Happy Happy Turkey Day

Here we go again! Time to gorge yourself on massive quantities of autumn themed foodstuffs under the guise of celebrating all the lovely things in life you're thankful for. But before you attack that yearly all-you-can-eat buffet, why not ease your tummy into gormandising with some pre-Thanksgiving dinner cheese? Here are a few suggestions that will certainly make football and family angst more bearable:

Nicasio Valley Foggy Morning

Simple yet versatile

A fresh Jersey cow's milk from a wonderful local dairy. Made in the style of fromage blanc, it's fluffy, creamy, tangy, mild...unoffensive. And you can serve it any which way:

• Plain
• Olive oil, sea salt and cracked black pepper
• Honey and toasted nuts
• Pesto and pine nuts
• Pepper jam
• Fig jam
• Quince paste
• Smoked salmon, onion and capers

St. Foin

Like Brie, but not at all

This is a fantastic bloomy rind cow's milk cheese that will be the closest you're going to get to a raw Camembert in this country without being raw or Camembert. Its texture is thick and velvety, with an initial butter flavor that quickly turns into mushroom and artichoke. The lingering aftertaste keeps the mouth watering.

Point Reyes Bay Blue

Mold, glorious mold!

The newest addition to the Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company, this blue is made in a Stilton style, meaning it has a smooth, dense texture and a nutty flavor. Despite its heavy veining, Bay Blue does not have the acidic punch of Original Blue. The intensity is balanced, with a slight grittiness formed within the paste.     

Saenkanter Aged Gouda

Cuts like a rock, but far more delicious

Those of you who know my cheese affections will already know that Saenkanter is one of my go to's, as well as a great way to give a husband happy tummy. From a small dairy located in Northern Amsterdam, this gouda is aged for at least 4 years, developing those delectably crunchy calcium crystals and the intoxicating flavors of burnt caramel and brown mushrooms. 

Aged Brescianella

A stinky situation

If you desire to keep your relatives at bay, this smelly, oozy cheese is for you. Aged Brescianella is a Robiola (soft-ripened Italian) made in a Tallegio style (washed in brine), so it develops a sticky pinkish orange rind and an unctuous ivory interior. It's an interactive Dali painting tasting of braised tri-tip on a crusty loaf.

A Little Edumication

I apologize for the lack of blogging in past months, due to work, writer's block, lack of motivation, taxes, my newfound addiction to old episodes of "21 Jump Street"...  I shall try my damnedest to be a better blogger for you, and some recent turn of events will hopefully fuel that motivation - but more on that in the future.  Sooooo...in mid-April I made a trip out to Point Reyes Station for the first bi-annual Mollie Stone's Cheese Managers' meeting.  For those of you who don't know where Point Reyes is, it is here, tucked away between the lush forests and breezy coastline of West Marin.  The most direct way to get there is to take Sir Francis Drake Blvd from Highway 101, and what starts out as a main thoroughfare, turns into a two-lane road weaving its way around the hills of Marin County.  The morning was cool but sunny, the leftover fog hanging over the trees before burning off with the warming temperature - a perfect day for cheese tasting!

Everyone met at the Cowgirl Creamery in the center of town, which also includes a quaint cheese shop and cafe.  This was the first time all the Cheese Managers were together, so it was really nice to finally meet all the Cheese Ladies of Mollie Stone's.  We were here to learn about the cheeses and history of the Cowgirl Creamery, as well as the Marin French Cheese Company, Laura Chenel's Chevre and Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company - all lovely and local!  Now, each presentation was chock full of information to accompany the delicious tastings - so much that I will try to stick to the most intriguing facts.  If you'd like me to elaborate, send me an email or come into Mollie's and have a chat with me...I don't bite.

Cowgirl Creamery

The Cowgirl Creamery opened in 1997 by Peggy Smith and Sue Conley in Point Reyes Station.  To this day they still use organic milk from Straus Family Creamery to make their signature Mt. Tam and Red Hawk.  The Mt. Tam is modeled after St. Andre, but because the cheesemaker brought in to help with the development of the cheese was from the Netherlands, he wanted to create a gouda.  The result - a silky, bloomy rind triple cream with a firm center, made using the gouda method.


Their Red Hawk was a happy mistake.  One day, Sue had a batch of Mt. Tam where the mold (candidum) was not developing properly, so she reinoculated it by spraying the cheese with the mold culture.  Still, the mold was not doing what it was supposed to be doing.  Instead, it was taking on a pinkish hue.  She would later discover that this pinkness was created by B. linens, a bacteria strain special to the Point Reyes air.  Thus, the pungent, washed rind meatiness of the Red Hawk was born!

