tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27458070790152377452024-03-15T13:56:13.699+00:00The CheeseloverFiona Becketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970779962455905201noreply@blogger.comBlogger194125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2745807079015237745.post-18595673172889787822012-09-02T17:30:00.000+01:002012-09-02T17:33:31.452+01:00Why can't we have cheese bars in Britain?It was, of course, inevitable that New Yorkers would do it first but I have to say I'm insane with envy about Murray's new <a href="http://www.murrayscheesebar.com/" target="_blank">Cheese Bar.</a> Even after reading <a href="http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2012/08/murrays-cheese-bar-west-village-nyc-review.html" target="_blank">this review</a> in Serious Eats which picks a few holes in the experience <br />
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I've been banging on for ever about how great a cheese bar - or, better still, a cheese café - would be eliciting pitying looks from my family and friends. Who would go to a place where you could only eat cheese, they ask? (<i>Plenty of people, I argue.</i>) Cheese is expensive, there's not enough profit in it. (<i>Then serve high-margin drinks . . .</i>)<br />
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I knew it would work having been to Artisanal and Casellula in New York a couple of years ago and now <a href="http://ny.eater.com/archives/2012/05/cheese_whiz_tia_keenan_joins_murrays_winecheese_bar.php" target="_blank">Tia Keenan</a> who devised the pairings at Casellula has been poached by Murray's.<br />
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In this age of single food restaurants - burgers, hot dogs, fried chicken - surely we can have one devoted to cheese? Won't some cheeseloving enterpreneur open one?Fiona Becketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970779962455905201noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2745807079015237745.post-28085626745509597522012-08-19T18:16:00.001+01:002012-08-19T18:17:19.870+01:00A perfect cheese trolley<br />
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Cheese trolleys, as I've discovered from previous exchanges, divide cheese lovers. There are those who think no restaurant worth its salt offers anything less than 30 cheeses and others of us (betraying my own preferences) that reckon there's no way most restaurants can keep even 20 in good condition.<br />
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But <a href="http://www.potdetain.com/" target="_blank">Le Pot d'Etain</a> in L'Isle sur Serein can, it seems. Its cheese trolley - or rather tray - unfortunately snapped in the gloom of a low-lit dining room this week, was simply superb. It included the best <a href="http://www.cheese-france.com/cheese/epoisses.htm" target="_blank">Epoisses</a> I've ever eaten (matured by <a href="http://www.fromagerie-berthaut.com/site_uk.html" target="_blank">Fromagerie Berthaut</a>), full-flavoured but not overpowering and just ripe enough but not so runny as to form a pool of molten cheese on the plate, a perfect <a href="http://www.culturecheesemag.com/soumaintrain" target="_blank">Soumaintrain</a> and another Burgundian cheese whose name I didn't catch, washed in Chablis. Even better the cheese course didn't attract a supplement as it does almost everywhere else. It was tempting to dive in for more but I was already full of snails and rabbit.<br />
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I guess the locals love their cheese so there's no problem with sad cheeses left lingering and unloved on the trolley but I'm sure it's more that the proprietor has a long-standing relationship with his supplier, gets his cheeses delivered at exactly the right moment and - crucially - knows how to keep them that way.<br />
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Le Pot d'Etain also has a stupendous winelist with the best collection of Chablis I've ever seen. Oddly the bottle we were drinking - a 2007 La Forest Premier Cru from Vincent Dauvissat - wasn't as good as I'd expected with the cheese. I usually find white wines better than red with washed rind cheeses but these very ripe cheeses possibly needed a sweet wine or a marc de Bourgogne.<br />
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Oh, and they also serve the most gigantic gougères, pictured alongside some mini cheese and ham 'cakes' (what the French call the quichey sort of savoury loaf they serve with an aperitif). Cheese heaven.<br />
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<br />Fiona Becketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970779962455905201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2745807079015237745.post-77361322918169348322012-07-04T19:22:00.003+01:002012-07-04T21:23:36.886+01:00A memory of Daphne Zepos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was shocked and saddened to read today of the untimely death of Daphne Zepos, founder of the Essex Street Cheese Company and a leading light in the US cheese community.<br />
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I spent a brilliant day with her in New York a couple of years ago when she showed me round New York's best cheese shops including the Bedford Cheese Shop, Stinky Bklyn and Saxelby's Cheese and generously shared her knowledge of the American artisanal cheese scene.<br />
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This is a picture with Tia Keenan of Murray's Cheese, then the fromager at Caselulla cheese and wine café, which perfectly captures the spirit of the day.<br />
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There's an excellent tribute to her on the <a href="http://www.culturecheesemag.com/news/ari_weinzwig_daphne_zepos_in_memoriam%20" target="_blank">Culture</a> cheese magazine site from Ari Weinzweig of Zingerman's.Fiona Becketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970779962455905201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2745807079015237745.post-8957388676596263572012-07-01T08:31:00.000+01:002012-07-11T18:47:31.403+01:00Pomi-fritti fromage Corse<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Apologies, first of all for the unannounced absence from the blog. I've been devoting my energies to the relaunch of my website <a href="http://www.matchingfoodandwine.com/" target="_blank">Matching Food & Wine</a> and to tell the truth haven't come across much in the way of cheese to report on lately. But this is the mother of all melted cheese experiences!<br />
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It was in the unlikely venue of a Corsican wine bar and restaurant in Bordeaux called <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/a-cantina-comptoir-corse/132755270139967" target="_blank">A Cantina</a> which, as you'd expect, had great artisanal charcuterie and cheese (Corsica being noted for both). And a CHIP MENU! Including a dish, pomi-fritti fromage Corse, with chips <i>and</i> melted cheese.<br />
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It was at the end of a long day and the bar was packed so I failed to get round to asking which cheese they had used (lax but we were knackered) but it had a tangy edge that suggests to me it was a sheeps' cheese and a wondrously molten consistency that indicated it was quite young. You'll have to play around with different cheeses.<br />
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The potatoes they used, by the way, still had their skins on and were hand-cut and there were a few little slivers of fried ham dotted about just to add to the calorie overload. I like the three forks impaled in the potatoes which encourages you not to eat them all on your own ...<br />
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The restaurant also offered a delicious warm crumble of goats' cheese and pistachio we had to try and which I might try to recreate. Again, young goats cheese, I suspect, layered with sliced tomato (I'd be inclined to skin it first) and topped with finely chopped pistachios, possibly blitzed with a bit of flour. Served with toasted baguette. It's very rich - you need to slather it on something.<br />
