Madame Fromage

Parsley Creswell Returns (with a Giveaway)

2012-02-10T14:01:00.000-08:00

Parsley Creswell's "Virtuous Salad," Photo by Linda Olle

On the Upper East Side, in a breezy apartment,Parsley Creswell lives a cheese-inspired life. She has a parrot named Gougère, and she dates men with names like MarioProvolone (a renowned tenor). Of course, I’m making this up, or, well, Linda Olle is.

Linda Olle, a regular reader of this blog, pens fauxgastro-memoirs – a genre she may have invented. The Upper East Side Cookbook: Main Course is the second book in atrilogy that she’s writing, a series that combines rich prose and even richerrecipes: Haggis Meat Loaf, chocolate nib smoothies, Chartreuse à la Thomas Jefferson, and something called VirtuousSalad.

In the spirit of Ruth Reichl, Parsley Creswell eatsher way around New York, but not as a writerly gastronome – no, Parsley is aneccentric ex-fashionista who wears corsets and collects exotic recipes. She’sGretta Garbo with a splash of Ru Paul.

Here’s an excerpt:

With an expensive pair of birding binoculars aroundher neck, a gift from a swain, Parsely foraged in Central Park for mushroomssprouting high up on a tree trunk….She placed her treasure in tissue paper anda recycled orange-and-white Zabars bag, then dined alone...

If there were a Grey Gardens cookbook, this would beit. Linda Olle has once again revived her enchanting heroine, Parsley Creswell,and this time we follow her through dumpsters, across Riker’s Island, and toJapan. With each episode, she becomes more complex, more tragic, and morequintessentially New York.

I relate to her upbringing: “…Parsleygrew up in the Midwest and believed that she experienced a form of hypoglycemiaif she didn’t get a constant infusion of calcium in the form of milk, cheese,or ice cream, especially in the winter.”

Giveaway: So that you can enjoy this curious odyssey -- and perhaps try your hand at Onion Pie or Angels on Horseback -- I’m givingaway one copy of The Upper East Side Cookbook: Main Course. To enter, simply name the richest dish you’veever eaten. Get your comment in by Feb. 14, 2012. I’ll draw a winner the nextmorning.

Soup Cheese

2012-02-09T05:57:00.000-08:00

I never grew up eating Pecorino, but this winter it’s becomemy go-to cheese to serve with winter soups. The nutty flavor of thisquintessential Italian specialty comes from sheep’s milk, and because it’s arich, fatty cheese, a few curls shaved onto a broth adds beautiful dimension.

This week on the Di Bruno Bros. blog, I touch on several different Pecs and offer a recipe for Swiss Chard Soup. Full disclosure: Twice a month, I freelance for Di Bruno Bros., one of my fave cheese shops in Philadelphia. I pick out a cheese to feature on their blog, and I run a wee teaser here. The money I earn from this venture supports my dairy habit.

Valentine’s Cheese Advice

2012-02-04T13:48:00.000-08:00

With the economy in the toilette, it’s an awfully good yearto be a loving spendthrift. Instead of bedazzling a sweater and going out onthe town, I suggest you bedazzle some goat cheese and stay in with some SteelyDan.

It’s as easy as picking up these chevre hearts—available atthe Fair Food Farmstand in Reading Terminal—or making your own. Come on, youcan find some fresh goat cheese and figure out how to press it between sheetsof waxed paper for some easy molding. Pete Demchur of Shellbark Hollow rollshis cuties in fresh lavender buds and pink peppercorns, but you could rollyours in some paprika, craisins, or za'atar. That a grrrl, Martha.

Below, I've listed all the scrumptious sides you could everwant for a lover’s cheese board. Pick up some goat cheese, a weepy Brie, and asweet hunk of Valdeon, then lock the door. Turn off all the lights, scramblefor a candle, and feed your naughty cherub these tender morsels:

Cherry preserves
Spiced pecans
Dark chocolate
Honey
Dates
Baguette
Champagne

Don’t forget to relax the cheese! What I mean is: while you’retaking a warm bath, leave the cheeses on the counter. You'll want to serve them atroom temperature. Otherwise this whole exercise is pointless.

Cheese &Champagne Class: Bone up on the finer points of servingbubbly and Brie at a Cheese & Champagne Class at Di Bruno Bros., 1730Chestnut St., on Friday, Feb. 10, at 6:30 p.m. The swarthy Richard-Luis Morillo will demoand discuss. Tickets: $20. For more info, call 215-665-1659 and ask for "Catering."

Cheese Portraits at Wedge and Fig

2012-02-03T07:42:00.000-08:00

Just a heads up about Mike Geno's stunning cheese portraits. They'll be up at Philadelphia's Wedge & Fig through March, 2012. The opening is tonight. Here's the postcard. Love it up!

Haunted by Handkäse

2012-01-28T12:18:00.000-08:00

Readers, you know how I feel about stinky cheese. Ialways welcome it into my home. That is why there is a funeral-sized incenseburner in my living room. Alas, my last Stinky Cheese Mission went awry, and Iam still puzzling over it. Did I eat a bad piece of cheese, or is Handkäse really andtruly intolerable?

The tip came from a reader who heard about Handkäseduring a German conversation class in New Jersey. She asked if I knew of it,then sent me instructions on how to find it. “My German teacher calls it Handkase mit musik,” she wrote. “The musik comes afterward.”

Okay. I like a fart joke. I’ll eat a farty cheese.

So off I went to Rieker’s Prime Meats, a Germanspecialty foods store in the neighborhood of Fox Chase, Pa. I pictured a meatyfright wig of a cheese with a devilish rind, something akin to Limburger. I didnot expect Handkäse to look umbilical, like a glassy Tootsie Roll. But, thereit was in the cooler: slightly cloudy, tubular.

Let it be known that I loved Rieker’s Prime Meats.I loved the cuckoo clocks, the German cookies, the fresh spaetzle and rouladenin the dairy case. I bought bags of fresh pretzels, wursts, mustard in a toothpastetube – all the family favorites.

The only item I didn’t love when I got home?Handkäse. And it wasn’t the musik.

Handkäse is a specialty of Hesse, Germany, where itwas originally rolled by hand, hence the name. According to Cookipedia, it’s a“smeared acid curd” cheese made from sour milk that is ripened for several daysin a “sweating room.” New terms for this cheese geek. Acid curd? Sweating room?

You get the picture. Handkäse did taste sweaty and acidic – like sour cream mixed with rubber cement. My first bite stuck tomy front teeth like a fetid gummi bear. Terrible. I tried melting it, addedonions – as others on the internet suggested – but oy vey, that only made Handkäse turn slimy.

If Tolkein’sGolem character had tried ripening a cheese in his cave, it might have lookedlike melted Handkäse. Look at it. Tell me you don't think of Lord of the Rings.

I’m headed back for some Limburger. I think I likecheese that smells like feet better than cheese that looks like a severedfinger. But, readers, set me straight. Is there something I’m missing? Arethere magical nuggets of Handkäse out there, or am I stinktarded?

Ubriaco To Chase Away Doldrums

2012-01-25T10:13:00.000-08:00

Now that the holiday parties are over and more sleet is instore, a person can easily turn gloomy. If you find yourself prone to despair,I suggest a nice wedge of Ubriaco as a cure-all.

Ubriaco, which means “drunken,” is a cheese that understandsdarkness. It spends months in a wine barrel before it comes to market.Originally, Italian cheesemakers hid wheels from tax collectors this way inorder to avoid their fees. Eventually, these drunken cheeses became popular.Lucky for us! To read on, please click here.

Full disclosure: I freelance for Di Bruno Bros. Twice a month, I pick a wedge of my dreams and develop a post for their blog. This is how I cover the cost of my dairy habit.

How to Make a Downton Abbey Cheese Plate

2012-01-22T11:42:00.000-08:00

I can’t seem to get enough of the PBS series,Downton Abbey, and neither can you. This became clear at the Cheddar class Itaught on Friday night at Tria’s Fermentation School. It was a MasterpieceTheater-loving crowd (lots of beards and one waistcoat); Lady Grantham wouldhave fit right in.

By the end of the night, we’d eaten seven Cheddars,and there was hardly a crumb on the tables. After everyone left, I couldn’thelp but imagine them settling in on their settees at home with a spot of portand an episode of Downton Abbey cued up for a nightcap. Since today is Sunday,and you’ll surely be watching, let me offer you a few crumbs of wisdom aboutbuilding a Downton worthy cheese plate.

Photo credit: JBUK_Planet

First off, Downton Abbey is shot in Cheddar country, in Hampshire, just one county over from Somerset. HighclereCastle (above) is the actual name of the palatial estate, and it’s just a jaunt fromLondon, home to one of Europe’s best affineurs, Neal’s Yard Dairy. Should youdecide to holiday in Hampshire, make sure you pop into Neal’s Yard for a whiffand a nibble. Lord Grantham would insist.

Secondly, you’ll want to serve some traditionalfarmhouse West Country Cheddars, which would have been fairly easy to come byin 1912, before the advent of Britain’s agricultural depression in the 1920sand ‘30s. Before World War II, Britain developed a Milk Marketing Board that streamlined industrial cheese production, decimating small cottageindustries. Many great cheese recipes were lost, but a few have been revived.

