Spanish Murcia al Vino Cheese

Murcia al Vino is produced in the hot and dry Murcia region in southeastern Spain. This goat cheese was granted Denominations of Origin Certification in July of 2001. The Murciano-Granadina goat is indigenous here and is perfectly suited to the demanding Mediterranean environment and is considered to be Spain's best milk producing breed. The sheppards allow their herds to migrate and graze on grass, shrubs and wild herbs as the seasons progress, and in turn the goats produce a sweet, protein rich milk that is used to make cheese.

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Details: Murcia al Vino is a pasteurized but not cooked, pressed, semi-soft cheese. After the cheese has been pressed and allowed to dry it is immersed in local Murcian wine and aged for about 75 days. Since it is immersed in wine it has come to be known as the "Drunken Goat" cheese, so if you hear this name you will know that it is Murcia al Vino. This is technically a washed rind cheese but it does not have an overpowering aroma and has a very low stink rating. The wine bath imparts its flavor and burgundy color to the outer rind thus producing a distinctive and colorful cheese with a fruity scent of wine. The rind of this cheese is edible and once cut will reveal a bone white interior paste.

Tasting: The flavor of Murcia al Vino has a hint of salt a slight acidic tang and a hint of wine but not an overt goaty taste. Overall this is a mild cheese that is not really complex but it will reward your palate. Murcia al Vino has a low fat content of 45%.

When shopping for a fresh cut of  Murcia al Vino look for a burgundy colored rind that is not cracked or shows other signs of age. There should not be any mold on the outer rind or on the interior paste. If the interior paste looks dry or that it is turning yellow avoid it as this will indicate that it is past its prime. A convenient way to purchase this cheese is in pre-wrapped 12oz mini-wheels. Normally we like to advocate fresh cut cheeses but this convenient size and package provides an ample portion of cheese. Also a wedge cut mini-wheel makes a colorful addition to a cheese board or cheese plate.

Serving Murcia al Vino can be sliced onto your favorite sandwich or shaved into salads to add an interesting new flavor and a distinctive color.

Wine pairing: Spanish reds like Rioja or Riberia del Duero or other fruity Spanish reds and whites.

Swiss Vacherin Fribourgeois Cheese

Vacherin Fribourgeois is a Swiss mountain style cheese that is produced in the canton of Fribourg. As with all Swiss mountain cheeses the milk comes from cows that graze on Alpine grass and wild flowers throughout the late spring and summer. This pure grazing method allows the cows to produce sweeter milk. As summer turns to early fall the cows are brought down to lower pastures to graze on grass and summer hay. No other type of silage is fed to dairy cows during the winter except alpine and low meadow hay. This is the traditional method of dairy production, which continues today, and it has been producing magnificent mountain style cheese for centuries.

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Details: Vacherin is a raw cow's milk semi-firm cheese that has been lightly pressed and aged for three to four months. It is closely related to Italian Fontina Val d'Aosta but its curd is not cooked. Vacherin has an inedible natural brushed and washed rind that has a moderate stink factor, however the aroma is neither overpowering nor offensive. The interior paste has a straw color and may have small holes throughout and a buttery texture. It has a pleasant nutty flavor that lasts in your mouth.

When buying Vacherin Fribourgeois look for a light brown rind that is semi-soft but not mushy. The top of the rind may have a very thin paper label attached. A hard rind indicates dryness and should be avoided. An unhealthy odor of rot and a grayish tinge to the paste are also telltale signs of over ripeness.

Vacherin is a great substitute for French Raclette when having fondue. Use it melted as the cheese covering on onion soup. This is a great melting cheese so try using it in place of your usual Swiss cheese on grilled sandwiches, gratins, potatoes or over steamed vegetables. Also serve it cubed with salads or with fresh sliced apples or pears as a dessert course. It is wonderful as a table cheese paired with crusty bread and wine. Remember that the rind is inedible so remove it before serving or grilling

Wine parings: Any big and bold reds like Burgundy, Bordeaux or reds from the Rhone Valley in France.

