Cheese (2005–2008)

[LindsayAnn]

I've been pretty lazy of late & just buying my tried and true favourites, but we were having people in for dinner so I decided to do something a bit different.

Just two cheeses that looked a lot the same, but were very different. As you'll see it didn't quite work out that way.

The first was a Poirou. A cows milk cheese made locally.

White, reasonably firm and mild tasting.

The second was a St Felicien. Before I unwrapped it, it looked much like the Poirou. When I "decanted" it, it looked like this

Very nice & ripe. What we lost on looks we gained on flavour. A wonderful cheese this one.

So, I didn't succeed on the looks front, but did on the tasting side. Both good & very different. The St Felicien goes on the 'A' list.

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Holy moly...they look soooo delish...especially the St. Felicien. I am eyeing that - yeah think I can find it here in chicago. I love love love gooey, soft, ripe, liquidy cheese. But then again I love all cheeses. But, more often than not (although at times I will chose hard) I would prefer a soft soft soft cheese if forced to chose.

And - I would HAPPILY chose THAT one. I am way jealous of you...not fair. Not fair at all.....humph....

[Dave Hatfield]

Ok, cheesaholics check this out

absolutely crazy

Only in England, I guess.

[Abra]

Currently I'm in love with that Roaring 40s Blue from Australia. My favorites used to be bleu de Causses and Valdeon, but this stuff just blows me away. If you can find some, you've got to try it. I get it from igourmet.

[MarketStEl]

I had a rather interesting cheese encounter on Thursday evening, when I traveled up to New York City to audition for the "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" contestant pool.

Afterwards (I'll find out whether I'm in in about three weeks), I went down to Greenwich Village to pop into the Stonewall Inn. (Those of you who know history know the history.)

A gentleman two stools down from me pointed out a cheese platter in front of him. On it were large wedges of four cheeses: Wensleydale with apricots and ginger, Gouda with almonds, underripe Brie and Emmentaler.

It seems that there's a market somewhere in the East Village or on the Lower East Side that buys the cheeses Fairway and other cheese emporia can't unload before their sell-by dates and sells those cheeses at fire-sale prices. The Stonewall's manager goes down to this place several times a week and hauls back whatever cheeses are in stock when he visits.

I must say that this made a great substitute for dinner. The cheeses were in fine shape, though that Brie should have been runnier. (The Wensleydale was interesting, the Emmentaler nice and nutty, and the Gouda benefited from the almonds.) I wonder if there is a place like this in Philadelphia?

[gariotin]

Am back from my 2 weeks in Germany - man, they do eat a lotta cheese over there!

Most of it is pretty much the staples - tilsit, gouda-style, soft-ripened with stuff in it like peppercorns, herbs, etc., and the multitudes of Bavarian blues which seems to be the generic name for what we know as Cambazola in the US. Cheese is a constant part of every breakfast buffet (I was staying in hotels the whole time), along w/an endless variety of cold cuts and wursts, smoked fish, and eggs. I must say, this is my favorite style of breakfast, hands down, and probably gained 5 pounds just from that!

These cheeses were very good quality, but pedestrian - certainly better than American equivalents, but nothing to stir your passion, like Dave's recent photos. The 2 exceptions were very interesting:

At a market square in Weimar, there was a man selling artisinal tilsit. It was a revelation - he makes small batches with his own milk. The cheese was pungent with a full round flavor - it made the more commercial tilsit a distant memory. Beautiful funky rinds as well. I bought some to take and once it got to room temp, my travelling companions were dying from the smell - more on that later.

The other was more interesting than delicious - it was a weird little cheese served in Cologne called Mainzer. They were about 3 oz discs, but almost transparent - not opaque like most cheese. Could this be some kind of whey cheese? They had an almost gel kind of texture - cumin seeds on top like many cheeses from the Alsace. Strong full flavor - weird enough to be interesting.