Lady and Lord Grantham lived during a veritableCheddar heyday, you might say. For a taste of some of these extraordinarycheeses, scout out the following wedges for your next Downton Abbey viewingparty:

Mrs.Kirkham’s Tasty Lancashire

A gentle, citrus-bright clothbound cheese made frommilling the curds of three days’ milking. The texture has earned it thenickname “floofy monstah.” You’ll understand why. Character: Mrs. Patmore

Ticklemore

This wickedly creamy goat’s milk cheese has a layer ofbeautiful surface mold and a decadent, fudgy center. It’s a bit naughty and atiny bit two-faced. Character: Lady Mary

Montgomery’sCheddar

One of the best loved traditional West CountryCheddars, this is one of three recognized by Slow Food. It’s made by hand byJamie Montgomery at his farm in Somerset. It’s a cult cheese for anglo-loving Cheddarphiles. Character: Lord Grantham

Keen’sCheddar

To rival Montgomery’s, a traditional Cheddar that’searthier and more aggressive. This clothbound beauty is made by George Keen, alegend in cheesemaking. Character: Mr. Carson

LincolnshirePoacher

This smoldering character is named after a 17^thcentury ballad. It has Cheddarish traits, but there’s a bit of Gruyere lurkingin the background, making it a bit of a split personality. So of course, you canguess which character it best represents. Character: Thomas the Footman

Stichelton

This piquant, ultra traditional version of Stiltonis made with raw milk, unlike other Stiltons on the market. It’s very feistyand worth every penny for its craggy, churlish nature. Character: Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham

For more ideas, pick up a copy of Great British Cheeses , by Jenny Linford (DK, 2008). Downton Abbey, Season 1 is available for streaming on Netflix. Season 2 streams on PBS.

Scenes From The Cheese Ball

2012-01-16T07:46:00.000-08:00

Yours Truly with Sue Miller of Birchrun Hills Farm

You may have heard. On Saturday, I held a Cheese Ball in Philadelphia. It was everything I hoped it would be. And more. There were cheeses from Holland, London, and New York. We had guests from Spain, France, Norway, and Green Bay. Admission? A wedge of cheese. By the end of the night, I counted over 100 cheese tags left on the table. Amazing. Here is a glimpse into our wonderful feast.

THE CHEESE BOARD

The Cheese Board at 8 p.m.

The Cheese Board at 9 p.m.

The Cheese Board at Midnight

THE GUESTS

There were friends. And there were strangers. Cheesemongers brought dates and wedges. Couples came in gowns and tuxes. A king and queen were crowned at the end of the night. Here are a few outtakes. There are lots more on flickr.

A Beautiful Pair from Di Bruno Bros.

A Jesuit Digs In

Blog Readers from New York City (Columbia Students)

THE CHEESE DELUGE

The night was truly an Alice in Wonderland of Cheese. Everyone brought beautiful wheels and wedges. Not a single block of Velveeta. Many thanks to the following cheeses houses for donating wheels and for sending emissaries: Di Bruno Bros., Quince, Fair Food, Wedge and Fig, Greensgrow, and Downtown Cheese. And many thanks to all of you who contributed so much!

THE VENUE

Many thanks to the staff at RUBA, the Russian Social Club of Northern Liberties, for hosting us. The bartenders were quick'n dirty. The taxidermy was perfect. The kitsch behind the bar was spot on. I can't think of a better place to host a cheese ball in 2013!

Reading Raclette

2012-01-12T08:14:00.000-08:00

So many award-winning cheeses are made in Vermont these daysthat it’s easy to feel Green State envy. One Vermont cheese that’s got cheesemongersbuzzing this winter is Reading Raclette. Now, the Swiss make Raclette and so dothe French, but until Spring Brook Farmintroduced its artisanal version from Reading, no American cheesemaker had comeforward with a melt-away Alpine stinker this good.

Reading Raclette hasanother thing going for it. All of the proceeds go to a Vermont nonprofitcalled Farms for City Kids thatoffers urban school children a chance to explore farming and cheese making. To continue reading, please visit the Di Bruno Blog.

Full disclosure: I am a freelancer for Di Bruno Bros. Twice a month, I select a cheese and develop a post for their blog. This is how I cover the cost of my dairy habit.

Blog Redesign with Stef Patrizio

2012-01-08T11:26:00.000-08:00

Designer Stef Patrizio works on a Mood Board at Madame's kitchen table.

Behind the scenes here at Madame Fromage, there has been a lot more than cheese on the table. Over the past few months, I have been working with Stefania Patrizio on a site redesign. Come spring, this blog will get her wings. Even a new url.

To start, Stef created a new logo, which appears on the Cheese Ball invitation (see last post) I put up last week. Yes, that invite was all her idea. She is a dream. She's also taught me a lot about how to think visually, set a mood, and re-envision this site. Here's how we got started:

Building A Better Blog: PART I

Step 1: Gather Ideas

Stef asked me to collect all of the things I own that gush Fromage -- from cheese graters to business cards. Upstairs in the Cheese Command Center, where I do most of my writing, I got started with a bulletin board. Max McCalman's business card, a personal treasure, was one of the first things I pinned to the board.

Step 2: Build a Mood Board

Stef and I spent an afternoon creating a "mood board" -- a process of brainstorming the aesthetic look and feel of the new site. She collected a bunch of images and put together a slide show so we could brainstorm color and tone; the images ranged from black-and-white mug shots of women from the 1920s to vases of flowers.

I gave a thumbs up to the mug shots, a thumbs down to the flowers. The process was much like going to the eye doctor and trying on lenses. The fun part was conceiving of a new look for the blog by exploring -- not text -- but photos and drawings. Of course, we had a cheese board to go with it.

Step 3: Design a Logo

Stef developed four new logo designs. Each one had a different look and feel. The unveiling, which took place at her apartment over breakfast, was exciting. I was so curious to know what she had come up with. After all, she had snapped oodles of photos at my house, and we had looked at dozens of food blogs together. I knew I wanted a logo with personality and a new site with some theatrics -- after all, what is a cheese board if not a stage?

Step 4: Create Images For a New Site

Stef and I made a cheese trek. She wanted to snap some pictures and shop for cheese. So, off we went to Di Bruno Bros., a Polaroid in tow. We snapped some photos of the mongers who are so essential to this project, then came home to plate our wares and shoot a still life or two. Stef turned into a DSLR ninja. You can't see it here, but at one point the tripod was propped on a piano bench and Stef was hanging by a toe from the ceiling.

Step 5: Keep Collaborating
The best part of this whole process has been sharing ideas with Stef. I met her at a cheese tasting, so I knew she valued some of the same things I did: handcrafted food, cheesemakers, exploration, stories. It's been great to find someone who is as passionate about images as I am about writing. Stef has given me ideas for posts, suggestions for blog features, and an understanding of how to build this site as a stage for sharing, educating, exploring, and entertaining. In the meantime, I've introduced her to a few new cheeses.

Stefania Patrizio (stefaniapatrizio@gmail.com) is a freelance designer in Philadelphia. She specializes in logos and branding for restaurants, food bloggers, and food producers.

An Invitation To A Cheese Ball

2012-01-02T17:51:00.000-08:00

That’s right, cheese lovers, I’m ringing in 2012 with a CHEESE BALL. I hope you’ll bring a wedge for the giant cheese board I plan to create.And I hope you’ll put on a cheesy outfit, but it’s not required.

Why a Cheese Ball? Well, I just feel we should meetface to face. After all, I’ve been blogging for three years, and a grrl getstired of tapping keys. I want to tap my foot to a beat. I want to go cheese Gaga.

Here’s the line-up for the night at RUBA:

8p.m. Doors Open

We dance cheek to cheek to some live jazz, wefeast.

10p.m. RaffleWinners Announced

Uh, that’s right. I’ve got a Mike Geno cheese print togive away.

11:00p.m. The Coronation

Will you be crowned King or Queen of the CheeseBall? Perhaps. If so, we must disco.

DJ Raclette will be making a specialappearance from Wisconsin.

Midnight:The private party officially opens to RUBA Social Hall members. RUBA is openuntil 3 a.m. You can stay and meet handsome Russians or head home to recuperate.

The Cheese Ball does not require tickets. Youmust love cheese to attend.

Note: The invitation above is courtesy of the daringly awesome Stefania Patrizio Design.

Highlights of the Year In Cheese

2011-12-31T06:33:00.000-08:00

Coolea, one of the most delicious cheeses of the year.

It was the year of Goudas.

Every time I turned around, I was nibbling aglorious Dutch treat. My favorites: Coolea, a Gouda from Ireland, and Evalon, agoat Gouda from Wisconsin.

It was the year of Twitter.

Making the Zagat list of foodies to follow was fun,but it was great to discover other cheese geeks like @curdwise, @CheeseboardUK,@cheesechick1, @kasekaiserina, @cheeseandpoetry, @ItsBrieBlog,@Timthecheeseman.

It was the year of the Cheesemonger.

Wherever I looked, the world of the professionalcheese handler was getting props. I missed the second annual Cheesemonger Invitational, but I was happy to be at my first American Cheese Societyconference, which launched the first ever Cheesemonger Certification Program.

It was the year of babies named after cheese.

Just ask Hunter Fike of Di Bruno Bros. (9^thStreet) about his son Jamie Montgomery as you nibble a hunk of Montgomery’s Cheddar. Hunter, might I suggest Strathdon Blue for a potential baby #2?

It was the year of cheese apps.

Pairing apps abound, but I am still looking for theperfect iphone app that allows me to snap a photo of cheese and record notes.

It was the year of aspiring young chesemakers.

When will TheNew Yorker run its "30 Cheesemakers Under 30" story? Katie Hedrich of LaClareFarms in Chilton, WI made big news when she won the U.S. Championship Cheese title at the greenage of 25. I've got my eye on Lindsay Klaunig, too.

What's in store for 2012? Well, a newly designed site for Madame Fromage, plus a big bash that you're invited to on Jan. 14. Keep your eyes posted for the invite to my Cheese Ball! I'm ready to celebrate three years of blogging in the land of Milk and Brotherly Love.

Dear readers, what are your highlights, cheese or otherwise?

Rogue River Smokey Blue

2011-12-30T12:01:00.000-08:00

Lately, people have been asking me about smoked cheeses, so this week on the Di Bruno blog, I devoted my column to Rogue River Smokey Blue from Oregon state. It's one of the best smoked cheeses on the market -- not that competition is stiff. Most "smoked" cheeses are loaded with Liquid Smoke, a chemical additive. For the 411 on why Rogue River Smokey Blue stands out, please check out my column.

Full disclosure: I am a freelancer for Di Bruno Bros. Twice a month, I select a cheese and develop a post for their blog. This is how I cover the cost of my dairy habit.