Tips On Shopping For Cheese Locally And Online

When shopping for cheese most people head to their local supermarkets or even worse to the nearest convenience store. The supermarkets will usually have unattended cheese departments carrying all the obvious tried and true cheeses like plain Swiss, Mozzarella, several Cheddars, tasteless and lifeless factory-made Brie and a few goat cheeses. A few large gourmet stores, like Whole Foods, have large cheese departments with some interesting and unusual cheeses that they will cut fresh and usually an assortment of precut cheeses. While precut cheeses may add to the ease of shopping who really knows how long ago, they were cut. When buying any cheese, you should always have it cut fresh for you while you wait.

So, where should I go to find gourmet cheese? Well my answer is to invest a bit of time and locate your local cheese shops. Small shops often offer gourmet products that are fresh and exciting and can provide a personal level of service that supermarkets cannot or will not. Try to find several shops if you can because each owner or manager may specialize in the cheeses from a particular country or countries or he (she) may concentrate on finding exciting artisanal and farmstead cheeses. The benefits of this well invested time will manifest in many wonderful ways and will most likely open up new avenues of discovery for you. It will also be a way to interact with a local merchant who will have a vested interest in helping you find what you are looking for. Shopping locally is also good for the environment and your town's economy.

Once you have located your local gourmet cheese shop snoop around in it and notice everything you can. The shop itself should be clean and well ordered. Does it also carry an assortment of condiments, crackers and other cheese related products? The point here is that ideally you want to be able to find what you need or want in one location. Does it smell like a cheese shop? This may sound like a silly question but there should be an earthy, cheese aroma in the air to stimulate your taste buds! Are the weighing scales easy to see and are they clean, do the refrigerated cases look clean and orderly, do the cheeses in the cases look fresh? If your local shop passes these quick looks you have possibly found a new treasure chest of flavor. If the shop owner or the sales staff is not too busy engage them by asking a few of the questions you may have. Do they seem to be knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the store and it's products? A honest retailer will admit to not knowing the answer to a question and will offer to research it for you. If the staff seems bored or annoyed by your questions this is a bad sign and you may have a bad experience there. Also, when looking for cheese do not be afraid to ask for a small sample to taste. A verbal description is always subjective and your purchase may not turn out to be what you like or expected. Ideally, the salesperson should offer a sample before you ask for it, any good cheese shop will be happy to offer samples of their cheeses for you to taste. If these simple things seem to be a problem or if the store has a no sample policy find another store to shop in because you will most likely be disappointed with your purchases.

Shopping for gourmet cheese should not be a harrowing or daunting process. Ask questions, seek information and help from your retailer. Over time he or she will come to know your likes and dislikes and will be able to introduce you new cheeses that will fall into your comfort zone. Who knows you may begin to live on the edge and experiment with goat cheeses like goat Gouda and goat Brie and sheep milk cheeses like Idiazabal and Ossay-Iraty. Planning a dinner party with a cheese course or wine and cheese tasting party will be less work intensive and more rewarding if you build up a good relationship with your local shop.

I would like to mention a few things about buying cheese online if this is your preferred method of shopping, although as stated above I prefer the human interaction. Obviously you will not be able to sample or see the cheeses before you pay for them, so initially it will be trial and error. A good online retailer will give accurate information about his products and prices. Please remember price does not always indicate quality. There should be a quick response to any questions regarding the quality or appearance of the cheese that has been purchased. You, the customer are putting your faith and trust in the online retailer and for that you should be treated with respect and fairness. Any good business person should realize that an unsatisfied customer is a one time customer and will tell everyone about their bad online experience. There are many online cheese retailers that offer quality products and shopping online can be a rewarding and exciting adventure. 

When you find an online or local retailer that you like and trust stay with them and buy with confidence.