It was also possible to easily get raw milk French cheeses when we were in most market squares, so I scored camembert, crottin chavingnol, epoisses, and muensters. That's when the travelling crew mutinied - all the usual wimpy complaints about how it smelled like dirty feet or old socks. I tried to explain that is not a bad thing in raw milk cheeses, but to no avail.

Anyhow, I can't say I found too much new, but was impressed at the overall quality of their cheeses. Anyone know anything about the Mainzer?

[gfron1]

Has anyone had or heard of Alta Margherita cheese. Its a small, very soft round wrapped in waxed paper. Its so soft I'm not sure if I want to get it, but it smells very strongly delicious. Thanks.

[gariotin]

Is it Italian? There is a great little company in the Langha region named Alta Langha - they make the La Tur, Rocchetta, and Brunet - all small, air-ripened wonderful cheeses. If it is one of theirs, it is probably delicious! Check it out and let us know!

[gfron1]

That is the company on the label. I bought it and the taste is not as strong as the smell. Mine is very soft/runny and smooth. I don't think its over ripened bc the taste is good without being too biting.

[sharonb]

I have finally entered and read this great thread! I wish I could participate with pictures, but I don't have a digital camera...

Went shopping at the Mouffetard market street here in Paris's 5th arrondissement this morning, to round out our cheese platter, which only had four tiny, dwindling morsels left:

- Mimolette extra-vieille (24 month)

- Crottin de chavignol

- Livarot

- Trappe d'Échourgnac

The last is a cow's milk cheese with a soft, rubbery texture not unlike Morbier (without the stripe), squat and round, with a dark brown rind that has been refined with walnut liqueur. The first time I had this, a year and a half ago, I loved it - was crazy about it. Had it a few times, sporadically, then gave it a rest. Came back to it last week, and was disappointed - the walnutty taste overpowers the cheese element! I even ate some without the rind... C'est dire.

Today, after reading these delicious illustrated posts, I was in the mood for a Rocamadour or Cabécou - but didn't see any good ones at the cheese shop.

So I added three more cheeses to the platter:

- St-Marcellin - the runny stage, not the hard type (which I don't like).

- Reblochon fermier

- Petit fiancé des Pyrénées - a brie-like goat's milk cheese, runny and pungent. Mm!

As far as (going back up this thread) Laguiole tasting like eggs goes - I disagree with that, like many of the responses. However, as far as cheese tasting like other things, that reminded me that when Salers is really, really tasty in the fall, it can almost taste like cookie dough!

[gariotin]

Welcome, Sharonb.

It is great to see another poster chiming in from France - it makes us all jealous, but we love to live vicariously. I like your insight into Salers - I can't say I've ever seen a piece over here in decent shape, so probably couldn't test your theory until next trip to France.

gfron, thanks for the report on the new cheese. I love all the products they make, so it is good to see a new one. Where did you buy it - DiBrunos?

[gfron1]

I bought it through Cheeseworks West in San Fran. I really want to try it with peaches - it seems like a perfect marriage.

[MarketStEl]

Ugh - I sell a ton of that Wdale w/cranberries and I can't believe people buy it!  It is horrible.

I visited Hawe's Creamery last year and tasted their blue wensleydale.  It is a unique and delicious cheese - funny, but now that I think about it, I am not sure I have ever seen it for sale here in the States.

Someone should get on that.

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FWIW, here are my two recent experiences with Wensleydale, which still sounds to me like a suburban Minneapolis shopping mall:

--Stonewall Bar, Greenwich Village, NYC, 5/31/07: The bartender explained the cheese platter and tray of crackers in front of him, and me, thus: "There's this store down by the Fulton Fish Market where they buy cheese that's approaching its sell-by date from the regular cheese shops and sell it dirt cheap in large quantities. He goes down there twice a week and buys a bunch of cheeses, then serves them here at happy hour." You saw my post about this upthread.

--Philadelphia Gay Men's Chorus end-of-season party, 6/25/07: I had won a cheese platter from a market and cafe in Swarthmore, up the road from where I work, in a silent auction, so I decided I'd take my prize to the party as my food contribution. I spoke with the proprietor, who told me my platter would have four cheeses. He suggested a blue cheese--we settled on Point Reyes; two soft-ripened cheeses--Humboldt Fog, a goat-milk cheese from California, and Robiola "Duo Latte", a cow- and sheep-milk cheese from Italy that he praised highly; and Wensleydale.

