Bruleed Goat Cheese

Just do it. You can thank me later.

Crepes

I love crepes. Whenever we have the good fortune to travel to Europe, I constantly keep an eye out for crepe stands or restaurants. For some reason, there seem to be so many more places that serve crepes there. Are we less aware of their deliciousness? I digress. My cousin, with whom we stayed while she was studying in Paris, visited for a few days during the Christmas holidays this year, and we reminisced yet again about my first crepe experience with her that summer in Paris. It was love at first bite. I created reasons to have one nearly each day. Now I own a crepe pan and can make them whenever I so desire.  I started by making sweet crepes but later branched out in the realm of savory crepes.  Spinach sauteed with onions and mushrooms and a little goat cheese are a flavorful combination.

Bonne Bouche

August is National Goat Cheese month in the U.S., a fact I didn't learn until one of the last few days of the month this year.  The day I found out, I felt obligated immediately wanted to purchase some goat cheese.  At Corrieri's, I asked for a recommended goat cheese and was in turn asked if I had ever tried Bonne Bouche.  I hadn't, and after trying a sample, I knew it was the goat cheese that would be coming home with me.  First, it's absolutely adorable. Just look at its little individual crate!

Second, it's delicious.  It's still tangy as one would expect with a goat cheese, but the ash covering adds a new element of  flavor.  I was definitely reminded of Humboldt Fog and enjoyed it simply with some crackers.  Did I mention its creamy, soft, slightly-gooey-under-the-rind center?

 
Bonne Bouche, French for good mouthful, is made by Vermont Creamery and won the Best Aged Goat Cheese award from the American Cheese Society competition in 2010, just 9 years after its 2001 debut. 

grilled goat cheese

A friend touted the deliciousness of a grilled goat cheese and strawberry sandwich on her blog, so since those are two foods I absolutely adore, I had to try it for myself.  She graciously shared the link to the recipe, and although it took me a few weeks to actually have all the ingredients in my house at the same time, it was worth it! It's a wonderful medley of flavors - tangy goat cheese, sweet strawberries and spicy arugula and red pepper jelly. And I even feel that it's healthier than regular grilled cheese, since it's on whole grain bread and uses only a tiny bit of butter (I've also made this sandwich in the toaster oven with no butter, and didn't miss it).  The colors also make this sandwich a feast for the eyes! 

jambon et fromage

One of my favorite food memories from Paris is grabbing a quick lunch each day in between sites.  If we didn't have crepes, we'd stop at a little cart for a sandwich.  It was typically a single slice of ham and cheese on the most delicious crusty, chewy baguette.  The sandwich plus a Coca-Cola (yes, I know - incredibly American, but sometimes you just needed the sugar and caffeine to get through a full day of museums) made for a delightful lunch.  It was good, inexpensive, and typically included entertainment (people watching in the park).

Yesterday, my husband and I were walking through Trader Joe's to pick up some pasta and salad for lunch, but when I saw a basket of fresh baguettes, we changed plans and decided to recreate those Paris sandwiches.  We allowed a couple modifications to the Paris version and used Black Forest ham and sliced goat cheese.  The sliced goat cheese was hanging in the cheese section just like any other deli-sliced packaged sandwich cheese (cheddar, provolone, etc) but was a nice change.  It became more flavorful as it warmed to room temperature.  The sandwiches turned out really well, and with a side salad, a few chips and a glass of French rosé, we had a memorable lunch in our own kitchen.

have cheese, will travel

I had purchased a second Living Social deal to Corrieri's and had been planning to use it in March to sample some more new cheeses.  But a few days before it expired, I found out that I had to go to Louisville for work, and since Louisville is almost halfway, Brett and I decided to tack on an extended visit to the in-laws in Indiana, which meant I wasn't going to make it back before the voucher expired.  So, the night before we left town, the husband and I went to the shop to make some selections.  After sampling several types, we walked away with five wedges:  St. Andre, Ossau Iraty, Garroxta, Monte Enebro and Prima Donna.   The next day, the cheese came along with us in a cooler. We also packed several items to pair the cheese with - bread, apples, walnuts, dried cranberries, olives and honey.

St. Andre is a French soft-ripened cheese from the Normandy region and is produced from cow's milk.  If you think that the picture looks like butter, you'd be about right.  This triple cream cheese contains up to 70% butterfat!  It was creamy and incredibly rich, so much so that it almost required pairing with bread, walnuts or dried cranberries.  The texture in the center was similar to whipped butter, while the texture closer to the rind was silky smooth and heavier more like cream cheese.  Very decadent!


Ossau-Iraty is a hard sheep's milk cheese from the Aquitane region of France.  It is aged at least 3 months and is protected by the AOC (Appellation d'Origine Controllee).  This sharp cheese had a firm texture, and I thought it tasted like the warm grass or hay eaten by the sheep.  It had a pleasant animal smell.

Garroxta is a goat's milk cheese from Cataluña, Spain.  It's classified as a semi-soft cheese and is aged between 2 and 4 months.  Compared to many other cheeses, this artisan cheese is a relatively new, having first been produced in 1981.  Like most goat cheeses, it was tangy and bright white in color.  I enjoyed it not only alone but also with Spanish olives.  The rind was especially beautiful with it speckles in various shades of gray.

