Afternoon Luxury: Biscuits and Tea (and Cheese!)

One of the little luxuries I look forward to in my day is afternoon tea time (this, of course, after my afternoon nap :p). Cheese makes a wonderful addition to any tea time, and in fact, the Chilean version of afternoon tea, "onces", most definitely includes cheeses into the prized ritual.

My perfect tea time would include a biscuit, cheese, fresh fruit and a strong, fragrant Earl Grey, perhaps a touch of milk. (Now, doesn't that sound healthy?) Shortbread is a standby favorite and fits my requirement for a biscuit perfectly, but recently was sent a package of Newtons Fruit Thins Blueberry Brown Sugar to try and now truly, have found a lovely addition to my tea-time regime.

Newtons Fruit Thins are quite a bit different from the iconic fig newton (is there any other cookie on the market like a fig newton?) Crisp and crumbly like a shortbread, pleasantly fruity and not-too-sweet, this is one stellar cookie! Large round flat circles with a scalloped edge makes them a lovely component of a plate for entertaining as well.

The Blueberry Brown Sugar Thins offer a subtle-but-distinct flavor that goes nicely with mozzerella cheese. I can even skip the fruit element if I don't have any on hand that day since in keeping with the Newton fruit theme, they are made with real blueberries. Absolutely a smart option, with only 5 grams of fat, 130 calories, per 3 cookie-serving-- much better than a muffin or slice of cake-- add the protein-dense cheese, you won't be hungry for a while.

Really now, when you come to think of it, there are only a few food groups that a person needs in life: cheese, wine and cookies.

Disclosure: The cookies were sent to me, but opinions expressed here are very much my own!

Red Dragon, A Stand Alone Cheese Made in the Welsh Tradition

Now, I’m not one for things added to my cheese. I like my cheese unadulterated by nuts, fruits and unusual colors. Call me boring, but when it comes to cheese, it’s gotta be the good stuff and its gotta be just cheese, please.

So I found myself a little surprised at the market the other day to be holding a small wedge of a brown speckled-yellowish cheese in bright red wax. I think it was its appealing label of medieval artwork, or maybe the name, but after reading that it was a cheddar made with mustard seeds and ale I was intrigued, and found myself bringing home a cheese I wouldn’t normally consider.

The name of this extraordinary cheese, Red Dragon, is taken from a symbol in the Welsh flag. Part of Somerdale’s Welsh Range, Red Dragon Welsh Cheddar is made with the rich creamy cow’s milk of the region, blended with Welsh brown ale and whole grain mustard seeds yielding a firm but exceptionally buttery, creamy and full-bodied cheese with a remarkably developed flavor, though they claim it’s only been aged for 3 months.

Red Dragon Welsh Cheddar from Somerdale Dairy

Red Dragon is also known as Y-Fenni, a Welsh rendering of the town in which it’s made Abergavenny. This traditional English cheddar has an outgoing, tangy personality attributed to the light brown ale from which it's made, but tempered by its creamy, buttery smooth finish-- and for an added layer of texture, the mustard seeds give a pop as you bite down. Just a small taste leaves tremendous delight for the tongue, a veritable party for the tastebuds.

I’ve found that Red Dragon works nicely as a spread on a roasted chicken and avocado sandwich but I have to say, I enjoy this wonderful Welsh treat on its own. It’s so incredibly dynamic in flavor that you simply don’t want to diminish all the fun your tongue is having!

Maybe because of its upbringing, Red Dragon Welsh Cheddar most certainly begs to be paired with a pale ale, and maybe some good bread. Though this trilogy alone would make a perfect meal for me, the addition of sweet dried fruits or an acidic fresh fruit would suit it well. Red Dragon would make an outstanding cheese centerpiece for entertaining and would highly recommend it as a solo cheese on a cheese plate that might look something like this.

Red Dragon Cheese Plate

1 pound cut of Red Dragon Welsh Cheddar, cut into 2 wedges

Crusty bread

Figs

Pineapple chunks

Celery sticks

Sliced Vidalia and/or purple onion

Good news for vegetarians, Red Dragon Welsh Cheddar has no animal rennet. Those of us fortunate enough to have so many options, count your cheese blessings!