Creme Brulee in a Glass

2011-12-28T06:09:00.000-08:00

The Blue Cheese Goddess with her signature cocktail

My friend Tracy, a.ka. the Blue Cheese Goddessmakes a holiday drink that has become legendary in dairy circles. It beginswith a martini glass (don’t stop reading now!) dipped in lemon juice and brownsugar, then filled with a boozy Crème Anglaise concoction. Yes, it really doestaste like Madame’s favorite scorched dessert, Crème Brulée.

If you're looking for a naughty New Years Evelibation, may I recommend this extraordinary composition? The BCG inherited therecipe from her mother Elaine, who claims the recipe comes from the Ritz Carlton.

On Christmas Eve, this drink overshadowed my cheeseplate. I didn’t complain. It’s everything a person could want from the dairycase mixed with the liquor cabinet. Prepare to shiver.

Tracy and Elaine’sCrème Brulée Martini

1 lemon wedge

A saucer of brown sugar

1 1/2 oz Grey Goose vodka

Splash of Frangelico

Splash of triple sec or other orangeliqueur

2 1/2 oz crème anglaise (5tablespoons, recipe below)

Ice

Rub the lemon wedge along rim of amartini glass, then roll the rim in brown sugar. Chill the glass. Pour vodka,Frangelico, orange liqueur, and crèmeanglaise into a shaker half filled with ice. Shake and strain into a glass. Serve with a smooch.

CrèmeAnglaise

2 cups milk, scalded

5 tablespoons sugar

4 egg yolks, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

Heat milk, sugar, and salt in top of adouble boiler, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Stir a little milk mixtureinto the egg yolks, then add the eggs to the milk mixture. Set the mixture inthe pan over barely simmering water. Cook, stirring until thickened, 3-4minutes or until the mixture coats the spoon. Mix in the vanilla. Cool quicklyby setting the pan in ice water and stirring briskly. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Entertaining Tips From A Swiss Hostess

2011-12-21T12:09:00.000-08:00

Mother Fromage

Everything I know about hostessing comes from mymother who was born in Geneva. To most, she was known as “The Frau” – she was astrict-as-nails German teacher in our midwestern hometown. To my brother and I,she was Julia Child crossed with Nancy Sinatra. She loved high boots, and shewas always cooking.

My brother André and I were her sous chefs. In the‘70s, we whipped cream for her gourmet club tortonis; in the ‘80s, our motherdiscovered the Moosewood Cookbook and we became her renegade vegetable peelers.When our mother entertained, the house had to be spotless, the lightingperfect. André and I cued the right records, served drinks (usually incostume), and made sure all the teak furniture legs were feather dusted.

Now that André and I are grown, we laugh at thehostessing traits we have inherited. Our mother taught us something beyondSwiss fastidiousness; she taught us how to stage domestic bliss, with all theright candles and details. Mother Fromage arrives tomorrow. You can imagine what I am doing right now. That’s right, putting a chocolate on her pillow.

Ten Tips From A Swiss Hostess

1. Alwayskeep a Ziploc bag of cigarettes in the door of your freezer. Defrost one asnecessary, before or after guests arrive. (This is André's flourish.)

2. Candleson the table always. Fresh flowers, too. Carnations are economical; they willlast a month.

3. Leavechocolates on pillows, sparkling water by guest beds.

4. Nevereat anything under bright lighting. Dimmers, people, dimmers!

5. Cookin the dark, or near darkness. It feels more sensual that way.

6. Plansurprise readings over dinner – poems by Emily Dickinson are fun to say,especially after a few glasses of wine.

7. Avoid the hair-pulling task of making pie crusts.

8. Swearingin the kitchen only, please.

9. Servehot drinks in the afternoon when people get cranky. Make paper hats.

10. A cheese board for lunch meansyou don’t have to cook two big meals.

My mother lives in Wisconsin where she is close to the dairy epicenter. My brother blogs at Andredarlington.com. As you can see, he inherited the Swiss upper lip and the widow's peak.

Here we all are, two winters ago. Note the flowers, the lighting.

Can the Cheese Ball Be Rebranded?

2011-12-19T21:10:00.000-08:00

In the dairy world, a cheese ball has about asmuch class as a Mr. Softee cone rolled in colored jimmies. And yet, who doesn’tsalivate at thought? If the cupcake can make a comeback, why shouldn’tthe cheese ball rise again?

Over at Cheese and Champagne, my digitalcompatriots have thrown down a tauntlet. It’s called the Cheese Ball Invitational, and anyone with a blog can dip this challenge in peanuts and set the globe spinning.

Let’s do it. Let’s make cheese balls. But let’s doit with intention. Let’s make cheese balls of integrity!

This demands forethought. Before you resurrect a cheese ball, consider your audience – pick a worthy recipient, someonewho has an appreciation for clashing boundaries. Then, embark on your mission. Make a serious face in the mirror and start inventing. Why not a cheese trapezoid? A fromage rhombus?

For my minor opus, I present…the Point Reyes Pine Cone.

Oh, yes, this is a cheese ball, but as you can see by its teardrop shape, this "gobbet of gunk" has arisen. Note how crushed gingersnaps in this recipe replace the salted-nut dermis.There’s room for interpretation here, too – as with all high art. Is it a pine cone,you might ask, or is it a forest creation by Andy Goldsworthy?

To raise the cheese ball out of its puddle, I feltI needed to lob it at a person of quality. My friend the Blue Cheese Britseemed like an ideal recipient for my re-branding campaign. As you can see,he’s wearing an ascot. This is not your average cheese ball consumer.

Serve your guests some gin’n tonics, and the PointReyes Pine Cone turns a stale party into beautiful havoc. Watch as guestsbypass your beautiful cheese board to grab a crumb, a twig.

The Point Reyes Pine Cone is the next generationcheese ball, friends. If we can’t save the planet, we can at least save the whippeddairy appetizer. Join me. Do it now.

The Point Reyes Pine Cone

16 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

¼ cup purple onion, minced

1 cup crumbled Point Reyes Blue Cheese

2 tablespoons fig jam

½ cup toasted walnuts, loosely broken

Freshly ground pepper

1 box Anna’s Ginger Thins

1. Mix cream cheese, onion, blue cheese, fig, jam, toastedwalnuts, and ground pepper in a medium-sized bowl. Stir until well-mixed.

2. Pour the cheese mixture onto a large square ofplastic wrap and form the glob into a ball. Refrigerate this little asteroidfor an hour or more.

3. Use half of the ginger thins to make crumbs. Youcan use a food processor, or go old school: drop the cookies into a largeZip-loc and then use a wine bottle like a rolling pin.

4. When the naked cheese ball is cold, unwrap it androll it in the gingernsnap crumbs. Use your hands to delicately mold the ballinto a pinecone shap. Use the scalloped edges of the ginger thins to create bract scales.

Serve with crackers and thinly sliced pumpernickel bread.

Note: If you can't find Point Reyes, pick up a wedge of Maytag. It's a raw-milk cheese from Iowa, in the style of Roquefort. Point Reyes, from California, is ideal because of its sharp, salty kick, thanks to the seaside air that imbues the milk with a pleasant salinity.

Ugly Rinds Last-Minute Gift Guide

2011-12-18T11:49:00.000-08:00

Maybe it’s Occupy Wall Street. Maybe it’s thenumber of people I know out of jobs. Or maybe I’m just developing a thick rind,but I can’t seem to force the holiday cheer this year. Do I need more egg nog?Have I become a morose middle-ager?

Luckily, I can still get excited about cheese,cheese books, and cheese paraphernalia. Here are a few items I picked up in thelast year that I just can’t live without.

Marble Cheese Dome

It’s the tea cosy for cheese lovers. The marblebase keeps a weepy Brie nice’n cool, and the glass dome keeps flies and fingersaway.

Culture Magazine Subscription

This seasonal dairy rag keeps getting better – butI’m biased. Great recipes, cheesemaker profiles, and news for the buddinglactophile.

Cheese Knives

So much better than scrambling around for butter knives.

The Cheese Deck

Max McCalman offers a casino-style approach to the wheeling cheese dealer. Each card features a lovely cheese photo with pairinginfo on the back. Flash cards?

The Flavor Thesaurus

What a curious gem – I keep this on my nightstandand peruse the wild pairing suggestions whenever I can’t get out of bed.Inevitably, I’m cheered and refreshed.

Mozza

Nancy Silverton (of La Brea Bread) now kneadsmozzarella for a living. Well, sort of. This is a brilliant book full of enticing cheese photos– I dream ofmaking her squash blossom pizza.

Plenty

Hands down most-ogled book in our house. ThinkMorrocan fusion vegetarian with lots of Greek yogurt drizzled on things.

Tastebuds & Molecules

From the Canadian wine writer François Chartier, afascinating new approach to wine pairings based on his experiences with FerranAdrià of El Bulli.

Artisan Bitters

The perfect tonic après cheesing. Put a few dropsin sparkling water, and you’ll never need a soda again. Seriously good for digestion.

Twelve Days of Cheesemas

2011-12-16T05:54:00.000-08:00

Around the holidays, putting out a cheese or two in theevenings is a festive way to unwind. For my Di Bruno Bros. column this week, I put together twelve pairings for the season. Here is a selection. To read all 12, please visit the Di Bruno Blog.

Day 1: Pears and Stilton instead of a partidge in a pear tree.

Day 2: Chutney and Tarentaise instead of turtle doves.

Day 3: Nut brittleand French ComtéGruyere instead of French hens.

Full disclosure: This is part of a freelance series I write for Di Bruno Bros. Twice a month, I select a cheese and develop a post for their blog. This is how I cover the cost of my dairy habit.

What You Should Know About Rush Creek

2011-12-13T07:14:00.000-08:00

I keep meaning to do a winter gift guide, but all Iwant to do is talk about Rush Creek. It is the meaning of Christmas, the starof David, the liquid heart of Santa – yes, yes, it is all of these thingsrolled into a cheese and bound with bark.