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I'm going to have to get experimenting.Fiona Becketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970779962455905201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2745807079015237745.post-40605759294700239912012-05-05T09:27:00.001+01:002012-05-05T09:33:08.178+01:00Another clever cheese plate<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A couple of nights ago I was at a dinner to celebrate 36 years of one of Bristol's best local restaurants <a href="http://www.bellsdiner.com/" target="_blank">Bell's Diner</a>. The current chef Chris Wicks has only been at the stoves there for 12 years or so but put his personal spin on some of his predecessor's creations including - believe it or not - <a href="http://www.tartex.com/product-range/organic-vegetarian-spreads/organic-pates-in-tubes.html" target="_blank">Tartex paté</a> en croute. (Tartex was a 1970s paté substitute for veggies of which there have always been plenty in Bristol.)<br />
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But is was the cheese course I wanted to write about here: two goats' cheeses - <a href="http://www.nealsyarddairy.co.uk/cheeses.html" target="_blank">Tymsboro</a> and Sleightlett - from Chris's favourite cheesemaker, <a href="http://thecheeselover.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/meeting-some-of-britains-best.html" target="_blank">Mary Holbrook</a> (below), about whom I've already written on this blog.<br />
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The cheeses were served on slates with a shard of lightly spiced flatbread and - the crowning touch - a small glass of goats' milk as if to pay tribute to the quality of the raw material. (It was also served with a glass of <a href="http://www.yapp.co.uk/Wine-List/Loire-Wines/Menetou-Salon-Wines/Menetou-Salon--Domaine-Jean-Teiller-Blanc-2011/" target="_blank">2010 Domaine Tellier Menetou Salon</a> which was the perfect match. From another long-term supplier <a href="http://www.yapp.co.uk/" target="_blank">Yapp Brothers</a>.<br />
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Mary and her cheesemaker were there to talk about the cheeses, a really nice way of paying tribute to someone who'd been associated with the restaurant for many years. <br />
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<br />Fiona Becketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970779962455905201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2745807079015237745.post-4894291004323473982012-04-20T19:01:00.000+01:002012-04-20T19:02:08.462+01:00Capra Nouveau<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br>I've got a bit behindhand with my cheese posts - this was one I tasted about a month ago at my local deli, <a href="http://www.chandosdeli.com/">Chandos</a>.<br>
<br>It's a washed rind goats cheese from a Shropshire producer called <a href="http://www.brockhallfarm.com/">Brock Hall Farm</a>. The surface looks almost as if it has been knitted and the interior is seductively yielding - a bit like a Vacherin.<br>
<br>It's quite assertive and fruity in flavour, but not strong and not at all 'goaty'. If I hadn't been told I'd have said it was a cows' cheese.<br>
<br>It's also very moreish. I bought a relatively small amount as I like to buy my cheese little and often and we wolfed our way through it in no time.<br>
<br>You can find other stockists on the Brock Hall Farm website.<br>
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<br>Here is a picture of a practically perfect Brie. IMHO although some people might argue it had been allowed to mature too far.<br>
<br>It was served as part of a food and wine tasting I conducted at the cookery school <a href="http://www.leiths.com/">Leiths</a> the other day.<br>
<br>True, it made it trickier to find a wine match. The Chilean pinot noir I'd picked to go with it seemed a bit lightweight, it was so decadently creamy. On the other hand it hadn't got that sort of ammoniac character that Brie can acquire as it ages which can give it an unpleasantly bitter edge.<br>
<br>All you need is a hunk of crisp, freshly baked baguette to slather it on. And maybe a few grapes. The perfect lunch . . . <br>
<br>Beats the sort of underripe Bries you find on the supermarket chill counter hands down. You should never serve Brie straight from the fridge either.<br>
<br>But should you let it go this far if you value the wine you're drinking with it? What do you reckon?<br>Fiona Becketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970779962455905201noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2745807079015237745.post-18379530143526984262012-04-05T17:05:00.000+01:002012-04-05T17:10:47.865+01:00Croatian cheese<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br>One of the pleasures of travelling is checking out another country's cheese scene so I was looking forward to finding out what Istria in northern Croatia had to offer when I visited it last week.<br>
<br>The answer was not a great deal of distinction, just a lot of simply made fresh cheeses and a few aged, Pecorino-style ones. Cheese seems to be served almost as a condiment, accompanying vegetable dishes like asparagus or cold meats such as Istrian ham.<br>
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It's much more likely to be used at the beginning of a meal or as an accompaniment to a wine-tasting<br>
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Or as a selection of canapés at a buffet as with this hotel brunch (top and below).<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj94UizNdkfNAdgyxLXA7IjpV8z20Ww03LkVBAZWZDuPWC1KxxS9GzOI1E5Anzwi1vhfd9o2YZUPHBn8Cs5tq-OiVUQzrijM9hZxR_B8A50yoKavQ3S3aUs-Oq4jEnwwJ0yf6RtVRoG-c/s1600/brie-style+cheese.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj94UizNdkfNAdgyxLXA7IjpV8z20Ww03LkVBAZWZDuPWC1KxxS9GzOI1E5Anzwi1vhfd9o2YZUPHBn8Cs5tq-OiVUQzrijM9hZxR_B8A50yoKavQ3S3aUs-Oq4jEnwwJ0yf6RtVRoG-c/s320/brie-style+cheese.jpg" /></a></div><br>
Or it may be roughly grated, Pecorino-style, over a plate of pasta (in this case pasta with wild asparagus).<br>
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So there don't appear to be many strong cheeses but maybe that's deliberate so it can act as a foil for Croatia's gorgeous, grassy olive oil.<br>Fiona Becketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970779962455905201noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2745807079015237745.post-88079697072806590032012-03-26T21:01:00.000+01:002012-03-26T21:06:05.588+01:00Two 'drunken' cheeses<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h4emm3S3kR0/T3DDC8_yB2I/AAAAAAAADSQ/Im1r5Zhk3n0/s1600/Monte%2BVeronese.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h4emm3S3kR0/T3DDC8_yB2I/AAAAAAAADSQ/Im1r5Zhk3n0/s320/Monte%2BVeronese.jpg" /></a></div>
<br>By chance I've come across two cheeses lately that are both matured with the by-products of red wine. The first, last week, was at <a href="http://alpompiere.tv/">Al Pompiere</a> in Verona where I tried a Monte Veronese Ubriaco (above, front) a local hard cows' milk cheese that had been soaked in grape must, and which was served with a sweet red onion marmalade.<br>
<br>Then back home I came across a fantastic cheese called Testun (pronounced tess-toon) at <a href="http://www.zuccalondon.com/">Zucca</a> in Bermondsey Street - a smooth, tangy cheese which is apparently wrapped in nebbiolo vine leaves. I think it must be similar to the Testun al Barolo which is described <a href="http://www.artisanalcheese.com/cheeses/Testun-Al-Barolo">here</a> on the US cheese retailer Artisanal although the rind didn't have the same craggy appearance.<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZHwUGM-0alnR6EqCiAf7MM2HED0P3-ZEopuprFzXsUnbZY0rRlqe1sQlZUf3usgiyO2pSkx7xhsOgo2AEA7urW41WEo-AbJqkZcvK6bIEQdLIOamAs230lqIal74ddKEnOpuj6RY3Gpc/s1600/testun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZHwUGM-0alnR6EqCiAf7MM2HED0P3-ZEopuprFzXsUnbZY0rRlqe1sQlZUf3usgiyO2pSkx7xhsOgo2AEA7urW41WEo-AbJqkZcvK6bIEQdLIOamAs230lqIal74ddKEnOpuj6RY3Gpc/s320/testun.jpg" /></a></div>