Props to Somerdale. They have successfully converted me and now I see cheese in Technicolor. Now, I can’t wait to try the others in Somerdale’s Welsh Cheddar Range: Tintern, Black Mountain and the intriguing sounding, Harlech with horseradish and parsley, confident that the complexity of flavors chosen will complement the outstanding foundation of exceptional dairy quality.

Sources:

Somerdale.co.uk

Amazon.com

Cheeses and Jesus, a Serendipitous Conjugation

Nativity sets captivate me (I have a growing collection of them). And frankly, so does cheese. Strange how 2 very disparate entities can be entwined so seamlessly, but watch this video and you'll see...



... Sustenance, nourishment, simplicity, universality, stillness, meekness, grace, a gift to mankind. Both the nativity and cheese have an inherit immutability about them. I've wondered what it is that draws folks like John Putnam to leave a successful career in law or Petra Cooper who left her job as a publishing exec, to embrace a labored life of cheesemaking. Could it be a spiritual pilgrimage or a foray into the creative realm of inspired art?

For me, the essence of cheese (yes, you read that correctly) reminds me that we are more than what we make with the toil of our hands, and the beautiful result pressed and aged in a wheel tells of something greater at work-- an Omnipresence orchestrating the rains to grow the grasses for the cows to enjoy, to the milk extracted from the hands of faithful hands--tells of a premeditated power at work in the universe.

And nativity scenes engender a similar thought pattern in me... They make you stop for a moment to think of the story being told in it, and if you're really open to it, you might see the connection that Christmas is more than a very expensive holiday, and cheese is more than a favorite pizza topping. Angelo Frosio, the Italian cheesemaker in this news clip, seems to be thinking of something more.

Maybe that's the reason why I love cheese and nativity scenes so much-- they remind me I am part of a much bigger picture, I'd like to think of it as work of the biggest masterpiece known to mankind. I don't know about you, but to me the very thought gives me peace in a troubled world, and beckons my heart towards goodwill to those around me near and far.

Swiss Raclette

By: Al Mann, Courtesy of Rocket Articles

Raclette is a signature culinary dish of the Swiss and French Alps. It consists of slices of heated, soft, runny cheese accompanied by small, firm boiled potatoes, gherkins, and pickled onions. Raclette traces its origin back many centuries to cow herders, shepherds, and farmers, who would place a wedge of cheese in front of a campfire and scrape off layer after layer as the cheese heated. The word raclette comes the French "racler", which means to scrape.

One may still enjoy raclette in front of a campfire today, but the modern way of preparing raclette in the home is to use a small tabletop electric raclette grill or broiler. It is self-service as each person places a sliced portion of raclette cheese onto a small tray under the heating elements of the grill. In a minute or two, the cheese is bubbling hot and ready to be retrieved and scraped onto the plate over a cooked potato.

Often thinly sliced, air-dried beef of the Grisons region of Switzerland is served with raclette in addition to the potatoes, gherkins, and pickled onions. Prosciutto also goes well. Today's modern tabletop raclette grills also have heated top grill plate which can be used to grill shrimp, meat, poultry, and vegetables.

The potatoes should be boiled in their skins before the meal. Keep the potatoes warm by placing them on top of the grill in a bowl covered by a small towel. There also are willow baskets with insulated covers for holding the potatoes warm.

Typically hot tea or dry white wine is served with the meal. White wines from the Alpine region are preferred with raclette, but if not available, a dry pinot grigio, pinot blanc, or riesling go well with the raclette. Usually an after-dinner cordial also is in order for the digestion after a hearty raclette dinner! Or maybe two...

The cheese itself is also called raclette. Usually raclette cheese is produced from pasteurized cow's milk and aged. It is characterized by a firmly textured, pale-yellow body with scattered small holes and a smooth, light-brown natural rind. The cheese has a mellow, distinctive aromatic flavor/taste that grows stronger when hot. Raclette cheese can be found in specialty food stores and ordered online. Unless you have a larger cradle raclette grill, described below, it will be necessary to pre-slice the cheese before the meal begins. Quarter-inch thick slices work well with the electric raclette grills.

Alpine restaurants will serve raclette (and portions will keep coming to the table until you say stop/halt). Instead of a tabletop grill, resturants use a larger cheese heating apparatus that holds a cheese wheel wedge in a cradle in front of a heat source, and the cheese is sliced off as it heats.