Taleggio Cheese Bries' New Competitor

Taleggio is a soft pressed, washed rind cow milk cheese form the Lombardy region of northern Italy. It is made from both lightly pasteurized and raw milk, unfortunately the U.S. FDA will not allow the raw milk version to be imported into to the country because it is aged for only 40 days. Taleggio has been given DOP certification which insures the quality of the cheese and the methods of its production. Luckily the Taleggio that is imported to the US is DOP certified and usually comes from the semi- Alpine Valtellina area in the northern part of Lombardy. Here the cheese is produced in small batches by several commercial cheese companies. Thankfully this great  cheese is getting easier to find in the US. If you are looking for a great new cheese to try Taleggio is a good substitute for Brie.

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 Details and Flavor: Taleggio can vary in flavor and the consistency of its inner paste. When it is young (about 40-50 days) it will be fruity and mildly salty with a firm white interior, but as it matures it will become softer ( almost oozy) and will have a beefy buttery flavor with hints of nuts and just a hint of salt. Taleggio has a minimum fat content of 48%. The consistency of a ripe or mature Taleggio is almost like that of a ripe Brie where it bulges but does not get runny. 

 This is a brine washed rind cheese so it will be a "stinky cheese". The rind itself is a bit unsightly and will have a pink or slight brick color. It may also have areas of mold on it but this might be hard to see since some brands come wrapped in a layer of paper. Do not worry about any mold on the outer rind because it does not affect the integrity or quality of the inner paste. If the outer layer of paper is stuck to the rind or is very hard to peel off this is a sign that the cheese is ripe and in perfect condition to eat and enjoy. If the paper pulls off easily you will have found a young version. Taleggio's rind is considered by a few cheese purists to be edible however most people will remove it. I personally find it to be bitter so I prefer to remove the rind entirely. Once again like Brie, this cheese is alive and will continue to age until it is cut, once it is cut the aging process stops. So if the cut Tallegio you found is young it will remain that way and the full flavor will not develop. The interior paste of a ripe Taleggio should have a slight yellow custard color. You can find Taleggio in good cheese shops and online at Amazon.

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You can serve Taleggio melted over rice or polenta and as a table cheese with fresh fruit , nuts and honey. It is also great with thinly sliced meats or fruit on a grilled sandwich like a panini. A good substitute for Taleggio is an American cheese named Grayson it is made following the traditional recipe for Taleggio. 

Wine Pairings: Big Italian reds like Barbaresco, Barolo, Chianti Riserva, or Salice Salentino





 

A Few Insights About Wine and Cheese Pairing

In the world of gastronomy there may be no other combination as classic or as pleasurable. Indeed, wine and cheese have been enjoyed together for centuries. But now that our markets offer a multitude of wines and cheeses from around the globe, creating the perfect union of flavors may seem a bit daunting.

Good wine and cheese pairings do take some thought, but it doesn’t have to be a complicated task. The important thing to remember is that there are no hard-set rules. Taste is after all, a matter of personal preference. While you might appreciate the delicate, tongue-tickling combination of mountain Gorgonzola with Prosecco, your best friend may relish the explosion of flavors that takes place when Gorgonzola is paired with a big, oaky Sangiovese.

So instead of stringent rules, we’re going to offer some more general guidelines to get you headed in the right direction. To put it simply, when you think about matching cheese and wine, think about harmony. The goal is not to overpower the flavor of one with the other, but to create relationships where cheese and wine bring out the best of each other. They should have a similar intensity. They should strike a balance. And the key to striking that perfect balance lies only in your willingness to experiment and enjoy.

` One simple way to achieve flavor harmony is to pair wine and cheese according to their geographic area or local region of origin. The thought here is that what grows together, goes together. Every region has distinct climate and growing conditions that impart particular characteristics to its soil. Known as “terroir” in wine-speak, these characteristics affect not only the soil that the grape vines grow in, but the vegetation that the dairy cows feed on, too. As a result, wines and cheeses of the same region often carry very similar flavor qualities.

