News From The Cheese Caves

Today, you can find entire aisles of grocery stores filled with different beers. The selection of beers often far exceeds the selection of cheeses. America’s taste for beer has gradually shifted toward the fuller-bodied ales and away from the lighter lagers. Our per capita consumption of “light” lagers still far exceeds that of the bigger ales, yet the trend toward the heavier direction is apparent. One might think that the lighter-flavored lagers do not measure up to the bigger ales on the “artisanal” scale, what with the way that the larger producers appear to be directing their creative energies into those vats. This has been the focus of most of the newer microbreweries as well. These bigger-flavored beers remain a niche part of the beer market yet that niche is growing.

There could be something to be said for getting flavor for your beer dollar. Possibly. It could partly be the desire to get more alcohol for that dollar, as many of these bigger beers have elevated alcohol contents. These levels often approach the levels found in table wines. It bears mentioning that those fuller flavors can hide those higher alcohol levels, perhaps unrecognizable until you have had that “one-for-the-road.”

Many of these new craft beers are flavored with other ingredients besides grains and hops. The added flavorings can make for delicious brews but they can also overwhelm meek cheese partners. Flavored beers and heftier porters and stouts can dominate cheeses. They tolerate few insipid cheeses. On the other hand, strong cheeses can be beautifully quenched with the lighter beers.

Those perceived imbalances that occur between stronger-flavored beers and lighter-flavored cheeses may be less problematic because of some advantages that beers enjoy. The more obvious advantage is the effervescence. This helps to lift up the acids and fats in cheese so they do not weigh down on the palate. The cheeses and beers can swirl around in the mouth and leave graceful finishes. Most beers have a lower alcohol level than most wines. This is desirable partly because the salts in cheese can make you thirsty. It is more effective (and advisable from a health perspective) to quaff your thirst with a little less alcohol.

A less obvious advantage that beer enjoys with cheeses is the pH levels in beers more closely approximate those of most cheeses. The acids in beers help to metabolize the fats and proteins in cheeses. The salt and sweet on the palate is a balancing relationship, while the pH relationship is one of harmony. The more acid cheeses generally pair better with the more acid beverages. Cheese is (or should be) a little acid and beer is a little acid too. This balance of acids helps make the pairing of cheese and beer more pleasing.

This helps explain why some of the bolder cheeses can pair fairly well with some of the lightest of cheeses; the acids are balanced. The more assertively flavored beers can find those balances and harmonies with cheeses, so long as their flavors are complementary. For example, a chocolate-flavored ale may find a successful mate in a cow milk blue cheese because the aromatics often blend well together, so long as there is that balance of salt (recognizable in most blues) and sweet (indicated by the chocolate in the beer) and harmony of acid levels.

Added to the aesthetic relationships of beer and cheese pairing, the wholesome nutritive qualities of fine cheese coupled with those qualities provided by beers (gentle acids, generally low alcohol contents, and B vitamins) add another advantage to exploring the wide world of beer and cheese partnerships. Plus, in many more cases than not, they just taste good together.

Max McCalman

When choosing cheese I always go for variety, the more the merrier. We all have our favorites and there is an argument for having the one “perfect” cheese. However mixing them up a little makes it more interesting, by selecting cheeses produced from different milk types, or choosing cheeses from different regions, or cheeses with different types of rind, or with different textures, etc.

The Scot in me dictates that I get plenty of nutrition for my cheese dollar. This makes a strong argument for choosing a variety of cheeses; cheeses have different nutritive values. No two cheeses are the same. Though the wonderfully broad diversity of nutrients in cheese is found in almost all cheeses, the relative composition of those nutrients is a little different. Some cheeses have more beneficial fatty acids than others, some have different levels of proteins and amino acids than others, and some have higher levels of certain vitamins or minerals than others. This is a good reason to try a variety of cheeses. Sign up for Cheese & Wine 201 to learn more about these considerations.

Another argument in favor of variety is that there are many different cheeses and everybody has their favorites. It is a good idea to have at least three cheeses when you are entertaining, even when you are entertaining only one person. You have better odds of pleasing your guest(s) if you have a variety of cheeses. This is a point that I picked up full well years ago when I was running a cheese program in a restaurant. We were able to please more guests when we had the broader variety of types. When we offered fewer cheeses many guests politely declined the cheese course altogether. We actually ended up with more waste when we had fewer cheeses offered, not what might be expected.

The variety will also elicit discussion (should your guest not be especially gregarious) by striking different impressions on the senses, often reminding them of lovely experiences they once had. The aromas in cheese can do that – take you to another time and another place.