I paused when he mentioned the Wensleydale, recalling my experience with it in New York. I wasn't sure it would go well with the others. He acquiesced and substituted a Queso Iberico instead.

When I went to pick up the platter the Saturday of the party, there was a table with cheese samples in front of the counter. One of them was Wensleydale. No fruit, no frou-frou, just the cheese.

And the cheese was delicious. Mild, but with a nice tang, and crumbly. I bought a wedge to add to the platter. The owner smiled and gave me an I-told-you-so look.

The cheese platter was a hit. The guests made quick work of the Point Reyes and the Wensleydale. Some of the Robiola and Humboldt Fog survive in my fridge as of this posting. I finished the Iberico a week or so ago.

I thought a fellow Chorus member got a photo of the platter, but he hasn't posted it to any photo share site, so I can't grab a copy of it to show you.

Edited July 15, 2007 by MarketStEl (log)

[MarketStEl]

I'm still interested in the 10-year old Gouda.

If anyone who is reading this thread has access to this cheese, I'd LOVE to see a picture of it. I am really interested in the color and texture, and also in the size of the whole cheese.

There are no pics of this particular cheese on the DiBruno's website.

Please PM me if you have a pic and want to send it to me, we can do this outside the thread.

Thanks.

I'm with Gariotin on this. Very sceptical. Would it be possible for somebody who does regular business with DiBruno's to ask a few questions?

Chufi - You live where the Gouda is made. Can you find any 10 year old? Or can you ask some of the specialist cheese shops about it?

I'd love to find out more. Here in France we can readily get 3 year old and also 5 year old (but with more difficulty) I love the aged Gouda's & would really like to try a 10 year old.

Nothing like a good mystery is there?

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Completely forgot about this request when I treated myself to a chunk of 7-year after finishing a bear of a manuscript editing job on the 26th of June. The 7-year cuts easily with a trowel-like knife I have and comes off in flaky sheets.

I'm about to start on another bear of a job from the same writer. I will make a point of asking at DiBruno's where this cheese comes from on my next visit. I vaguely remember seeing something like "Noord-Ost" or "Noord-Holland" on the bit of the label when last I looked at it -- I think.

[Dave Hatfield]

What with blogging and general business I've been neglecting this thread of late, but here's a catch up attempt.

We went to a town called Saint Yrieix de Peche today. Main purpose was to buy Limoges china, but I remembered a very good food shop.

Great cheese selection:

Cheese cabinet #1

Cheese cabinet #2

As you can see lots & lots of nice cheeses. Gaperon, one of my favorites, several varieties of Tomme, proper raw milk Brie and so forth.

Exercising great restraint I only bought two cheeses:

Here they are.

A chevre from Selles sur Cher which turns out to be very mild and really nothing special.

BUT:

The Bleu de Gex is fantastic. Where has this cheese been all my life.

I thought that I knew most decent blue cheeses made in France, but Bleu de Gex is new to me. I don't know how I missed it. My references say it has been made in the Jura for well over 600 years.

Wow! The cheese is a delight; sharp, nutty, full of flavour.

If you can find it buy it!

I'll try to do a full trip report on the blog below tomorrow. (wait til you see what else I bought)

[Carlovski]

Ugh - I sell a ton of that Wdale w/cranberries and I can't believe people buy it!  It is horrible.

I visited Hawe's Creamery last year and tasted their blue wensleydale.  It is a unique and delicious cheese - funny, but now that I think about it, I am not sure I have ever seen it for sale here in the States.

Someone should get on that.

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I've done the cheese tour 3 times at Hawes. I've never seen Blue Wensleydale for sale apart from there though. I've even bought some smoked blue Wensleydale from there (Interesting but not great).

