{ Janet Fletcher / Food Writer }
Meg Smith Photography
The world of cheese is rich in colorful stories, questionable lore and, yes, alternative facts. Who knows what’s actually true and what’s just fun to imagine? Did Napoleon really slice off the top of a pyramidal cheese with his sword, inspiring the shape of Valençay? I’m going with it. But a few myths and misunderstandings about cheese really do deserve to die.
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Wow. Just wow. I am so impressed with this cheese. I tasted it when it first debuted about five years ago, but it is off-the-charts delicious now. Did I change or did the cheese? “It’s the same recipe,” says the cheesemaker, “but we have some really awesome milk now.” Hugely aromatic, supple and beautiful to boot. Put this on your summer cheese boards and wait for the raves.
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As a cheese enthusiast and blogger and the author of a yogurt cookbook, I’m never happy to see dairy foods get slammed. Cows have sustained us for millennia, yet they are increasingly under scrutiny for their role in climate change. The New York Times recently published a Q&A-style feature on the environmental impact of our food choices, and I’m sure the takeaway for many readers was, “Eat less cheese.” Some people will go further and ditch dairy foods entirely. I wondered how the many progressive dairy farmer/cheesemakers I know are grappling with these issues so I reached out to one of the industry’s wise men, Andy Hatch.
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With May on the horizon, it’s prime time for fresh sheep cheese. The ewes are back on the job after some winter R&R and they are giving their all right now. To manage the surge of spring milk, a few creameries produce a soft, rindless, spreadable sheep cheese that I vastly prefer to fresh chèvre. This category hardly existed a decade ago. Now your favorite cheese counter should have (or can get) at least one of these lovelies. Slathered on whole-grain toast, stuffed in pasta, dolloped on pizza…what an endlessly useful cheese.
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Parm by breed: (left to right) Bruna Alpina, Razza Reggiana, Bianca Modenese
One thing (among many) that I love about cheese is that you don’t have to spend a fortune to taste the gold standards. A cult Cabernet Sauvignon can cost more than a round-trip ticket to Europe, but anyone with ten dollars can get a sizeable taste of a cult cheese. And that’s what I would call the three Parmigiano Reggianos pictured above. They are costly, acclaimed, rare and sought after by in-the-know cheese fans. Are they more compelling than the everyday Parm you’ve been using? Well, it won’t cost you much to find out.
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My friend Joanne Weir, the television personality, came up with this genius idea for a spring riff on tomato and mozzarella salad. After all, it’s not tomato season. It’s asparagus, fava bean and pea season. So leave those mealy, flavorless red orbs for someone else and give your Caprese salad a fresh look for spring. What a light, simple salad for Easter and spring dinner parties to come. Thank you, Joanne!
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Whatever they are doing at Fromagerie P. Jacquin to make this gorgeous, glorious goat cheese, I wish they’d reveal it. Is it the Loire Valley microclimate or simply French savoir-faire? Maybe it’s the expertise that comes from making the same cheeses for 60 years. Whatever, this chèvre has it all: good looks, luscious texture, big mushroomy aroma. To be honest, I’m often disappointed by goat cheeses in this style—they can be chalky or dense and lacking in scent—but this beauty is a pure delight.
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Maybe it’s because my culinary roots are in France, but so many dishes sound better to me in French, or even Franglais. That’s certainly true of cake salé, my new favorite appetizer. I doubt I could interest you in a slice of salted cake, but you definitely want to try this warm, savory, crumbly, utterly addictive hors d’oeuvre. With the fresh rosés from last year’s harvest showing up in stores, this tender loaf makes an irresistible nibble.
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If you want a break from current events, imagine a peaceful nation whose citizens just want to get along, make friends and eat cheese. Such a place exists, if you can believe it, and it’s called Cheeselandia. I just learned about it and I have a passport already. If you like Wisconsin cheese, or at least want to know more about it, the border patrol will let you in.
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Topping my list of cheeses that deserve more love than they typically get: ricotta salata. With spring imminent and asparagus beckoning, this savory sheep cheese should be in your fridge. It’s so useful! I don’t snack on it—it’s not meant for that—but I do shave it in salads and grate it on pasta with spring vegetables or lamb. It loves asparagus, fava beans, peas, fennel, zucchini, beets. Basically, it’s ricotta with moisture removed so it will last longer.
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