Until recently, I did not realize how ignorant I was about the vast array of delicious creamy cheeses from Maine. I was aware of the many different cheese producers in Vermont, like Jasper Hill Farm and the Cobb Hill cooperative. So, a few nights ago, I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered a soft handmade goat's milk cheese from Seal Cove Farm, a small goat dairy in Lamoine, Maine.
The flavors are exquisitely pristine with absolutely no sourness. The light fluffy texture slowly crumbles and melts on the palate. It's the perfect final course to be served at the end of a long meal. Alternatively, you can incorporate the cheese in various dishes to be served prior to your dessert, such as salads.
Visit Seal Cove Farm! This is the first American cheese that I've written about for Cheese Course. And, it's the beginning of a long list of unique local cheeses we can purchase on our own soil. I highly suggest visiting these dairies to learn about how these labor-intensive artisanal products are crafted. Seal Cove Farm is located north of Acadia National Park in Lamoine, Maine. Before visiting give them a call at 207-667-7127. Recommendations on where to purchase this cheese can be found after the jump.
Recently, I browsed through Monocle's "travel top fifty," and I was intrigued by no. 24: Sprüngli Luxemburgerli. These pastries are a take on the French macaron but are said to be lighter and more airy. I am dying to try them! Currently, you can only purchase them in Zurich and, of course, Dubai.
I could not find a recipe online. So, I'm not exactly sure what makes them lighter than their French counterparts. However, I found a blog that contrasts the two. The cream center makes Luxemburgerli more airy than French macarons which can have jelly, caramel, or ganache in the center. They're also much smaller than French macarons. They're about the size of a quail's egg.
Luxemburgerli were actually invented in France by Camille Studer in 1967, and then, they were brought to Zurich. The name went through several changes: Baiser de Mousse, Gëback des Luxemburgers, and finally Luxemburgerli ("little Luxemburger"). When it comes to purchasing these luscious buttery sweets, you should head to Sprüngli Confiserie.
Several weeks ago, I wrote about the many ways to savor sherry wine vinegar. Banyuls vinegar is like sherry wine vinegar's more refined and delicate French cousin. Like Port and sherry wine, Banyuls is a fortified wine which means that alcohol is added to it. Banyuls vinegar develops a walnut flavor, taste of gingerbread and vanilla, and aroma of fresh plums after being aged in wooden barrels for five years. It comes from the Pyrenees, close to Spain. Like sherry wine vinegar, it makes a great vinaigrette. Where can you find this vinegar? You can purchase the vinegar online from French Food Exports, Honest Foods, and Gourmet Food Store. A while ago, I bought my favorite bottle of this stuff from Formaggio Essex in NY.
Roquefort Vieux Berger has long been one of my favorite blue cheeses. The second you take a bite into this luscious blue, you taste a gritty sharp saltiness that mellows out and transforms into a sugary fruity flavor evoking the aroma of ripened dates, grapes, and apricots. The flavors are gorgeously well balanced and the texture is superbly thick and creamy. It's the best Roquefort that I have ever tasted, because it does not overwhelm the palate and leave an unpleasant strong aftertaste.
Like all Roqueforts, Vieux Berger is produced from raw sheep's milk. It's aged in damp caves found under the village of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, in southwestern France. Perhaps, its uniqueness can be attributed to the fact that it's the Roquefort produced on the smallest scale. Its name seems to pay tribute to the enduring tradition of shepherds leading their sheep on the the Causses, vast plateaux found in the Aveyron, near the village of Roquefort. "Vieux Berger" means "old shepherd."
How should one savor this sweet succulent blue? Besides enjoying it plain à la française, you can eat it on whole grain toast with a variety of different condiments. My favorite condiment to pair with Roquefort Vieux Berger is chestnut spread. You can even taste it with a bold chestnut honey. A mirabelle jam will bring out the cheese's fruitiness and minimize its saltiness. Suggestions on how to purchase this cheese can be found after the jump.
I first experienced the combination of hazelnut purée and dark honey at Slow Foods' cheese festival in Italy. The Piedmont region of Italy is known for its hazelnuts. You can find the most succulent rich hazelnut cakes and cookies. My favorite hazelnut concoction was hazelnut purée and dark honey. My first taste on toast brought about a dionysian state of gastronomical enchantment. The sweet nutty flavors and intensely smooth creamy buttery texture were all so overwhelmingly perfect!
When I returned from my trip, I looked all over NY for another hazelnut and honey mixture. And, I was surprised by the many shops that carried this delicious treat. Recently, Time Out New York had an article about one in particular from southern France called Avelline. This was probably my favorite one that I tried.
How does one enjoy hazelnut purée and dark honey? Besides eating it plain on toast, you can use it as a condiment with cheese. I suggest you pair it with Montgomery's farmhouse cheddar or Stilton Colston Bassett. You can even pair it with a variety of nutty pecorinos.