Here’s why:

1. RushCreek is made by Uplands Cheese in Wisconsin, the same folks who make PleasantRidge Reserve -- easily the most decorated cheese in America.

2. CheesemakerAndy Hatch spent months perfecting this beauty. He uses unpasteurized milk sohe had to develop a slow maturation process in order to legally sell thesewheels (raw milk cheese must age 60 days or more).

3. Ifyou’ve had Vacherin Mont d’Or, this is the U.S. equivalent – it’s made by handusing extraordinary milk from well-loved cows.

4. RushCreek has the texture of unset pudding – its center is molten. You will want tospoon it into your lover’s mouth. Check out the New York Times photo.

5. Culture Magazine’swinter centerfold? Rush Creek.

If you have a trusted cheesemonger, ask him or her toorder this cheese for you. Prepare to spend about 30 bones, and don’t blanchat the thought. Andy Hatch has a baby, and he needs to earn a living.Cheesemaking is hard work – it requires milking cows twice a day, tending theland on which they graze, and then becoming trained in the art of hand-crafted cheese.

When you eat Rush Creek, you are eating a littlebit of Van Gogh.

For a perfect pairing, eat Rush Creek with a starry Riesling. ( Photo by Stefania Patrizio)

Culture Magazine Debut + Birchrun Dinner

2011-12-09T11:41:00.001-08:00

Alas, it’s here: the winter issue of Culture Magazine. It features my firststory for the magazine, and I’m so pleased that it brings attention to astellar blue-cheese maker from Pennsylvania, Sue Miller of Birchrun Hills Farm.

I interviewed Sue this fall and spent a daywatching her make Birchrun Blue. Her attention to detail and her deep love ofall things Holstein showed me something important that goes into cheesemaking besides milk and rennet: devotion. Deep, deep devotion to animals, land, and the people Sue calls her "eaters".

This issue of Culture feels like an album of greatest hits forme. The centerfold cheese is Rush Creek, from Uplands Cheese in my home state of Wisconsin. Andthe spread right after my story on Sue showcases Mike Geno’s cheese portraits (yup, that's one on the wall in the photo below).Mike’s been featured on this site many times. In fact, he often accompanies meon fromage junkets around the city.

Birchrun Hills Farm Dinner: Coincidentally, Philadelphia’s own Southwarkrestaurant has planned to honor Sue Miller with a Birchrun Hills Farm tasting dinner onWednesday, Dec. 21, at 7 p.m. ($45). Chef Nick Macri has four incredible courses planned to feature Birchrun's cheese, whey-fed pork, and veal. Please join Mike Geno, Sue Miller, and me. Raw milk and cookiesfor dessert!

Toreserve a spot at Southwark’s Birchrun Hills Dinner, call the restaurant at 215-238-1888.

Vacherin, The Peignoir Cheese

2011-12-04T19:54:00.001-08:00

I’ve wanted to try Vacherin Mont d’Or ever since Ifirst read Patricia Michelson’s description of it in her book, The Cheese Room. She calls it a "melting sensation" and compares the texture to “thefolds of a satin peignoir.” Read: nightie.

I was watching Mad Men at the time. I thought of Joan with her high, crimson hair and blousybedroom attire. When I imagined the taste of Vacherin, I envisioned something voluptuousbut repressed, delicate.

Oh, how wrong I was. Vacherin is a tiger. It may,in fact, be the ultimate Mad Men-eracheese because it comes in a box, like an engagement ring, and it’s cinched at the waistwith a belt (made of bark). When you bake it, it turns to Jell-O pudding.

Vacherin is a seasonal cheese that hails from themountain range between Switzerland and France. It’s ready in winter, and that’sbecause it’s only made with autumn milk when the cowscome down from the Alps. The milk from these same cows -- in spring and summer -- is used to make Comté and Gruyere.

The name Vacherinliterally means “Golden Mountain.”

Vacherin Fondue

Following Patricia Michelson’s instructions, I baked this cheese in its balsa wood box. At 350 degrees, it took thirty minutes.

It’simportant to wrap the box in foil in case the melted cheese leaks out. Afterthe center warmed, I peeled back the top rind, swirled 2 tablespoons ofSauvignon Blanc into the custardy softness, and served hot Vacherin with boiledpotatoes, pickled onions, and cornichons.

Unforgettable. Imagine a forest melting in yourmouth. A forest with nightgowns hanging like leaves from the branches. The taste is big -- mushrooms, sweet hay, night sweat -- and the texture is sumptuous. All you need is a salad with a vinegary dressing and a glass of Gewurztraminer.

Online, you can find Vacherin at Murray's and Artisanal. I purchased mine at the counter of Di Bruno Bros. If you're lucky enough to find Rush Creek, a raw-milk version of Vacherin made by Uplands Cheese in Wisconsin, you could try this same recipe.

This is a delightful supper for a winter Sunday. Change into your PJs as it bakes.

Baked Feta with Dates and Honey

2011-12-03T05:14:00.001-08:00

In winter, feta becomes an orphan, a forgotten cheese.Unless you’re basking in the Greek Isles surrounded by plump tomatoes andcukes, you skip over feta in favor of triple crèmes, butterscotchy Goudas,balsa wood boxes of Epoisses. Am I right?

I’m here to negotiate in favor of feta. If you bake it withhoney and dates, you’ve got an easy appetizer, a succulent puff of brinysoftness, a winter warmer, if you will. I love an island of baked feta accompaniedby dried fruit, a handful of walnuts, a sprig of thyme, and some homemade pitachips. To continue reading, please visit the DiBruno Blog.

Full disclosure: This is part of a freelance series I write for Di Bruno Bros. Twice a month, I select a cheese and develop a post for their blog. This is how I cover the cost of my dairy habit.

Cheese Podcast Redux

2011-11-29T18:28:00.001-08:00

Yours Truly before the Used Wigs podcast at L'Etage

Back in November, I mentioned to you that I was preparinga special cabaret-themed cheese tasting for a local podcast hosted at L’Etage.The show went well, thanks for asking. It’s now available for download via theUsed Wigs website.

Have yourself a listen, and if you want to eatalong with the episode, you can recreate the night’s menu with the followinglist of dramatic cheeses (their stories unfold on the program).

Andante Dairy’s Largo

Paski Sir

Rogue River Blue

Big kisses to the Wigs, and a special thanks toco-star/grrrl wonder Nikki Walter (@TurboGrandma). If you couldn't make it to the show, open your calendar and pencil me in for January 14. Madame F. is going to throw you a cheese ball.

C Local: A Stinker That Reeks of Controversy

2011-11-25T14:33:00.001-08:00

C Local (left) on our New York-themed cheese board

It has always been my dream to eat Thanksgiving in Manhattanso that I could prepare a fierce cheese plate for the occasion. Thankfully, theoccasion came tumbling by and so I found myself at Murray’s last Tuesday,dodging raindrops to buy glorious cheese – “as whiffy and local as possible,” Ientreated the cheesemongers.

And so I found my reigning loverboy, this sheep’smilk stinker washed in beer from Brooklyn Brewery.It’s creamy, it’s funky; it smells like body sweat. My friend P., a New Yucknative, called it “sneakery.”

Served with a shmear of strawberry-balsamic jam anda goblet of malty Belgian brown ale, C Local became the platform for my best bite ofthe weekend. Turkey is lovely, cranberry sauce, too, but nothing beats abeefcake slathered with preserves. Let your mind wander.

Meanwhile, I’ll tell you about this controversialcrescent. Back in October, The New York Times wrote about C Local and stirred up a lot of dander over the term affinage (off-ee-NAJ), the process ofaging cheese. Cheese shops nowadays engage in a lot of playful tinkering withrinds, and skilled mongers trained in affinage will take in young orphan cheesesand bathe them in spirits to produce a unique specialty.

C Local is a case in point. The mongers receivewheels of a bloomy sheep's milk cheese, called Kinderhook Creek, from Old Chatham Sheepherding Co., and instead ofselling them right away, the folks at Murray’s wash these wheelsin Brooklyn Brewery's Local 2. By tending to the cheese, they produce a very different product– a one-of-kind wheel that’s sold in limited quantity, often at a premium.

For someone like me, this is a treat. I love the cheeses produced by Old Chatham, and the beer wash morphs these gentle bloomies intosomething cantankerous and slightly crusty – just to my liking.

In the Times article,cheese god Steven Jenkins (author of Cheese Primer) ranted against this practice, attacking cheesemongers for rampingup costs to the consumer and creating a class war among cheese buyers. His responselit up Twitter for several days.

While I am all for equity, I don’t understandJenkins’ crowbar tongue on the subject of affinage. Ripening cheese requiresskill in the same way that, say, refinishing a table requires skill. If I buy arefinished table, I expect to pay the person who slathered on the varnish andattended to final touches.

All this to say, C Local was the highlight ofThanksgiving. Seek it out. And ask for Syd, cheesemongress extraordinaire. She helped me pick out the stunning accoutrements for my New York Locavore Cheesegiving. The day's bounty is detailed below.

New York Locavore Cheese Plate

Cheeses: C Local, Across The Pond, Little Big Apple
White Lavender Asparagus, from Brooklyn Brine
Strawberry-Balsamic Jam, from Anarchy in a Jar
Toasted Raisin Pecan Crsips, from Eli Zabar
Columbus Sopressata
Big Picture Farms Goat Caramels

How to Serve a Cheese Board

2011-11-22T07:41:00.001-08:00

Around the holidays, there’s always a flurry ofemails from friends and readers about what cheeses to serve and how to arrangethem. Here’s the hot scoop on selecting and serving.

Picka theme.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed at the cheese counterthis time of year. That’s why I like to arrive with a theme in mind. This year,I went for a mushroom cheese board, just for something different. Last year,I divined a Monastic Cheese Plate. You could also go by country (French,Italian, or Spain) or pick American all-stars. When in doubt, choose a varietyof milks – cow, sheep, goat, and if you can find it: water buffalo.