[gariotin]

I agree with everyone about REAL Wensleydale - it is a cheese with a wonderful history, great crumbly texture, and tart lactic flavor when it is good. (Was supposedly brought to England by French Cistercian monks in medieval times.) I don't know why more people here in the States don't sell the real thing...except that it loses quality quickly when cut and is hard for a small cheesemonger to sell thru fast enough. Yes, the Hawe's Dairy is a great tour and one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen, with the hills and dales. Let's demand more of the real thing and boycott the ones w/stuff in it!

(By the way, MarketSt, I think that is a great cheese selection you won - I am sure it was a hit!)

Dave, Blue de Gex, is fabulous - again, when it is good. We have problems getting it in good shape over here - mostly b/c it is a big wheel, about 7 kg as I remember, and pretty expensive, so it scares off small retailers. It is often sold old and dry, but when it looks like your pix, it is fab. I can't believe that Selles-sur-cher was only mediocre - the suggestion of ooziness in the pix had me salivating.

I am getting ready for the American Cheese Society conference next week - rumor has it that over 1200 cheeses were submitted to judging, certainly the largest number ever.

It will be quite a chore to do the Festival this year - every cheese submitted must be plated and presented for sampling in one big room for the event. We will begin at 7 AM and cross our fingers that we will be ready by the opening at 5! Will keep you posted.

gfron - how was that Langa cheese? I looked for it around Boston, but havent' found it yet.

[Chufi]

I'm still interested in the 10-year old Gouda.

If anyone who is reading this thread has access to this cheese, I'd LOVE to see a picture of it. I am really interested in the color and texture, and also in the size of the whole cheese.

There are no pics of this particular cheese on the DiBruno's website.

Please PM me if you have a pic and want to send it to me, we can do this outside the thread.

Thanks.

I'm with Gariotin on this. Very sceptical. Would it be possible for somebody who does regular business with DiBruno's to ask a few questions?

Chufi - You live where the Gouda is made. Can you find any 10 year old? Or can you ask some of the specialist cheese shops about it?

I'd love to find out more. Here in France we can readily get 3 year old and also 5 year old (but with more difficulty) I love the aged Gouda's & would really like to try a 10 year old.

Nothing like a good mystery is there?

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Completely forgot about this request when I treated myself to a chunk of 7-year after finishing a bear of a manuscript editing job on the 26th of June. The 7-year cuts easily with a trowel-like knife I have and comes off in flaky sheets.

I'm about to start on another bear of a job from the same writer. I will make a point of asking at DiBruno's where this cheese comes from on my next visit. I vaguely remember seeing something like "Noord-Ost" or "Noord-Holland" on the bit of the label when last I looked at it -- I think.

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Sandy, thanks, but I've since learned a bit more about the mystery cheese.

A very kind and generous eGulleter volunteered to send me a piece of this cheese, so now I have a piece of allegedly 10 year old Gouda living in my fridge. Here's what it looks like:

the word Noord is indeed from Noord-Holland (a Dutch province). The importer of this cheese is Cheeseland. I have contacted them as well as DiBruno´s, and they both tell the same story: DiBruno´s buys 6-7 year old Gouda from Cheeseland, and ages it for the additional 3-4 years in their own cellars.

The funny thing, ofcourse, is that DiBruno´s calls this cheese one of Holland´s best kept secrets.

In fact, this cheese is so secret, that even the most knowledgeable Dutch cheesemongers haven´t heard of it, and even tell me that 10-year old Gouda does not exist.

I am slowly taking my piece of Gouda on a tour of Amsterdams finest cheesemongers. Luckily, this isn´t a perishable food item

Cheesepeople who tasted it, said it´s pretty good cheese, but no way this cheese is 10-years old.

I really don´t know. There is, ofcourse, the chance that Cheeseland and DiBruno´s have found the prefect conditions to age cheese. But, the other thing is, that in this case, age does not really matter. I have tasted 4 year-old Gouda´s that were just as delicious, nutty salty sweet and crunchy as this 10-year old. Which makes you wonder...