While I pride myself on my willingness to accept a weird culinary challenge, this trait has led me to put more than a few strange things into my mouth. Codfish pancakes? No problem! Raw fish in Tijuana? Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. Scorpion vodka? Slightly chitinous tasting, but it did the job. Rendered pork fat on toast? Well, once was enough...
Recently, however, an Asylum post about weird ice creams made me realize that there might be limits to what I'm willing to consume. Forget red bean ice cream and wasabi sorbet; those are just the table stakes, the bare minimum that you need to get through the door of bizarre frozen desserts. For something really different, try bacon and egg ice cream from The Fat Duck, a British restaurant. If that doesn't float your boat, how about a frozen dessert made from horse flesh, or perhaps a nice bowl of Japanese ox tongue ice cream? If you're in the mood for something a little more savory, there's always Rosa Mexicano's Tomato Habañero sorbet or their avocado, strawberry and white chocolate ice cream!
Okay, I'll admit it: I might be going down to Rosa Mexicano to try a few of these out. After all, the place has never failed me before and there are few culinary horrors that can't be rectified by the addition of a pomegranate margarita. That having been said, it'll take more than a couple of glasses of sake to put a double scoop of frozen ox tongue anywhere near my mouth!
This past Saturday's New York Times had an intriguing article on how Whole Foods is trying to overcome its nickname, Whole Paycheck. Considering the high food prices sweeping the entire nation, this attempt is crucial for the company's survival. Since its financial peak in 2006, Whole Foods' stock has dropped more than 70 percent. The market for organic foods and specialty foods is in trouble.
A report from TNS Retail Forward produced a survey last month that shows that 20 percent of shoppers have altered where they purchase groceries because of the economy. To make matters worse for Whole Foods, market researching firms, like the Hartman Group, say that consumers are less interested in organic foods.
In this current economic environment, what is Whole Foods doing to change its image as an overpriced grocery store?
Offering more discounts
Increasing lower-priced store brands
Advertising products they sell at a good value
Organizing budget-focused store tours
Do you think Whole Foods will be able to suppress its nickname Whole Paycheck?
I am on a buffalo milk cheese kick. It started last week with Burrata. This week, I tried a firm buffalo milk aged ricotta-style cheese called Barilotto. This one is all about its subtleties. It's similar to Ricotta Salata, an aged sheep's milk ricotta that is lightly salted. Unlike the Ricotta Salata, it's not nearly as salty. Instead, Barilotto leaves your mouth with a deep sweet flavor.
Barilotto, like Calcagno, is aged in southern Italy, in Campania at Casa Madaio. It's salted and pressed to release its moisture. The clean taste of this cheese seems to melt extra slowly on the palate. If you're eating this cheese for the first time, I recommend that you first try it alone or with a dry white wine. Bariltto can give your dish that extra je ne sais quoi. It's particularly delicious added to a fennel and arugula salad. You can also have it in a watermelon, basil, and pine nut salad.
Where does one find this unique cheese ingredient? NY cheese shops, such as Formaggio Essex and The Bedford Cheese Shop, carry it. It's available at restaurants nationwide. Ask your local cheese monger!
Last week, I wrote a post asking why I cannot find decent macarons in the United States. Apparently, I'm not looking hard enough. Comments from all over the country revealed people's favorite shops where they buy them. Although I have not yet tried the macarons at all these places, I thought it would be useful to create a U.S. macaron directory.
So far, it looks like most of these places are located in California. Feel free to comment with new shops to add to the directory! Columbus, Ohio: Becke recommends Pistacia Vera at 541 south third street. Try their salted caramel macarons. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Ann suggests that we try the macarons at 316 North Milwaukee St., at Harlequin Bakery.
New York, New York: To think that in my own city I failed to discover Macaron Café which is just around the corner from my mother's office at 161 west 36th street, just off 7th avenue. Thanks Tom Avel for letting us know about this shop. Kat Kinsman enjoyed the macarons from Alain Ducasse's Adour at the St. Regis hotel. Yountville, California: Although I did not care for Thomas Keller's macarons at Buchon Bakery in NY, Kelly enjoyed them at Keller's Buchon in Yountville at 6534 Washington st.
San Francisco, California:Verena suggests Boulangerie at 2325 Pine Street. Ivan claims that Tartine Bakery at 600 Guerreo St., by 18th street, is the place to buy macarons. Mathew points out another shop located at the Ferry Building Marketplace, shop No. 10 - Miette.
Berkeley, California: Verena also reccomends Masse's Pastries at 1469 Shattuck Ave.
Los Angeles, California: Jon raves about the macarons at Boule located at 408 N. Cienga Blvd and at 413 N. Bedford Drive in Beverly Hills.
Beverly Hills, California: Apart from Boule's Beverly Hills location, you can stroll into Paulette at 9466 Charleville Blvd. If you're not in Beverly Hills, you can order from them online. That's what John did.
When purchasing an artisanal extra virgin olive oil, people tell me completely different ways to store it. While some urge me to refrigerate it, others argue that refrigeration spoils the oil's flavor.