<br>What this type of ageing process seems to result in is a more pliable consistency and a deeper more savoury flavour than you would find in a conventionally matured cheese and one that gives it a greater compatibility with red wine (although <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/11/03/WIG52FHD141.DTL">this article</a> by the San Francisco Chronicle's cheese writer Janet Fletcher, suggests the contrary).<br>
<br>Both come into the category of ubriaco or 'drunken' cheeses, a description I must say I rather like.<br>Fiona Becketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970779962455905201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2745807079015237745.post-58751432676080258942012-03-14T17:45:00.011+00:002012-03-14T18:14:18.302+00:00Two simple, stunning ways to serve mozzarella<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI20A6691h_3los3sSGwezInrGqEeh3RdJQuVWf7YDNr5z6pDGRxbbWnDubmfc0E1MVp6jMcmjs7fSYb54IqXfwg7wmQNqfgD2Sz7H7JjWcOdaT3ceynrGjVvHAmWAkdUFGrs43nl4F1I/s1600/mozzarella+and+savoy+cabbage+salad.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI20A6691h_3los3sSGwezInrGqEeh3RdJQuVWf7YDNr5z6pDGRxbbWnDubmfc0E1MVp6jMcmjs7fSYb54IqXfwg7wmQNqfgD2Sz7H7JjWcOdaT3ceynrGjVvHAmWAkdUFGrs43nl4F1I/s320/mozzarella+and+savoy+cabbage+salad.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5719814279539677506" /></a><br />Most people I would guess use mozzarella one of two ways - in the classic insalata tricolore with tomatoes and avocado or to top a pizza. But I came across two brilliant new ways of serving it this week which I thought I'd share.<br /><br />One was at our local wine bar and restaurant <a href="http://www.flintyred.co.uk/">Flinty Red</a> where the chef Matthew Williamson had topped it with a sharp little salad of shredded cabbage, capers, lemon and fried roughly torn bread.<br /><br />The other was at the legendary <a href="http://www.rivercafe.co.uk/rc_page.php">River Cafe</a> in London where it came with smashed chickpeas, roast artichokes and Italian erbette (lightly cooked greens)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBPrVhwuiXAbvyNTV22aDleT8KDxGi1np9vdCnGjJ7ZGj3hmFqwdyhbGpgbvz_L8TUetRYHbLPuxpp_1bMrrGojNb2Z288sZRfhpGFUwmy210t9Vt3v-Xuo4y4pFoNJf1Ib-u1OofWrLA/s1600/mozzarella+and+artichokes+2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBPrVhwuiXAbvyNTV22aDleT8KDxGi1np9vdCnGjJ7ZGj3hmFqwdyhbGpgbvz_L8TUetRYHbLPuxpp_1bMrrGojNb2Z288sZRfhpGFUwmy210t9Vt3v-Xuo4y4pFoNJf1Ib-u1OofWrLA/s320/mozzarella+and+artichokes+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5719815675626429666" /></a><br />Both looked beautiful, I think you'll agree and in each case made a lovely fresh-tasting, easy to assemble starter. Both relied on top class ingredients including great olive oil and super-fresh bufala mozzarella.<br /><br />You might think that would be hard to get hold of if you don't have a good cheese shop nearby but you can buy it direct from Italy online from sites such as <a href="http://www.nifeislife.com/mozzarella-c-21_185.html">nifeislife.com</a>Fiona Becketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970779962455905201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2745807079015237745.post-47769828340969736472012-03-08T10:28:00.003+00:002012-03-08T10:33:09.735+00:00Whisky and Cheese pairing<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bSAjO7MiOIY/T1iKBhBySQI/AAAAAAAADOI/i7q0n5eKhmg/s1600/whisky%2Band%2Bcheese%2B%2528instagram%2529.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bSAjO7MiOIY/T1iKBhBySQI/AAAAAAAADOI/i7q0n5eKhmg/s400/whisky%2Band%2Bcheese%2B%2528instagram%2529.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5717471485597206786" /></a><br />I've just posted a piece on my food and wine matching site on a whisky and cheese tasting I tried out at <a href="http://www.capitalhotel.co.uk/restaurantbar_bar.html">The Capital bar </a>this week. Click <a href="http://www.matchingfoodandwine.com/articles/20120308">here</a> for more.Fiona Becketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970779962455905201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2745807079015237745.post-56079400146732756112012-03-03T11:48:00.006+00:002012-03-03T12:09:46.612+00:00La Tur - a gorgeous Italian cheese<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2ePHkyxOOp4/T1II5O0GbVI/AAAAAAAADNk/dAiLXguI7bg/s1600/1319023069-94909700.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2ePHkyxOOp4/T1II5O0GbVI/AAAAAAAADNk/dAiLXguI7bg/s200/1319023069-94909700.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5715640656408767826" /></a> We went out for dinner to friends last night and they served just one cheese - a gorgeous triple cream cheese called La Tur. It sounds French but in fact comes from the Langhe region of Piedmont - maybe why it went so well with the Dolcetto we were drinking.<br /><br />According to <a href="http://www.clarksfoodsonline.co.uk/cheese-c1/soft-cheese-c3/la-tur-alta-langa-p33">this site</a> belonging to Clarks Speciality Foods it's a mixture of pasteurized cows, sheep and goats milk and has a delicate, slightly lactic earthy flavour and the most wonderful creamy silky consistency as if it's about to melt. My friend actually bought it at Waitrose where it seems to be stocked in larger branches. A real find and at £4.95 - enough for six - quite a bargain.<br /><br />Incidentally I like the sound of the Clarks <a href="http://www.clarksfoodsonline.co.uk/cheese-c1/cheese-selections-c25/italian-cheese-selection-125kg-p113">Italian cheese selection</a> which includes La Tur, a cave aged Tallegio, Gorgonzola Dulce, Ubriaco which is rubbed with red wine must and Basajo, a blue cheese that's soaked in sweet wineFiona Becketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970779962455905201noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2745807079015237745.post-17450798389348109702012-02-24T07:21:00.004+00:002012-02-24T07:54:00.635+00:00A clever cheese plate at Dabbous<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX271aMFBnB1VjElXjgzMRhz0zEH2NMC_66IticpJQhohx1m5JAFYBh-0DuIkFzMU8VcFl-zteDnkHxfd20Vg6mI_XGpQNER3oTbeIiTtC3VpnvT5oX_Snb-QYr-EONxTknmIevFuYyVA/s1600/Dabbous+cheese+plate.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX271aMFBnB1VjElXjgzMRhz0zEH2NMC_66IticpJQhohx1m5JAFYBh-0DuIkFzMU8VcFl-zteDnkHxfd20Vg6mI_XGpQNER3oTbeIiTtC3VpnvT5oX_Snb-QYr-EONxTknmIevFuYyVA/s320/Dabbous+cheese+plate.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712606576407873074" /></a><br />I've said this before but it always surprises me how little effort restaurants make to serve their cheese with style so it was good to find this clever cheese plate at one of London's hottest new openings, <a href="http://dabbous.co.uk/">Dabbous</a>. <br /><br />What caught my eye was the fact that it came with baked apple. In fact it was more like the sort of sticky, caramelised apple you find on the top of a tarte tatin - though not as sweet. <br /><br />The cheeses were from front to back were <a href="http://www.pongcheese.co.uk/shop/driftwood-goat-cheese.html">Driftwood</a> a French-style goats' cheese from Whitelake in Somerset, <a href="http://www.norbitoncheese.co.uk/stock/cheese.aspx?itemid=74">Wigmore</a>, a bloomy-rinded ewes milk cheese from Berkshire, a scoop of creamy <a href="http://www.britishfinefoods.com/top10/lancashire-bomb">Lancashire Bomb</a> a 24 month old Lancashire cheese from Goosnargh and <a href="http://www.nealsyarddairy.co.uk/cheeses/Crozier%20Blue.pdf">Crozier Blue</a>, a ewes milk cheese from Co. Tipperary, sister (brother?) cheese to the more famous Cashel Blue. The Lancashire and the Crozier Blue went particularly well with the apple.<br /> <br />Full marks for presentation and for serving a selection of British and Irish rather than French or Italian cheeses. The plate also came with toasted sourdough - toasted on one side which didn't make it too crisp.Fiona Becketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970779962455905201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2745807079015237745.post-4986689315082251442012-02-05T08:08:00.009+00:002012-02-05T22:27:26.932+00:00Gorgeous gougères<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLu2Yt_Qs6cbHCR8cRC7IfBj-vbL0YcdtMg0DpwJHHzrUfTsiqE8OBa8bGKjWpoNInsolwWHFz4HGFZ3Pbsof0I2b4KWvPc7fHWE_46zQrJLZWiZ1Y1pRYtvHSQqPg9uwKxMkHXKi0YXs/s1600/gougeres.