My husband, Doug, and I have shared a cheese board most nights of our married life—which is to say, for almost 38 years. It’s rarely elaborate—sometimes it’s just a wedge of cheese—but I’m convinced that the ritual has contributed to the success of our marriage. Sharing a cheese board is an excuse to slow down, pour another glass of wine and tell another story from our day. This Valentine’s Day, if you’re staying at home, you can test my theory. For this appetizer board, I’ve warmed a little goat cheese crottin (Vermont Creamery Bijou) and surrounded it with some favorite savory nibbles.
Read moreCrackers by You!
You may recall that I went crazy for these crackers last year. They’re from Top Seedz, a small company in Buffalo, New York. Many of you told me you bought some and found them as irresistible as I did. Now you can make them. At home. So they’re as fresh as can be. Top Seedz has developed a packaged mix for home bakers, and it really works. I made the crispy shards pictured above.
Read moreSticker Shock in a Good Way
We’re all experiencing sticker shock at the grocery store these days. Prices are nuts. Plus, we have December to pay for. So it’s a good time to prowl the cheese counter for selections that over-deliver for the price. Bargains do exist, and here are three that you ought to find easily. I’m so grateful to these producers for making cheese that we can enjoy and afford.
Read moreHappy Ending
What are you putting on your New Year’s Eve cheese board? My panforte, I hope. Thick with toasted nuts, dried fruit, cocoa and baking spices, it’s awesome with blue cheese. Or any cheese. Open a dessert wine, maybe an Italian vin santo or tawny port. Leftover panforte keeps forever, or so I’m told. If you’re a guest, take panforte with you. It’s easy to make, easy to wrap, and it doesn’t crumble. (The name means “strong bread,” after all.) Part fruitcake, part confection, panforte will make your holiday cheese board the star of the meal.
Read moreWhat Cream Cheese Emergency?
So New York delis have a cream cheese shortage. What more trauma does this pandemic have in store for us? The good news is, we have alternatives. Several other fresh cheeses can fill in for the schmear on your bagel. In fact, they’re tastier than Philly cream cheese. A lot tastier. They don’t have the gums that make Philadelphia cream cheese so…gummy. So go ahead and buy your bagels. Here are five great choices to go under the smoked salmon until we get this cream cheese situation resolved.
Read moreDo Good, Buy Cheese
Don’t you love it when you can do good by buying something you were going to buy anyway? Until the end of the year, the Whole Planet Foundation is donating a portion of its sales of Good Culture cottage cheese to fund microloans to entrepreneurs in impoverished communities around the globe. I had already fallen for this creamy cultured cottage cheese, but now I love it more.
Read moreFree Cheese Classes, Anyone?
Pour yourself a glass of wine, find a comfortable chair and join me for a deep dive into the world of cheese. Earlier this year, I wrote and narrated 10 lectures on cheese for Audible, and they have just been released. For now, you can download them at no cost and learn something new while you’re driving or on a long walk. Cultured: The Epic Story of Cheese delves into cheese history, cheesemaking, cheese styles, flavor and more. About five hours of delicious and, I hope, entertaining listening, which you should preferably undertake with a cheese board nearby.
Read moreChange It Up with Cheesy Bread Pudding
Of course I like cornbread dressing with roast turkey. What native Texan doesn’t? But I like this focaccia bread pudding more. The focaccia soaks up most of the custard, so it’s soft in the center but crunchy on top. I add sauteed leeks and wild mushrooms (crimini work fine) and a generous sprinkle of herbes de Provence. Creamy nuggets of goat cheese fill in the gaps. If you’re open to a newcomer on your Thanksgiving table, I hope you’ll give this luscious side dish a try.
Read moreOnly in America
Several years ago, a colleague came for dinner and brought me a seven-year-old cheese in a can. Do you say “thank you” for what seems like a gag gift? Was she suggesting that I might actually enjoy a cheese that’s packed in a tin like cheap tuna? Well, I did. And you will. If you want this uniquely American cheese for your Thanksgiving table, don’t delay. The shipping charge just dropped for most of the country, and the supply will sell out soon.
Read morePerfect Ploughman’s Lunch
I haven’t been in a pub in 18 months and am getting cranky about it. I want to sit at a counter and have someone serve me a beer. Maybe after my booster shot. In the meantime, I brought the pub to me. I had a nice wedge of Keen’s Cheddar (found it at Whole Foods) in the fridge and a fresh loaf of pain au levain. A neighbor had dropped off some heirloom eggs from her “girls.” And my husband’s latest batch of red onion pickles had cured the requisite week. I have no recollection of ever having had a ploughman’s lunch in a pub, but all the fixings were right in front of me.
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