Monte Enebro is classified as a natural rind goat's milk cheese.  Made in Avila, Castilla-Leon, Spain, the curds are pressed into the shape of a mule's hoof..  The girl at Corrieri's explained that the mold covering the rind is the same kind that is injected into Roquefort cheese, but only covers the surface on Monte Enebro.  According to the World Cheese Book, it was the first modern Spanish artisan cheese to gain recognition internationally.  I found the appearance to be very unique.  I preferred the center, which was softer, creamier and milder than the part close to the rind, which definitely had a stronger, more blue flavor.  The flavor of the goat's milk, which I love, was easier for me to detect in the center, as the blue flavor near the rind was more dominant.  However, this was a nice blue cheese for me, since I tend to shy away from them.

Prima Donna is a hard Gouda-style cheese from the Netherlands.  Made from cow's milk, it's aged about a year (Corrieri's noted the one we had was aged 16 months).  This is significantly less than some Goudas, some of which are aged for several years.  There were small round holes scattered throughout.  It had a firm texture with a rich, strong flavor from start to finish that paired very well with apples.  While delicious alone, I imagine it would also be great on a sandwich.  It's a cheese that should seem familiar to Americans with a texture and sharpness similar to a medium cheddar, however it had a nuttiness similar to a Parmesan.

Only in moderation

You know dinner is going to be wonderful when your plate looks like this:

This was our first sampling of the cheeses we picked up from Corrieri's: Humboldt Fog, Lamb Chopper, Midnight Moon and Manchego.  We decided not only to taste them alone, but also to sample them with some of their recommended pairings, since we happened to have several of the items on hand.  While perhaps not the most well-balanced meal, since it consisted primarily of dairy and carbs, it was nice for one of the many meals we eat in a week.  It was a plate to be slowly savored.

Humboldt Fog is a beautiful cheese from California.  It's a soft goat's milk cheese that has been surface ripened and has a layer of vegetable ash in the center.  Hands down, it's one of the most interesting cheeses I've ever seen or tasted.  The center has the texture and flavors of what I am used to with a goat's cheese, but the edge, just under the rind, has a texture similar to brie and a stronger flavor.  The wedge is aesthetically pleasing with the gray stripe of ash in the center and the contrast in texture from the center part to the ripened edge.  It's like getting two types of cheese in one!  Delicious alone, we also paired with the recommended mandarin orange, cranberries and walnuts.


Lamb Chopper is a sheep's milk cheese from Holland (which I learned makes up two provinces within the Netherlands, so I should stop using them interchangeably for the country).  Smooth and almost buttery, with a chedder-like firmness, it was very enjoyable alone.  Since it was recommended for kids on a grilled cheese sandwich, we melted some on toasted French bread, which tasted quite good.


Midnight Moon is a goat's milk cheese from Holland.  The nutty flavor reminded me of a Parmesan, although not quite as dry or salty, and the texture occasionally seemed a bit gritty.  We paired it with apple slices and the same fruits and nuts as the Humboldt Fog.


Manchego is a Spanish sheep's milk cheese from the dry plateau south of Madrid.  A hard cheese with DOC status, it is aged anywhere between 6-18 months.  Although most Manchego is now made in factories, much of the milking is still done by hand.  The surface of the wedge was pocked with small irregular holes.  It was dry, nutty and a bit salty, and as it warmed to room temperature, the surface became slightly oily.  Delicious alone, we also grated some over pasta drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper, which was equally good.

I enjoyed all four, but if I had to pick a favorite, the Humboldt Fog might have a slight advantage.  It was delicious and incredibly unique.

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.

Mafiaoza's Part 1: if it's possible to be drunk on cheese...

...then I have been.  Last Thursday, in the midst of yet another Nashville snow this winter, my husband and I went to Mafiaoza's to try their Restaurant Week special, which was ALL of their Piccoli Morsi, consisting of 6 dips with crostini, 7 different cheeses and at least 5 cured meats.  It was the perfect night to go, since most of the city wouldn't dare venture out.  We were able to leisurely try and savor each item.  Needless to say, it made for quite the meal and was more than the two of us could finish, so over half the cheese and meat came home with us.  Next time, we'll bring friends to help.  Two of the dips also had cheeses, so I'll definitely be writing multiple posts about this experience.

The first dip with cheese was a mascarpone artichoke dip.  It was smooth, creamy and delicious.  Mascarpone is a fresh Italian cow's milk cheese made from heated cream that is curdled and then the whey is drained off.  It dates to the 12th century.  I typically think of this cheese as the cream in tiramisu, but I enjoyed this dip very much.  It was a mild flavor, yet seemed rich.

The second dip was a round of goat cheese with honey and red and yellow peppers.  This was a wonderful combination of flavors with the tangy-ness of the goat cheese contrasting with the subtle kick from the peppers and the sweetness of the honey.  The visual contrast was equally appealing.  The red and yellow colors really stood out around the bright white circle of cheese.

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!