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.