Letyour cheese relax.

Make like the picture above and set out yourcheeses before guests arrive. Cheese is always best served at room temperature.Cover your cheeses with some damp cheese cloth or a damp kitchen towel so thatthey don’t dry out.

Baguettes,baguettes, baguettes.

If you spend a pretty penny on gorgeous cheese, forheaven’s sake don’t put out sad crackers. A slice of plain baguette is the bestraft for a gorgeous mouthful.

Don’tstress about accoutrements.

Put out some honey, dried fruit, a few nuts, andsome cured meat, if you like. Don’t worry about perfect pairings. Guests willhave fun mixing and matching.

Storeleftovers in waxed paper.

When the party’s over, wrap your firm cheeses inwaxed paper or parchment – they keep better that way than in Saran. Store yourgooey creamies in a plastic tub or jar. Bag your blues and keep them separatefrom other cheeses so that those beautiful blue spores don’t spread.

Enjoy! And remember to talk to your cheesemonger. This is high season for cheese counters and there are gorgeous delights in stock. If you need a primer on how to talk to a cheesemonger, please read the post and let me know how it goes.

Heirloom Yogurt Culture Giveaway

2011-11-19T07:38:00.000-08:00

When I was small, my Swiss grandmother used tomake yogurt at her home in Cleveland. I remember eating it at her longkitchen table. She’d set it out in a large bowl along with a jumble ofpreserves, and we’d spoon away the afternoon, eating cool yogurt with dark jam.

As an adult, I’ve always wanted to make yogurt andalthough I’ve made a few batches using commercial yogurt as a starter, I’venever mooned over the results. Usually, it turns out sour, requiring oodles ofsugar to smooth it out.

When I read about heirloom yogurt starters on The Kitchn back in September, I felt a little flutter in my belly. No, not thatkind of flutter. It was a flickering memory of my grandmother’s silky Swissyogurt -- tart but not sour, soupy rather than thick.

Now, Greek yogurt is in vogue, but I prefer the European version, especially in the morning – the kind of yogurt you can pour overgranola, the kind of yogurt that does not taste cloying or gelatinous.

Villi yogurt starter from Cultures for Health makesa superbly light, delicate yogurt that is similar to what my grandmother usedto make. A single box contains enough powdered starter tomake two “mothers,” or starter batches.

The directions are easy -- you stir half the starter into a cup of cold milk, cover the jar with a towel, and let the mixture culture in a warm place (70-78 degrees). I used the oven and left the light on to create enough ambient warmth. In about18 hours, I had yogurt.

With yogurt, onebatch begets another, so if you time things right – making yogurt every week orso – you can keep using the step-mothers from the original mother batch.

Cultures For Health was kind enough to send me asample of their Villi Yogurt Culture, per my request. And this family-run company has also agreedto give away a sample box of yogurt starter to a Madame Fromage reader. If you’re interestedin receiving a yogurt starter of choice, just drop your info here. I'll select a randomly drawn winner a week from today, on Saturday, Nov. 26, 2001.

Cultures For Health sells a variety of heirloomyogurt strains (including vegan yogurt starter), cheese-making kits, and cheese cultures, alongside starters for sourdough and kombucha. I look forward to tryingsome of their other yogurt strains and keeping a fridge full of mothers, ifonly because this sounds preposterous.

A Mushroom Lover's Cheese Board

2011-11-16T07:29:00.001-08:00

Ever since I read Michael Pollan’s Omnivore’s Dilemma, I’ve had a yento forage for mushrooms. In gritty Philadelphia, it’s a lot easier to pop downto a farmers’ market and simply buy them from a local grower since nearbyKennett Square is a fungi hub.

Recently, I did some mushroom sleuthing at Di Bruno Bros. inorder to build a Thanksgiving tribute to my two favorite foods: fromage et champignons. My dream: acheese board that would remind me of walking in a forest. To continue reading, please click here.

Full disclosure: This is part of a paid series I write for Di Bruno Bros. Twice a month, I select a cheese and develop a post for their blog. This is how I cover the cost of my dairy habit.

Madame Fromage at L'etage

2011-11-11T13:37:00.001-08:00

Kittens, on Tuesday, November 8, at 8 p.m., I’ll be part of a live podcast from L’etage, the cabaret bar above Beau Monde’s cozy creperie in South Philly. Come joinme, won’t you? Wear something sparkly?

Or stay home and listen to the show on Used Wigs, a local site devoted to "quality workaday distractions." As a distraction, I’llbe sharing some dramatic cheeses as part of my act – cheeses with wild stories,cheeses wrapped in leaves, cheeses made from faraway islands inhabited byspecial sheep. And by special, I do mean special.

If you have ever wanted tohear fairytales and eat mouthwatering cheese simultaneously, before bed, thisis your chance. I will feed you delicate things. You will never be the same.

L'etage, 8 p.m. Nov. 8, 2011
624 South 6th StreetPhiladelphia, PA 19147

Admission: Free (please RSVP here)

To be clear, Used Wigs hosts monthly podcasts at L'etage. I am simply a guest. Many thanks to Russ Starke, host and visionary.

The Call of Wild 'n Stinky Cheeses

2011-11-08T18:38:00.000-08:00

I’m sure you feel it, too. The craving. When youcatch a whiff of musty leaves on your walk to work, or when pull on a woolsweater that still smells a little sheepy -- those earthy, beasty smells make youwant one thing: stinky cheese.

No? Seriously? Okay, I’m alone here, or maybe youjust don’t want to admit it. There is something about November weather – allthis dampness and decay – that makes yeasty, feisty cheeses kind ofappealing.

That’s why I’m excited to tell you about Stinky Føttene (pictured above), a new beefy champ from Hook’s Cheese Company out of Mineral Point, Wisconsin. I am especially proud of Tony andJulie Hook for calling this cheese what it is. The name literally meets “stinkyfeet.”

In the cheese world,people shy away from using the word “stinky” or “whiffy.” Most mongers andmakers will use the term “pungent,” as if this is a kindler, gentler way torefer to certain “interesting” cheeses with “aromatic” qualities.

I prefer not to tiptoe.Stinky cheese has always been all right with me. I like to eat it with darkbread and dark beer, preferably in a darkish kitchen with maybe a little Hüsker Dü playing in the background.

Gateway Stinkers

Stinky Føttene is a goodgateway stinker. “For a stinky cheese, it’s pretty palatable,” my friend Austinsaid, when I served him a wedge at a recent harvest party. My friend Tracydeemed it “the IPA of cheese.” I’d have to agree. Our wedge – airdropped infrom a Wisconsin source – didn’t necessitate any nose plugs.

Still, it had all the qualitiesI like in a stinky washed-rind cheese: a gooey orange rind (from a good washwith saline or booze), a creamy texture, and a toothsome beef-stewy qualitythat is characteristic of stinky cheese.

What makes a cheese stinktastic?Most are washed-rind cheeses, which is a style of cheese that developed out ofmonastic cultures. Many early monasteries produced beer or spirits alongsidecheese, and some sweet bald Man Of The Cloth finally put the two together. Think of Epoisses, a famous Googoo Cluster from the Trappists.

Washed-rind cheeses areliterally bathed in a solution – brandy, beer, etc. – that adds flavor andmoisture. No surprise, eating these stinkers alongside Trappist ales and darkliquor makes for a very merry pairing.

Must-Try Whiffies: From Mild to Wild

If you are sensitive tostink, ask a cheesemonger to help you find the right round for you. Stinkycheeses tend to get whiffier as they age, so ask for a young buck. In thestore, the cheese might hit you like a herd of rowdy bulls, but at home – with the rightcondiments and libations – you’re going to find that it lows like a calf.

Below are some great seasonal stinkers. I like to serve these before a big meal – or as a meal – because they pair well with other strong flavors, like pickles, cured meat, dark beer, spiced nuts, and even marmalade.

Ardrahan – Ireland’s version of a stinky cheese. It’s so gentle, it purrs.

Anton’s Red Love – It’s a stinky pillow-top, which means Not TooStinky. The texture is silken. I could sleep on this, it’s so featherbed good.

Red Hawk – A not-too-stinky dream puff from California's Cow Girl Creamery. Rich and faintlypeanutty. One of my favorites.

Hooligan – Plenty stinky but so delicious. Think of a cow barn with a tire swing -- you’ll taste both. This is one elegant but intense cheese, and it’s made by aformer English teacher and his mom, in Connecticut. Oh, please. It’s cute and stinky. It’s the Hello Kitty ofStinky Cheeses.

Stinking Bishop – Need I say more?

Epoisses – The only cheese I serve on Thanksgiving Day, always with baguetterounds and celery sticks. It’s the dip du jour for stink-loving BradyBunchettes.

Limburger – A truly repugnant smelling cheese that has the taste and texture of onion frosting, although it never tastes quite as strong to me as it smells. One manmakes Limburger in the U.S., and he tells me it’s good on toast with a smear ofstrawberry jam. I like to make Limburger Helper.

Full Discosure: Stinky Fottene was sent to me as a sample, among other Wisconsin whiffies that I requested for a Thanksgiving Cheese Board.

A Wisconsin Thanksgiving Cheese Board

2011-11-04T06:15:00.000-07:00

Here’s a little secret about fall spices like nutmeg,cloves, and cinnamon: they pair beautifully with cheese. It makes sense whenyou think about topping pumpkin pie with whipped cream, or grating nutmeg overa snifter of eggnog.

Last month, the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board invited me to put together a Thanksgiving cheese board using cheeses from my home state. How could I resist? Wisconsin produces some of my favorite Cheddars, Alpines, and Blues, so I ordered a dozen samples I wanted to try, then set about to creating.

I also came up with 2 recipes for pairings -- Maple Balsamic Pecans and slow-cooked "Drunk" Figs. You'll find the recipes at the bottom of the post.

