Mafiaoza's Part 3: the feast continues

Initially, I was a bit disappointed that one of the cheeses at Mafiaoza's was a Stilton with blueberries, but I decided to give it a fair chance. I liked this one much better than the one we had at New Year's. It was softer, more crumbly and not as sweet, which helped balance out the sweetness of the berries.

We also tried Asiago. There are two types - Asiago Pressato and Asiago d'Allevo.  I think we had the latter although the menu did not specify.  Asiago d'Allevo is a hard cheese made from the milk of cows grazing on mountain pastures while Asiago Pressato is semi-soft, contains irregular holes and is made from the milk of cows grazing in low pastures. Both types can only be made in specific production areas within the Italian region of Trentino-Alto Adige and are aged 20-40 days in wheels ranging from 24-33 lbs.  It was dry and crumbly, but less so than Parmesan, and I thought it had a slightly sweet and very smooth flavor.

One of the highlights for me was the Drunken Goat cheese, or Murcia al Vino. I wasn't sure what to expect after the waiter described it as goat cheese soaked in wine, but I was intrigued at once.  It's a Spanish cheese from the Murcia region in the Southeast.  It is made from the milk of the native Murciano-Granadina goats.  A semi-soft washed-curd cheese, it is aged at least 3 weeks and washed with local Jumilla and Yecla red wines.  The wine gives the rind a beautiful dark purple stain.  It tasted mild to me in comparison to tangy, soft goat cheese I was familiar with, and though it seemed a bit rubbery in texture, I really enjoyed it.  Although I usually find myself cutting the rind off cheese, I did eat this one as it was quite thin and contained the subtle flavors of the wine.

new year, new blog, old friends

I've been talking about having this blog for the last several months of 2010.  I love cheese.  I often quip that "a day without cheese is like a day without sunshine," which for me means less happy.  However, I don't often branch out to try new varieties.  I also enjoy travel and other cultures, so I decided to experience other countries through their cheeses.  My husband fully supported my endeavor with a couple cheese-related gifts for Christmas.

An impromptu New Year's Eve party with friends seemed a perfect occasion to start this endeavor, after all, we were planning to stay up until 2011, when I had planned to officially begin my cheese study.  Since it was hastily planned, I didn't have long to hover in the specialty cheese section at the local supermarket, and there was no pre-planning of types or countries or what might pair well.  By chance, we ended up with two English cheeses - Double Gloucester and White Stilton with Blueberries.  I also grabbed a goat cheese, because I always enjoy its smooth, creamy tangy-ness.

Double Gloucester dates back to the 15th century to the Cotswold region when it was made with sheep's milk.  Today it is made with cow's milk.  It's also the cheese traditionally rolled down Coopers Hill in May.  It's considered a hard cheese aged around 4 months. (Unless otherwise noted, all fun "cheese facts" on this blog are from Harbutt, Juliet, ed., World Cheese Book, 2009)

Stilton debuted in the early 18th century in the town of Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire county, but it was served at a hotel in the town of Stilton, which is how it derived its name.  It was trademarked in 1910, can only be made in 3 counties and has Protected Designation Origin (PDO) status by the European Commission.  Only 7 dairies are licensed to make it.  It's a cow's milk blue cheese aged 9-14 weeks.

Between the 2 new cheeses, I preferred the Double Gloucester.  It had a really nice flavor - strong, but smooth, and its texture seemed a bit softer than a cheddar.  I enjoyed the White Stilton with Blueberries, but I was expecting a stronger cheese.  I suspect a White Stilton is not aged as long as a regular Stilton, as this didn't have the blue marbling.  The blueberries made it seem overly sweet, so I would still like to try a regular Stilton.

Judging by what was left on the cheese board by the end of the night, it seemed everyone agreed with me.  A special thanks to Tim & Meri for humoring me and for ringing in 2011 with us!