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There are hundreds of creative possibilities for matching wine and cheese by region. Some very fine examples include:

Camembert and Chardonnay (Normandy, France)
Manchego and Amontillado Sherry (Spain)
Pecorino Toscano and Chianti (Tuscany, Italy)
Roquefort and Sauternes (France)

Pairing By Type: Other methods for pairing wine and cheese are more focused on the type or style of cheese you’ll be serving. For starters, a very general adage says that hard cheeses should be paired with red wines, while soft cheeses should be paired whites. This is actually a great place to begin your pairings – since harder cheeses tend to be stronger in flavor, they do need bigger-bodied red wines to stand up to them. But as with most rules, there are some exceptions to this one. Don’t miss out on a well-aged Gruyere paired with a white Pinot Grigio, or a slice of soft, fresh Mozzarella alongside a glass of fruity red Beaujolais.

A second method for pairing by type is based on the cheese’s source of milk. Following these guidelines, fresh goat’s milk cheeses match well with crisp white wines like Riesling, Pinot Gris, and Sauvignon Blanc. Sheep’s milk cheeses pair up with Zinfandel or Gewurztraminer, and aged cow’s milk cheeses, like Cheddar, go with Sherry. It’s well worth a try!

A Final School of Thought Select the wine according the style or texture of the cheese. 

                                           Classic Wine And Cheese Pairings

Blue Cheese:  This is the most challenging flavor to match, most blue cheeses pair well with sweet or slightly sweet wines like Sauternes or Port. If you’re in the mood for red, try a Bordeaux or Cabernet Sauvignon, but avoid very dry varietals.

Fresh Cheese: Cheeses like Mozzarella, Montrachet, and Feta are so mild and versatile they pair beautifully with almost all white wines, including Sancerres. As for reds, stick with lighter, fruitier varieties like Beaujolais and Pinot Noir.

Hard or Aged Cheese: Cheddar, Gouda, and Parmesan are the ultimate cheeses to pair with bolder red wines. Experiment with Bordeaux, Cabernet, Chianti, Montepulciano and Zinfandel.

Soft-Ripened Cheese: Luscious cheeses like Brie and Camembert go with everything from light whites (Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris) to fruity reds (Merlot). But Champagne is the preferred pairing here. The bubbles cut right through the cheese's creaminess, refreshing the palate for every next rich bite.

Classic Pairings: By now you have learned several methods for pairing wine and cheese. As you might imagine, the delicious possibilities are almost endless. Just remember – there are no rights or wrongs, just personal preferences. With more experimenting and taste-testing, you’ll come to learn which combinations work for you, and which don’t. Consider the list of classic pairings below – they are so harmonious and balanced they have withstood the test of time. And to that we can only say one thing: “Cheers!”

Appenzeller and Riesling
Brie (especially triple crème) and Champagne
Feta and Roditis
Goat Cheese and Sauvignon Blanc
Parmigiano-Reggiano and Lambrusco
Stilton and Port (vintage or tawny)

This article has been reprinted with the kind permission of the iLoveCheese.co.uk website. Please visit their website for more articles on cheese and its production along with many cheese recipes and other great information at: http://www.ilovecheese.co.uk/

8 Tips To Maximize The Enjoyment Of Your Cheese Purchases

I would like to present a few tips to maximize the enjoyment of the cheeses that you purchase. The information presented here is based on the best practices for handling and preparing cheese.This is not meant to be the last word nor are my suggestions meant to be hard fast rules. Gourmet cheese like most other foods presents a set of preferences and tastes that the consumer is comfortable with. I hope that you, our reader, will find new and exciting possibilities here with goat, cow and sheep milk cheeses.

1) As a rule of thumb the younger the cheese is the less flavor it has. Therefore if you are looking for a sharp flavored cheese seek out an aged version.