Cheese Selections:

Carr Valley Port Salue

I like the first cheese on a cheese plate to be creamy and mellow. Port Salue has a soft texture, and its orange rind offers a festive burst of color. You could also lead off with LesFrères or Petit Frère.

Marieke Clove Gouda

Maybe you noticed my earlier post about this curious aged Gouda, studded with cloves and a hint of cumin. It tastes like the holidays, and it pairs nicely with slow-cooked figs and a snifter of brandy.

Virgin Pine Native Blue

I've wanted to try this blue-less blue since I saw it win a medal at the American Cheese Society this summer. It tastes like strong Cheddar with blues playing in the background.

Tilston Point
In winter, I love to end a cheese plate with a gutsy Stilton-esque number. This strong blue from Hook's pairs well with nuts and figs.

Serve this cheese plate before dinner with a round of Old Fashionedcocktails or dark beer; after dinner, break out the sherry or port. Baguetterounds, oat crackers and amaretti cookies make lovely accompaniments, too.

Maple Balsamic Pecanswith Sea Salt

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons maple syrup, or brown sugar, packed

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 cup shelled pecan halves

Sea salt

Cooking directions:

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and preheat youroven to 325˚ F. Combine maplesyrup and balsamic vinegar in a small mixing bowl, then add pecans and stiruntil well coated. Spread mixture onto parchment-lined tray and bake for 15minutes, until pecans are bubbling and browned.

Sprinkle sea salt over warm pecans. Once the nuts are cool,store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

Drunk Figs

Servings: 8-10

Ingredients:

1/2 cup boiling water

1/2 cup honey

2 8-ounce bags of dried Black Mission figs, halved

2 tablespoons orange zest, julienned

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

1/2 cup brandy

2 cinnamon sticks

2 cloves

Cooking directions:

These are easiest to prepare in a slow cooker – they take 4hours on high and make the house smell amazing. If you prepare them on thestove top, use a lidded saucepan and cook them for 3-4 hours at a low simmer.

In a slow cooker or sauce pan, combine boiling water andhoney, stirring until blended. Then add halved figs, orange zest, orange juice, brandy andspices. The figs will plump up as they cook and are best stored overnight intheir juices before serving. Refrigerated, these keep almost indefinitely.

Roquefort Meatloaf

2011-11-02T07:32:00.000-07:00

Saturday's cheese tasting at Tria put me in the mood to cook with big blues. Lo, when I came across a recipe for Roquefort Meatloaf in a dog-eared copy of The Silver Palate, I knew I had to make it this week. Today, it appears in my column on the Di Bruno Bros. blog.

This is a good recipe for the winter months. It's hearty, company-worthy, and it keeps well. It's also crazy delicious -- this from someone who is not a big meatloaf lover. Consider this the luxury liner of meatloaves. The center is like bread pudding, light and fluffy, while the exterior is dense and toothsome.

If you're tired of serving turkey for Thanksgiving, this could be your salvation. It's a bit of a project, but on a wintry afternoon when the house is cold, why doesn't want to rock a fur hat and roll up a meatloaf? For the recipe, please click here.

Yours Truly, during Saturday's ice storm

Cloven Gouda

2011-11-01T06:41:00.000-07:00

Marieke Clove Gouda, painting by Mike Geno

I've had a recent obsession with clove-studded Gouda. I know, I know, it doesn't sound appealing. But around the holidays, this curious cheese is delicious alongside mulled cider. A few weeks ago, I invited our painter friend Mike Geno over to help me dismantle a Wisconsin-themed Thanksgiving cheese board I put together -- and by "dismantle," I mean devour.

Mike was struck by the appearance of this cheese, which looks like a hunk of marble full of rusty nails. He took it home to paint, one more in his series of luxurious cheese portraits that will appear in the winter issue of Culture Magazine.

If you have a hankering to try this cheese, visit Holland's Family Cheese. This family-run dairy farm produces a variety of aged and flavored Goudas, and while I'm not usually a fan of gussied up cheeses, this one is both intriguing and balanced. It's made by Marieke and Rolf Penterman who moved from Holland to Wisconsin and are now producing award-winning cheese.

A Night of Blues at Tria Fermentation School

2011-10-29T11:31:00.000-07:00

Last night was a dream to remember. I went aroundthe world, eating blues – well, figuratively, at Tria’s Fermentation School.When Tria Wine Director Michael McCauley invited me to teach a class there, I never imagined he’dfall for my trick: a chance to effervesce about blue cheese.

One reason I’m wild about this style of cheese is that so manycultures have developed iconic blues. Italians exude Gorgonzola. The Frenchcan think only of Roquefort. In Spain, you find Valdeon and firey Cabrales,while the Brits pick at nubby crumbs of Stilton. Even in Ireland, you findcreamy Cashel. And let’s not forget the Danes with their Saga or the U.S. withits Iowa flower, Maytag.

At Tria, the fantastic staff helped me pick perfect pairings for 7 wedges of blue. And off we went, aroundthe world on our blue cheese expedition, from mild and milky to ultra-rich andferocious, with sides of Allagash-steeped cherries and chocolate-fig jam. Here's the recap.

Seven blues, served w/apple butter, cherries & chocolate-fig jam

Cremificato Verde Capra

Pairing: Vouvray Pétillant Brut, Domaine Huet, ‘05

Agorgeous goat blue from Lombardy, served with brilliant sparkly.

Rogue River Smokey Blue

Boon Kriek Lambic

Likean exotic cigarette and a cherry kiss, all at once. Fantastic.

Gorgonzola Cremifacto

Valpocella Superiore, “Ripasso,” Bussola ‘06

Alazy blue with a rambunctious red – the wine was liquid chocolate.

Colston Bassett Stilton with a Stichelton chaser

J.W. Leese Harvest Ale, 2010

Twoglorious beasts from the stilton world -- one pasteurized, the other raw –served with not-too-sweet barleywine.

Cabrales

Pedro Ximénez “Gran Reserva,” Bodegas Toro Albalâ, ‘82

Thiswicked, sinus-clearing blue was beautifully tamed by a drop of PX.

Carles Roquefort

Sauternes, Chateua Laribotte, ‘05

Saltysheep’s milk meets gorgeous straw-colored Sauternes. It's like a perfect personal ad.

Birchrun Blue Fudge from Betty’s Tasty Buttons

Banyuls, “Vielles Vignes,” Domaine du Mas Blanc, ‘91

Local fudge kissed with Sue Millers salty blue, served with a spectacular port-like creature.

The Cheese Map, from the back of the tasting menu

~
Many thanks to the great folks at Tria for providing a venue like this in Philadelphia. The Fermentation School is used for staff trainings throughout the week (Tria has 3 wine bars that serve an eclectic, ever-changing selection of cheeses, wine, beer, and meals), and tastings for the public are held several times per month. Their event calendar is a must-bookmark site and is especially useful for keeping track of happy hour and their ever-popular Sunday School program (a special offering of beer, wine, and cheese -- at a very low price, only on Sundays).

Mrs. Kirkham's Tasty Lancashire

2011-10-27T18:51:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, a cheese makes its way into myhandbag simply because its name is irresistible. So it was with Mrs. Kirkham’s Tasty Lancashire, amellow raw-milk cheese with a wistful cheddary nature.

When I sampled it at the cheesecounter, I thought to myself “meh.” But Zeke the Cheesemonger was so giddyabout it, and I had such a bad case of Indecision that I bought half a poundsimply because it appealed to my bookish nature.

Mrs. Kirkham’s Tasty Lancashire – it sounded verymuch like the sort of cheese one might eat while reading Bronte on a gloomyafternoon.

Two days later, I found myself hosting a harvestsoiree, complete with a goat-horn drinking carafe. What luck to have some Mrs.Kirkham’s TL on hand, along with a spot of chutney. It proved to be the hit of the party.

“It’s crumbly, like agood muffin,” remarked my friend Tracy, who shares my love of whiffy washedrinds. “If it were a cake, I’d say it had a fine crumb.”

We marveled not just at the taste – which was very delicate, milky and lemony – but also at the texture. The curds of Mrs.Kirkham’s Tasty Lancashire are ground up like sausage. The result is a moist, nearly fluffy cheese that breaks apart like individualsnow flakes on your tongue.

“The texture is extraordinary,” commented the Blue Cheese Brit, who has a penchant for aggressive cheddars. Despite his formercarefree life in London, the Brit was new to Mrs. Kirkham’s Tasty Lancashire.Curious.

I scoured my cheese library for a bit of history.Wouldn’t you know that Max McCalman had the skinny?

Lancashire is an age-old style of cheese, originally developed byBritish farm wives who saved the curds from several days of milking andcombined them to form a single wheel. Since the curds ripen at different speeds, aunique taste forms. Think of it like pot pourri – lots of bits, assembled toform one lovely scent.

In the ‘40s, production of Lancashire dwindled, andnow there is just one maker who still produces traditional Lancashire. Thatmaker is Mrs. Kirkham – well, her sons run the business at this point, but their cheese isnamed in honor of their mother, Ruth.

One other factor adds to the glory of this cheese.Once wheels are formed, the rinds are smeared with butter. Perhaps this is whyMrs. Kirkham’s Tasty Lancashire reminded our party of muffins. It’s hardly acheese at all, more like a pound cake – perfect for a Charlotte.

Note: The U.K.'s Daily Mail just published a list of 8 under-the-radar British cheeses. Worth a glance and a sniffle. I see Lord of the Hundreds listed, a sheepy devil I tried at the Fancy Food Show but never see on shelves. One can only mewl.

From The Desk of Madame Fromage

2011-10-24T20:02:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite essays is Joan Didion’s “In Bed.” If I were going to write about a place where I spend most of my time, itwould be called “At The Desk.” Until about a month ago, I wrote most of myposts at the kitchen table, but now that my cheese life keeps expanding, Ifinally had to create room for it.

So, welcome. Today, I thought I'd offer you a tour of my cheddar-colored inner sanctum. Here's what it looks like. To me, a writer’s work space requires certain essentials: good light, a project board, plants, books, drawings, a place to recline, gentle clutter, and, well, personality.

