are right, Kerry, about the story of Ubriaco cheeses - supposedly they were thrown into vats of wine to hide from invading soldiers, altho why the soldiers would overlook the vats of wine is beyond me! The Vento is a type of Ubriaco, but I have met the family who makes it and that's the story they tell.

How did it turn out????