2) “Should or can I eat the rind”? This is one of the most frequently asked questions. The answer is that it is literally a matter of taste. Soft cheese like Brie, Camembert or Explorateur have bloomy rinds that actually add to their flavor so yes you can eat them. Natural or washed rind cheeses like Stilton are gritty and somewhat unsightly, so their rinds should be trimmed off before serving Other washed rinds like Taleggio and Grayson are edible. Blue cheeses may be rindless but the outer paste can be very salty and others have inedible natural rinds. Some goat cheeses have a moldy outer layer that is edible but this is a personal choice. You can never really go wrong if you trim off the rind before if you are not comfortable eating it.

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3) Store your cheeses in the lower part of the refrigerator wrapped in aluminum foil, plastic wrap or wax paper. Let your cheeses breathe.

4) While in the refrigerator, the harder the cheese the longer it will stay fresh usually 1-1 1/2 months. Semi- soft cheese will last about 3-4 weeks and soft delicate cheeses should be used as soon as possible or within 1-2 weeks.

E) NEVER FREEZE CHEESE!!!

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5) Serve your cheeses at room temperature to assure their maximum flavor and aroma.

6) When serving wine with cheese try to select a wine that comes from the same country and region as the cheese. This environmental compatibility creates a wonderful synergy. I agree with Steve Jenkins that “a great cheese will elevate an average wine and that an average cheese will drag down a great wine”.

7) When melting cheese use a low temperature. Try placing sliced, grated or shredded cheese on your hot entrees and let it melt by itself. This is where you can experiment and have fun!

Pecorino Toscano A Great Italian Cheese From Tuscany

Pecorino Toscano is a sheep's milk cheese that is produced throughout the Tuscany region and parts of the Umbria region in Italy. It is a DOC certified cheese and its production is strictly supervised by the Consortium de Pecorino Toscano.

Details: Pecorino Toscano is made by using pasteurized sheep's milk then pressing the rennet induced curds to remove the liquid whey, then it is cooked to remove even more moisture. The pressed curds are then soaked in brine and allowed to begin aging. Depending on the dairy that produces it some Pecorino Toscano cheeses are rubbed with tomato paste to give the rind a reddish coloration and others are rubbed with olive oil to seal the rind and prevent the growth of mold.

Being made from sheep's milk Pecorino Toscano will have a high fat content of about 50%. With this in mind the cheese may seem oily but this is a good thing because the butterfat gives the cheese its great texture and flavor. So, when left out at room temperature the cheese will weep some of the butterfat showing that the cheese has not dried out or that it is getting stale.

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 Pecorino Toscano is sold in two forms fresco " fresh" and stagionato "aged". The fresh version, which is aged for a minimum of twenty days, has a very mild nutty flavor, creamy texture and a soft white or straw colored interior paste. At this stage it does well on grilled sandwiches or sliced thin and placed on top of baked potatoes or polenta.

The stagionato pecorino is aged for four to six months and will have a firm straw colored interior paste that lends well to grating. 

Tasting: The flavor of the stagionato pecorino has a sharp and salty flavor with sweet nutty overtones that teases the palate. Try serving it sliced with fresh pears as an appetizer or after dinner treat. It also is wonderful shaved over salads and grated over pasta dishes. Pecorino Toscano can be purchased in all good cheese shops, Whole Foods and online at Amazon.

Wine Pairing for Fresh Pecorino Toscano pairs very well with Ovieto or Lungarotti white wines. The aged Pecorino Toscano pairs well with Chianti Classico, Brunello or other Tuscan red wines.

An Introduction To The Types Of Cheeses Found In A Good Cheese Shop

There are several types of cheese that one will encounter in a good gourmet cheese shop. We are not talking about goat, sheep or cow milk cheeses but are referring to the terms used to distinguish the manner in which the cheeses are produced. These processes are important to the final product with respect to their taste, smell and texture.