I’m always surprised when I visit other people’s home offices that are tidy as a tack. Maybe I’m weird, but I like to trick myself intothinking that I’m part of a Bedouin encampment. If I think about how isolatingmy life is – all this pecking at the keys, so many afternoons photographingcheese – I can get spooked.

My work space offers space for cheese reverie, complete with books in the corner, but it also serves as a crash pad for visitors. Fromage + functionality. The best thing about this room is the project board I put together to keep my notes in plain view. Until recently, I used a filing cabinet, but I discovered that filing cabinets eat things. I could never find anything I was looking for. A filing board? Oh mercy, it's my new miracle.

This is where I tack tasting notes, dote on other people's beautiful business cards, keep lists of things to do, track freelance contracts, mull over secret plans, and sometimes rearrange sticky notes to create a sense of having accomplished something. Other times, I simply try to read my own hand writing as a form of mental exercise.

In a few months, I'm planning to redesign this site -- that's right, Blogger has served me well, but now it's time to dream of new url's. Creating a physical space, a Cheese Command Center, if you will, was the first step in a new screen vision. I hope you'll stay with me as the process unfolds. And if you've got any notes to share, from your desk to mine, I hope you will.

Cheers,
Madame F.

Cheddar Breakfast Bread Pudding

2011-10-21T12:01:00.000-07:00

Now that we’re entering fingerless-glove weather, Ifind myself craving The Hot Breakfast. Usually, I can sneak out the door on acracker and be fine until I dip into my cheese valise at lunch, but when thewind kicks up, I want a heavy belly when I board the train. I’ll take oatmeal,groats, gruel – but what I really love is breakfast bread pudding.

Once you discover this use for stale baguette, youwill dream of this dish in your blackest sleep. I am the sort of person whofalls asleep by thinking about future meals, and this is one recipe that I use in place of Ambien – if I think about making this, I fall asleep quickly justso I can get up to eat it.

Breakfast bread pudding is similar to strata, butit’s less eggy and you don’t have to prepare it the night before, though youcould. It takes about 30 minutes to bake, which is all the time you need toshower, walk the dog, and pack a lunch.

Although the recipe below calls for sundriedtomatoes (I used some that I’d oven-roasted), you can really use any tidbitsrattling around in your crisper – leftover roasted veggies, scraps of bacon, some chopped onion. On a whim, Itossed in kielbasa. Boom. Delish. The result is custardy and fluffy with just a little crunch from the toasty bits on top.

CheddarBreakfast Bread Pudding

Serves: 2

4 eggs

1 cup whole milk

2/3 cup cheddar, cubed or grated (I used QuickesClothbound Cheddar)

6 thickly sliced baguette rounds, preferably stale

½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved; or sun-dried

½ cup kielbasa, bacon, or chopped ham (optional)

Fresh herbs, such as basil or chives

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease twooven-proof ramekins with a pat of butter or a little oil. You can skip thisstep, but the ramekins will be a little tough to clean.

2. Cube or shred baguette rounds, and divide them betweenthe two ramekins. Tuck cheese, tomatoes, and kielbasa into the bread, leavingplenty of crannies.

3. Mix together eggs and milk in a tall measuring cup,then pour over the bread mixture in each ramekin.

4. Fill a casserole pan half full of water, then setthe ramekins into this cozy water bath. Pop the whole thing into the oven, andbake for 30 minutes, or until a fork comes out clean and the puddings arenicely browned. Top with fresh herbs. Devour.

Bread Puddings are baked in a water bath. Easy peezy.

Note: These are best right out of the oven. If you're making these for yourself, store the extra one -- unbaked -- in your fridge, and bake it up fresh the next morning.

Meet Garrotxa

2011-10-20T17:30:00.000-07:00

I have a tendency to look past small, hard cheeses in favorof washed rinds, blues, and anything wrapped in lace or bark. On a recentcheese plate, however, Garrotxa – a vibrant Spanish goat cheese – caught my eye.It’s my new little velvetine rabbit.

Garrotxa (guh-ROACH-uh) isdistinguished by a fine layer of gray-brown surface mold that looks like wovencloth. It smells -- dare I say this? -- like a stuffed animal that was proppedunder the cheek of a sleeping child. Imagine acorns, soft bedding, sweet milk. To continue reading, click here.

Full disclosure: This is part of a paid series I write for Di Bruno Bros. Twice a month, I select a cheese and develop a post for their blog. This is how I cover the cost of my dairy habit.

Goodbye, Little Tomato

2011-10-16T09:48:00.000-07:00

All summer, our kitchen windowsill has been polkadot city. That’s because we had a few rogue cherry tomato plants appear in our yard after we’d already put in plants at our community garden. So, it’sbeen the summer of little bursts, of teeny weeny suns.

I’ll miss them. They brighten the kitchen and areso easy to toss into salads, omelets, pasta and salsas. With the right cheese,preferably fresh mozzarella or Bulgarian feta, they become the day’s delicacy.

To preserve the last baubles for weeks to come, Idecided to oven-roast the last haul. A couple years ago, I tried this with Romas.Exquisite. This year, I was curious to try oven-roasted cherries. A combinationof Sun Golds and Black Cherries.

In search of a recipe, I dredged our shelves forour copy of The Heirloom Tomato, byAmy Goldman with photos by Victor Schrager. I mention it here because it’s oneof the most looked-at books in our house. If a tomato can be erotic, thesepages shiver. The names alone conjure vaudeville acts:

Dr. Carolyn, Sara’s Galapagos, Yellow Pygmy, WildSweeties, Blondköpfchen, Ananas Noire, Santa Clara Canner, Auld Sod, Tangella,Aunt Ginny’s Purple…

Shall I go on?

If you have late-summer cherry tomatoes, this is aquick, easy recipe you can make ahead and keep in the fridge for at least aweek. Oven-baked cherry tomatoes can be tossed into linguini or served on acheese plate with cheddar or Port Salue.

Oven-RoastedCherry Tomatoes

4cups cherry tomatoes, halved

3Tablespoons olive oil

Sea salt, to taste

1. Halvecherry tomatoes and toss them in olive oil.

2. Preheatthe oven to 300 degrees.

3. Arrangethe tomatoes on a cookie sheets, cut-side up. Use parchment paper if you don’twant polka dot accents on your sheets.

4. Baketomatoes about 2 hours or until they are soft, juicy and a shriveled.

5. Sprinklewith sea salt and cool. Refrigerated, these keep for about a week.

13 Cheeses Everyone Should Try

2011-10-13T06:25:00.000-07:00

This week, Serious Eats put out a list of 13 Cheeses Everyone Should Know. When I saw the link appear on Twitter, I had toclick and peruse. At first, the list seemed a little basic – feta, mozzarella,Monterey jack – but then I thought back to a convo I had recently with mywriter-friend Sam. He told me he didn’t think he could name tencheeses. My jaw dropped.

Sometimes I forget that I live on a cheese-centricplanet and that not everyone orbits this little star. So, I decided to createmy own cheese list – 13 Cheeses Everyone Should Try. I don’t care if you're a complete novice oran intrepid aficionado. If you try even one of these cheeses, you will see the worlddifferently. Your tastebuds will jump several I.Q. points. Your heart will openand a joyful cuckoo will fly out.

Why? These cheeses will show you how good cheesecan be, and I think they have universal appeal. I've served all of these to finicky nervous types, and I promise that these wedges will not alienate you. Next time you need to feelrevitalized, don’t buy eye cream. Buy good cheese.

1. CabotClothbound Cheddar: Made in Vermont, this is the one cheesethat never fails to make Americans rethink block cheddar.

2. MidnightMoon: You don’t need a nightcap, you just need a nibbleof this firm goat cheese that tastes like candy corns.

3. RogueRiver Blue: Right, I know you don’t think you like blue. Eatthis anyway.

4. Delicede Bourgogne: A float-away triple crème. No holiday home should bewithout it.

5. Nevat:Sheep’s milk snow from Cataluna, Spain. Etherial and unforgettable.

6. TruffleTremor: Need I describe?

7. Parmigiano Reggiano: Get the real stuff and drizzle honey on it. If youcan find Cravero brand, you’ll fall backwards.

8. Winnimere: Like gooey fondue, but wrapped in bark. Hardto find but worth begging for.

9. Montchevre Cabrie: Trust me. Goat Brie from Wisconsin. When ripe,it’s better than fudge.

10. Comté: Look for Marcel Petit brand. A smooth, glorious Alpine. (Pair with a pumpkin ale, a recommendation from Hunter Fike.)

11. StrathdonBlue: Imagine the Atlantic Ocean in cheese form.

12. PleasantRidge Reserve: An American original with an incrediblearray of flavors.

13. Evalon:A new beauty with a wild number of awards. Think: ungoaty Gouda.

All of these cheeses can be ordered online. I'm partial to Di Bruno Bros. in Philadelphia, but I also recommend ordering from Murray's, Artisanal, and Formaggio Kitchen. You can also buy some of these cheeses directly from the cheesemakers via their websites.

If you find one you like, let me know. If I've led you astray, shoot me a dirty look. If I missed one of your faves, for goodness sake, tell me this instant.

CHEDDx: The First TED Cheese Tasting?

2011-10-11T05:51:00.000-07:00

This week I’m gearing up for a special moment – I’mhosting an interactive cheese tasting as part of TEDxSJU, an event that takesplace this Thursday on the campus of Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia.

You’re probably familiar with TED – it’s a seriesof livestreamed talks by speakers and thinkers from all over the world.I’ve watched many TED talks (I'm riveted by Paul Stamets' mushroom talk), but I’ve never seen anyone host a TED tasting.

That’s why I’m presenting CHEDD-X, a talk about cheese and social media, accompanied by a tasting of traditional Britishcheddar for 150+ students.

Why? Well, here in Philadelphia, most studentsthink of cheddar cheese as the Whiz that goes on cheesesteaks. I want them toexperience what cheddar tasted like in its earliest incarnation – the cheddarof their ancestors.

