News From The Cheese Caves

We are thrilled to announce the arrival of Stella Royale – a pressed sheep milk cheese from Castilla y León in northwestern Spain. This magnificent cheese is the newest entry into our 16-cheese retail program. It will be available to our online and wholesale customers as well.

It has been almost a year since we first tasted this cheese and we immediately considered as a serious candidate for the 16-cheese program. We recognized qualities in this cheese that we rarely find in other pressed sheep milk cheeses. It seemed to have the sturdiness we wanted so we tested its shelf life to make sure. A cut piece held up well past ninety days and it still smelled and tasted magnificent.

The fact that the cheese is crafted from unpasteurized milk gives advantages: in our experience the shelf life is greater, the texture does not become rubbery, the aroma and flavor hold up, and the nutritive values are not diminished. Laboratory testing concluded that it is a wholesome and safe cheese, not that we had any doubts.

These types of traditional sheep milk cheeses are produced throughout mainland Spain, and others like it are produced just across the border in southwest France, as well as in other parts of Europe and the Middle East. Some of those cheeses have the A.O.C. or D.O., or the D.O.P. designations. Those designations help protect the cheese producers, and they serve to assure quality to the consumer. However, just because a cheese has this status does not mean that it is a superior cheese. Some of the standards are less stringent than others. Some of the regulations stipulate little more than place of origin. Just because a cheese does not have one of those designations does not mean that it is an inferior cheese whatsoever.

So here we were presented with a cheese from a region with an ancient history of cheese making, yet it did not have one of those designations; the cheese did not even have a name! The closest thing that it had to a name was the name of the dairy, which also appears on several other cheeses the dairy produces. Making sure that we got the cheese that we wanted required repeated testing. I must say: this was not an unpleasant task. Once we decided which cheese we wanted, we had to give it a name.

The area where the cheese is made is on an ancient road that missionaries once used to traverse the Iberian Peninsula. As the legend holds, a star (stella) appeared above this road at the spot where this cheese is now crafted. In the fifteenth century Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand of Aragon (royale) were married nearby and Valladolid (the capital of Castilla y León) remained the capital of all of Spain until 1561. Hence the name “Stella Royale” seemed fitting.

There are many sheep milk cheeses produced throughout Spain; the Stella Royale is a star.

Max McCalman

A recent study at the British Columbia Research Centre reports that a high-protein diet can help prevent cancer. Many people do not realize that cheese is a protein-rich food, that most cheeses have more protein in weight than eggs do.
Tumor cells are fed by glycose, which is produced from carbohydrates, of which cheese has very little. At times, I say that bread (dense with carbohydrates) takes up space that could be better accommodated by cheese, and wine. The bread serves it purposes when you have some with cheese and wine, or with cheese and beer. Just a little bit of bread can help clean the palate so that you can taste the nuances in the cheeses or the beverages more accurately. The bread can serve as a “platform” for transporting the cheese into the mouth, if you believe this is necessary. A high-fiber bread provides one of the only nutrients that cheese lacks – fiber.

The conjugated linoleic acid that cheese offers help to decrease our glucose uptake, which is probably the way that cheese can help you to lose weight, as well as the way that it suppresses tumor growth and kills various cancers: skin, breast and colo-rectal.
Cheese also provides Taurine, an amino acid that has been used in clinics to treat breast cancer. Calcium can help prevent cancer, and we all know that the best source of that important nutrient is cheese. Biotin is a B vitamin derived from cheese which, among many other wonderful contributions to our healthy living, can keep our blood sugar in check, read: reduced levels of glucose.

A healthy dose of these nutrients can be found in Max’s Especially Healthy Plate or you can get more details about this near-perfect food while you are enjoying some of the best cheeses available in Cheese & Wine 201.

Max McCalman

Reproduced in its entirety with permission from FatEnglishman.com

Hello! Fat Englishman here…

I recently had occasion to make my Maiden Voyage to the fair city of Madison in the State of Wisconsin.

To be frank, there was little I knew about either the city or the State beyond the prevalence of all things Dairy, Cheese in particular and things like the Green Bay Packers (about which I nothing more than the name –I think they play baseball). I’d also heard rumour of some sort of secret society called The Cheeseheads that is most notable for outlandish headwear and while there, I learned that Badgers were revered in some way, though I have no idea why.