You have a better chance of finding successful matches with your wines or beers when you have several cheese types. One of the best ways to learn about cheese, wine, and beer, is to use cheeses as “platforms” for your beverages, just as the beverages serve as “platforms” for your cheeses. It is easier to detect the nuances in a cheese or wine, or beer, if you try the different cheeses and beverages jointly. How different cheeses interact with different wines is highlighted in our Cheese & Wine 101 classes. How they interact with beers is highlighted in our Craft Beer classes.

- Max McCalman

With all the paper industry here in this country you would think that at least one company would make the kind of cheese paper that is used in the better European cheese shops. This two-ply semi-permeable paper is also now being used here in the states, and we use it here as well. It consists of very lightly waxed paper on the inside (the side that rests against the cheese) and a paper that is closer to parchment or butcher paper on the outside. This type paper allows the cheese to breath and does not leave the light plastic residue left behind by plastic wraps.

Most cheeses can tolerate plastic wrapping for a short time; the harder cheeses can hold up under plastic for weeks, but is not ideal. For convenience and cost considerations the cling film frequently used for wrapping cheese is kind of a necessary evil. Wrapping cheese in that two-ply paper is preferred. When I say that cheese is allowed to “breath” it is not as though the cheese is huffing and puffing. A little bit of air exchange helps to keep the cheeses in good condition far longer. Cheese is, after all, a “living” food.

Some cheeses require more air exchange than others, especially the goat milk cheeses. Even that two-ply cheese paper can be a little too suffocating for the young chèvres. And of course, the softer runnier cheeses can stick to the paper once the paste is exposed. For example, if you have not finished your Epoisses it is not so easy to wrap up the leftover portion. That would be like trying to put the toothpaste back into the tube. For those occasions that you think you will not finish your soft cheese in one setting it would be easier to leave it in its wooden box (if it comes that way) and then to cover the entire box with some cling film. A little air underneath that wrap will be sufficient for the cheese, and the film will not come in contact with cheese paste. If the softer cheese comes in some other wrapping you can reuse it if it is not soiled. The only problem with wrapping a softer cheese under paper (or plastic, or aluminum foil) is that some of the cheese will stick to the paper, and some of the moisture may make the paper so wet that it does not serve its purpose effectively. Another option with leftover softer cheeses is to put the remaining cheese into a bowl and then cover it with the cling film.

If your cheese has been under plastic wrap it is recommended that you “face” the cheese by taking a knife and scraping the edge of the cheese lightly. This should remove what little plastic residue may have settled on the cheese surface. In one of the finest cheese shops in Portugal the paper they use to wrap their cheeses is closer to the kind of paper used for grocery sacks. That kind of paper can soak up some of the delicious butterfats in cheese. You don’t want to lose any of that.

Cheeses that are wrapped in paper should be wrapped snugly. To observe our team wrapping cheese is a sight to behold. They are quick, efficient, and you would think that they had part-time jobs wrapping gifts at Macy’s.

For some cheeses the preferred wrapping is aluminum foil, especially for many blue cheeses.

- Max McCalman

Several years ago I was invited to be a guest on Cooking Live with Sara Moulton. One viewer called in with a question for the cheese guy. Her question was: why do they call all soft cheeses “brie?” Quite frankly that one stopped me in my tracks for a minute. After a pause I realized that this might seem to be true to many Americans–all soft cheeses must be brie. This was over a decade ago when the variety of cheeses, soft ones included, was much smaller than it is today. Yet, there were several hundred soft cheeses around back then; some of them were actually “bries” or something closely related to brie.

Even then, there were plenty of lovely soft cheeses that were available, a tiny fraction of which should have been called brie. Years ago there seemed to be a “don’t ask, don’t tell” attitude about importing soft young cheeses into America. Since people rarely if ever got sick from eating cheese, (fortunately still true today) there did not seem to be a good reason to obstruct access to those marvelous cheeses.

I recall informing that caller that there were other soft cheeses that I thought she would recognize, like Camembert. This is another cheese whose name has been stolen shamelessly too many times. Today it is increasingly difficult to find a good Camembert in France itself. Alors!

Yet all is not so rotten in Denmark, or in France, or in the lexicon of cheese. I suppose there could be a legitimate comparison of a soft cow cheese to brie, no matter the rind, the flavor, aroma, or the provenance. Still to this day many people will tell you that there favorite cheese is brie, even though tasting good raw milk brie may not have actually been one of their cheese experiences.

I say let them have it. Call it their entry into the wide world of artisanal cheese. Call those marginally related soft cheeses brie, call them whatever, enjoy them the best that you can. There are far worse things one can put in one’s mouth. To learn about the differences between cheese types, to get to the bottom of it all, sign up for Cheese Basics and taste the differences. Not all soft cheeses are bries.