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLu2Yt_Qs6cbHCR8cRC7IfBj-vbL0YcdtMg0DpwJHHzrUfTsiqE8OBa8bGKjWpoNInsolwWHFz4HGFZ3Pbsof0I2b4KWvPc7fHWE_46zQrJLZWiZ1Y1pRYtvHSQqPg9uwKxMkHXKi0YXs/s320/gougeres.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5705567627695006338" /></a><br />There's nothing nicer with drinks than something warm, crisp and cheesy and gougères fit the bill perfectly. I made a batch last night for a couple of friends and wondered why I didn't make them more often. (Probably just as well, on reflection. We scoffed the lot.)<br /><br />Basically they're a cheese-flavoured choux puff and choux pastry is the easiest type of pastry to make. You simply melt the butter in water, tip in the flour, beat in the eggs and spoon it out. Well, pretty much. Here's the actual recipe from my book <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Food-Wine-Friends-Fiona-Beckett/dp/1845974646">Food, Wine and Friends</a> which is out of print though you should be able to find a second hand copy.<br /><br />Makes 20-24 <br />50g (2 oz) butter<br />75g (3 oz) strong white flour, sifted with 1/4 tsp salt and a pinch of cayenne pepper<br />2 large (but not extra-large) eggs and some extra beaten egg<br />50g (2 oz) mature Gruyère or Comté, finely grated (but not as fine as parmesan. I used Beaufort which I happened to have in the fridge which worked just as well) <br /><br />You'll also need 2 lightly oiled baking trays<br /><br />Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas 7. Measure 150 ml (5 fl oz) of water into a saucepan and add the butter cut into cubes. Heat gently until the butter has dissolved then bring to the boil. <br /><br />Take the pan off the heat and tip in the sifted flour all at once. Beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a ball and leaves the sides of the pan clean. Set aside for 5 minutes. <br /><br />Beat the large eggs and add them to the pastry bit by bit, working them in till the mixture is smooth and glossy (This is much easier and quicker in a food processor) Add all except 1 heaped tbsp of the cheese. <br /><br />Beat the remaining egg and brush the top of each puff lightly with a pastry brush, sprinkling them with the remaining cheese.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LO5AaT3iDw0/Ty4_zMa4yDI/AAAAAAAADJg/9SVgCjnY5YI/s1600/uncooked%2Bgougeres.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LO5AaT3iDw0/Ty4_zMa4yDI/AAAAAAAADJg/9SVgCjnY5YI/s320/uncooked%2Bgougeres.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5705567926664874034" /></a><br />Run the two baking sheets under the tap to make them slightly damp. Shake off any excess water. Using two teaspoons place spoonfuls of the mixture onto each sheet then bake in the oven for about 25 minutes until puffed up and golden. (Some people pipe the paste which gives you more perfect results but I can't be bothered.)<br /><br />Remove the gougères from the oven and cut a small slit in the base of each to let the hot air escape and keep them crisp. Pop them back in the oven again, base side upwards for a minute then remove and cool on a wire rack. <br /><br />Eat warm so if you make them ahead - and you can - just heat them through for about 4 minutes in a moderate oven. (Very good with Chablis and other white burgundy or a glass of champagne.)Fiona Becketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970779962455905201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2745807079015237745.post-71235985761592720502012-01-17T17:50:00.017+00:002012-02-24T08:30:02.237+00:00Real Swiss cheese<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a2Mhkggc1kA/TxW4C4XMEGI/AAAAAAAADHo/_3xzjA4Tyq4/s1600/stevie%2527s%2Bfinal%2Bpreview%2Bfor%2Bweb.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 149px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a2Mhkggc1kA/TxW4C4XMEGI/AAAAAAAADHo/_3xzjA4Tyq4/s320/stevie%2527s%2Bfinal%2Bpreview%2Bfor%2Bweb.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698663263136125026" /></a>If you asked the proverbial man in the street which countries make the best cheese I’m sure Switzerland would be in their top three which makes it ironic that, Gruyère apart, we get hardly any Swiss cheese of note in the UK.<br /><br />So it’s good to find a food writer colleague of mine Sue Style has written a really excellent book on the lesser known artisanal Swiss cheeses, called <span style="font-style:italic;">Cheese: Slices of Swiss Culture</span>. It’s charmingly illustrated with old prints and paintings and covered with a <a href="http://www.edelweiss-shirt.com/">edelweiss-patterned material</a> which is apparently used for the shirts that are worn by cheesemakers, country music players and, er ... wrestlers.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--XOr295vPW0/TxW86bwrDII/AAAAAAAADIM/w_4HRvfs4lw/s1600/Image.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--XOr295vPW0/TxW86bwrDII/AAAAAAAADIM/w_4HRvfs4lw/s200/Image.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698668615577570434" /></a> We tasted three of the cheeses she writes about at a food writers’ get together before Christmas and they were totally delicious, particularly the gooey Vacherin-like <span style="font-style:italic;">Bergfichte</span> from Willi Schmid of Lichtensteig. The others were an 18 month old <span style="font-style:italic;">Gruyère Surchoix</span> and a <span style="font-style:italic;">Mont Vully Classique</span>, a semi-hard Appenzeller-like cheese from the Fribourg canton<br /><br />The book is thorough but never dry, explaining exactly how each cheese is made, how it tastes and the story of the producer she has chosen to represent it. What’s fascinating is how the French, German and Italian influences in the country all make their way into the cheeses. There are also details of tourist trails such as the <a href="http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/chemin-du-gruyere-the-swiss-chocolate-and-cheese-trail.html">Chemin du Gruyère</a> and the <a href="http://">Sbrinz route</a> which runs through the mountains south of Lucerne.<br /><br />Sue is also an accomplished cookery writer and there’s a short but appealing selection of recipes at the end of the book including a wicked-looking cheese pudding called Ramequin, a cauliflower and broccoli cheese with walnut crumble, cheese pasties with bacon and potatoes and - best of all, I suspect - a double decker ‘rosti’ sandwich filled with melted cheese which looks well worth abandoning the new year diet (<span style="font-style:italic;">what diet?</span>) for.<br /><br />You can buy Swiss cheese, as I’ve mentioned before, from <a href="http://www.kaseswiss.com/home.html">KaseSwiss</a> who are now back in Borough Market opposite the Monmouth Coffee Company on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and still at Druid Street on Saturdays. And you can buy Sue's book direct from the publisher Bergli <a href="http://www.bergli.ch/100/con_liste.asp?prono=61&ica=1&vSearch=&nCurPage=&sStartPageNext=">here</a>. At 49 Swiss francs (£33.63) it's not cheap but if you're a cheesemonger or a serious cheese aficionado it's well worth it.Fiona Becketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970779962455905201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2745807079015237745.post-78002719845475561852011-12-21T07:32:00.005+00:002011-12-21T07:54:37.221+00:00My Christmas cheeseboard<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dR_AxaT0cJA/TvGLqVxyQ2I/AAAAAAAADE0/Wt2UVNoWPrU/s1600/Christmas%2Bcheeseboard.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dR_AxaT0cJA/TvGLqVxyQ2I/AAAAAAAADE0/Wt2UVNoWPrU/s320/Christmas%2Bcheeseboard.