So in order to address what could at best be described as a somewhat patchy (or more accurately, pathetic) intellectual grasp of what lay before me, I wisely reached out to a small and carefully selected group of cultural advisers. And as I was going to one of the great centres of American cheese production it seemed only natural to reach out to the oracles of the fermented curd in order to learn better which cheeses were likely to be my best bet and where to find them.

(After all, there can be few greater pleasures than shopping for cheese – it’s basically shopping for the senses. Some ladies of my acquaintance feel that way about shoes, but for me it’s cheese!)

“But pray tell” (I hear you say), “who are these cheesy oracles of which you speak?” In short, they have each provided me with exemplary service and help over the years (not to mention entertainment and pleasure) in my pursuit of gastronomic delight. The first is Artisanal Cheese, whose expertise and array of cheeses makes any time spent on their web site akin to a mental massage – an indulgence possibly only bettered by a visit to their Artisanal Fromagerie and Bistro in New York where on my last visit my companion and I managed to while away five hours of our lives wallowing in some of the finest cheeses I’ve ever experienced along with a different wine pairing for each (more on this another time).

My second oracle was none other than the legendary New York purveyor, Murray’s Cheese who can always be relied upon for a spectacular array of both cheese and salumi at their Bleeker Street and Grand Central locations, and my third source of inspirational insight was Culture Magazine which is always a rich source of information and inspiration on all things cheese whatever your needs and desires. Finally, my good friend Cheeseslave made some splendid recommendations for which raw milk cheeses to look out for.

Duly equipped with enough knowledge to work up an appetite I sallied forth.

Now it must be said that Madison itself is an utterly delightful city and a splendid food town. On the basis of my experience, the people seem remarkably friendly and the area around the State House is teeming with good food and dining experiences (one major regret is that I didn’t make it to the Farmer’s Market that takes place right by the State House each Saturday and Wednesday through the Summer). Anyway, more on my dining experiences in Madison another time. My focus today is cheese!

One of the critical pieces of advice I received – and which was echoed by my hosts in Madison – was that my search for cheese nirvana should begin and end at Fromagination – an establishment that elevates the art of buying and selling cheese and any manner of accompaniments to a level of pleasure that is seldom achieved. Evidence of this was first indicated not only by the easy and friendly nature of the service and the offer to taste various cheeses when I was ready, but also by the fact that a glass of a decent choice of wines was forthcoming nice and early in the proceedings.

Fromagination is clearly something of a hub of the regional cheese community in Madison. Certainly there were cheeses from further afield and abroad, but it seems to me that the majority were from the area and as such delightfully new to my palate.

In accordance with the guidance I’d been given I duly gravitated toward those suggested while also being guided by Fromagination’s own experts on hand. Hook’s Cheddar had featured large in my recommended list and I soon understood why. There were five, ten and twelve year old cheddars on offer (Hook’s produce a fifteen year Cheddar around Christmas) and each was spectacular (and I say this as one that is not readily impressed with Cheddars produced outside of England having grown up on the original stuff). I came away with a hefty lump of the ten year old and a smaller piece of the five. Every morsel was delightful but the ten year cheddar is especially so – sharp and characterful this is no shrinking violet of a cheese and it also benefits from an unusual and very subtle crispiness in the body which I’m told is due to the aging process producing something called “lactate granules”. Sounds strange but I can assure you it’s jolly good!

Dunbarton Blue was another great success. Like the Hook’s this is made from cow’s milk and is a nice firm cheese that to all intents and purposes has the characteristics of a very good cheddar mixed with a very subtle firm blue cheese. It’s extremely easy and very rewarding to eat and it wasn’t long before I regretted not buying more.

Branching out into the realm of the sheep, I sampled – and subsequently purchased – some Dante. This is an aged cheese that (to me at least) tastes ever-so-slightly nutty and has a smooth after taste. Gorgeous.

My final purchase was of a small piece of Buttermilk Blue from Roth Kase – it didn’t last long!

