Sometimes it seems like my brain is at capacity. If a new cheese name goes in, another one gets pushed out. In last week’s post about great French Basque cheeses, I inadvertently omitted the newcomer that got me thinking about Pyrenees cheese in the first place. Former cheesemonger Steve Jones alerted me to Tomme per Diou, and there aren’t many cheese people I trust more. I can’t wait to share this raw-milk wheel in my classes (which reminds me: the 2024 World Cheese Tour class schedule is online) and to see more retailers stocking it.
Read moreBuzziest Creamery in America
Top: Linedeline (left) and Shabby Shoe; bottom (l to r): Sunny Ridge, Afterglow and St. Germain
In last week’s post, I polled retailers around the country about their favorite new American cheeses. Laura Downey, who owns the Greenwich Cheese Shop and Fairfield Cheese Shop in Connecticut, replied immediately. “Veronica Pedraza is making some of the best cheese in the U.S. at the moment,” wrote Downey. Wow. I’ve written about Pedraza before but not since her latest career move: to a new goat farm and creamery in Wisconsin, where she has creative freedom and an employer with deep pockets. Time for an update on this rock-star cheesemaker and what seems like the “buzziest” creamery in America.
Read moreGoat Cheese for the Big Leagues
Gran Capra—"big goat cheese”—is certainly that. You rarely see goat cheeses in large formats, nothing close to an 80-pound Parmigiano Reggiano or Gruyère. But “rarely” doesn’t mean never, and here’s proof that hefty goat cheeses are technically possible. Weighing in at about 50 pounds, this one may well be in a league of its own and, flavorwise, I can’t think of another cheese quite like it. Some shoppers may look at Gran Capra and see a grating cheese—an alternative to Parmigiano for people with cow’s milk allergy or intolerance—but I view it as a compelling table cheese, especially with a few drops of fine balsamic vinegar.
Read moreRobiola Roundup
I can usually tell which cheese will be the People’s Choice in my classes. If there’s a squishy one—like the newcomer here—it will almost certainly come out on top. Everyone loves creamy, and while I lean toward harder cheeses myself, who wouldn’t fall for this sexy thing? It would be a head-turner on any cheese board, and before it hits the table it will totally stink up your fridge. In a good way.
Read moreNew Kid on the Block
Does the world need another truffled cheese? Well, maybe this one. It’s Spanish, from goat’s milk, and new on the scene—just in time to add some love to your Valentine’s cheese board. Try it shaved—it feels like a silk handkerchief. Grate it for fondue, happy hour panini or asparagus risotto. A truffled cheese omelet speaks to me, needless to say. Truffles, bubbles and cheese—that’s my love language.
Read moreSecond Time Around
This focaccia bread pudding with mushrooms and goat cheese got good reviews from [ital] Planet Cheese [end ital] readers last year so I’m bringing it back for an encore. If you’re ready to change up your Thanksgiving dressing, or need a vegetarian alternative, please give it an audition. It’s crusty and custardy, with soft nuggets of goat cheese, sweet leeks and toasty bits on top.
Read moreBig Win for a Glorious Goat Cheese
I am overjoyed to see aged goat cheese getting more attention from America’s cheesemakers. Personally, I can’t work up much enthusiasm for another fresh, rindless chèvre—we have plenty of those—but a new firm, nutty goat cheese with a natural rind, made in the U.S.A., gives us more choice in a slender category. The blue ribbon-winning beauty pictured above isn’t new—it debuted maybe 10 years ago—but it’s tasting better than ever. And I am noticing a few more entries in this slim niche. Many people tell me they don’t like goat cheese, but in my experience, everybody likes this type.
Read moreThe Magic Touch of Hervé Mons
After years of disappointing encounters, I stopped buying Camembert and Tomme de Savoie. The French Camembert sold in the U.S. always tasted lifeless to me. The Tomme was often stale or cardboardy. My wonderful taste memories from France did not jibe with the sorry specimens I was finding at American cheese counters. But then came Mons. Thanks to French affineur Hervé Mons and his team, we’re getting superb versions of these two classic cheeses, and others as well. In anticipation of Bastille Day, I assembled an all-Mons cheese board. So much deliciousness on one tray! Then I reached out to Fromagerie Mons to see if they could explain his magic touch.
Read moreSummer of Chèvre
A creamy goat cheese coated with sweet paprika, shallots and garlic, Fleur Soleil is my new summer crush. With a bottle of rosé, a fresh baguette and a salad, there’s lunch. Or dinner. Or a picnic. I could eat this dreamy cheese all day long. The texture is almost fluffy, and the seasoning is bold but not overdone. Just in time to pair with summer tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant and peppers.
Read moreTop-Value Cheeses for Tight Times
Left to right: Piave Vecchio, Taleggio, La Dama Sagrada, Point Reyes Toma, Bleu d’Auvergne
Seems like everything’s going up but the stock market. My neighborhood bakery just hiked the price of my favorite loaf by 33 percent. Ouch. That’s serious inflation. Cheese is hardly immune, and the stresses in the grain market guarantee more sticker shock to come. We cheese lovers just have to shop smarter. The values are out there. I’ve rounded up a few well-priced favorites for these inflationary times. There aren’t many cheeses that make me think “Is that all?” when I see what I’ve spent, but these dozen do.
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