Käse, Queso, Fromage & Formaggio

However you Say It, Cheese = Delicious

Cheese, to me it’s one of the finer aspects of life.  On it’s own, part of platter, sprinkled on a dish or showcased as one of the main ingredients, OR perhaps when it is the main ingredient- it enhances, stands alone (as the cheese often does) and adds to anything it comes in contact with. Okay, I can clearly wax poetic and extol cheese ad nauseam!  So, if you, like me have established that cheese is awesome and you want to learn more, below is a brief overview of some things that could possibly take your cheese consumption to the next level.  Things CAN get a little bit complicated when you get into origin of the animal from which the milk comes, country of origin, aging, etc., so take it slow, take home some cheese to try from the supermarket every now and then, experiment, taste, try & educate yourself.  Generally, cheeses are separated into the following categories:  fresh, bloomy, washed rind, semisoft, firm, hard & blue. Think about these descriptives as they apply to the texture and not the cheesemaking process itself. 

• Fresh- young, tart, smooth, lemony, creamy, no rind (goat cheese or mozzarella)
• Bloomy- the name refers to the blooming rind.  Buttery, decadent, fluffy, rich, mild to mushroomy in flavor with an edible rind (Brie, Camembert)
• Washed Rind- cheeses that are washed during the aging process in a brine, which can be a traditional salt brine or can be beer, wine or other spirits. These can be stinky, meaty, intense and aromatic with a bright pink or orange edible rind (French epoisses which is VERY stinky, Taleggio)
• Semi-Soft- Early, pliable, think of hay, wet straw, leaves and melting (Fontina is a good example)
• Firm- Dense but supple, fruited, sharp, has a natural rind that is not typically eaten (cheddar, gruyere, manchego)
• Hard- Think about those GIANT aged wheels of cheese, that are dry, caramel-ish (Parmigiano Reggiano, Aged Gouda)
• Blue- Easy right? Moldy,veiny, with craters that are complex & smelly (Blue, Stilton, Roquefort)   

When you try some of the above cheeses, the best option is to start with small pieces.  Don’t wrap your cheese in plastic! Cheese is a living, breathing organism and needs oxygen! Without it your washed rind cheeses will go bad and your Parmigian-Reggiano will dry out, so try wrapping these bad boys in a layer of wax paper and THEN wrapping in plastic. Try not to forget about your cheeses- we all know of that mystery foil wrapped thing in your fridge, chances are that’s a cheese you might have forgotten about. 

NOW, how do I put together the perfect cheese platter for my very adult cheese and wine gathering? Good question.  Pick one to two cheeses from each group from the above listed categories, serve at room temperature, cut the portions when the cheese is JUST out of the fridge (easier), arrange your cheeses from mildest to strongest and figure that each guest is going to eat 3-5 pieces.  Serve cheeses alongside appropriate food accompaniments, below are some examples.

·                                              Fresh

o   Goat cheeses are great with a drizzle of honey or a drizzle of chopped fresh herbs in olive oil

o   Ricotta- lovely with fresh fruits (think dessert) like berries and apricots

o   Mozzarella- obviously good with olive oil, basil and tomato

·                                              Bloomy

Grapes or a nice baguette to spread that cheese on! Think mild to 

offset the thick nature of the cheese

·                                             Washed Rind

Again, since many of these are stinky and spreadable a nice bread 

accompaniment is ideal- a raisin bread or a rye

·                                              Semi-soft

Since the cheese is creamy and woodsy, fruity acidic parings like 

cranberries, figs and dried cherries are good

·                                               Firm

o   Cheddar- apples and chutneys are great

o   Manchego- almonds, mustards & olives (Spanish pairings, duh)

o   Gruyere- ham and crusty bread (the ingredients in a Croque Monsieur)

·                                              Hard

Prosciutto is the classic for some of these guys and also arugula and 

balsamic to offset the earthy, nutty flavor

·                                              Blue

                        Think sweet pairings to offset the strong aspect of this cheese like 

                        dates pears and walnuts (yum!)