I tasted many others but it is the sad lot of the traveler to be bound by the limitations and rigors of travel itself upon the things he or she would like to purchase. Some cheeses would not have survived the journey home and buying all those I tasted would have resulted in at lest some of them being past their best before I’d enjoyed them to the full.

Others that I tasted and which I heartily recommend include Ocooch Mountain (raw Sheep’s milk), Pleasant Ridge Reserve and Pleasant Ridge Reserve Extra-Aged (Cow’s milk), Reserve Bleu Mont Bandaged Cheddar (Cow’s milk), Saxony (raw Cow’s milk) and Eagle Cave Reserve (Cow’s milk). In truth there were probably more but by the end of it all I was in such a state of reverie that I was feeling quite giddy!

It goes without saying that if you find yourself with the opportunity to go to Madison you most definitely should and that when you are there you must visit the good folks at Fromagination – some of the cheeses they stock are only available there so you’re sure to find something you haven’t experienced before. And they’re jolly nice people (special thanks to Steve for indulging me and suggesting things to try).

If of course you’re not in that part of the country and feel inspired to try some of Wisconsin’s finest, you can always order from them online and if in New York, then naturally you can always drop into the Artisanal Cheese Shop at the Artisanal Fromagerie and Bistro or buy online from them or head to Murray’s Cheese. And it would be remiss of me not to suggest you take a look at Culture Magazine too – it will do you good.

Thanks then to all of my oracles and to all at Fromagination – not to mention the noble cheese-makers of Wisconsin. Long may you practice your art and long may we appreciate you.

Happy Eating!

(pics: Wikipedia, Fromagination, Culture Magazine, roellicheese.com)

Originally posted at Brewingsomefun.com

If wheat beer is not your cup of tea (or not your pint of beer) you might consider trying one with a wide selection of cheeses. I admit that it was not my favorite style of beer either, that is until I had one recently with an array of cheeses. The wheat beer played nice with every cheese on my plate: the Hoja Santa, the Roomano, and the Stilton, and especially well with the Nettle Meadow Kunik, the Terraluna, the Abbaye de Tamié (referenced below) and the Scharfe Maxx.

I recently wrote about a cheese that “screams” beer, that lovely Abbaye de Tamié, a cheese that paired well with each and every kind of beer that I had before me. I would not say that the Abbaye de Tamié is an extreme cheese whatsoever, though it does have quite a lot of character. This cheese may not be for everyone on its own. The same applies for the wheat beers: maybe not for everyone but it is a beer that screams “cheese.”

This is one of the greatest things about pairing beers with cheeses: a cheese that you might not normally choose might actually taste great with the right beer partner, or vice versa. Along with delivering some delightful mixes these pairings can open up new appreciations for second-choice (not second class) cheeses or beers, ones that you would typically avoid.

Part of the key to successful pairings of cheese with the wheat beers is that those beers tend to be especially effervescent, always a plus for cheese partners. The underlying silky textures of wheat beers make smooth platforms for toothsome cheeses.

The wheat beers also tend to be lighter flavored; they can meld into cheeses a little more gracefully. These beers are less bitter than almost all ales. The bitter may be an attractive flavor quality for some beer lovers but it can also present special challenges to cheese partners.

Try a wheat beer wit your next cheese plate, and skip the lemon peel.

Max McCalman

Today is one of those days. In describing the climate of the day, an old friend of mine called it “cheddar weather” meaning it is damp, cool, and overcast, with very light breezes. These are the conditions for maturing cheddar, as well as many other cheese types. It is also the kind of weather that can stimulate your appetite for cheese, cheddar included. The cool, damp, and lightly ventilated atmosphere is the type of atmosphere that we maintain in our cheese caves here at the Artisanal Cheese Center. The cheeses mature gracefully in these cave-like conditions.

When you see a label indicating that a cheese has been “cave-aged” it probably does not mean that the cheese has been aged in an actual cave; it more likely means that it has been cured in a room that maintains those atmospheric conditions. Cheese “caves” are becoming a more frequent fixture of restaurants and hotels. The conditions they should offer are appropriate for aging most cheeses so it would be almost a given that the cheese had spent some time in a “cave.”

