Brie de Meaux Rouzaire

This week we're featuring a luscious true brie from the region of Meaux. This brie has authentic full lactic tones with a mottled soft ripening bloomy rind. The aroma is much more earthy than any other brie made for the U.S. Brie de Meaux Rouzaire, manufactured outside of Paris since the 8th century, was originally known as the "King's Cheese" (later, following the French Revolution, the "King of Cheeses") and was enjoyed by the peasantry and nobility alike. It was granted the protection of AOC (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée) status in 1980, and is produced primarily in the eastern part of the Parisian basin.
Brie is usually purchased either in a full wheel or as a wheel segment. Further sub-division in most homes is subject to social conventions that have arisen in order to ensure that each person partaking in the cheese receives a roughly equal amount of skin. Slices are taken along the radius of the cheese rather than across the point. Removing the more desirable tip from a wedge of brie is known as "pointing the brie" and is widely regarded as a serious social faux pas.

Harlech

Harlech, which takes its name from the famous Welsh Warriors of the Middle Ages, is a blend of Welsh Cheddar with chopped horseradish and parsley. Harlech has a unique character with a smooth texture that successfully blends the intense flavor of horseradish and the fresh parsley taste. This vegetarian cheese is perfect as a table cheese to add a contrast to any cheese course , paired with a beer or a Rioja, and adds a new piquancy to cheese based dishes.

Harlech is one of the first actual cheeses I ever tasted after years of being a Kraft Singles and Velveeta man. It opened up an entire new world for me.

Pave Sauvage

Pave Sauvage, is a fresh, cobblestone shaped goat cheese from the Perigord region of France. As well known as the region is for its truffles and pates de foie gras, it should come as no surprise that the flavor profiles of this cheese are so refined and elegant. Similar in appearance to it's cousin Fleur du Maquis, dusted with local herbs and peppercorns, the Pave Sauvage is a show-stopper on any cheese platter. The first thing that hits me about this cheese is how creamy it is. So delicate it's almost fragile, Pave Sauvage can be enjoyed straight out of the refrigerator. Tangy goat cheese with the crunch of the occasional peppercorn and a tarragon finish, this is a cheese that's sure to please. By the way, the English translation of this cheese is "Wild Pavement." 

Amber Valley Huntsman

Amber Valley Huntsman is two cheeses in one: a creamy, crumbly, English blue Stilton layered between Double Gloucester, and an English cheddar with a bright orange color and bold, sharp taste. The original cheese cake. Drink it with a white wine, and slice a few pears to arrange on the platter. Elegant, beautiful, and the pears add a nice, sweet contrast to the saltiness of the Stilton.

Crumbly English Farmhouse Cheaddar Cheese-Quicke's

We absolutely love this next cheese, an English Cheddar from the Quicke family in Newton St Cyres. The Quicke's have been farming the same land for an impressive 450 years, and the Quicke's Oak Smoked Cheddar is hand selected, aged 12 to 14 months, then smoked over oak chips for 3 to 4 hours to give it a smooth, smoky flavor. There's almost something primal about eating a smoky cheese, and this one brought back a treasure trove of fond memories from all of the best campfire experiences I've had. Crumbly and delicious, this is a great snacking cheese, and would also work well with several dishes. Melt it over a cheeseburger or sprinkle inside an omelet.

Sweet Italian Cheese-Asiago Pressato

Asiago Pressato is a young, fresh cheese perfect for these hot summer days. One of Italy's most popular cow milk cheeses, it is domain protected, and can only be made in northeastern Italy. The grassy flavor is pretty strong with  this cheese. Pair it with olives and a dry white wine or Rosé. You can also drizzle it with honey, as the Italians like to do with so many of their cheeses. Tender enough to slice and melt well, use it on a panini for a twist on the grilled cheese sandwich.