Clockwise from the cup of Cowgirl Creamery Creme Fraiche,
Cottage Cheese,  Mt. Tam,  and
Rustic Bakery Olive Oil & Sel Gris Flatbreads
covering up the St. Pat's and Red Hawk...oops.

Marin French Cheese Company

The Marin French Cheese Company was founded in 1865 by Jefferson Thompson, a native of Illinois who came out West to find some gold in them thare hills.  Well, when the Gold Rush hype died out (along with the gold), Thompson settled down in West Marin and started a dairy, creating fresh cheese to be shipped down to the saloons in San Francisco.  This cheese would later be known as their Breakfast Cheese, a soft, un-aged cow's milk cheese made with brie culture.  As demand increased, and to help support neighboring dairies, they purchased milk instead of milking their own heard, and completely focused their company on cheesemaking.  Now they have a variety of handmade cheeses, from the bloomy Brie & Camembert to the intensely pungent (and frankly, bacony tasting) Schloss.

Clockwise from bottom: Breakfast Cheese, Petit Dejeuner,
Brie, Triple Creme Brie,  Petit Creme,
Yellowbuck Camembert, Petit Bleu and Schloss in the middle. 

Laura Chenel

Laura Chenel's Chevre began in Sebastopol with a herd of goats and extra milk to make cheese with.  After traveling to France to learn their technique of goat cheesing, Laura came back to share her knowledge with the States - a fresh, creamy, tangy, well-balanced chevre.  Unlike many cheesemakers who sell in the retail market, Laura Chenel's Chevre made its name through caterers and restaurants - most notably, Chez Panisse.  In 2006, the company sold to the Rians Group, a French cheese corporation that controls a number of artisan dairies.  Many felt this transaction would negatively affect the quality of the chevre, but I have to say, in this recent tasting the quality is truly far from lacking...and I'm not a goat cheese fan.  In addition to the milk from the original herd, milk from local goat dairies (with the exception of two in Nevada) is also used.  This has certainly increased production, but has also made way for a couple aged cheeses - the Melodie and Tome.

Clockwise from top left: Plain Chevre, 4 Peppercorn Chevre,
Melodie and Tome.

Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company

The Giacomini Family had been selling the milk from their closed Holstein cow herd in 1959.  It wasn't until 2000 that Point Reyes Original Blue was created.  The idea was to make a cheese that none of their neighbors were making, and so became the raw, punchy blue that goes from udder to cheese vat within 12 hours.  Interestingly enough, this blue is not just organic, but also gluten free.  Typically, traditional blues are made with mold grown from wheat.  But with the magic of modern technology, penicilium roqueforti can be manufactured without the use stale bread.  In 2010, Original Blue got a sister - Point Reyes Toma, a semi-hard, buttery, slightly grassy cheese made in a gouda style.  This table cheese was meant to satisfy those non-blue fans, and it certainly did its job!

Toma on top and Blue on the bottom.

Fancy Food Show!

This morning the Store Manager gave me a nice surprise and let me play hooky to go visit the Fancy Food Show at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. So much cheese, so many sweets! What fun! Here are some pics of my adventure...it's only a fraction of what was there.

Cheese N' Sweet of the Week: Highway 1 and Athena's Silverland Desserts Sugar Free Double Chocolate Brownie

I just recently acquired a new local cheese named Highway 1, made by Valley Ford Cheese Company in Valley Ford, CA located off of...Highway 1.  My sales rep had described it as a Fontinella style cheese, but modeled after the Tomme De Savoie, and to some degree she was right.  It comes in a dusty brown six-pound wheel, so it looks like a large Tomme, but I have to say, the flavor and texture is far from a Fontinella...but consider that a good thing.  My exposure to most Fontals, Fontinas, Fontinellas, etc. has been mostly bland and uneventful, unless we're talking about the Val D'aosta, which is phenomenal...but I digress.  Highway 1 is a raw cow's milk cheese from Valley Ford's Jersey herd.  Aged for a minimum of 80 days, its paste is pale yellow dotted with small eyes.  It smells of butter and earth, with a dense, creamy mouthfeel.  The initial taste is sharp and tangy, mouthwatering with a bit of nuttiness and not too salty.  The flavor then morphs to a sort of artichoke/asparagus finish.  This is a fantastic table cheese - not only is the color contrast appealing to the eye, but the flavor is most definitely pleasing to the palate!