I was invited to assess a cheese cave in a restaurant yesterday. I would rather not say what restaurant it was. The attractive “cave” unit had been recently installed and was shiny and new, with wooden shelves inside, atop which several cheeses were placed. When you opened the cave’s see-through glass French doors, any cool moist air that might have resided within it would be lost almost immediately. Granted, the cave did not have much moisture within it to begin with.

The cut cheeses inside were cracking and drying out; this was not a happy sight. The cheeses may have retained most of their flavor but the textures were brittle. The cool temperature helps maintain the cheeses for an extended period, but without sufficient moisture that period can be shortened. Instead of “cheddar weather” the environment within that cave was more “Sahara weather.” Some cheeses can benefit from a little drying, especially the younger ones, but the drying stage is a usually a short one for cheese maturing.

One of the problems with that cave was that it was simply far too large for the amount of cheese that might go through that restaurant. Had it been a smaller unit with more cheese it would have worked better. This is a frequent problem with the design of cheese caves: though they look nice, they are often too large and cannot maintain the humidity levels to prevent cheeses from drying out. And again, those French doors were part of the problem.

The restaurant’s plan was to have an attractive cheese cave in the small private dining room where wines were also cellared, and again, not in ideal conditions. Too often, architects and designers think of the aesthetics without considering the “cheddar weather” that is preferred for storing cheeses. I suggested that the Fromagère fill up the unit with several sturdy aged cheeses such as Goudas, Alpine types, and pressed sheep cheeses. I recommended that she use the unit for display of whole wheels only, and that she keep all the cheeses that she needed for actual service in a smaller box within her least cold refrigerator. It is far easier to achieve that “cheddar weather” in a smaller “cave.”

Granted, cheese can put up with a lot of abuse. It holds up much better if you give it a little TLC. I recommend that you order less but order often; leave the storage to the pros. One way to make sure that your cheeses arrive and remain in good form is to order Max’s Picks on a weekly basis. I go through the caves and select cheeses that I would have on my own plate that day.

Max McCalman

These three fine cheeses have special Father’s Day meanings for me. The Pecorino delle Balze Volterrane is a style of cheese that delivers a lot of bang for its buck (something that my father has always cared about greatly) partly because it is an unpasteurized sheep milk cheese. This signals plenty of flavor and aroma. The olive oil and vegetal notes come through, even after the cheese has been cut and left out for hours. It is a “primordial” cheese, from a family of cheeses that have been produced for millennia around the Mediterranean. The Pecorino delle Balze Volterrane is very nutritious: chock full of protein, vitamins, minerals, as well as the cancer-fighting conjugated linoleic acid. I want all that flavor, aroma and nutrition for my father, for myself, and for my daughter as well.

The Sbrinz we have in our caves now is what I call the “grandfather of Parmigiano-Reggiano” because it is another ancient type of cheese whose recipe was the inspiration for the Parm. My daughter’s first favorite cheese was Parmigiano-Reggiano. She could nibble on a chunk of it for hours when she was a toddler. There are no better sources of Calcium than what is offered in those two cheeses.

One day I presented her with some Sbrinz, which until that day, I thought was merely a “nice” cheese. After tasting it, she said that she would like some more. I remember that morning well. It was eye-opening to me – how she helped me recognize its qualities, by simply asking for more. Having those two cheeses helped make her MVP of her sports teams while growing up in lower Manhattan: basketball, softball, baseball, soccer, and hockey. In her early years she enjoyed her Sbrinz in larger chunks, though it is a cheese that is best enjoyed when it is shaved thin.

The Geit-in-Stad is a Dutch cheese produced from goat milk. My father likes the goat milk. He had some when he was a young boy. He also has a sweet tooth, and sweet is part of the allure of this cheese. When we include Geit-in-Stad as one of our featured cheeses at events, it is often the favorite. And a tip of the hat to my mother’s side of the family, the Dutch part, for that country’s many centuries of cheese making expertise.

