A recent Washington Post feature ranking the healthfulness of different cheeses made me more than a little cranky. I’m no nutritionist, but I knew some of the claims were not accurate. Others I suspected were not supported by science or at the least misleading. And the whole premise of the story seemed misguided. Unless you’re eating massive amounts, does it really matter to your long-term health whether you choose mozzarella or Cheddar? Life is better with both.
Read moreLate to the Party
Photo: Krys Mandilag/KM Design & Photography
My first cheese-meets-bourbon class was a big hit—at least with me. I don’t know what the attendees thought, but I was blown away by the pairings. Wine and beer are the go-to beverages chez moi, and I can pair them with cheese in my sleep. But this was my maiden voyage with bourbon and cheese. It will not be the last. So many “wow” moments.
Read moreTeleme in Trouble
Photo: Sara Remington
One of California’s iconic cheeses is in danger of extinction. Lights out. No more. Franklin’s Teleme has already been MIA since late last year, when Franklin Peluso reluctantly ceased making his supple cow’s milk classic, a former American Cheese Society Best of Show. The 74-year-old cheesemaker, whose grandfather devised the original recipe, has been trying to revive production ever since, with no luck.
Read moreSmall but Mighty
Italian tradition. Canadian milk. American persistence. Calabro Cheese’s ricotta di bufala required input from three countries and a decade of effort before the Connecticut company had a viable product. The cheese now has earned multiple ribbons from the American Cheese Society and is poised for takeoff. Like other water-buffalo cheeses, Calabro ricotta di bufala is not inexpensive (I paid $3.49 for a four-ounce basket), but if successful, it may persuade others to ponder the potential for water buffalo in the U.S. We can hope.
Read more100 Percent Tariff on Cheese?
Tariff targets: Bleu 1924, Gouda, Manchego
It’s no joke. The U.S. is threatening to slap a 100 percent tariff on European Union cheeses, and importers say the decision could come as early as next week. Brace yourself to pay double for Parmigiano-Reggiano, your holiday Stilton and Gouda. The targeted cheeses include most of what we get from France, Italy, Spain and the U.K. Importers and retailers are justifiably frantic. How can they place orders, print catalogs, run a business with such uncertainty? You can’t stockpile Brie.
Read moreIt’s a First
Last weekend’s American Cheese Society competition produced only one Best of Show, of course, but multiple firsts. For the first time, a blue ribbon went to a 15-year-old, who won her category and then placed third overall. For the first time, the first- and second-place cheeses were made by the same person. (Amazing, no?) For the first time, two of the top three entries were private-label cheeses matured by a retailer. And I suspect it’s the first time in the competition’s long history that all three top winners are newcomers, with none more than three years old.
Read moreRind by Design
For me, the standout cheese at last year’s American Cheese Society competition was a new hay-covered Vermont beauty named Calderwood. Entering for the first time, Calderwood placed second in a field of 1,800 entries. An auspicious debut, but frustrating for its new fans because almost nobody could get the cheese. One year later, distribution has improved; I have a big piece in my kitchen. (We’ll taste it in my upcoming cheese and beer class.) And I’m headed for this year’s ACS conference in Richmond, VA, where we’ll see if lightning strikes twice for Calderwood.
Read moreExpert’s Take on Storing Cheese
I’ve been hectoring consumers for a long time about storing cheese properly at home. Make sure it can breathe. But don’t let it dry out. Do this, not that. People would ask whether they needed to buy fancy cheese paper or invest in a cheese vault, and being gadget-averse myself, I always said no. You can provide suitable storage for cheese with materials at hand, I told them. But then I spoke at length to Mark Goldman, owner of Formaticum, the cheese-paper company, and our chat has me rethinking my methods. I’ve edited the conversation for length and clarity but here’s the gist of it:
Read moreGetting Angry
Penne all’arrabbiata (“angry” pasta) relies on a simple tomato sauce made fiery with dried red chilies. Garlic is permitted; cheese is frowned on. Being a cheese person, I ignore that and reach for the pecorino. When a sample of Laura Chenel’s Spicy Cabecou landed on my doorstep the other day, I thought of another way to make pasta angry. Garden tomatoes and basil, good olive oil, capers, nuggets of cabecou…such an easy no-cook sauce for hot pasta.
Read moreA New Blue to Love
A new blue cheese made with goat’s milk is cause for rejoicing. There are so few. This beauty, from Andalusia, was the region’s first goat blue when it debuted in 2012. Andalusia produces a lot of goat cheese but nothing remotely like this. The innovator? A spunky young woman who married into a cheesemaking family and wasn’t afraid to challenge tradition.
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