In Europe, raclette is often served during the winter holidays, and the meal turns into a festive evening with family and friends. The goal in raclette dining is relaxed and sociable eating and drinking, the meal often running to several hours. Many families in the United States and other parts of the world also have discovered the fun of raclette.

Readers that are searching through the web for more information about the topic of internet marketing, please make sure to check out the link which is mentioned right in this line.

Three Retirees Spread the Mission of Cheese in New Jersey

Ain't no stoppin' them now-- the Big 3: Paul Robinson, 62, Walt Bodkin, 67 and Fred Austin, 72-- three big-hearted, hard-working retired executives not letting a receding economy, or a receding hair line, get in the way of generating income for themselves and the Atlantic City Rescue Mission in New Jersey.

The 3 decided to start a business selling cheese spreads, now 40 in all. With a little help from Bill Southrey, the Director of the mission, they had enough to begin whipping the cheese. When Robinson, Bodkin and Austin saw that the mission was helping to train and employ those in even more dire circumstances they decided to name their company after him: Bill Southrey's Gourmet Mission Cheese.

Currently, the custom-order preservative-free spreadable cheeses are only available to restaurants and stores, but plans are in order to roll them out onto dairy shelves in the local supermarket. Blueberry, raisin and walnut, jalapeno, scallions and crab are some of customers' favorites.

The creamy confections are made right in the Rescue Mission kitchen, and as demand for them "spreads" so will the opportunities by way of providing work for residents of the mission as well as to the Atlantic City Rescue Mission's farm in Cape May. With heart and soul poured into a venture such as this, they'll be reaping profits beyond what they can see or taste and leaving a lasting gift for many more to enjoy. (Source: pressofatlanticcity.com)

The French Cowboy Tames the Wild West with Cultured Tastes

Laurent Bonjour, 'The French Cowboy", knows a lot about cheese. But you won't find him behind a cheese counter at your local cheese shop. Instead, you'll find him out on the range, the farmer's market circuit in Southern California with his refrigerated truck of cheeses.

Raised in the Swiss Alps Monsieur Bonjour has cheese in his blood, so selling the 75 varieties or so of cheeses and imparting the knowledge that goes with each one is like second nature to him.



Catch him in his Australian Outback hat at one of these outdoor LA locales where fresh vegetable and fruit stands comingle with The Cheese Corner. (Source: The Culver Patch)

Cheetos Cheese Puffs in Art

Cheese has been used as a medium for art, especially in sculpture. Sarah Kaufmann has carved her way to a sort of cheesy fame as "The Cheese Lady", sculpting everything from Jay Leno's head to six-foot aircraft carrier replicas... in cheddar. A recent exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum in New York got heads turning with a Andy Warhol's head, sculpted in Fontina, melted onto a bed of crackers with from the ceiling with hair dryers. But let us not forget...

Cheese Puffs on Velvet.

This is one artist's tribute to the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis.


Ah, the endless creativity of artists... they add so much beauty to our lives.

Sources: PNT Online, BizBash Boston, YouTube

I Need Me Some Soy Cheese, Please

The humble soybean has yielded extraordinarily imaginative food choices for modern man. All across the globe, with origins in the East but now moving westwards, soy is morphing into acceptable, and perhaps even sought after, food choices. Such is the case with soy cheese.

Soy cheese is a welcome alternative to those who love cheese but have trouble eating it for a variety of health related or ethical reasons. Consumer demand is driving the production of vegan cheeses which coincidentally, runs parallel to modern medical knowledge.

Tofu, a soybean product, has been morphed into a thousand variety of vegetarian dishes in the East where not only ascetic Buddhist monks must conform to a non-meat diet, but also where soybeans have had a significant standing as an inexpensive form of protein. It would only make sense then that soybeans would mimic a food pervasive in the Western diet.

This, of course, is an evolution of experimentation but the similitude is ever getting closer. Specialty health food companies are stepping up to the cheese-plate with the ever growing demand for soy cheese products. This is very good news for a new, more aware generation of health conscious consumers.

* correction: I previously blogged that Daiya Foods makes soy cheese. A reader corrected me; they do not. Thank you.