Highway 1 - Valley Ford Cheese Company, Valley Ford, CA

One day, Bernie, our resident Bakery Manager here at Mollie Stone's Sausalito, asked me to taste a brownie.  Now, ordinarily when asked to taste a brownie, I'm more than happy to oblige.  However, Bernie had a questionable look on her face, and when a co-worker asks me to taste something with a questionable look on their face, it's usually to confirm  that the particular foodstuff has gone the way of the Dodo.  Nonetheless, I tried the brownie...and was confused.  It tasted like a brownie - a very delicious fudgy brownie.  But the look on Bernie's face remained the same.

"What do you think?" she asked.

"It's good - it tastes like a brownie.  Why?"

"It's sugar free."

Ahhh...and now I knew.  Typically sugar free food tastes sugar free, thanks to a chemically film left behind in your mouth.  But this was not so - not with this brownie, which Bernie was glad I confirmed because she was hoping to use these brownies as a substitute for the real sugar brownies she was out of for a catering order.  Anyway, the brownie she bestowed upon me was Athena's Silverland Desserts Sugar Free Double Chocolate Brownie...whew.  It's dense and fudgy with melt in your mouth dark chocolatiness.  And the teeny tiny chocolate chips on top add a nice contrasting texture.  But the amazing element about this brownie is its freedom from sugar, yet the ability to taste full of sugar.  The secret is Maltitol, a sugar alcohol that has nearly the same sweetness and chemical properties of sucrose, but fewer calories and a lesser effect on blood glucose.  However, like most sugar substitutes, if consumed in larger quantities it will give you the runs.  But don't let that stop you from enjoying this truly decadent treat, just don't eat an entire case.

Athena's Silverland Desserts Sugar Free Double Chocolate Brownie, Forest Park, IL

Give Thanks for Cheese!

Why not add a little extra flavor to your Thanksgiving meal with some tasty cheeses!

Mashed Potatoes & Bellweather Farms Creme Fraiche

After mashing up your favorite tater recipe, mix in a few dollops of Creme Fraiche at the end.  Unlike gloopy sour cream, which can make your potatoes like a bucket of warm wallpaper paste, creme fraiche is lighter in texture and flavor.  The result will be velvety mashers with just a slight tang.

Green Beans & Emmi Cave Aged Gruyere

Instead of smothering your tender green beans in a french fried onion casserole, lightly saute them in olive oil, then toss in some shredded Cave Aged Gruyere.  It adds a nutty pop that's perfect for the cozy fall weather.  Be sure that it's aged gruyere too, otherwise you're just getting a boring ol' Swiss.  This also works for slightly caramelized brussel sprouts - yummy!

Cornbread Stuffing & Wisconsin 3-Year Aged Cheddar

Regular cornbread is pretty tasty topped with melted cheddar, so why not your stuffing?  The Wisconsin 3-Year Aged Cheddar had a nice sharp bite and melts evenly.  If you're baking in your bird, mix in the shredded cheddar with the stuffing before hand.  If your baking your stuffing in a separate dish, shred a layer of cheddar over the top.  Finish it off under the broiler for a minute or two to get a golden brown crust.

Apples or Pears with Point Reyes Blue Cheese

Here's a fantastic fall salad - crisp sliced apples or pears, toasted pecans and a sprinkling of Point Reyes Blue Cheese.  This blue crumbles well but is creamy on palate.  Plus, it doesn't have a strong acidic punch that many strong blues have.  Drizzle with a little honey and a couple squeezes of lemon juice, and you have sweet salty salad bliss!

Pumpkin Pie & BelGioiso Mascarpone

I love my pumpkin pie topped with billowy clouds of whipped cream, but if you're looking for something a bit more decadent, try a spoonful of Mascarpone on top.  Sweeten with a little sugar and cinnamon for an extra special treat.

Apple Pie & Ford Farm Coastal Cheddar

The Pelican Inn at Muir Beach serves the most delicious apple crisp with slices of sharp English cheddar, and it is fabulous!  So do yourself a favor - instead of topping that slice a warm apple pie with a blob of vanilla ice cream, serve it with small cuts of Ford Farm Coastal Cheddar.  This dry, sharp, salty cheese will cut through the sugary caramelized apple goodness.  It's truly a heavenly pair!