Pressed Cheese: The curds of these types of cheese are hand or mechanically pressed to remove the maximum amount of water during production. This produces hard and semi-hard types of cheese. After pressing the cheese may be cooked to remove even more moisture from the curd. This cooking process creates a very firm inner paste and a hard outer rind. If the cheese remains uncooked or thermalized its inner paste and outer rind will remain only semi firm. Uncooked cheeses tend to be sweet and fruity when they are young but will develop a much more complex flavor as they age. After further drying the young cheeses are subjected to a salt bath and are then allowed to age in cool rooms or caves. Natural rind cheeses tend to have hard outer rinds and are for the most part inedible, however some cheddars and semi-firm cheeses will have edible rinds

Examples of Cooked Pressed Cheeses include; Gruyere, Swiss Emmental, Gouda,  Parmigiano Reggiano, Asiago, French Comte, and Idiazabal

Examples of Uncooked Pressed Cheeses include; Morbier, Red Leicester and Tete de Moine, Roncal, Pecorino Toscano, Manchego, Farmhouse Cheddar and Hirtenkase

Washed Rind Cheese: These cheeses have also become known infamously as " stinky cheeses". Before beginning the aging process some of these cheeses may be cooked. During their aging process these cheeses are washed or "bathed" with liquids like wine, apple or pear juice. The sweetness of the wash enables the growth of bacteria on the outer rind. This beneficial bacteria is actually encouraged and produces the stinky aroma and the sticky, reddish-orange rinds that are for the most part inedible. It also inhibits the growth of unwanted mold on the cheese. For many of theses cheeses the stinky aroma is only held in the washed rind so that when it is removed an exquisitely flavored inner paste is revealed. So reward yourself and be daring.

Examples of Washed Rind Cheeses include; Epoisses, Taleggio, French Munster, Stinking Bishop, Pont-L'eveque,Vacherin Fribourgeois and Mahon

Soft Ripened Cheeses or Bloomy Rind Cheeses: For the most part these cheeses are not cooked but their rinds are exposed to mold. The mold is encouraged to cover the entire outer rind and it forms a white or light beige velvety layer that holds in the soft inner paste. The outer rinds are edible but it is really a matter of personal taste. As these cheeses age or "ripen" they become gooey or completely runny. This type of cheese is wonderful as a table cheese when served with fresh fruits and crusty bread.

Examples of Soft Ripened Cheeses include; Camembert, Brie, Chaource and Italian Toma

As mentioned in previous posts a ripe Brie should bulge when it is cut but if appears to be runny you should avoid it because it is past its prime.

Triple Cream Cheeses: To be considered a triple cream a cheese must contain at least 75% butterfat. This high fat content produces sinfully decadent cheeses that have wonderful texture and flavor. Some triple creams are soft-ripened and some are freshly produced with little aging.

To fully enjoy these rich cheeses serve them with Champagne or indulge in a Parisian breakfast by spreading them on a crusty baguette. Mascarpone is sometimes considered to be a triple cream cheese becaues it does contain at least 70% to 75% butterfat but rennet is not used in its production so no curds are produced therefore many cheese purists consider it to be a dairy product like cream and not a cheese at all.

Examples of Triple Cream Cheeses include; Explorateur, Brillat Savarin or Pierre Robert

Blue Veined Cheeses: Blue cheeses are made from cow's sheep and goat's milk. After the cheeses have been formed and placed in caves or cellars and begin to age they are pierced with needle and molds are introduced to create the blue and sometimes green veining. Blue cheese can be mild in flavor or  have a very powerful flavor and some will be somewhere in between. So there is a blue cheese for almost everyone.

We hope that this will make your next visit to your local cheese shop a little less intimidating and that you will be a better informed cheese buyer. You should never feel that your questions or concerns are silly, any GOOD cheese seller will be more than happy to let you sample any of his cheeses and to answer any of your questions. If you meet some resistance to sampling or the sales staff seems aloof or uninterested in your questions find another cheese shop!

6 Tips On Cutting Cheese

I hope these tips will help you when you are planning for a party or setting up a cheese plate or cheese board. Always provide a separate cheese knife for each separate cheese.