So, you think you got that? Pretty cut and dry, right?  Where did the above information come from? A few years ago this cheese expert appeared on the Martha Stewart Show, her name was Liz Thorpe and she’s second in command at the famed Murray’s Cheese in NYC, which is a legendary cheese store that supplies cheese to numerous restaurants throughout the city and operates a retail cheese store on Bleecker Street.  Murray’s (now in its second location) was founded by a Spanish Civil War Veteran named Murray Greenberg who relocated to NYC and opened his wholesale cheese and butter store in 1940. Back then the store was on Cornelia Street- since then it has changed owners a few times and changed locations, but the passion, quality and variety is 100% there. So, after I saw Liz Thorpe appear on Martha, I went out and purchased her books and a Murray’s Cheese Handbook. Liz is really hardcore, so I wouldn’t necessarily recommend her books to beginners, instead opt for the Handbook if you want to learn the basics.  Murray’s offers a variety of cheese classes from basics (Cheese 101) to more in-depth regional specifics (Cheeses of England). If you are in the tri-state New York area, I highly recommend you take a class! 

I opted for the Murray’s cheese tasting and cave tour, which was fantastic. Murray’s receives their cheeses from various producers and continues the aging process in their specially built underground caves.  I know, caves sound exciting right?  Stalactites and dampness, but not really- they are carefully created rooms with controlled temperatures, and ventilation each varied for the specific cheeses housed within.  We scrubbed up, put our hairnets on and went inside THE CAVES.  Some caves were really cold, some very mild and two extremely stinky, smelling of ammonia from the aging process of those bloomy and washed rind cheeses described above. Some cheeses looked normal and some looked like they were scraped up from the tire of a sanitation truck. Regardless of appearance its safe to say I wanted to try them ALL!  Below are some highlights from the tour, NAME that cheese! Okay, I’ll do it for you!

This one below reminds me of Young Frankenstein when Igor is tasked to find the right brain and they are all labeled, he takes the "Aby-Normal" brain. 

Castelmagno (D.O.P)- Sometimes considered the real "King of Italian Cheese", has a recorded history dating back to 1277! This semi-soft cheese has a pleasantly milky taste with older aged varieties tasting having a more sharp mushroom flavor. The D.O.P refers to a controlled designation of origin, in this case from Italy "Denominazione di Origine Protteta"

Epoisses de Bourgogne (A.O.C)- This washed rind stinky cheese from France is said to have been banned from public transportation in France due to its smell! Dating back to the 16th Century, this little guy is salty and runny & good to spread on crusty bread. We really enjoyed this one, but beware, it is expensive!

Pecorino Foglie De Noce & Pecorino Ginepro (Firm Italian Cheeses)- The Pecorino De Noce (of Night) has a distinct black rind that sometimes comes with walnut leaves adhered to it. The flavor of the mature variety is that of walnut and pepper with a flaky texture. The Pecorino Ginepro are submerged in an aromatic bath of balsamic vinegar and juniper berries to age for four months. Being a goat's milk cheese, it has a sweetness paired with a mellow, wooly taste.

Fluer Du Maquis- Looks funky right? This semi-soft goat's milk cheese from France is named after the  wild flowers that grow in Corsica. The rind is crusted with herbs like rosemary and sariette that develops into a furry mass that believe it or not is STILL edible!  Tastes like sunny herbs that are salty and a bit sour. 

Caciocavallo Silano- This firm, Italian cow's milk cheese is known for its gourd shaped balls- is named for its method of aging where the pair of cheeses are tied together with a rope and strung over a beam as if astride a horse (cacio- cheese, cavallo- horse).  This cheese is typically pulled like a mozzarella

and ages to a salty finish similar to a provolone.

So, hopefully this is enough cheese porn to get you excited about trying some new cheeses! Thanks to Murray's for the excellent tour and their resource guides for which much of the above info was taken.  Go CHEESE!!