Bike Helmet Safety with Stinky Cheese

Known for their technological innovation, German scientists have come up with an effective way for bicycle enthusiasts to know when it's time to get a new helmet. The new issue contains stinky cheese smelling capsules that are released when the helmet is cracked or damaged in some way and no longer safe to use.

For many a cheese lover, stinky cheese is a welcome aroma when it's the creamy, decadent stuff we find on a cheese board accompanied with crackers and a good beer. But when the putrid aroma of decaying cheese comes from your bike helmet it can be disturbing-- disturbing enough to go out and get a new one.

This is exactly what the these companies are banking on. (Source: Crunchgear.com)


Cheese and Raclette Spot

LA's Newest Lunch Trend - Mobile Gourmet Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Rolling into your neighborhood, the Grilled Cheese Truck-- it's all the rage!

Here the bright-orange-block-on-wheels in Eagle Rock, California's dishin' up the all kinds of creations like today's special, Smoked Pork Chili Verde w/ onions, Cotija Cheese on Jalepeno Cheese Bread.

.. And we're not just talkin' the grilled cheese you grew up with, folks. These grilled cheese sandwiches all grown-up. Check out the grilled cheese with Butternut Squash, carmelized onions and Balsamic syrup. HOLY COW!

image source: heshecooks.net

Nothing but the best in quality cheeses and ingredients are making this the most sought-after ride in town.  

Follow them on Twitter here.

Cheese-ism of the Day, Color Your World with Words

Out of the Cambridge dictionary comes a briticism: to be like chalk and cheese. Use this phrase to describe when two things are completely different or unlike the other (dictionarycambridge.org). 

For example:  My mother and I are like chalk and cheese.

To eat chalk would be quite a different matter than eating cheese. Chalk is dry, powdery, pasty, tasteless, inedible. Cheese, on the other hand (especially good cheese), is rich, buttery, creamy, densely-flavoured and a pleasure for the palate. One you want to immediately spit out, the other you can't get enough of.

There you have it... The cheese expression for the day.

We Need a New "American Cheese"

How lazy have we become if we can’t get the grater out of the drawer and shred a little cheese? (Source: The Sun Herald)

Can't you just hear Jay Leno saying these words as part of his nightly monologue jabbing Americans for their excessive, over-extended diets? Here's a great article that suggests that just maybe we could come up with another representation of "American Cheese" rather than the stuff we find in a pressurized can, or the stuff we so conveniently slap together for a quick grilled cheese sandwich, or the orange glop that we call cheese over ballpark nachos.

American cheeses are starting to be able to seriously compete with their Old World antecedents as demonstrated in the World Cheese Championships that took place just last month.

Yes, American cheese can be convenient too, but don't you think it's time that American cheese is known for being some of the most delicious cheese on the planet?

Rachel Ray's Advice on Freezing Cheese

When it comes to Italian cheeses, which cheeses are best to freeze? Well, according to our favorite Italian homecooking goddess Rachel Ray the answer would be, "None."

Some cheeses do freeze better than others. Ricotta, for example and other soft-ripened, semi-soft cheeses do not freeze well at all.

Cheddar, on the other hand, can be frozen and used for recipes requiring the cheese to melt but you sacrifice some of the creamy rich flavor in the freeze-dried process. When I lived overseas, in fact, it was cheaper to buy the huge block of cheese, take it home, cut off smaller blocks, wrap them up and freeze what wasn't needed immediately. This rendered the delicate cheese crumbly to eat it plain (such a shame since it was fine cheddar from Holland), but worked fine to cook with. But the macaroni and cheese made from the freshly cut cheese always tasted better than when made with the thawed-out version.

In general Rachel's advice is to buy cheese for what you need for the week, with the exceptions of Parmigiano Reggiano or a Pecorino Romano which keeps for weeks in the fridge and she considers staples in her food pantry.

In other words, don't go out and buy the whole wheel. Just get the amount of cheese you need for your week.

DON'T FREEZE THE CHEESE.

Win a Cheese Party Catered by President(R)

Savvy consumers are spending less money on eating out, but enjoying the luxuries of good food, like, wine and cheese, nontheless.