- Max McCalman

The cheese stands alone, yet it is all the more marvelous when you have experts provide a little extra support. Our regular faculty can wax for hours about the cheese, and we have a good knowledge of wine and beer too. We especially enjoy the events when we have special guest speakers join us. Our class calendar through to the end of 2011 has numerous outside experts coming in to lend their additional expertise to our classes. Not only beer experts and wine experts, we occasionally have spirits experts, and when they can make time for it, we sometimes have the cheese makers themselves join us.

I have always maintained that the best way to learn about cheese is to put it in your mouth. It helps to learn about cheese if you have a fine wine or beer to use as a “platform” for experiencing some of the nuances that cheeses can offer. It also happens to be a good way to learn about beer, wine, or other beverages. Different cheeses provide that “platform” for getting to know your liquids too.

Cheese and beer have been great partners for centuries, same for cheese and wine. Some partnerships work better than others, which is where you begin to taste the differences among cheeses and the beverages. One quality in either can elevate the other, and bring out subtleties that you may have never noticed before.

When we have our special guest speakers along you get their added perspectives. Other highlights we gain from having these guest speakers join us are those little tidbits about the history and unique methods of production. In other words: a little extra “romancing” of the cheeses and beverages is part of the experience.

Additionally, the guest speakers give our Fromager instructors a chance to contemplate the pairings themselves.

We presented Geit-in-Stad as one of six cheeses at an event presented by Verity wines. This was the only goat cheese in the mix. Interestingly, goat is the first no-no I hear when people are choosing their cheeses. I use to think it was because there were several inferior goat cheeses available and if your first goat cheese was one of those then you could never get over it. There may be something to that. Goat milk does not tolerate mishandling or lousy cheese making, or neglectful cheese wrapping or storage either. If not handled with care, a goat milk cheese can be challenging.

Another reason why people may not care for the goat cheeses is because they often have an assertive animal flavor and aroma, an aroma that may make you think that you’re standing in a barnyard. This can happen when the males get too close to the milking parlor. What the does (female goats) consider an aphrodisiac can be disagreeable for most people. Once that aroma gets into the milk it stays there, even into the cheese. When these cheeses age they can become even stronger on the goat note.

Geit-in-Stad is an exceptional cheese; essentially Gouda made with goat milk. This cheese has the sweetest and creamiest flavor that we have ever found in a goat cheese. For all the goat nay-sayers, the Geit-in-Stad will win them over. At that event with 600 people attending (most of them food and wine savvy) the Geit-in-Stad was popular with everyone.

Several persons said that they could not believe that it was a goat cheese. Not a turn-off for many of us so maybe this cheese will be that gateway cheese into the wonderful world of goat cheeses.

The blue cheeses are often reserved for the cooler months, sadly true for many cheeses – they are forgotten during the warmer weather months when many cheeses are at their best. If one is holding back on the blue cheeses during the warm season because many of them can be extreme, Massachusetts’ Berkshire Blue delivers a gentle but full-flavored respite. Unlike many if not most other blues, the Berkshire is less salty, a little younger, creamier flavored and textured, less assertive, and it has a nicely balanced flavor. In other words it is an exceptional and refreshing blue cheese.

Aged to just over sixty days when we receive them, the blue has not taken over the flavor of the cheese. The blue barely shows. For many of us this would make it easier to taste the qualities in the milk itself, with the little bit of blue providing a little accent. It helps that the milk that goes into producing the Berkshire comes from Jersey milk, from animals that enjoy the lush vegetation of western Massachusetts, and milk that is not subjected to excessive heat treatment. With fewer raw milk blue cheeses to choose this makes the Berkshire Blue a stand-out.

We use to carry this cheese several years ago. We are thrilled to see it back in our caves. A delicious blue for any time of the year, don’t wait until winter to try the Berkshire Blue. It will be interesting to see how this cheese changes throughout the year but it is hard to imagine how it could get much better than it is right now.

Many people have asked me if my books have recipes which include cheese. There are plenty other cheese books full of recipes that incorporate cheese. Cheese as an ingredient in recipes has its place. Cheese can add that accent to a dish that makes it irresistible. I have always enjoyed cheese by itself. Many years ago I recall one of the thrusts of the American Cheese Society’s conference was to direct cheese makers to find chefs who would develop recipes for which only their own distinct cheese would make the cheese recipe work successfully. I recommended that they first craft cheeses that were delicious themselves – cheeses that could “stand up on their own four legs.”

Romancing cheese in words never quite matches what the cheese can express for itself.

We incorporate cheese into many recipes now. Of course there are many cheeses that are less suitable for cooking, or cheeses that you hate to include in a dish where the cheese flavors may become diluted. When I get down to the rinds I hate to waste them. Even with two cheese-loving canines in the house there is only so much cheese rind they can eat. (It is interesting to note that the cheese diet seems to be helping both of them to slim down.)