Max McCalman

Originally posted at Brewing Some Fun

We have the marvelous Abbaye de Tamié in our caves now. This lightly pressed cow milk cheese is produced at the eponymous abbey in the French Alps. The abbey has helped sustain itself with the production of this marvelous cheese since its founding in the year 1132. The cheese has been produced pretty much the same away all along, thankfully.

If there ever was a cheese that screamed “beer” this is the one. Part of its success in pairing with all kinds of beers is its balanced flavor. It does not rely on the salt to make it work. Another part of the success of the pairing of beers with this cheese is that the soft texture of the cheese likes the beer’s bubbles. This cheese can be a little challenging for most wines, even though it is not a strong cheese. I have tasted the Abbaye de Tamié with several different styles of beers and it invariably works.

The cheese is produced with unpasteurized milk,which happens to give it an extended shelf life, as well as a full aroma and flavor. A generous dose of umami rounds out its flavor profile while the aroma takes you to one of the most beautiful places on earth – the Alps. You could easily consider having this cheese on its own. It has an eggy flavor; it reminds me of scrambled eggs, with a touch of salt and no pepper, cooked in butter.

Speaking of eggs, the Abbaye de Tamié has about twice the amount of protein in weight as an egg, and less fat, even before the egg is cooked in oil or butter!

If you would rather not be reminded of eggs then try this amazing cheese with the breakfast of champions – beer. You will get a great start to your day. A piece of fruit on the side is optional; the beer should deliver enough fruit flavor on its own. Some fresh crusty baguette will suffice. Along with the umami, the Abbaye de Tamié (being a youngish unpasteurized cheese produced from milk of animals who have a wide diversity of plant species in their diets) also delivers a lot of CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) that beneficial weight-reducing and cancer-fighting fatty acid.

We don’t have the Abbaye de Tamié available all the time; the production is limited. It is here now though, and those that come in should be in great form through to the end of the year. So get them while you can.

Max McCalman

No two Chardonnays are the same, not even those produced within the same village. Of course the age of the wine carries some weight, as it certainly does with cheeses. One reason for the huge popularity of the Chardonnay grape is its success with many foods, cheeses included, as well as being a perfectly suitable wine to enjoy on its own.

I had the great pleasure of tasting two Chardonnays within a range of six wines recently. They were both Puligny-Montrachets, one was a 2006 and the other was a 1988. Though a twenty-three year old white Burgundy such as a Puligny-Montrachet might seem to be pushing it, this one was still very much alive, vibrant, resplendent with good fruit and not oxidized. On the other hand, the 2006 might sound like a youngster, as the Montrachets don’t usually come into their own until they have had a few more years in the bottle.

The seven cheeses we tasted with these two beautiful wines were perfectly ripened; all the cheeses happened to be French – a request from the host. The younger wine was a smashing success with the first four cheeses we tasted: Roves des Garrigues, Brillat Savarin, Abbaye de Belloc (a bit of a surprise) and the Epoisses (a no-brainer) and it also paired well with the Cantal and the Carles Roquefort (yes, this match can work). The 2006 Puligny-Montrachet was only okay with the Raclette, which was gorgeous by itself but a little too pungent. The older 1988 Puligny was beautiful with the first two cheeses yet the matches brought out different aspects. The 1988 was good with the Abbaye de Belloc and more successful with the Epoisses, nice with the Cantal and the Raclette, but only okay with the Roquefort.

The way these white Burgundies married with each of these cheeses brought out different nuances, from the wines and from each of the cheeses. None of the matches were disappointing. Overall, the cheeses scored as well with the wines as they did with the 2003 Sauternes!

It is little wonder that Chardonnay is such a popular varietal; it plays well with many foods, cheeses especially. I recall a few mismatches with this grape but they are rare. The quality of the cheeses helped make these pairings work well, no doubt. Few Epoisses can match the peak where this one was, semi-soft with just a little of its “heart” remaining in the center. When I first looked at the several wheels of Epoisses I thought they might be a little too liquid, a little overripe. Instead they were buttery, creamy, pungent, smooth, only slightly salty and aromatic, and recognizably cow. This cheese is one whose care we provide is unsurpassed.