Cheese is playing an increasingly larger role in this phenomenon. According to IRI data from a new Packaged Facts report, "Natural and Specialty Cheeses: The U.S. Market and a Global Perspective," consumers are buying more cheese at both "value" and premium levels, in part because of the continuing trend for more people eating at home (source: www.prnewswire.com).

President Cheese is taking the lead, showing how the dairy delight can make for a relaxed, enjoyable social evening by offering a Cheese Party Sweepstakes. Enter here for your chance to win and sample a wide range of speciality cheeses by a world-renowned cheesemaker.

Cheese Rolling Games in Gloucestershire Cancelled

The hugely popular Cheese Rolling event in Gloucestershire, England has been cancelled this year due to safety concerns. Scheduled to take place in late May, organizers say that due the cheese chase's increased popularity and its unpreparedness to handle the crowds, last year drawing 15,000, they have chosen to put off the chasing of the 7 pound Gloucestershire round until 2011.



This Cheese Rolling tradition has been going on for centuries. A round of the local Gloucestershire cheese gets released at the top of a steep hill and the first one to get it, takes it home. (Source: BBC)

Swiss Tastings in London

A Swiss treat from London's oldest food market, Borough's Market in London.

Here we see a half round of Raclette cheese nestled in a raclonette machine, which heats the cheese, in effect roasting the open part near the heating element. The cheese then gets tilted and scraped onto a plate (rind included, mind you!) bearing a small potato with the addition of cornichons, baby dill pickles and baby onions. What looks like a gloppy mess on a plate tastes like nothing short of divine order in your mouth!

The Red Carpet for New Zealand's Cheese Industry

This Tuesday's, March 3 2010, New Zealand reveals this year's stars in the world of cheese in their annual NZ Champion of Cheese Awards. Over 400 varieties have been tasted by 24 expert judges, including Australian Master Judge Russell Smith, and the winners will be announced at a glorious gala dinner at The Langham Hotel in Auckland where guests will be able to sample and purchase all the winning contributions of New Zealand's cheese industry. For more information click here.

Tickets: $30.00
Time: 5:00 - 8:00pm
Venue: The Langham Hotel, Auckland

"Fromage" Cheese Application for Your iPhone

For fellow fromageophiliacs* wanting to take notes on the thousands of varieties of gourmet and artisan cheeses now available globally comes the application for the iPhone and iPod called Fromage.

Meant for the serious cheeeophile, who likely, also enjoys the complexities of wine as well.  Read full article here.

*(fromageophiliac: one who suffers from cheese withdrawal if the casein protein levels in his system are not satiated.)

(photo source)

Oregon Cheese Festival - March 19-20, 2010

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Fellow cheesophiles, don't miss the annual Oregon Cheese Festival March 19-20.  Dinner tickets hosted by the Rogue Creamery are $75/person. You can buy them here.

On Saturday the 20th, get ready to meet many of the skilled artisans of the area featuring local ales, bread, wine, chocolates and of course, the star of the show a variety of artisan cheeses. Meet the cheesemakers, learn about wine pairings and feel free to wander and sample in a farmer's market style atmosphere. Tickets are $10/person.

For more info, click here.

Wine and Cheese Upcoming Events

"It's all about balance and contrast, he said. A delicate wine needs a mellower cheese, but a bold wine and a fine cheddar can go head to head," according to Steve Wassick of The Cheese Shop who will be joining celebrity chefs and fellow fromagieres this weekend for the 19th Annual Boston Wine Expo.

JANUARY 23-24, 2010 - BOSTON

Boston Wine Expo
12:00 – 1:00 PM, Sunday, January 24th
Cheese and Wine Matching Seminar with Steve Wasik of the Wellesley Cheese Shop

~ Seaport World Trade Center

FEBRUARY 13-14, 2010 - WASHINGTON DC

International Wine & Food Festival
5:00 - 7:00pm, Friday, February 12th TastePost Wine & Cheese Pairing
Tickets: $25 (click here to buy tickets)
You’ll derive countless sensations and pleasure from specialty cheeses and perfectly matched wines during this casual yet elegant afternoon at the Washington Post.
~ Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center

FEBRUARY 26-28, 2010 - NEW YORK

New York Wine Expo
~ Jacob J. Javits Convention Center