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688481363862373218" /></a><br />Last week we had what is becoming our annual <a href="http://www.cheeseschool.co.uk/christmas-cheese-school">Christmas Cheese School</a> - an evening of cheese, wine and beer tasting which to be honest is more of a jolly than a class. But I put together this festive cheeseboard just to show you don't have to go down the conventional route of featuring 5 or 6 cheeses.<br /><br />It was inspired by sprays of decorative crab apples I found in our local greengrocer (most of my time was spent trying to persuade people not to eat them - not that they were poisonous, just bitterly sour). I added a brightly coloured persimmon and a pomegranate which I halved to show the seeds, some of the Fine Cheese Company's <a href="http://thecheeselover.blogspot.com/2011/11/toast-is-new-biscuit-for-cheese.html">Toast for Cheese</a> I told you about recently and a large hunk of <a href="http://www.stichelton.co.uk/cheese.html">Stichelton</a>, the unpasteurised version of Stilton. It was unbelievably simple and looked really pretty in the glowing candlelight. <br /><br />Have a happy Christmas, one and all.Fiona Becketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970779962455905201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2745807079015237745.post-62895925546199267202011-12-14T07:21:00.011+00:002011-12-14T10:30:52.313+00:00The Australian cheese scene part 1: Yarra Valley Dairy<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitiSgt97-mpM_xsXMVGrLUwe74PknpZ0JsnBaxrbIxfO_V7q5gRcxLir5LhbT_BwzBJ-ArqKyMCsChIpTOl73400l2go0iiNymnUY_RBhSosaBgrTMgxJhwh_ZIf-TMEUa88mALIe-rto/s1600/yarra+dairy+cheese+plate+2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 274px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitiSgt97-mpM_xsXMVGrLUwe74PknpZ0JsnBaxrbIxfO_V7q5gRcxLir5LhbT_BwzBJ-ArqKyMCsChIpTOl73400l2go0iiNymnUY_RBhSosaBgrTMgxJhwh_ZIf-TMEUa88mALIe-rto/s320/yarra+dairy+cheese+plate+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5685893665341496162" /></a><br />The Aussies are so good at everything food and wine-related I expected them to be brilliant at cheese too. It's coming but they still have a way to go, judging from my recent visit. Admittedly I didn't visit some of the best areas for cheese such as Gippsland and Tasmania but I'd say they were 4-5 years behind the states*.<br /><br />They're hampered of course by the fact that they can't make unpasteurised cheeses, an extraordinary situation. Government intervention gone mad. They're campaigning against it as you can see from this poster in the cheese room at <a href="http://debortoliyarra.com.au/cheese-shop.html">De Bortoli</a> but until they get the right to work with raw milk they'll never make great cheese.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yHiJJrYTQH8/TuhYh6VXOnI/AAAAAAAADCY/DaXrIfKmWOk/s1600/raw%2Bcheese%2Bcampaign%2Bposter.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yHiJJrYTQH8/TuhYh6VXOnI/AAAAAAAADCY/DaXrIfKmWOk/s320/raw%2Bcheese%2Bcampaign%2Bposter.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5685891869173037682" /></a><br />That was certainly the problem with the camembert-style cheeses I tasted at the <a href="http://www.yvd.com.au/">Yarra Valley Dairy</a>, one of the highlights of the trip in cheese terms but in every other respect it was a model modern dairy turning out interesting and innovative cheeses.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3mo1Ltx89LA/TuhX6NiL3oI/AAAAAAAADCM/F_CFUEqxxQ4/s1600/marinated%2Bcheeses%2B2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 255px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3mo1Ltx89LA/TuhX6NiL3oI/AAAAAAAADCM/F_CFUEqxxQ4/s320/marinated%2Bcheeses%2B2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5685891187132325506" /></a><br />I particularly liked their marinated cheeses, Saffy and Cardi (Australians abbreviate everything!) made with saffron and cardamom respectively. They're softer than most marinated cheeses I've come across - more like a spice-infused spreadable cheese - and absolutely delicious. Saffy is made from cows milk and flavoured with saffron, cumin and lemon zest. Cardi, which is slightly smokey, is based on goats' milk. There's also a cheese called Juno (short for juniper, of course) which I didn't get to taste.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHNYYppTE-rLbhHBTJ4h3qxAzf8lZZwEZoKhY4tLQgSJzOICqPdqIh5NDPfguc8sg1kJxr33B9-FyAbP5a1LRM__JPiVZirvdMgBr9w-_1sJgFLY08ab4csGrc4ZAhQYM0MlP0HdCTS5I/s1600/yarra+dairy+cheese+plate+1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHNYYppTE-rLbhHBTJ4h3qxAzf8lZZwEZoKhY4tLQgSJzOICqPdqIh5NDPfguc8sg1kJxr33B9-FyAbP5a1LRM__JPiVZirvdMgBr9w-_1sJgFLY08ab4csGrc4ZAhQYM0MlP0HdCTS5I/s320/yarra+dairy+cheese+plate+1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5685892734822423378" /></a><br />Jack Holman the cheesemaker also make a delicious Persian Fetta (sic) which is flavoured with olive oil, thyme and garlic and packed in rather dinky tins which are apparently served in Emirates first class. (I didn't get to experience that, sadly!) It would also be great crumbled into a salad or on pizza or flatbreads.<br /><br />I also liked their Black Savourine - a Valençay-style ash-coated goats cheese though again this would have been better made from unpasteurised milk. <br /><br />If you're in the area do visit them. They have s fantastic <a href="http://www.dotheyarravalley.com.au/yarra-valley-dairy/">shop</a> which also sells a lot of wines from small producers who don't have a cellar door. We tried the <a href="http://www.birdonawirewines.com.au/article/mars-2010">Bird on a Wire Marsanne</a> (perfect with the Saffy) and a very good chardonnay called Salo which you can also buy from the excellent <a href="http://barriquewinestore.com.au/">Barrique wine store</a> in Healesville.<br /><br />*For a more complete rundown on artisan cheeses in Australia read this recent feature in <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/restaurants-and-bars/newwave-cheese-20111107-1n32n.html">The Age</a>.Fiona Becketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970779962455905201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2745807079015237745.post-12799285368150725332011-11-25T20:59:00.007+00:002011-11-26T06:12:55.498+00:00Toast is the new biscuit for cheese<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIKnP8Yp9VRwUMPvwUMpsy9Mn1iQLMRn0DsH-v1e3cIDiHtAucf1h4pt1kDkZXUjkzz3eLePVl5nbkSXx3ChQFRK5w_D_3t6jz__Lso8SB2iLuHjmdeKiHjVboSrdEs4IEJVTGjwgRnHg/s1600/toast+for+cheese.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIKnP8Yp9VRwUMPvwUMpsy9Mn1iQLMRn0DsH-v1e3cIDiHtAucf1h4pt1kDkZXUjkzz3eLePVl5nbkSXx3ChQFRK5w_D_3t6jz__Lso8SB2iLuHjmdeKiHjVboSrdEs4IEJVTGjwgRnHg/s320/toast+for+cheese.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679049636579397794" /></a><br />I'm always struggling to find the perfect biscuit for cheese. I really don't like digestive biscuits and even find oatcakes a touch too sweet (except with blue cheese). I'm not a big fan of crackers and water biscuits though I do like crisp Italian-style flatbreads. Now along comes <a href="http://www.finecheese.co.uk/index.php/toast-for-cheese-set-of-3.html">Toast for Cheese</a>, the brainwave of the inventive Ann-Marie Dyas of the Fine Cheese Company in Bath (below).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6Yr2C1Mvlkg/TtAKJU3OYeI/AAAAAAAADA4/AXlFDwGl7YU/s1600/anne%2Bmarie.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 307px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6Yr2C1Mvlkg/TtAKJU3OYeI/AAAAAAAADA4/AXlFDwGl7YU/s320/anne%2Bmarie.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679050285449634274" /></a><br />I must confess I'm a huge fan of Ann-Marie's. She was the first to create biscuits and pastes to complement different cheeses, the first to devise attractively packaged cheese selections to sell online, the first cheesemonger - so far as I know - to sponsor a cheese festival and now she's discovered toast. <br /><br />And not just any toast. Three different kinds studded with dates, hazelnuts & pumpkin seeds (for creamy cheeses such as Brillat-Savarin, Brie de Meaux and Vacherin Mont D’Or), apricots, pistachios & sunflower seeds for goats’ cheeses such as Valençay, Crottin de Chavignol and Ragstone and cherries, almonds and linseeds for blue cheeses such as Fourme D’Ambert, Stilton and Gorgonzola Dolce. Of course you can try other cheeses with them. I wasn't at all sure the apricot and pistachio biscuits wouldn't have been better with a slightly stronger washed rind cheese but the main point is that they look absolutely stunning and would make a great present for anyone you were visiting over Christmas. You can buy <a href="http://www.finecheese.co.uk/index.php/toast-for-cheese-set-of-3.html">all three boxes</a> for £7.50.