There are some people who it is just plain good to know. When you're in college, for example, the guy with a truck is incredibly helpful, and when you go in to business, the understanding accountant and the slightly unethical lawyer are almost necessities.
A few years ago, my friend John became one of these fabulously helpful people. A lifelong resident of southwest Virginia and a trained chemist, John had a skill set that was uniquely wonderful: he knew how to get hold of moonshine, and he knew how to test it for impurities. While the grain liquor (or "likker," if you prefer) that I got from John wasn't all that cheap, it was completely flavorless, and I soon discovered that it made the perfect carrier for various fruits. Within a couple of months, I had a collection of incredibly delicious infused cordials that I would mix with seltzer or tonic water to produce light, moderately alcoholic spritzers with insanely pure tastes.
I first encountered Burrata during a trip to one of Genoa's oldest markets - Mercato Orientale. When I sliced into Burrata a luscious cream slowly oozed out from the center. The cream tasted slightly like a fresh ricotta. I spread the cheese over crusty bread and drizzled olive oil over it. Burrata is essentially a creamy spreadable buffalo milk mozzarella. In Italian, the name "Burrata" means "buttered." Unlike Mozzarella, Burrata's center is filled with cooked Italian cream.
Burrata is produced in the southeastern region of Italy, called Puglia. It was not until 1920 that this rich smooth cheese was invented. By the 1950s, the production of Burrata increased. This probably had to do with the fact that the cheese recycles leftover pieces of mozzarella. During the cheese making process, Burrata is formed into a pouch that is filled with scraps of leftover mozzarella and topped off with fresh cream. Traditionally, the cheese would be wrapped in asphodel leaves. The leaves serve as indicators to the freshness of the cheese. As long as the leaves are green, the cheese is still fresh. Today, the cheese is not always wrapped in these leaves.
Unfortunately, Burrata is not easy to find in the United States. This has to do with its fragility and freshness. In Italy, Burrata is typically eaten just a few days old. It does not have a long shelf life. So, the pouches of this cheese that you find in the U.S. are normally flown into the country. I am skeptical about purchasing the cheese from online vendors. I would suggest that you buy it from a cheese monger who you trust will tell you when the cheese arrived. Continue reading to find out how it can be the perfect summer treat.
Gourmet's Ian Knauer has bacon on the brain ever since a fateful foray into one of Greenpoint, Brooklyn's omnipresent Polish groceries. The specimen in question is double-smoked, non-brine injected belly meat, has roots in the former Eastern Prussia, and is sold in Germany as Geräucherter Speck. Looks insanely delicious, no?
Mr. Knauer is also pretty certain that one's personal selection thereof over all other bacon formats is a potential indicator of, well, he's not entirely certain, but if nothing else, this meat-based emotional indexing is a lot yummier than the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator or the MMPI. Mmmm...delicious psychological profiling.
I was walking on Broadway the other day, and I was nearly side-swiped by a peddling man, swerving in a red buggy. Obviously, it was a cheese delivery man.
Artisanal Premium Cheese recently launched their "Same Day Rickshaw Delivery" service in Manhattan, offering patrons between 34th and 63rd streets a 5pm delivery of an assortment of cheeses. Artisanal paired with Revolution Rickshaws (those lanky bicyclists in Central Park who offer romantic carriage rides) to add a little flavor to the service. Why they specifically choose a 29 block radius for cheese delivery? Well, its considered their "initial kick-off" phase, but I'm hoping for a complete expansion. I'm sure the cheese gets prime-time refrigeratory treatment, and the the site does say "Rickshaw Revolution will start peddling your way", so Ill be patiently waiting in my downtown apartment for the Rickshaw Celebration Collection.
I must admit, I'm fantasizing about owning one of those rickshaws. Can you imagine how popular I would be if my mobile bumper sticker said professional cheese delivery?
Until recently, I did not realize how ignorant I was about the vast array of delicious creamy cheeses from Maine. I was aware of the many different cheese producers in Vermont, like Jasper Hill Farm and the Cobb Hill cooperative. So, a few nights ago, I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered a soft handmade goat's milk cheese from Seal Cove Farm, a small goat dairy in Lamoine, Maine. 
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While I pride myself on my willingness to accept a weird culinary challenge, this trait has led me to put more than a few strange things into my mouth. Codfish pancakes? No problem! Raw fish in Tijuana? Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. Scorpion vodka? Slightly chitinous tasting, but it did the job. Rendered pork fat on toast? Well, once was enough...
Can't make it to the Olympics this year? Go for some authentic .jpg)
There are some people who it is just plain good to know. When you're in college, for example, the guy with a truck is incredibly helpful, and when you go in to business, the understanding accountant and the slightly unethical lawyer are almost necessities. 
I was walking on Broadway the other day, and I was nearly side-swiped by a peddling man, swerving in a red buggy. Obviously, it was a cheese delivery man.
Chocolate-stuffed bananas on the grill
Tyler Florence welcomes new daughter
Beware kids' menus!