Stinky French Cheese-Munster Gerome

First made in the Middle Ages by Benedictine Monks in the Fecht Valley, this Alsatian washed rind cheese is proof that monks have a sense of humor, and a pretty wicked one at that. Often described as "aromatic" or "pungent", Munster Gerome needs an entirely new word to do justice to its potency. "Well", you might think, "If it smells that bad it must be delicious. Otherwise, why would anyone eat it?" Why, indeed? Munster Gerome reminds me of the children's story, "The Emperor's New Clothes." Allow me to play the role of the innocent child here, and declare that the Emperor is naked, and that this cheese stinks to high heaven.
When I first unwrapped the package, I couldn't quite put my finger on one of the aromas layered in this cheese's arsenal. Caramel and something else. Then it hit me: burnt motor oil! Burnt motor oil from a Ford Pinto that's just been driven hard through a sewage treatment plant. I tasted it, hoping to be pleasantly surprised by the flavor. My hopes were dashed, and I smiled and swallowed so that I could convince my wife to try it.

"It's not bad," I lied.
"You don't love me'" she said, after taking a small bite.

Then she bet me five bucks that we wouldn't be able to sell it. Knowing that there are many people who love stinky cheese and also haven't read the "Emperor's New Clothes", I took the bet. A few hours later some friends of ours came by the cheese shop.

"Want to try something horrible" Jan asked. She held the Munster at arms length, pointing towards the husband. "Just smell it, first."

"I love stinky cheese," he said. "I detect under-notes of chocolate, and something else."

He took a bite, closed his eyes, swallowed, and asked for a quarter pound. Dumbfounded, we sliced and wrapped the cheese (by the way, in our cheese shop we say "sliced the cheese", rather than "cut", because I don't want to get a case of the giggles, but in this instance "cut the cheese" would have been far more appropriate) and handed it over.

Irish Farmhouse Cheddar Cheese-Coolea

From the website:

Coolea Cheese is hand made on the mountain farm of Dick and Sinead Willems in Coolea, County Cork, Ireland. Nothing but 100% healthy fresh cows milk is used to produce this high quality cheddar. Mild and creamy with a distinct flavor suitable for every occasion. The Willems' have won several international awards for this tasty cheese.

We love this Irish cheese. Let it come to room temperature before slicing. Firm, buttery, with a long, smooth finish. This is one of the best Irish Cheddars I've ever had.

Our customers love it too. One of the families that frequent our cheese shop just returned from a vacation in Ireland, and spent almost an hour trying to find the farm. Later, the found out that they had driven right by the road leading up to the Coolea farm because the sign pointing the way was written in Gaelic.

Tilsit, German Cheese

Tilsit, also called Tilsiter, was the invention of Dutch immigrants to the town of Tilsit in East Prussia. Legend has it that they were trying to make Gouda, but different environmental conditions such as bacteria, humidity, and a host of other factors gave them something entirely different. Since then it has been widely copied and is made all over Germany. The traditional shape for Tilsit is a large wheel but as of late is being produced in loaf shapes.
This German gourmet cow's milk cheese has a washed thin rind and creamy yellow paste, very similar in appearance to Danish Havarti, with its irregular holes and bread-like appearance. The texture is very springy and elastic but fairly moist. Tilsit has a little bit of an aroma and warm earthy flavor. It is a versatile cheese and the Germans traditionally serve it thin sliced for breakfast. It toasts well, is also good for cooking, and can be melted into cheese sauces.

Cacio al Tartufo/Humboldt Fog/Amber Valley Stilton, Italian, Californian, and English Cheeses

Italian for "Cheese with Truffles", Cacio al Tartufo is a simple name for a complex sheep milk cheese. This is a fine, high quality Tuscan Pecorino studded with black truffles and aged on fir planks. The first bite reveals undertones of Tuscan herbs and garlic before you get that great, earthy finish of truffle. The flavorful truffles grow stronger as this cheese ages. Still young, Cacio al Tartufo is easier shredded than grated. Use sparingly over your favorite Italian dish, or slice thinly and enjoy on a cheese platter with nuts, fruits, and honey. Pairs well with figs and a good red wine.

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Humboldt Fog is a fantastic goat milk cheese and comes from the geniuses at Cypress Grove Chevre, located in Arcata, CA, almost three hundred miles north of San Francisco. Named after the fog that rolls in off of Humboldt Bay, here's what the folks at Cypress Grove have to say about this cheese:

Our signature offering, Humboldt Fog® is an elegant, soft, surface ripened cheese. The texture is creamy and luscious with a subtle tangy flavor. Each handcrafted wheel features a ribbon of edible vegetable ash along its center and a coating of ash under its exterior to give it a distinctive, cake-like appearance. An American Original!