<br /><br />Here's what I did with the date, hazelnut and pumpkin seed ones at Cheese School the other week.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JYgA4Ld0_80/TtAKuxKOfmI/AAAAAAAADBE/aQvwRrR-sL8/s1600/dried%2Bfruits%2Bcheese%2Band%2Btoasts.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 299px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JYgA4Ld0_80/TtAKuxKOfmI/AAAAAAAADBE/aQvwRrR-sL8/s320/dried%2Bfruits%2Bcheese%2Band%2Btoasts.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679050928700685922" /></a>Fiona Becketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970779962455905201noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2745807079015237745.post-65842422001370127322011-11-17T11:24:00.007+00:002011-11-17T11:47:50.059+00:00A Camembert roaster - the gadget you didn't know you needed<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wuGKjbTYS-w/TsTyHOZifbI/AAAAAAAAC9U/iYtwnGo_78M/s1600/roast%2Bcamembert.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wuGKjbTYS-w/TsTyHOZifbI/AAAAAAAAC9U/iYtwnGo_78M/s320/roast%2Bcamembert.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675927636331888050" /></a><br />I love it when a small producer writes and tells me about something they've created especially when it's as off-the-wall as this handmade Camembert roaster which is made by Sussex blacksmith, Alex Moore. <br /><br />It's designed to roast boxed cheeses like Camembert on the embers of an open fire, or log burning stove. You simply unwrap your cheese, place it back in the bottom of the box and put it in the roaster's pan. Needless to say I immediately wondered what would happen if the box caught fire but, as you can see, the base is really thick so as long as you don't have flames flickering round it you should be fine, Alex told me. <br /><br />If you don't have an open fire, you can apparently use the roaster on the top plate of an Aga or put into a conventional oven with the door ajar. You can also use it for chestnuts.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCGbUhnPHOLUu1hFBS_ERsDRAnQzCd2GJAjw2_FjVG8QIa52_oO-ItabbZb7YaAurEzUlCg-qT63C_K9Kf2hJiAkc-Oz6BxuW_uNPJ-IAxxlCnQV_xq45_on3Ye0hornJK203bIKVAy08/s1600/camembert+roasting+pan.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCGbUhnPHOLUu1hFBS_ERsDRAnQzCd2GJAjw2_FjVG8QIa52_oO-ItabbZb7YaAurEzUlCg-qT63C_K9Kf2hJiAkc-Oz6BxuW_uNPJ-IAxxlCnQV_xq45_on3Ye0hornJK203bIKVAy08/s320/camembert+roasting+pan.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675927865233776722" /></a><br />Let's face it, no-one actually <span style="font-style:italic;">needs</span> an object like this but it's amazingly beautiful and a lovely thing to use for roasting cheese with the family around Christmas or any cold winter's night. The perfect present for a cheeselover.<br /><br />The price is £58, including delivery to a UK mainland address and you can order it from <a href="http://www.mooredesigns.co.uk/blog/post/2011/10/21/Camembert-Roaster.aspx">www.mooredesigns.co.uk</a><br /><br />PS have also spotted that they make some pretty funky garden benches and this lovely <a href="http://www.mooredesigns.co.uk/seating/tree-seats.aspx">tree seat</a>.Fiona Becketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970779962455905201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2745807079015237745.post-30225321509732637072011-11-12T11:09:00.013+00:002011-11-15T11:56:38.887+00:00Knockdrinna Kilree goats cheese<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq6hn7SxzXWtji0SnqVaSgsIPG85q7rrKpNB2AbJ2nstkkmSOnDQ88zhhWTDl8FB1iKyds3vjT6xjLBEW-eE5FyBZLXb6aS-dJEBbKz-kUvP6apfcDWxtzywPCz_hBSez7AGJcH5sKlik/s1600/Knockdrinna+Kilree.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq6hn7SxzXWtji0SnqVaSgsIPG85q7rrKpNB2AbJ2nstkkmSOnDQ88zhhWTDl8FB1iKyds3vjT6xjLBEW-eE5FyBZLXb6aS-dJEBbKz-kUvP6apfcDWxtzywPCz_hBSez7AGJcH5sKlik/s320/Knockdrinna+Kilree.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5674069585133656098" /></a><br />I'm always slightly sceptical about food and drink awards. What does it mean that a particular cheese is the 'supreme champion' in the <a href="http://www.thecheeseweb.com/contentok.php?id=363">British Cheese Awards</a> for example? That it's better than any other cheese in the UK and Ireland? Surely not. More like it's an interesting cheese that deserves our attention and <a href="http://www.knockdrinna.com/">Knockdrinna's</a> Kilree goats cheese is certainly that.<br /><br />I got to taste it at the <a href="http://www.finecheese.co.uk/">Fine Cheese Co's</a> cheese festival in Bath a couple of weeks back and it's a delicious cheese by any standards. Not obviously goaty but with a really savoury tangy edge and a lovely clean faintly crumbly texture - firmer than a normal washed rind cheese. We made short work of the piece I brought home - it's the perfect nibbling cheese with a glass of light to medium-bodied red wine like a Saumur-Champigny or other Loire red. <br /><br />The only problem is it's incredibly hard to get hold of outside Knockdrinna's farm shop in Co. Kilkenny and, I would guess, top Irish cheesemongers like <a href="http://www.sheridanscheesemongers.com/">Sheridan's</a>. I presume the Fine Cheese Co has some, and maybe Neal's Yard. Saturday morning, when I'm peversely writing this post, isn't the ideal time to ring a cheese shop and check but I'll update on stockists as soon as I find out. <span style="font-style:italic;">(15th November: finally managed to confirm that the Fine Cheese Company does have it but Neal's Yard, Paxton & Whitfield and La Fromagerie don't! Odd for an award-winning cheese.)</span>Fiona Becketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970779962455905201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2745807079015237745.post-65885924065865067982011-11-01T08:32:00.005+00:002011-11-01T19:01:05.940+00:00Our idyllic autumn cheese school<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirB50jUS2qg21eCwo6t6E5sUMCxW_kSGqAdS79zEvJqXV30fizbAYZQwgcS9zFc78waLU_mRfTdGXpxu9VGXioxCc-4tBJh4pwMPPmby3WZJ0FXMVEIQ6KcDB4DO8_RDRz5Wt1zqkstAw/s1600/cheese+school.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirB50jUS2qg21eCwo6t6E5sUMCxW_kSGqAdS79zEvJqXV30fizbAYZQwgcS9zFc78waLU_mRfTdGXpxu9VGXioxCc-4tBJh4pwMPPmby3WZJ0FXMVEIQ6KcDB4DO8_RDRz5Wt1zqkstAw/s320/cheese+school.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669675950489790786" /></a><br />On Sunday we held our second all-day cheese school this year in the romantic and atmospheric surroundings of the <a href="http://www.walledgarden.co.uk/">Barley Wood Walled Garden</a> at Wrington.<br /><br />It was held in an decorated <a href="http://overthemoontents.com/">antique tent</a> with cheesemaking demonstrations by Tim Homewood of <a href="http://www.bathfarmersmarket.co.uk/index.php?option=com_comprofiler&task=userProfile&user=86&Itemid=19">Homewood Cheeses</a> in the cider barn. (We were incredibly lucky that it was so mild for the end of October and that the rain held off!)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK6KFQqIu-sIR4ECG_KHGRmHHufPRPjGdXciUpL2oiXyLziGD7YwX183YQkWjHkGvmnPRR7jcd6nqJtOIqVt1Oprnb9ioqOI44Fxabg5jvUBWHqdabnUknP66LxuHb57yq178JmricM1U/s1600/storm+lanterns.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK6KFQqIu-sIR4ECG_KHGRmHHufPRPjGdXciUpL2oiXyLziGD7YwX183YQkWjHkGvmnPRR7jcd6nqJtOIqVt1Oprnb9ioqOI44Fxabg5jvUBWHqdabnUknP66LxuHb57yq178JmricM1U/s320/storm+lanterns.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669653166049786114" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n97VqjqDHzE/Tq6nx-bO66I/AAAAAAAAC04/EDOa0rXVjOg/s1600/apples%2Bon%2Btables.