As most cheese lovers know, fabulous fromage does not come cheap and with good reason. The care, effort and timing that go into a single wheel of cheese can make the difference between a splendid table cheese and a complete disaster. For the most part, the cost per pound of cheese reflects that quality and care, but sometimes a cheese is so pricey even the most enthusiastic turophile has to ask why. One such cheese is the rare Blaui Geiss ringing in at $78.00 per six-inch wheel. Continue reading →
Happy National Cheese Lovers Day! Last year, The Mouse was pleasantly surprised to discover that there was a holiday just for fromagephiles to pay homage to the blessed curd. A full twenty-four hours to bask in the glow of some Basque or any cheese of choice. So, what’s a cheese lover to do when upon opening the refrigerator door on National Cheese Lovers Day and finds that the cheese safe is bare? Fear not, for The Mouse has a brief list of shops to help restock for the celebration. Continue reading →
Wishing you all a Happy Hanukkah! What cheese goes best with latkes? The mouse is thinking some Rush Creek Reserve. Let us all know what other cheeses will bless the table!
Harbison cheese with hand forged spoon from Beekman 1802
Making friends with your local cheesemongers has many advantages – one of which is getting the heads-up whenever a new wheel rolls into the shop. Lucky for this Mouse, I have managed to become pretty buddy-buddy with the mongers at Zingerman’s Deli in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Shawn and his crew are good for a call, and a few weeks ago, my phone range with exciting news of a new cheese from Jasper Hill Farm called Harbison. Knowing that anything from the folks at Jasper promises to be good eats, I headed over to Kerrytown to get a taste.
At first glance, I was a bit disappointed. It appeared to be just another spruce-bark-wrapped cheese similar to last year’s star fromage, which was also a spruce-bound cow’s milk creation called Rush Creek Reserve from Andy Hatch at the award-winning Upland Cheese Company. Could the Kehler brothers from Vermont really compete… or offer something different? The monger behind the counter told me to reserve my judgment until I tried it. Once again, my trust was not misplaced, as any initial disappointment vanished once I cracked open this earthy wheel of goodness.
Unlike the raw-milk wonder that is Rush Creek, Harbison is made with pasteurized cow milk, and the two-third of a pound wheel is aged a mere three to six weeks. Its intense aroma of wet leaves, fresh earth and mushrooms is a pleasant contrast to the sweet, beefy flavor with a hint of smoke. While spoonable, Harbison’s paste is a bit firmer than Rush Creek, yet it still has similar versatility, responding well to both table service and cooking (it’s a particularly rich and tasty treat when mixed in with boiled redskin potatoes).
Whether entertaining or just relaxing with the family, this is a great cheese to have on-hand this holiday season. I actually had both Harbison and Rush Creek on our board for Thanksgiving. They complemented one another quite well and we all gave thanks to the blessed cheesemongers in our lives.
Anthony Bourdain arguably has one of the best jobs on earth. He travels the globe, tastes indigenous cuisine, and is given access to places most of us can only dream of seeing. Bourdain’s job is not for the faint of heart or stomach, and his excursions can sometimes be downright dangerous (see No Reservations, Beirut 2006 , for example) but for the most part, Bourdain is rewarded with fantastic local fare and envy-inspiring experiences. This would be the case on his recent visit to France when Bourdain and fellow chef, Erik Ripert, dropped in at Marie-Anne Cantin, one of Paris’s most renowned cheese shops. Continue reading →
While my love of cheese is well known, beer and I have never been particularly good friends. Its taste, smell, and especially the effects it has on my brain after a few bottles has just never my thing. So when I got an invitation from the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board to attend a cheese and beer pairing at Pura Vida restaurant, I was a bit apprehensive. Was I really the best person to critique the beer offerings being presented by Cleveland’s own Great Lakes Brewing Company? For a chance to rub shoulders with the likes of special guest and Master Cheesemaker Sid Cook, I decided to chance it. Needless to say, I’m glad that I did.
It’s August and that means it’s National Goat Cheese Month, so what better way to celebrate than with a little goat cheese tasting! Chabichou and Charollais Affine, may look similar, but these tiny cylanders of goodness have some distinct personalities. Continue reading →
Congratulations to all the winners from this years’ American Cheese Society Conference. In case you missed it (like this mouse did…sadly) here is the list of winners:
While I have a bird name, Robin, I have always been more of a mouse. A House Mouse, that is. Cheese has been the one food I am never afraid of and I am always willing to taste whatever our local cheesemonger has to offer.
The House Mouse blog is a one-stop shop of cheese news, tastings, and fun factoids. Feel free to offer suggestions for new and exciting cheese finds!
So many #cheeses to chose, yet I feel I am missing something. An elusive, eclectic, rare #fromage just waiting to be gobbled up by the mouse 8 hours ago