Photo courtesy of Mary Quicke

Mary Quicke produces a traditional English cheddarthat I happen to love, and she is a social media phenom. She writes a fantasticblog, Mary’s Diary, where she provides monthly updates about her farm in Devon -- from the changing crops in her fields to new calves in the barn.

She’s also on Twitter (@Maryquicke), and her tweets are ascharming as Mary is in person. Here is a recent crumb:

Justhad a beautiful puffball left outside my door by Graham – yum. Lovely braisedin butter, + a hint of our smoked cheddar + parsley.

Mary is an example of someone who defies socialmedia stereotypes. She’s not a twentysomething (sorry, Mary) and she doesn’twork for a marketing company as a “strategist.” She works for herself, and through socialmedia she offers us a glimpse into her extraordinary passion for cheesemaking.

Mary Quicke

TED talks are about ideas worth spreading, and while I hateto overwork the obvious pun, I have to tell you that I think Mary’s approach to social media isworth spreading. She’s not simply promoting cheese or her dairy; she shares herstory.

In fact, Mary doesn’t ostensibly “promote” at all.She doesn’t offer coupons or gimmicks. She doesn’t push her product. She useswords and images to bring us into her world so that we can’t help but yearn for a nibbleof cheese, a whiff of cavey rind.

Mary speaks to our senses. Whenshe shares details, people want to listen, look, taste, inhale. That, to me, is what sets Mary apart. She’s the Basho of theTwitterverse, the Brontë of the blogosphere.

Who wouldn't want to follow her?

TEDxSJU takes place on Thursday, Oct. 13 from 4-7 p.m. in the Creative Commons at Saint Joseph's University. The public is welcome to attend.

Three New Stinkers from Neal's Yard

2011-10-07T07:48:00.000-07:00

From back to front: Stawley, Cardo & Saint James

Some people get excited about shoes, I get excited aboutcheese that smells like shoes. Don’t ask me how this started – my mother tellsme that I loved to crawl as a baby and refused to walk until I was more than two. Maybe during those formative years I developed a nose for scrunge.

Needless to say, I got very excited in Di Bruno Bros. this week when I learned that the cheesemongers had just received a shipment of newwhiffies from Neal’s Yard Dairy in London. Neal’s Yard is to milk what Milanis to Italian leather. Their cheeses are just as sumptuous. And just asexpensive.

So, here’s what I did: I closed my eyes, opened my billfold,and bought three num-nums. Then I picked up a good loaf of bread, plucked thelast of the Sungold tomatoes from the vines in the yard, and had myself a stinky cheese festand photo shoot.

The boyfriend was out of town. He wouldn’t have liked thisfete. Not at all. I didn’t care. I wanted the stink to myself. And because oneof these stinkers cost $49.99/lb, I was happy not to share it. Not with anyonebut you.

Allow me to describe the funk I was in:

Stawley

This raw goat from Somerset looks like a toad stool, a veryfall-appropriate lump. Its jacket is stunning, a thick bunting of Geotrichum –the same mold you find on Brie. Underneath, there is a gorgeous cream line anda center of nougat. This little package is slightly tangy, a twinge peppery, but mostly it's just beautifully balanced citrine softness. I want an ottoman made of Stawleyfor my tired Friday feet.

Cardo

Next up, a washed rind goat's milk cheese madewith thistle rennet as a coagulant – who knew? What a stunning gesture.Thistle rennet imbues cheese with a vaguely artichoke-like taste that I happen to love. If you like La Serena, a gooey Spanish cheese also made with thistle rennet, you'll want to seek out this wicked sliver. Cardo, a fudgy, faintlygritty cheese, reminded me of sirloin – very beefy. It’s the blood pudding ofcheese. Curiously, it smells like baby feet, which is to say, very sweet.

Saint James

“This cheese reminds me of dead flesh, but in a good way,” Di Bruno Bros. cheesemonger Zeke Ferguson told me as I was trying Saint James in the shop. I like Zeke, but should Itrust him? Saint James smells like barn boots but tastes like warm grass,cooked mushrooms, and scrambled eggs. It’s made from sheep’s milk, so it’s acreamy thug, full-flavored and tongue-coatingly rich. For such a big cheese, ithas a purr of a finish. I could have eaten a loaf, despite the gritty rind – a common trait in cheeses that are brined.

Note: I'm told that Di Bruno Bros. is testing these British babies out on the American market. Maybe we can start a minor squall if enough people ask for them. They are quite unique, and together, these three stooges make a splendid cheese plate for the discriminating Anglophile.

Cabot Clothbound Cheddar

2011-10-05T08:55:00.000-07:00

For my Di Bruno Bros. column this week, I write about Cabot Clothbound Cheddar, a beautiful mummy of a cheese from Vermont. It's bandaged in cloth and "larded," then cave-aged -- like an Egyptian pharaoh. Whenever I eat clothbound cheddar, my mind flashes to the mummified cats on display at the Penn Museum.

Sorry, that's a bit ghoulish, but I do find it fascinating that cheesemakers adopted this method of preservation to create wildly flavorful cheeses. This one smells like the woods and tastes like a thousand things. If you want to read about it and try a little clothbound cheddar tasting (highly advised around Halloween), you'll find all the info over on the Di Bruno Blog, where I post twice a month to earn my cheese allowance.

If you're a cheddar head with lofty aspirations of understanding this tricksy style of cheesemaking, check out The Cheese Chronicles, by Liz Thorpe. She writes beautifully and thoughtfully about cheddar in her chapter on "The Amish: Seeking the Roots of American Cheese" (pp. 90-123). I reread it over a nibble of Cabot Clothbound, and as always I fell under Thorpe's spell. She talks about cheddar the way some people talk about craft beer -- with reverence, pop, and understanding.

If you want more juicy backstory about Cabot Creamery and how Vermont became a cheese mecca, listen to Ann Saxelby's interview with Paul Kindstedt on "Cutting the Curd," a Brooklyn radio show all about cheese. Kinstedt has trained many American cheesemakers and is a sort of Gandalf figure in the American farmstead cheese movement. His take on the Vermont cheese scene is fascinating, and you'll enjoy Ann Saxelby's gently probing Midwestern twang.

Paging Contest Winners

2011-10-03T18:28:00.000-07:00

After a few rolls of the dice, we have some winners for the four cheese journals I put up on Friday. The following cheese fiends should email me (see below) in order to receive their prizes by mail: Miss Platt, Kit, Brian Kall, and Goat Song.

Cheers and happy cheesing, everyone. Special thanks to Dave Selden for providing free samples from 33beers.com. And many thanks to all of you for coming out of your quiet corners of the universe to leave a comment.

Signing off from the cheese battlestar,

Madame Fromage

(tenayadarlington@gmail.com)

Cheese Journal Giveaway

2011-09-30T07:59:00.000-07:00

Dave Selden is a cheese frau’s dream. Okay, thischeese frau’s dream. The Portland beer blogger (he's the author of 999 beers) has developed a series ofpocket-sized tasting notebooks for beer, whiskey, wine, coffee and – oh, blesshim – cheese.

Each book contains 33 pages, hence the name ofSelden’s cottage industry out of Portland, Oregon: 33books.com. A beer-bloggerby night and graphic designer by day, he’s pretty much the perfect guy for thejob of tasting-book developer.

I have 4 books to give away, and one lucky winnerwill also receive a complimentary cheese board (pictured below) made by Seldonhimself. If you use the book, I hope you’ll let us know how you like it. Pop itin the pocket of your jeans vest, and jot down a few notes at the cheese counter or at a resto when you order a cheese plate.

The notebook is so cleverly put together and socompact, it’s a little frightening. (Does Dave Selden live in my brain?) Thetop of each page offers room for notes about the origins of each cheese –there’s even a line for a rind descriptor. Thank you, Dave.

The bottom of each page is comprised of a dairy dashboard –there’s a flavor wheel and a texture meter, along with a 5-star rating system.Don’t be scared. The diagrams are self-explanatory. The inside cover also offers some useful notes.

Good design and good cheese? I can’t think of abetter pairing. Drop me a comment if you want me to send you a freebie. I’lldraw four random winners on Sunday, October 2, 2011 and ship these off to you tout de suite.
~
Dave's tasting journals are also available online for $4 each, or 3 for $10. Stocking stuffers? Yup. Each book is made of recycled paper and printed with soy ink. Cowabunga! I hope I start seeing these on retail shelves soon.

Puddle Duck Creek

2011-09-27T07:32:00.000-07:00

My October cheese column in Grid Magazine features this pretty duckling, known as Puddle Duck Creek. It's a bloomy cheese from Hillacres Pride in Peach Bottom, PA. When I first picked up Puddle Duck at my local Green Aisle Grocery, I was struck by it's golden interior -- it looks like banana pudding. That's a good sign. As I mention in my column (see below), that gold coloring tells me that the cows were pasture-raised. Cows can't digest beta carotene in grass, so it shows up in the milk and subsequently in the cheese.

This is the first season I've seen Puddle Duck Creek. It's a great addition to the local cheese world -- dense and fudgy. It joins a couple other notable Brie-style cheeses from the area, namely Buttercup Brie, Noble Run, and Sue Miller's Little Chardy. If you live in the Philadelphia area, check out the Hillacres Pride stand at Headhouse Farmers Market. You'll see Sue Miller's Birchrun Hills Farm stand there, too. It would be fun to try her Little Chardy alongside Puddle Duck Creek since they're made from different breeds of grass-fed cows. Hillacres raises Jerseys, while Birchrun milks Holsteins.

In fact, that's just what I might do this weekend.

If you find yourself with a puck of Puddle Duck, try serving it with cherry preserves and a sparkly wine or Duvel. You could also toast slices of Puddle Duck on top of baguette rounds and layer some sauteed mushrooms on top to pick up on the earthy notes. Add a sprinkle of chives, too.

Below: A screen shot from the October issue of Grid Magazine, p. 13