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n97VqjqDHzE/Tq6nx-bO66I/AAAAAAAAC04/EDOa0rXVjOg/s320/apples%2Bon%2Btables.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669653457918684066" /></a><br />The tent had been decorated by <a href="http://www.toast.co.uk/category/house+and+home/househome.htm">Toast</a> with candles, storm lanterns, bunting and apples<br /><br />We had two visiting cheesemakers, Tim Homewood and Joe Schneider who makes the legendary Stichelton as well as our resident cheesemakers Todd and Maugan Trethowan of <a href="http://www.trethowansdairy.co.uk/Trethowans_Dairy_Shop/Trethowans_Dairy_1.html">Trethowans Dairy.</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4jHttDnxofraLvTLcNCdm1PGo7A76BUco-0M2GZbdzBjzgEnhxEgnHFe4B8RLx66fixS4Fz5U2Ip9G7Ohfmm8mAJ1JR0j3komwjdFYuR60l3-J8GwaRVemC6HVy415nM1ZvBGoPMMG5k/s1600/stichelton.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4jHttDnxofraLvTLcNCdm1PGo7A76BUco-0M2GZbdzBjzgEnhxEgnHFe4B8RLx66fixS4Fz5U2Ip9G7Ohfmm8mAJ1JR0j3komwjdFYuR60l3-J8GwaRVemC6HVy415nM1ZvBGoPMMG5k/s320/stichelton.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669652876307345138" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UMTUafpUY9E/Tq6pWy-PwQI/AAAAAAAAC1Q/F5koEZlAof8/s1600/cheese%2Btasting%2Bplates.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UMTUafpUY9E/Tq6pWy-PwQI/AAAAAAAAC1Q/F5koEZlAof8/s320/cheese%2Btasting%2Bplates.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669655190011101442" /></a><br />We tasted all different kinds of cheeses and had our popular beer vs wine smackdown with <a href="http://www.bristolbeerfactory.co.uk/">Bristol Beer Factory</a> and Matt Eggens of <a href="http://www.averys.com/">Avery's</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Lkv4X6mdE-w/Tq68fYa_bPI/AAAAAAAAC28/Cz6PGQDwWe8/s1600/esparao%2Band%2Bporter.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Lkv4X6mdE-w/Tq68fYa_bPI/AAAAAAAAC28/Cz6PGQDwWe8/s320/esparao%2Band%2Bporter.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669676228223659250" /></a><br />We put together cheeseboards and seasonal cheeseplates like this one I based on Sparkenhoe's mature Red Leicester.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2eCE6Pm4_RzMDZEW3IDld7vA1ZrmHQtzwLa-KdGGOkIg7FPjCAXGNepricRsbKMlL8fUIBuU-lwv3pk_GHfETzl9fNoeU6S_wJpc0UDzrzIIJirZNwy5UgpSJG6jCKfiFBnufFCjORwI/s1600/autumn+cheeseboard.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2eCE6Pm4_RzMDZEW3IDld7vA1ZrmHQtzwLa-KdGGOkIg7FPjCAXGNepricRsbKMlL8fUIBuU-lwv3pk_GHfETzl9fNoeU6S_wJpc0UDzrzIIJirZNwy5UgpSJG6jCKfiFBnufFCjORwI/s320/autumn+cheeseboard.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669668137566361282" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oCsIv9v83UU/Tq6qdwVY-QI/AAAAAAAAC1o/93pUcTN_fbM/s1600/cheese%2Bplate%2Bwith%2Bfigs.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 277px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oCsIv9v83UU/Tq6qdwVY-QI/AAAAAAAAC1o/93pUcTN_fbM/s320/cheese%2Bplate%2Bwith%2Bfigs.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669656409073580290" /></a><br />Tom Herbert of <a href="http://www.hobbshousebakery.co.uk/">Hobbs House Bakery</a> brought along a selection of his amazing breads and even handed out cupfuls of his 76 year old (I think!) sourdough starter.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a9Anjzgu83M/Tq6qJA1yS5I/AAAAAAAAC1c/LJPZjAZSzVI/s1600/herberts%2Bbakery.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a9Anjzgu83M/Tq6qJA1yS5I/AAAAAAAAC1c/LJPZjAZSzVI/s320/herberts%2Bbakery.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669656052727171986" /></a><br />Jack and Matt of <a href="http://theethicurean.wordpress.com/">The Ethicurean</a> who run the cafe at the venue cooked a lovely lunch of beetroot and curd soup, Old Demdike (sheeps cheese) and pear salad with leaves from the vegetable garden and a gorgeous <a href="http://foodandwinefinds.blogspot.com/2011/07/barley-wood-sticky-toffee-apple-cake.html">sticky toffee apple cake</a> about which I've raved already.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qhmo4yZB-qw/Tq6q0Kv9xCI/AAAAAAAAC10/RK0yM-cIp8o/s1600/beet%2Bsoup.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qhmo4yZB-qw/Tq6q0Kv9xCI/AAAAAAAAC10/RK0yM-cIp8o/s320/beet%2Bsoup.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669656794121487394" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjSx9AOfqrszeGPugsXR6ndatry_aZI6hT18quoMMUhSRCLWrHtr41tV9ryDAdCT6tu6O1zz4VQipw2BbeZZPUM2Pqdcu-3nPHOYCSmRemII0hMCSrUb_fzB9gwenGUcycZsfVKTcfOf4/s1600/pear+and+demdike+salad.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjSx9AOfqrszeGPugsXR6ndatry_aZI6hT18quoMMUhSRCLWrHtr41tV9ryDAdCT6tu6O1zz4VQipw2BbeZZPUM2Pqdcu-3nPHOYCSmRemII0hMCSrUb_fzB9gwenGUcycZsfVKTcfOf4/s320/pear+and+demdike+salad.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669667851189183650" /></a><br />And Jack and Peter Snowman of the <a href="http://www.bristolcidershop.co.uk/">Bristol Cider shop</a> talked to us about apples and cider and cheese.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GLx0fZSVHRo/Tq61y1iF3zI/AAAAAAAAC2Y/eDRKIg_O2G8/s1600/cider%2Band%2Bapples.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 282px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GLx0fZSVHRo/Tq61y1iF3zI/AAAAAAAAC2Y/eDRKIg_O2G8/s320/cider%2Band%2Bapples.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669668865874190130" /></a><br />I also bought the most beautiful wooden cheeseboard which would make a lovely Christmas present. If you want one like it email wayneyedgeATyahooDOTcoDOTuk (he'll have a website soon)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_3qOzYzKxSo/Tq6oNqKr4gI/AAAAAAAAC1E/tCCT4jQ-fbg/s1600/cheese%2B%2Bboards.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_3qOzYzKxSo/Tq6oNqKr4gI/AAAAAAAAC1E/tCCT4jQ-fbg/s320/cheese%2B%2Bboards.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669653933516907010" /></a> <br />A special day. All credit to Jess Trethowan and Cathy Gremin the heroic organisers of the event.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">The next <a href="http://www.cheeseschool.co.uk/christmas-cheese-school">Cheese School</a> is a special candlelit evening of cheese (and wine and beer, of course) in the beautiful medieval setting of St Thomas the Martyr church, Bristol on December 15th.<br /></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_f6BcmNyZbw/Tq6m_81_ZZI/AAAAAAAAC0U/26rcukfgYy4/s1600/apples%2Band%2Bcandles.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_f6BcmNyZbw/Tq6m_81_ZZI/AAAAAAAAC0U/26rcukfgYy4/s320/apples%2Band%2Bcandles.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669652598500582802" /></a>Fiona Becketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970779962455905201noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2745807079015237745.post-2422904137418569612011-10-27T10:33:00.008+01:002011-10-28T07:59:21.358+01:00Why plastic doesn't do cheese any favours<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg61Lm-bNJAuFDTvyEhPs9607XR8eR9MvJLZj1sSl-M3GQbLY05sXrAJ8elNqxgMwliMkoRqQaoWwp2CyqTYbWt4VSCV_8ZF807HwPeHVai5OwJme2qmMyihr7XF4CguaWXtWFuzfF0V0/s1600/homepage_cheese.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 207px; height: 148px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg61Lm-bNJAuFDTvyEhPs9607XR8eR9MvJLZj1sSl-M3GQbLY05sXrAJ8elNqxgMwliMkoRqQaoWwp2CyqTYbWt4VSCV_8ZF807HwPeHVai5OwJme2qmMyihr7XF4CguaWXtWFuzfF0V0/s320/homepage_cheese.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668111495627616162" /></a> One of the things that most saddens me about cheese shops is seeing a counter full of cheese wrapped in cling-film. It may be wonderfully hygienic but it does nothing for the texture and consistency of the cheese. You can see soft cheeses like Brie bulging out of their packaging, struggling to breathe, emerging sweaty and oily - how did such a practice become standard?