I ran across this recipe from Mary Quicke, owner and cheese maker of Quicke’s Cheddar. So for all of you that do like to take advantage of the spring bounty of vegetation available, and/or those who like to cook with cheese, this recipe appears to be a good one. No wonder Mary is usually smiling; just reading her recipe is delightful!

Herein:

RECIPE – My daughter Jane has been adding our cheese to my taboulleh, that lovely and easy Middle Eastern dish, and it turns into a complete meal.

Wake up cous cous or bulgur with boiling water. Use more parsley than you could imagine, a bunch unchopped as big as the woken up cous cous. I like to add chervil and coriander for interest as I’ve got them all growing and needing eating, but it’s optional. Chop finely or it becomes too hard work to eat. Chop up spring onions or onion finely, and some fresh tomato for colour. Add enough lemon juice so that you can start to taste the lemoniness, not just acidity, again, more than you expect. Add olive oil or virgin rapeseed oil – the more the more delicious, but the more calories. Season with salt and pepper. It will last for 3-4 days in the fridge, getting tastier. Serve it with grated Quickes Traditional Mature Cheddar with a salad for a light lunch or a yummy first course.

I have heard many people say that they could live on cheese alone, or they can eat a “ton” of cheese. Even more often, I hear people say that they love cheese. My quick reply to that one is “Cheese loves you!” All these phrases are accurate, except the one about being able to eat a ton of cheese. I probably passed that milestone many years ago but I believe people are suggesting that they could eat a ton (as in several pounds) in one setting.

Not likely. Even one pound in one setting would be difficult. I consume about two pounds each week (which is about three times our national average). I could eat a little more but I am sated with that amount. This is a quality of fine cheeses; they have that “satiety factor.” Being the near-complete food that it is, your body will recognize that it has had enough cheese long before you consume a ton of it. Yet people that say they could eat a ton of cheese seem to suggest that they can do it and not feel guilty about it. The only guilt that I can think of here might be the gluttony matter, or that you are not leaving enough for all the rest of us.

I can think of a number of occasions when I tasted well over one hundred cheeses in a single day. However that was tasting them, not devouring them. When I taste cheeses as a professional, I usually require at least half an ounce of each. That comes to a little over 3 pounds in a day. That would bring me up to about a half a ton in a year.

As much as I love cheese I don’t see that happening. As to living on cheese alone, that is almost possible. Cheese does contain all the nutrients we require except for vitamin C and fiber. Cheese also lacks enough water so you have to have some water to go with your all-cheese diet. Another thing that cheese lacks is sufficient calories. You will reach that “I’m good” point in your cheese consumption long before you have had enough calories.

The idea of adding flavorings to cheese, either into the paste or onto the rinds, is something that many cheese lovers dismiss, as though the curd alone has the final word. Yet with all the influences of cultures, rennets and secondary cultures on the aroma, flavor and texture of cheeses, it is not entirely fair to write off a cheese that has some other flavoring added. In the case of the multiple award-winning Barely Buzzed it is a mixture of a Turkish grind of coffee beans from South America, Central America and Indonesia, with a little French Lavender thrown in for good measure.

The cheese starts off as a cheddar type, not too acid or salty, but smooth-flavored and well-balanced. The coffee and lavender rub add the signature “buzz.” Without the rub the cheese is rather mild but delicious. Generally the “unflavored” cheddars pair well with virtually all kinds of beers, as well as with many types of wines. In the case of the Barely Buzzed the coffee and lavender do not overwhelm the underlying milk flavor. The cheese has balance, a quality that must be present to deliver multiple pairing possibilities.

Barely Buzzed is firm, like cheddars should be, but still retains a little moisture. Firm cheeses also deliver far more successes in pairings with beers and wines than do the softer cheeses. Pasteurized cheeses present fewer challenges to beverage partners than do the raw-milk varieties, as much as we may love them. Barely Buzzed is crafted from pasteurized milk so those potential challenges to pairing successes are largely eliminated. This gives this cheese another leg-up in good marriages with beverages.

In a recent planning session for an upcoming class on Craft American Beers and Cheeses, we tasted the Barely Buzzed against a broad spectrum of beers. After seeing that it was pairing well with each of the first several beers, we decided to leave it as a good mate for beers, period. Our beer expert, Candela, will go into greater detail about how beer and cheese pair well together in the upcoming Craft Beer and Artisanal Cheese with Coney Island Lagers/Schmaltz Brewing Company class.

Just to make it clear here, because the pasteurized cheeses present fewer “challenges” to successful pairings does not mean that the raw milk cheeses do not marry as well. When the uncompromised cheeses pair well with a beverage the marriages can be sublime.