I have to admit: those Puligny-Montrachets were not too shabby either. To have aged out as well as they had is a testament to the care they received. For anyone who rebukes Chardonnay should try a nicely aged white Burgundy, preferably one of the Montrachets; and then to bring out the best that those wines can offer, pair it with a few of the cheeses mentioned above. It becomes a little more difficult to tolerate a lesser Chardonnay once you’ve had one of the best but these cheeses can elevate the lesser Chardonnays just fine.

Max McCalman

Terroir seems to be a word that is not easy to pronounce by most Americans. This could be partly because it is a word that is not understood particularly well so we are afraid to even try to pronounce it. It is a wonderful word though, and I fear that it is still misunderstood and is thusly used a little inaccurately by foodies and gourmands.

There is no one word in our English language that defines all that “terroir” encompasses. Terroir primarily refers to what is in the soil itself. In the case of cheese, the distinct qualities available in the soil feed the plants, plants that feed the animals, animals that produce the milk from which the cheese is crafted. Yet terroir also refers to what is available in the water, to the climactic conditions, the topography, even the culture or “soul” of a region. In the case of wine, terroir refers to those attributes that influence the wine: the soil, water, climate, and the topography of the region. These attributes influence the plants that produce the grapes containing the juice from which the wine is produced. Along with the influences of the personality of the region that determine the styles of wine making of a region, these considerations make “terroir” a rather important word. I doubt that we will come up with an English word that will quite match the weight of the word “terroir.”

Traditional types of cheese have a true recognition for the importance of terroir, though many of those older styles of cheese are increasingly influenced by components that are derived from other regions, sometimes from places that are on other continents! Those components include commercial rennets, cultures, salts and other flavorings. Though they usually comprise a tiny fraction of what the cheese vat contains, in volume or weight, they can have significant influences on the aroma, flavor and texture of the cheeses.

Yes, the milk is the greatest ingredient by weight and volume, and it is the most important ingredient influencing the profile of the cheese. The particular skills of the cheese maker have their influences on the final cheese, as well as the skills of the Affineur (cheese ripener). The steps that are involved in cheese making each have their role: the temperature of the milk when it is coagulated, the time that the coagulum is allowed to form, the temperature and atmospheric pressure of the cheese making room, the presence of ambient molds in the make and curing rooms, how finely the curds are cut, the amount of pressure that is applied, etc. Slight adjustments in each of these steps, and others, can have profound influences on the final cheese product.

These are some of the reasons why I have a hard time accepting the role of terroir in defining the success of pairing cheese with other foods and beverages. No less involved in cheese making are the complexities involved in wine and beer making. The grapes for wine making or the grains and hops for beer making may have been grown on land that adjoins the pasture where the dairy animals grazed (occasionally but rarely the case) but the other variables factor in.

It is a good starting point: choosing cheeses and beverages or other foods from the same region. We might expect that if these products have been crafted alongside one another for generations that they should marry well together. The influences of terroir have their play, disregarding the other foreign ingredients. Regional pairings make interesting studies, or they can provide thematic elements to tastings of cheeses with other foods and beverages.

When I look over my database of cheese and wine pairings (the beverage with which I have paired cheeses more than any other) I have found that the new world styles of wines, which are generally more “fruit-forward” than their old world counterparts, appear to have a little advantage. The fruit in these wines better balances the savory or salty qualities in the cheeses. We like to think that we prefer “dry” wines though we Americans actually gravitate toward the fruit. This is a part of the exploration of our Old World Cheese & New World Wine class: discovering those balancing and complementing attributes in each, beyond the balance of fruit and savory.

In addition to the many successful matches between old world cheeses and new world wines, there are thousands of successful matches to be found within the old world itself even though the shared terroir is not a factor. Experimenting with cheeses and wines that are produced hundreds (if not thousands) of miles apart from each other is what I refer to as “tasting outside the terroir box.”

It is evident that terroir plays a big role in determining the profile of these agricultural products but it should not be used as a crutch for determining successful pairings. Cheeses and beverages produced far from each other often deliver some of those gustatory thrills.

I predict that “terroir” will be a word that will be better understood in the future, or I hope that it will. Spell-check may eventually recognize it too, like the word “sommelier.” After all, the English language is about half-French anyway.

Max McCalman