<br /><br />I don't think vac-packing cheese does them much good either. I recently received a selection from the Northumberland producer <a href="http://www.doddingtondairy.co.uk/doddcheese/">Doddington</a> (above, for which many thanks) which didn't taste a fraction as good as the version I tried in <a href="http://www.nealsyarddairy.co.uk">Neal's Yard*</a> (below). A real shame as it's a lovely, lovely cheese with a rich deep taste and a crumbly, almost Parmesan-like texture.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1VYhZGYLs3A/Tqkrzge1wrI/AAAAAAAACvE/FLGybm9zd88/s1600/Doddington.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1VYhZGYLs3A/Tqkrzge1wrI/AAAAAAAACvE/FLGybm9zd88/s320/Doddington.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668109769915089586" /></a><br />In the new <a href="http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/editions/hawksmoor-at-home-meat-seafood-sides-breakfasts-puddings-cocktails/9781848093355">Hawksmoor at Home</a> cookery book with which I've been involved they add it to mashed swede which is totally delicious. <br /><br />Doddington also makes a range of other cheeses including one washed with Newcastle Brown. I suspect your best best would be to buy them somewhere local to the dairy. <br /><br />* where, incidentally you'll see they don't totally cover the cheese just the paste (interior) which allows the cheese to breathe.Fiona Becketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970779962455905201noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2745807079015237745.post-44629674044840396412011-10-16T15:51:00.004+01:002011-10-16T16:07:53.113+01:00The perfect Brie de Meaux<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitk3mVs7UTIGUX9v7R0EvZ0QAOXt0KrpjO4AxkYeA6fMvDk6E8s_5WMLume9sUKY9CQY4MvwqA51HXoFqI2zhS9-mcdSEtCt1IgjKhCRCXqxBPeUgdfY0zIbFQdDQckm-tR9IQl_vCOQs/s1600/brie+de+meaux.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitk3mVs7UTIGUX9v7R0EvZ0QAOXt0KrpjO4AxkYeA6fMvDk6E8s_5WMLume9sUKY9CQY4MvwqA51HXoFqI2zhS9-mcdSEtCt1IgjKhCRCXqxBPeUgdfY0zIbFQdDQckm-tR9IQl_vCOQs/s320/brie+de+meaux.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664106725198617890" /></a><br />Brie has become so devalued as a cheese you forget what it's like when it's perfectly matured. Too often it's too cold and slightly chalky in the centre or allowed to age to the point where it's oozing over the cheeseboard and the rind has acquired a bitter, slightly ammoniac smell.<br /><br />But this is how it should be, as served at a Parisian bistro called <a href="http://francoissimon.typepad.fr/english/2009/01/le-baratin-a-mu.html">Le Baratin</a> I've just reviewed on my <a href="http://winemadenaturally.blogspot.com/2011/10/why-you-shouldnt-be-scared-of-le.html">natural wine blog</a>. Beautifully rich and buttery with a delicate mushroom flavour, evenly matured right the way through, it was just a joy to eat and shows the benefit - as if it needed pointing out - of buying cheese from a supplier or shop where they know how to treat it.Fiona Becketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970779962455905201noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2745807079015237745.post-72652424407054062822011-10-09T11:05:00.005+01:002011-10-09T15:19:04.084+01:00So what on earth is the House of Castello?I had a flurry of emails on Friday offering me all manner of goodies from the House of Castello® (note the trademark) "an adventurous world of extraordinary cheeses". Not only would they send me some cheeses to try, including, presumably, their "rich and feisty Creamy Blue"and "fiery and experimental Black Pepper Halo" but a hamper, a bottle of wine, a cheese slate and a set of cheese knives*.<br /><br />There's obviously some serious money behind the brand which has an expensively-made ad screening at prime viewing time during <a href="http://www.itv.com/downtonabbey/">Downton Abbey</a> tonight involving a bunch of rather louche aristos "celebrating the decadence of Castello®". According to the industry website <a href="http://www.utalkmarketing.com/Pages/CreativeShowcase.aspx?ArticleID=22213&Filter=0&Keywords=&Order=latest&Page=1&Title=Lady_Gaga_inspires_">utalkmarketing.com</a> the campaign is directed by Jonas Akerland who makes videos for Lady Gaga, apparently the inspiration behind the campaign.<br /><br /><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/sZm6Imy9Bco" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />So who on earth are House of Castello of whom, I confess, I'd never heard? Turns out it's Castello, the fourth largest speciality cheese brand in the UK which is owned by a large Scandinavian company called Arla, according to <a href="http://www.thegrocer.co.uk/Articles.aspx?page=articles&ID=221477">this report</a> in The Grocer. Arla also owns Lurpak and apparently aims to do for cheese what the New World has done for wine. <br /><br />I haven't tried the cheeses, admittedly, and they may for all I know be insanely delicious as well wildly decadent but since one of them is Danish Blue I somehow doubt it. <br /><br />I'm also not sure how they can claim, as they do on their <a href="http://www.castellocheese.co.uk/about">website</a>, that there actually was a cheesemaker called the Marquis de Castello who was "renowned not only for his amazing cheeses, but also for his outrageous and indulgent parties". All a bit of fun, I guess they'd say.<br /><br />But following on from the Alex James Asda range <a href="http://thecheeselover.blogspot.com/2011/08/why-alex-jamess-asda-cheeses-are-rip.html">I commented on</a> recently it certainly indicates that there's some serious money to be made in cheese - and indeed in dairy as Yeo Valley's rather more stylish new <a href="http://youtu.be/oTrG7mpb61U">YouTube</a> video shows. I suspect we'll be seeing more of the same.<br /><br />How do you react to this kind of campaign? Would it be likely to make you try a new cheese?<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">* and just in case you were wondering, I decided to resist the gifts but will try the cheese when I get the opportunity ;-) </span>Fiona Becketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970779962455905201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2745807079015237745.post-86036435604797837162011-10-08T08:19:00.002+01:002011-10-08T17:54:51.198+01:00More on macaroni cheese<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-44pldslQEcI/TpB_BWSwNrI/AAAAAAAACnA/dBTZ_dcTQys/s1600/macaroni%2Bcheese.tiff"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 188px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-44pldslQEcI/TpB_BWSwNrI/AAAAAAAACnA/dBTZ_dcTQys/s320/macaroni%2Bcheese.tiff" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5661164392745547442" /></a><br />Those of you who have followed this blog for a while will remember the <a href="http://thecheeselover.blogspot.com/2009/12/ultimate-macaroni-cheese-challenge.html">Ultimate Macaroni Cheese Challenge</a> a couple of years ago which was won by Helen Graves of <a href="http://helengraves.co.uk/2010/01/return-of-the-mac/">Food Stories</a>. <br /><br />Now the Guardian's excellent Felicity Cloake has turned her forensic eye on the subject in her 'Perfect' series exploring what indeed it is that makes the perfect macaroni cheese. You'll need to read <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2011/oct/06/how-to-cook-perfect-macaroni-cheese">the piece </a>for the full lowdown and recipe but a couple of useful tips which is rinsing the pasta in cold water once you've cooked it and using a fair amount of sauce, a conclusion I've come to myself after trying a Simon Hopkinson recipe for baked pappardelle with pancetta and porcini the other day. I thought there must be a mistake it contained so little pasta but he was - of course - right.<br /><br />She's on more controversial ground with her breadcrumbs and tomato topping which Guardian readers, a vocal lot, weren't all sure they approved of. Which is one of the joys of a recipe like this: people defend their corner so fiercely.<br /><br />Anyway, you can find Felicity's recipe <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2011/oct/06/how-to-cook-perfect-macaroni-cheese">here</a> (scroll down to the bottom of the article).Fiona Becketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12970779962455905201noreply@blogger.com2