Cheese N' Sweet of the Week: Stracapra and La Panzanella Sweet Cinnamon Crisps

I am not a big fan of goat cheese.  I usually find it too gamey and barnyardy, but that's just me.  So when I find a goat cheese that I fall for, it must be really flipping awesome!  Stracapra, a semi-soft washed rind goat's milk cheese from Italy, has stolen my heart...for the time being.  It's made in a Tallegio style (another one of my favorites), formed in an 8-inch block, about 2 inches thick and washed in a brine while it's aged.  The result is not your typical pinky-orange rind, but a thin whitish-gray mold that encases a snow white paste.  Initially, the flavor is gamey, but it quickly turns to fresh salted butter with a hint of nuttiness at the end.  It's meaty and creamy on the palate, and the rind adds a desirable earthiness that shouldn't be ignored, even for rind haters.

This week's sweet is a package of La Panzanella Sweet Cinnamon Crisps.  Made in Washington, these crispy whole wheat flatbreads are sprinkled with a layer of cinnamon and turbinado sugar for a touch of sweetness and sparkle.  The texture is thin and crispy without being too delicate. They're perfect for breakfast or coffee in the morning, or a nice accompaniment for a creamy, mild breakfast cheese.  I like them because they're not over sugary, but satisfy that sudden sweet-tooth craving.

Cheese Abominations

A while back, a friend of mine Facebook posted one of the most vile recipes I have ever seen - Peanut Butter Cheese Fudge, courtesy of Paula Dean. After we Facebooked our disgust, I thought to myself, why does America continue to bastardize cheese? Just when things were starting to look up. Family run artisan dairies. Eclectic cheese and wine pairings. Additions of cheese courses after dessert. Sheep's milk. Then here comes Paula, dragging us back into the 1950's. And it's the 50's I blame for inhibiting America's cheese growth; this decade of cheap convenience and extended shelf lives.

We were given Velveeta, an artificially yellowed block of plasticine able to withstand a nuclear holocaust. And Cheez Whiz, it's liquified counterpart. Then there's spray cheese, for those who are too inept to handle a butter knife. Rubbery Squares of hermetically sealed Kraft Singles. Bags of shredded orangeness dusted with non-caking agents. Flavored spreads filled with guar or xanthan gum stabilizers. All of these fall under the category of Pasteurized Processed Cheese Food...if you want to call it food. And why? Because there's not enough cheese in the product for it to be technically labeled as cheese.

It is a daily battle of mine, convincing people (particularly those from older generations) to put down the "product" and pick up real cheese.  It's just better for the body.  People wonder why new food allergies have popped up, why obesity and diabetes have exploded within the population, why food borne illnesses are becoming more prevalent...it's because of our processing.  Nearly everything we eat goes through some sort of process, whether it's to keep bugs away or enhance it's edible desirability.  The result being a society raised on large amounts of fake food and accepting it as the norm.

The idea of going to your local market and simply shopping for tonight's dinner has become a novelty in America.  Farmer's Markets are events, not community staples.  It's all about how much you can get for spending as little as possible, which has made places like Target, Walmart and Costco thrive.  Don't get me wrong, Costco is great for things like socks and toilet paper, but not for food.

I have a regular customer who bought a huge chunk of Cambozola at Costco because it was cheaper there than buying it from me.  Financially understandable, but then she asked me why that Cambozola she bought was hard and chalky, while mine was smooth and creamy.  The answer is in the process.  Costco cheeses are bought in pallet deals, meaning the distributor cuts them a break for buying large amounts at a given time.  Because they're purchasing so much, the cheese is delivered before it's had a chance to ripen properly.  Sometimes it's even frozen (a big no no), which turns the aging process into the rotting process. So, you may get a great deal on a giant piece of cheese, but the quality will be severely lacking.  I told my customer to wrap the cheese in wax paper, leave it in a dry, cool part of her refrigerator, and hope that it will ripen with a little time.  Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, this did not work and she had to throw out the cheese.  She then told me when it comes to cheese, she will always purchase it from me.  It may cost more, but at least she'll be able to eat it!

So, there is hope.  Consumers are starting to read labels and question what ingredients are being added to their foods.  Despite the downturn of the economy, people are trying to buy fresh and local, even though it can be more costly and you may not yield as much.  But I feel this is a case where less really is more.  It has forced some manufacturers to discontinue using fillers such as hydrogenated soybean oil and high fructose corn syrup, even though it's for marketing purposes and not health reasons.  People are also falling in love with "organic", "local", "green", and "slow moving" foods, which is a great step in the right direction, but it's really just advertising for what is essentially the way food used to be.  Don't ask if it's "organic"...ask if it's real.