A favorite in our cheese shop, once it reaches room temperature Humboldt fog can best be described as decadent. A superstar on any cheese platter, try it with pears and honey.  It can be used in place of blue cheese on a salad, and pairs wonderfully with a crisp white wine. 

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Finally, speaking of blue cheese, Amber Valley Stilton is a glorious cow's milk blue made in Leicestershire England. Bold flavor, greenish-blue veining, and a firm, aged rind makes this salty, nutty cheese a hit with any blue cheese aficionado. This bold cheese needs to be paired with a bold red wine, and will convince your friends that you are a gourmet chef when you melt it over a steak or cook it inside a burger.

San Simon, Spanish Cheese

A traditional farmhouse semi-soft cheese made from cow's milk, San Simon is shaped like a teardrop, has a glossy rind and is named after San Simon de la Cuesta in the northwest of Spain. San Simon is lightly pressed, then smoked with birch wood after a mere two weeks in the mold. This young cheese has a supple, open consistency and an attractive, polished rind, which ranges in color from honey to reddish-brown. The smoke gives the cheese a woody taste to add to the buttery quality and slight acidity from the milk. After the first smokey bite it has a nice, smooth finish, which will bring back memories of the best meal you ever had cooked outdoors. Great all by itself or on a cheese platter with pears or apples. Also tastes wonderful when drizzled with honey.

Fleur du Maquis/Cabecou Feuille D'Armagnac, French Cheese

A few times a week, when we get our cheese deliveries, I fall in love all over again. This week I'm head over heels with the Fleur du Maquis (far left),a cheese made from the milk of Lacaune ewes, in the Corsican region of France. The name means "Flower of the Maquis". These small, sliceable wheels are rolled in the herbs that grow wild on the Corsican hills. Rosemary, sage, and juniper berries adorn the outside of this beautiful, mild, tasty cheese.
Next we have the Cabecou Feuille D'Armagnac (far right), fresh dollops of Perigord goat cheese dipped in plum Armagnac, sprinkled with a little black pepper and wrapped in a couple of chestnut leaves. At first bite there is a slight kick from the Armagnac, then a smooth, soft finish from the goat cheese. Delicious.

Zamorano/Gouda, Spanish and Dutch Cheese

It's been said that "Cheese is milk's leap toward immortality." Zamorano is a hard sheep's milk cheese, noticeably nuttier and richer than its Spanish cousin, Manchego. The nomadic shepherding families of Castille-Léon have been hand-crafting Zamorano for centuries. Zamorano has a sharp, moderately gamey, sheep's milk flavored bite and texture that melts in the mouth. Pair this cheese with a premium coffee or a nice Spanish white wine like the 2007 Martin Codax Albarino (below left). It remains to be seen if Marieke Gouda (above and to the left) will still be made centuries from now, but if taste is any indication, it should be. This artisanal Gouda has notes of warm butter and caramel, with the occasional crunch from the protein crystals in its firm, pale straw interior. Delicious all by itself, or try it with an amber ale or the 2004 Margaret River Shiraz (above right).

Gruyere/Chaubier, Swiss and French Cheese

Our first featured cheese is a cave aged Swiss Gruyere. Firmer and nuttier than its counterpart, the French Comte, the finish of this Swiss favorite (above and to the left) is sweet, almost with a hint of pineapple. A good Chardonnay will fit nicely with this cheese.The other featured cheese is a half goat milk, half cow milk cheese from France known as Chaubier. As the French are sometimes fond of saying when speaking of certain cheeses, the rind of this fromage "smells like the feet of an angel." Milder than the rind would lead you to believe, Chaubier is smooth and milky, almost melting in your mouth. Pairs fantastically with a Pinot Noir.

Cheese Notes

Pretty self-explanatory. Cheese notes. Notes about cheese. French cheese, Spanish cheese, British cheese, Irish cheese, Italian cheese, and cheese from the good old USA.
What do I know about cheese? Well, besides being a glutton for the stuff, my wife and I own a cheese shop in New Braunfels, Texas. This blog will be a repository for all of my cheese knowledge and musings, but will focus on the different cheeses we carry at our shop.