A Review Of Ile De France Brie

Brie is one of the most popular French cheeses and is known around the world. In France the best AOC Brie is made from unpasteurized cow milk however AOC certification has also been given to the pasteurized version. When in France always choose the unpasteurized Brie but here in the US we have no choice but to settle for the pasteurized version. However all is not lost in the taste department and several top quality brands of Brie can be found. A wheel of Brie will remain "alive" and continue to mature until it is first cut and then the aging or ripening will stop.

A young Brie will be a bit stiff but as it ripens the interior paste will continue to soften. Please note that a top quality ripe Brie will ooze or bulge but not run when it is cut (note the photo above). If the cheese is somewhat stiff it is most likely not quite ripe and will have a milder or bland flavor. A good ripe Brie is a delight to eat. Consuming Brie's bloomy white rind is always a personal choice but it is safe and enjoyable to eat. Brie melts well so it makes a nice addition to sandwiches or can be blended into soups.

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 Review: Ile De France Brie  is a factory made Brie  and commonly found in supermarkets. It is usually found in a younger state so if you purchase let it sit out at room temperature a few days before eating it. It has a VERY mild flavor and is missing all of the nuances that a quality Brie would contain. If it is sunken in or hard to the touch do not purchase it because these are signs it is past it's prime. Ile De France should be considered as an introduction to brie but I would chose one of the brands listed below as my starting point.

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 Best brands of Brie:  the imported Rouzaire brand of Fromage de Meaux Brie (Brie de Meaux)  is probably the best that is available here in the states followed by Rouzaire Brie Nangis, Chatelain Brie, Isigny Brie, Tour de Marze, and Bellerive Brie. We feel that you should treat yourself well, so buy the French imported brie instead of the factory made items found in the supermarket.

Wine Paring: Any assertive big French reds like Bordeaux or Burgundy will compliment a good brand of Brie.

Goat Cheese and Pasta Salad Recipe

This is a wonderful spring and summer recipe that can be used as a main course or as a side dish with an entree.

Prep time 15 min; cooking time 12 - 15 min; serves 6-8 as a main dish and 12-18 as a side dish

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Ingredients

1 16oz package of shell or spiral pasta
2 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
1 package (8oz) of crumbled or cubed fresh goat cheese
15 pitted and chopped Kalamata olives
6-8 chopped anchovy fillets (optional)

4 Tbsp of capers if not using the anchovy fillets

10 cleaned cherry tomatoes halved

Dressing

1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp of white wine vinegar
2 medium chopped garlic cloves
1/4 cup of chopped fresh basil
salt and black pepper to taste

Prep and Cooking

1) Mix dressing ingredients together in a glass container and keep refrigerated

2) Cook pasta as directed on package or until al dente. Drain well and then toss with 2 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil and let cool.

3) Transfer pasta to a large bowl then add cheese, olives, tomatoes and anchovies
or capers. Add the dressing and mix well. Cover and chill until serving time.

4) Garnish with basil before serving.

Wine paring: Serve with a Sancerre

You may want to try out this goat cheese recipe also:


http://aroundtheworldcheese.blogspot.com/2010/04/goat-cheese-with-orange-and-fennel.html  








   

Hirtenkase Cheese Recipe With Gnocchi And Broccoli Rabe

Here is a great recipe using Hirtenkase. We do not normally think of this as a melting cheese but it works wonderfully with this recipe especially because of its nutty contrast to the earthy broccoli rabe. This is a great hearty pasta dish that will please everyone.

Prep Time: 25 min. cooking time: 10 min. Serves 6

Ingredients

1 Bunch (1lb) Broccoli rabe cut into 1 inch pieces
1 package (1lb) of frozen potato gnocchi
1.2 cup of heavy cream
1/4 cup of chicken or vegetable broth
1 1/2 tsp. of grated lemon zest
1/4 tsp of black pepper
10oz or 2 12 cups of shredded or finely chopped Hirtekase cheese

Prep and Cooking

1) Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Generously butter a 1 1/2 quart shallow au gratin or baking dish

2) In a Dutch oven bring 4 quarts of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli rabe, return to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Add gnocchi and cook for 2 min (or as the package directs). Thoroughly drain the cooked broccoli rabe and gnocchi in a colander then empty it into the baking dish.

