The minute the guests are gone and the Thanksgiving dishes are done, my husband starts making another mess. We can’t go to bed until Doug’s turkey stock is on the stove. It bubbles, just barely, all night and is liquid gold by morning, intense and aromatic. You need great stock for Day-After-Thanksgiving Soup…
Read moreMake it a Cheesy Thanksgiving
From the Planet Cheese archives, these six recipes may inspire you to bring something new to the Thanksgiving table. At least that’s my hope. Most are portable, in case you’re a guest. For pre-dinner nibbling, set out a creamy goat cheese dip imbued with fried shallots—an elevated take on the sour-cream classic—or smoky pimento cheese, an unusual recipe from the baker who makes the Obamas’ Thanksgiving pies. For traditionalists, I’ve got the recipe for Zingerman’s famous pimento cheese, courtesy of the beloved Ann Arbor shop.
Read moreNew Blue for the Holidaze
A debut from Jasper Hill Farm is always newsworthy on Planet Cheese, but this recently launched blue could be a supernova. The Whole Foods monger who alerted me to it called it “lovely to say the least” and cradled the package in her arms like a baby. Even my husband enjoyed it, which, when it comes to blue cheese, is not a bet I ever make. It’s fruity, winey and moist, with an offbeat shape and novel packaging. Everything about this Vermont newcomer screams “holiday cheese boards.”
Read moreSuspect Arrested in Cheese Heist
Neal’s Yard Dairy’s sought-after cheeses include Colston Bassett Stilton (l) and Sparkenhoe Red Leicester
London’s Metropolitan Police have arrested a suspect in connection with the recent theft of nearly 50,000 pounds of fine British and Welsh cheese. Neal’s Yard Dairy, the esteemed retailer and exporter, reported the disappearance of the hefty wheels of Hafod, Westcombe Cheddar and Pitchfork Cheddar on October 21. The company had already paid the producers, so it faces a loss of about $390,000 even if the wheels are recovered.
Read moreDoesn’t Get Much Cheesier
Cheese and bread, all toasty, crusty and melty. Who doesn’t love that? I’m surprised that zuppa Gallurese has eluded my radar until now, given that the dish includes my two favorite food groups, and not much else. I watched an elderly Pasta Granny make this Sardinian specialty recently (never miss an episode of that YouTube cooking series) and then immediately started hunting for recipes. In the end, I merged methods from several Italian food authorities--including Lidia Bastianich and Katie Parla —to concoct a zuppa Gallurese with the bread and cheeses I like. Despite the name, the dish is much closer to bread pudding than to soup.
Read moreSwiss With a Twist
I don’t quite get it, but not everyone loves the same cheeses I do. Those beefy, concentrated alpine cheeses I adore can strike some folks as over the top. “Too much flavor” is one critique I’ve heard but could never imagine saying myself. If you tend to like cheeses that show a bit more restraint, this Swiss beauty may be for you. It’s a little younger than many comparable mountain cheeses, and while I don’t find it remotely lacking in aroma or flavor, it’s not as in-your-face as some.
Read moreConfessions of a Bargain Hunter
My husband and I spend way too much money trying to find inexpensive wines we like. Sometimes, after three $15 disappointments, I’ll think, “We could have bought a $45 wine.” Rummaging around for a bargain is often a false economy, and a recent endeavor with Cheddar reinforced this. My objective was to identify a few Cheddars that over-deliver for the price
Read moreKeeping it Raw
No longer raw: Buttermilk Blue from Roth Cheese
International Raw Milk Cheese Appreciation Day is Saturday, October 19. But as our former President might say, “So what?” If nothing else, the occasion is a reminder that the freedom to make and sell raw-milk cheese is not guaranteed. This election year, especially, we’re hyper-aware that laws can change and restrict or retract rights we’ve had forever.
Read moreGouda Enough for You?
Hootenanny from Goat Rodeo (left) and cumin-scented Dutch Leyden
I’ve often told others that the best way to find a good cheese is to ask the people behind the counter what they’re loving. The good mongers are sampling all day long and they know what’s in great shape. So when a local cheese merchant all but grabbed my arm recently to steer me to a new arrival she loved, how could I leave without some? And I’m in perfect agreement. This aged American Gouda is a sure-fire pleaser and a no-brainer for autumn cheese plates with apples and pears. For a slam-dunk pairing, open a malty Oktoberfest brew.
Read moreFreeze This Cheese
People often ask me whether they can freeze cheese. “Sure,” I reply. “But it won’t be the same when it thaws.” Putting cheese in the freezer is almost never a good idea—it alters the texture—although I can think of a couple of exceptions. If you like to stockpile Parmigiano Reggiano rinds for making broth or enhancing a pot of beans, by all means keep your collection in the freezer (although the rinds will also be fine in the fridge). But with the onset of autumn, I’m reminded of a little trick with frozen cheese that I learned from celebrity chef Michael Chiarello.
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