Anyway, I´ll keep researching and investigating! And eventually, I´ll eat the cheese!

[Dave Hatfield]

)

Dave, Blue de Gex, is fabulous - again, when it is good.  We have problems getting it in good shape over here - mostly b/c it is a big wheel, about 7 kg as I remember, and pretty expensive, so it scares off small retailers.  It is often sold old and dry, but when it looks like your pix, it is fab.  I can't believe that Selles-sur-cher was only mediocre - the suggestion of ooziness in the pix had me salivating.

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Think you are right about the size, it did look a pretty big wheel.

Maybe I'm spoiled by all the the wonderful chevres we get locally, but the Selles although good was nothing special. I tried the last of it today just to be sure.

Also, I bought a chevre from one of my favorite farm stalls at Limogne market this morning, we'll try it for comparison this evening. Also bought cantal entre doux, some hard little cabeques and some gaperon. Life's tough over here.

1200 cheeses wow! Where's the meeting?

[gfron1]

gfron - how was that Langa cheese?  I looked for it around Boston, but havent' found it yet.

I'm undecided. The package doesn't hold the cheese well. Its a waxpaper wrapping over a very liquid cheese (at least mine was). The smell was pungent, but not to the point of turn off (or turn on for you ultra ripe lovers). However, when I tasted it, the taste was suprisingly mild. Not bland or tasteless, just mild. I kept thinking that it would be perfectly complemented with a peach or nectarine, and in fact, it might turn into a unique cheese cake with that combo. I would buy it again.

[sharonb]

Dave, you Southerners just like sharp chèvre like Banon or young 'uns soaked in oil or other weird things... No, just kidding. Selles sur Cher is a little bland (though I was moved to see the producers of yours are in Pontlevoy, where there was a great Michelin bib gourmand restaurant I ate in a couple of years back).

And gaperon! Great, weird cheese. Doesn't it have raw chunks of garlic in it?

As for me, I have recently been startled to enjoy some very artisanal Camembert, which I haven't eaten in a coon's age. (I usually, who knows why, skip things like Camembert or Brie, even when they can be excellent if done right.)

No one here yet (I think) has mentioned one of my favorite, favorite cheeses: Tête de Moine.

Also, really aged and crumbly Comté (24 months). Young Comté is one of the two cheeses in the world I hate!

[LindsayAnn]

Just purchased one of my favorite blues - Neils Yard Stilton.

A while back I was buying that Neils for months straight....I gave it a break for a while recently. Until yesterday that is....

I went to Sam's winery to browse Marcy's market (the cheese counters at the winery). I thought I should continue on-wards trying new blues (in hopes I might find one that I love even more than my dear neils stilton.....not that there is anything at all wrong with neils, because there is NOT, I love it. Just figured "hey, if I found even better how GREAT would that be!!!

I tried a few (that I thought looked good), and I tried a few of the recommendations from the cheese mongers....and the conclusion that I came to was as usual...neils is still the best (in my opinion) - for an everyday eating alone blue. (which, although I love cheese in, on and with anything (almost at least) my favorite way to eat it is simply alone, or on a good baguette (think french, sour dough is a personal fav, or another crusty enterior smooshy soft fluffy interior type of bread).

Note: I especially hope to find a variety either as good as my Neils or, if it is possible, better....just because I think that would be one great find! I love raw milk blues (cow milk or goat). Nothing wrong at all with sheep milk of course, I just seem to prefer cows/goats more.

I also must note - from what I see on this thread and others, Neils Yard Stilton Blue is not as universally loved by others as it is, be, well....ME!??

why is this?

Have you tried it? If not why not? And if you have, well, what is your opinion?

[gfron1]

And without further adeiu...Alta Margherita - a super cheese!

And I made it into a cheesecake with nectarines baked in and as a compote with limoncello on the top.

[Dante]

Looking for other cheese lovers to talk cheese and compare tasting notes, sourcing and transcendental cheese experiences.