3) In a small bowl combine the cream, broth, lemon zest and pepper, stir this together. Pour the mixture over the contents of the baking dish. Then spread the Hirtenkase cheese evenly over the top.

4) Place the contents of the baking dish in the oven an bake for 10 min or until the contents start to bubble. Remove the dish from the oven and let it cool for 5 min. before serving.

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Wine Paring: serve this dish with a Chardonnay or Fume Blanc

How To Create Cheese Boards and Cheese Plates

Several customers have asked about the best way to arrange or set up cheese tasting parties or cheese plates for dinners. So I thought it would help many of our readers if we explained these topics on our blog. As I always note these are our opinions and are not meant to be the final word. I respect differing ideas or thoughts from the ones used here and encourage any comments or other insights to be expressed for the benefits of our readers. So here we go.

ALWAYS ALLOW YOUR CHEESES TO REACH ROOM TEMPERATURE BEFORE SERVING THEM.

Determine how many people will be served and what type of setting you will have( cheese course, wine and cheese tasting, cheeseboard or cheese plate). When this is determined it is easy to calculate the amount of cheese per person. Figure that for an appetizer or a tasting party a three cheese plate will account for about one ounce of each cheese per person for a six cheese setting cut these portions in half. For more substantial settings like a cheese course at dinner or a cheese board consider serving 2 to 2 1/2 ounces per cheese for each person. With these figures you should be able to calculate the amount of cheese to purchase, but you should always add at least and extra 1/2 lb to each of your cheese totals so that you will not be caught short. As the host you can enjoy any of the leftovers the next day.

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A cheese board or cheese plate is a collection of cheeses that are set out for the purposes of tasting and comparing or as an appetizer course. The cheese board should be composed of a minimum of three and a maximum of six cheeses arranged on a large serving area or plate. The reason for this is that the selection should be diverse enough to comprise cheeses of different countries, milks and textures( ie: soft, hard or semi-hard) but not too many to overwhelm the guests palates. The serving or presentation area should be large enough so that the cheeses do not touch each other or co-mingle while being handled, this will prevent mixing of the aromas and flavors. Precut small portions of each cheese and then let your guests cut their own portions.

The cheese plate is essentially the same idea except each diner is individually given a small portion of each cheese on his or her plate. For larger gatherings a serving plate with sliced cheese can be presented on each table and the diners can choose their own portions and cheeses. Try to cut the cheeses into interesting shapes such as wedges not just the usual cubes because this will add eye appeal to each plate. When serving cheese as a dinner course present only one or two precut selections and place them on each diners plate. Also be sure to provide your guests with two or three cheese condiments such as olives, fruit, nuts, fruit spreads or jams and of course crusty breads. Wines if offered should represent the same country and region as that of the cheeses.

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A wine and cheese tasting party should also contain a diverse selection (three to six types) of cheeses but each should be presented separately on its own plate or board. With this in mind we like to create a progression of cheeses to be sampled. This progression can be designed in many ways according to the theme of your party. What we mean here, as an example is suppose you are having a Spanish theme night then the focus would be on Spanish cheeses. So for this you could then choose Spanish cheeses from different types of milk like goat, cow and sheep, or by texture, soft, hard, semi-hard and fresh. The next part is to set up the tasting selections in the order of flavor starting with the mildest and working up to the most flavorful and complex. By doing this you will expose your guests to a series of differing flavors that will build upon each previous one. For instance start with a mild goat milk cheese like Murcia al Vino then move on to Idiazabal a smoked sheep cheese and finally Cabrales a strong blue cheese. When choosing by texture the type of milk is not important so once again go from fresh to soft to hard. You can choose only hard or soft cheeses but then again always go from mild flavor to strong flavor. As noted above, all of your selections should be on individual serving plates or boards. To make everything go a bit smoother precut each cheese into small wedges or cubes but leave a portion of each uncut, this will encourage your guests to cut larger portions of cheeses that they find enjoyable. Be sure to provide a separate knife for each cheese so that the flavors do not get mixed and muddied.

In a future post I will be discussing various cheese condiments and how they can be used to enhance your enjoyment of cheese so stay tuned or subscribe to my feed.

Hopefully all of this does not sound intimidating or seem to be too daunting a task. Just remember that anyone can create a wonderful table presentation with just a little thought and preparation. I suggest strongly that you find a good local or online cheese shop that is willing to help you with your plans and questions. They can provide an invaluable service to you and can make your party a success.