From way up in the north of France, from an area known as Alsace-Lorraine, comes this delicate cows milk cheese. Alsace's cow's milk has been said to be "extraordinarily rich" and their abundance of fresh fruit makes them famous for two things; making cheese and making Brandy from fruit. This semi-firm, milky white cheese has a thin and textured rind that has been soaked in the regions Marc De Mirabelle Plum Brandy. There is a slight fruitiness to the cheese but also a bit of nuttiness. It's slightly sharp and melts in your mouth.
How to eat:
The cheese is delicate and could easily be overpowered so keep the accompaniments light. A simple cracker, a sliced baguette or on a cheese plate with lots of fruit. Eat as is, it may melt nicely but at it's price, you'd do it more justice to enjoy it in it's natural state.
Pairing:
To bring out the fruitiness, a dessert wine would be delicious, or a lovely dry white wine. I would shy away from beer with this cheese. Various fruits and nuts would be great as well.
Where to buy:
We purchased this at Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op at $8.58 for 5 ounces. Cheese Plus and Felletti Foods in San Francisco, carry it as well. I was unable to find an online retailer.
Being a native Californian, I feel so lucky to live so close to so many wonderful creameries. The Cowgirl Creamery is no exception. Red Hawk cheese is their triple cream and is made using a bacteria that is completely unique to the Pt. Reyes area, making it impossible to replicate. It has been aged for 4 weeks and washed with a brine that gives the rind a beautiful golden hue. It's odor is pungent but not overwhelming, it's rich, creamy and oh so buttery. A little bit sweet with a hint of citrus. So good in fact, I could not stop snacking on it while writing this post. No wonder they've won 10 different awards for this particular cheese!
How to eat:
We inhaled it in no time. It's so easily spread and was great on top of a simple cracker. I kept thinking how delicious it would be on a bagel or toast for breakfast. It would also be great as part of a cheese plate alongside some cranberries or pomegranate seeds.
Pairing:
This would go great with anything light and fruity. Berries and jams would go nicely as would a light, crisp white wine.
Where to buy:
We purchased this cheese at Sacramento Natural Foods Co-Op at $11 for 5.6 ounces. Cowgirl Creamery has it on their website as part of a cheese collection, three 10-12 ounce cheeses for $65. They also have several retailers in northern California and Washington DC. As well as a cafe featuring their cheeses in the Ferry Building in San Francisco.
This cheese was a doozy. Not to eat, but to research! After searching what felt like the entire interwebs, we finally found some information on this cheese. We learned that "di grotto" means cave aged in Italian and that this cheese is from the Piedmont region of Italy, famous for it's cheeses. This particular one is made from cow's milk from cows that roam the Italian hillside freely. The cheese is aged deep in the recesses of a cool dark cave for at least 90 days, sometimes longer. It's firm and a bit dry, much like a Pecorino or a Parmesan but a bit nuttier and grassier with a smoother, creamier feel.
How to eat:
We had a small wedge with some buttery crackers. The combo was delicious, the brightness of the cheese came through nicely with the butteriness of the crackers. This would be a lovely addition to a cheese plate or grated over any Italian dish, in place of Parmesan.
Pairing:
A full-bodied red wine would stand up nicely, as would a rich and creamy beer, such as a stout or a porter.
Where to buy:
We bought a 3 ounce wedge at the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op for $4.56. They have an impressive cheese department, definitely worth visiting. We could not find an online retailer but don't hesitate to ask your local cheese shop or cheese department about it.
A few days ago, we were talking to our friends, Matt and Keri Nurge, of Red Rabbit Kitchen and Bar (go there, it's awesome). We were discussing our new cheese venture and they were raving about this truffled Pecorino. So, we sought it out and gave it a go, and I'm so glad we did. What's not to like with this bold and pungent sheep's milk cheese? Just the look of this cheese is striking, bone colored with veins of black truffle paste running through its center. The taste is even better. Strong, aromatic and just the right amount of dry crumbliness. The flavor is heavy with truffle and finishes with a nice peppery bite that lingers. We did some research and found that most truffle cheeses have the truffle added while the cheese is still in its baby stage. This Pecorino is allowed to mature a bit, settle, develop its own flavors, then the truffle paste is added by injecting it into the already maturing cheese. That is what creates the rivers of truffle and the distinct flavors of the cheese and the truffle separately but working together.