I could talk forever here, but I'll be brief for now as I have to start dinner...

couple of things off the top of my head:

Lazy Lady Farms in Vermont does some of the best cheese in the area in my experience- mostly goats milk, some cows-milk or blends. She has a couple dozen regular offerings plus the occasional small-batch limited runs (with hand-written labels, no less!). A Must Seek Out if you haven't had the experience.

Cobb Hill, also in VT (run off of a commune) comes in a close second- really good caerphilly.

St James Cheese Shop in New Orleans- which just opened last year- an astounding assortment of cheeses and charcuterie.

and there's one up here from Blue Ledge Farm called "Lake's Edge", which is a sort of local Humboldt Fog. Highly Recommended.

our local food co-op here in New Hampshire has recently started getting in some very interesting stuff from Quebec.

But ever since seeing that one episode of the Britcom "Chef", I've been seeking, but not finding, unpasteurized Stilton. Rumours spoke of Neal's Yard working on something of the sort, but I've still not turned any up.

Sincerely,

Dante

[MarketStEl]

Completely forgot to take a picture, but:

While wandering through Whole Foods this past Sunday, I found something I had been keeping an eye out for in local shops for a while: Roaring Forties Blue. This was the first time I'd seen the Australian blue in my travels around the city. Needless to say, I grabbed a small wedge.

Fan-freakin'-tastic! Not that crumbly -- actually, rather creamy, but with a kick. I don't think I'd dare waste this in a recipe, but I would top my burger or steak with it. Best all by itself, though.

[feedmec00kies]

But ever since seeing that one episode of the Britcom "Chef", I've been seeking, but not finding, unpasteurized Stilton.

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Hey that's what the quote in my signature refers to!

I've been meaning to start getting into tasting notes and such, and I'd be glad to start sharing them (once I actually, you know, have them.. I should also start taking pictures...). It's kind of why I subscribed to this thread. I love cheese, and as I've realized with beer, the more I focus on "rating" or taking notes, the more I pay attention to all the little details and complexities.

A lot of the cheese I've been eating in the last few years has been purchased at the European cheese shop at the Rochester Public Market in Rochester, NY. Their focus is largely on Italian, probably since the family running it is Italian (they also have some other grocery goods and their own olive oil), but there's also a large selection of French, and some Spanish, with a sprinkling of other European cheeses. If you're in the area and haven't been to the public market, you're nuts!

Otherwise, lately I've been just buying cheese from the Fairway Supermarket in Plainview, NY and went to the Wegmans in Rochester (the one University of Rochester students affectionately call "Super Wegs", and another one) when it was too cold out or took too much time to take the extra trip to the public market.

Yesterday, I had some cypress midnight moon (goat) at Spuyten Duyvil in Williamsburg; very tasty! They always have cheese and meat that you can munch on with your beer, and they're all dee-lish.

Other cheeses outside of the usual suspects I've really enjoyed include (but are not limited to):

- aged goudas - I think I favor Prima Donna, but maybe it's Rembrandt

- sage derby - some are better than others

- bel chimay with beer - made by Belgian Trappist monks, they wash the rind of the cheese with their own beer; the beer is also tasty, btw

- manchego

- mimollette

- irish vintage cheddar

- brillat savarin - it's like buttah! i used to like st. andre's when it was first introduced in this area (and when it was the first triple-creme cheese I had eaten), but I've found that it's never ripe when it's in the store now except sometimes in the mini-wheels, and those mini-wheels are bad news (at least for soft cheese).. so i stopped buying it. however... who can beat a cheese named after a french gastronome?

- pretty much any decent soft goat cheese

- saga blue.. it's not the most complicated or strong-of-flavor (and i like my strongly-flavored cheeses), but it will always have a spot in my heart. i kind of grew up with it (and apparently my mom ate a LOT of it when she was pregnant with me). it's certainly in the realm of comfort food for me (not that cheese in general is not comforting..!)

i've had a cheese-eating slow-down lately, but i think that'll change soon when i move into manhattan and start buying it more again.

Mmmmmm... cheese! ::sighs::

Edited August 9, 2007 by feedmec00kies (log)