How to eat:
It's great on it's own but a bit strong and crumbly without a vessel to eat with it. We had it with the Cranberry Hazelnut flavor of Raincoast Crisps. The sweetness of the cracker really balanced out the strong flavor of the cheese. While researching we read that in Italy, they like to enjoy this cheese alongside salami and prosciutto or drizzled with honey.
Pairing:
Any fruit accompaniment would play nicely, fresh fruit, jam or a compote. It is also recommended to pair it with a strong red wine like a Chianti. Shaun and I thought it would be nice with a rich, creamy, Belgian beer as well, although we have not tried that pairing just yet.
Where to buy:
We purchased this at Taylor's Market (yeah, we go there often) for $9.84 for 6.8 oz. but there are a few places online. igourmet.com has it at $15.99 for 8 oz, or for those in the UK, georgemewescheese.co.uk has it in various quantities.
This 6 time award winning cheese by the fabulous Point Reyes Cheese company is seriously good. The center of this cows milk cheese is soft, buttery and almostspreadable but firms up a bit towards the natural rind. They describe this as an "anytime, any table" cheese. It has a rich, strong flavor but it's not unfamiliar, which lends itself to many applications. The first bite is butter, just rich, delicious, creamy butter but it finishes expectantly with a nice little tang that lingers in your mouth. Side note: Toma cheese is kosher, gluten-free and made with vegetable rennet so it's great for people with special diets too!
How to eat:
We ate the cheese as is, with no accompaniments and it was fantastic. We have about half of it still left that I cannot wait to layer on some crackers with honey. Point Reyes says that it would be great as a melting cheese like a grilled cheese or in mac'n'cheese. I definitely agree that this is a go anywhere do anything type of cheese. It's easy to eat and will please many different types of palettes.
Pairing:
This cheese has quite a tang, so keep that in mind when pairing things. Anything sweet would be fantastic, like honey and jams. Strong beers and red wines would be great accents to the tang as well, like a strong porter or stout.
Where to buy:
Their website http://www.pointreyescheese.com/shop has the cheese available in either a wheel for $65, or 8oz wedge 3-pack for $33. We purchased Toma at Taylor's Market (again, it's right by our house and is a fantastic little market) for $7.59 for 7.3oz.
This mild and delicious cheese is made by the BeeHive Cheese Co. of Utah. This particular cheese is from the milk of their Jersey cows that roam about northern Utah. Each cheese is hand rubbed with local honey and Redmond Realsalt from the old salt beds. They describe this cheese as " a full-bodied cheese with a smooth, creamy texture" and I would have to agree except that I found a bit more mild than "full-bodied". There is a lovely sharpness to it reminiscent of a cheddar. Even the aroma reminds me of a cheddar but with the sweetness of honey. I was hoping for a bit more of the honey and salt to come through, it is so very delicate that if you pair the cheese with anything (who doesn't?) you tend to lose most of the honey flavor.
How to eat:
The best bite in my opinion is a bit of the soft middle with some of the hard, but not too hard rind. That's where the flavor is. Very accessible cheese that most people would enjoy, it's great on its own, as the mild portion of a cheese plate, on a cracker, on a sandwich, or sprinkled atop a salad.
Pairing:
Beehive suggests pairing it with hoppy ales, fruity wines and straight bourbon. I would stick to the fruity wines and avoid the bourbon. Paired with something as intense flavor-wise as a bourbon would make the cheese lose it's honey and salt that make it so special.
Where to buy:
You can order from their website http://www.beehivecheese.com/shop-online/for/seahive for $8.50 for 6 oz. They also offer gift baskets made of a variety of their cheeses. You can also purchase it locally at Taylor's Market is Sacramento, CA. I bought 7 oz for $9.24.