1) Let your cheese come to room temperature before cutting it. The reason for this is that cheeses will soften as they warm up thus making them easier to cut.

2) Cut Brie, Camembert or Taleggio cheese in wedges like a pie and in sizes that will be easy to handle. When cutting off a piece from a pre-sliced wedge always cut in the direction of the wedge, do not cut off the tip or across the wedge. Do not scoop out the center of the cheese and leave the rind on the serving plate ! You can also serve a large piece and allow your guests to cut their own portions but this usually causes a bit of a mess and a small traffic jam at the table.

3) Cut hard and semi-hard cheeses into cubes if you are serving them as table snacks but for more formal settings, where the cheese is the focus, cut small wedges (about 2 oz) and place them on each guests plate. For cheese boards or cheese plates cut them into larger wedges so that your guests can cut their own portion sizes.

4) For fresh goat cheeses, place a moderate sized portion on the serving plate and provide a butter knife for spreading the cheese onto crackers or bread.

5) For round cylinder cheeses like Stilton or Cheshire, cut them so that you keep the round shape. In other words do not cut wedges , cut circles about 1/2 inch thick. In this way your guests will appear to be cutting a pie. This will add a distinctive eye appeal to your setting.

6) For bloomy rind cheeses like Epoisses or Exploratur leave them in their containers and just split them open on the top. Provide a small spoon to allow your guests to scoop out the soft cheese and a small knife for spreading. It is advisable to keep these types of cheeses in their containers otherwise they will become very messy and unsightly when they ooze all over the place.

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I have found that a good, sharp cheese knife with a 4 or 6 inch blade is indispensable when preparing cheese. A wire cheese slicer is also very good for slicing moderate sizes of cheese but they do not work very well with round cylinder cheeses. Cheese slicers can be found in most department stores but make sure you have a way of ordering more cheese wires as they break often. Also a sharp two handled cheese knife with a 10 or 12 inch blade will also come in handy for large or very hard pieces of cheese. This type of knife allows you to exert more downward pressure on the cheese and produces a more uniform or straight cut.

Sottocenere The Italian Truffle Cheese Masterpiece

Sottocenere the Italian truffle cheese is the “ORIGINAL” and genuine truffle cheese made under ash” by Antonio Carpenedo. He is the master “affinatore” or cheese ager and the creator of the truffle cheese. This cheese is also known as Sottocenere al Tartufo or Perlagrigia. The name Perlagrigia translates as the "gray pearl" and is produced in the Vento region near Venice. The residents of this region have enjoyed Sottocenere for many years and now it has finally come to the United States. This is a true blessing for anyone who enjoys truffles. 

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Flavor: Sottocenere is only aged for about one month so it has a light fresh flavor with hints of the herbed rind. The ash rind is edible but is gritty so you may want to scrape it off. The ashed herbs do impart their flavors to the cheese. has a smooth and semi- soft light yellowish interior paste and a very aromatic cinnamon scent that fills the room. The outer rind is light gray in color with a slight dusty appearance.  Both the process of the aging and the very special ingredients make this a most unforgettable and unique cheese.

Details: Sottocenere is a semi-soft pasteurized cow milk cheese with real slices of black truffles mixed into the paste of the cheese. Its rind is rubbed with extra virgin olive oil and natural truffle oil. Then a layer of ash is used to cover the entire cheese. This layer of ash helps to lock in the wonderful herb flavors and helps to prevent the interior of the cheese from drying out. The ash layer is made from drying and grinding the following herbs; cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander, licorice and nutmeg. All of these herbs are grown by local farmers using time honored methods of cultivation and harvesting. The cheese is then aged in its herbed rind for at least one month.

How To Serve:  Try Sottocenere with an antipasto course or with sun dried tomatoes as a midday treat. It also will present well as a table cheese or as a dessert course. Sottocenere is sometimes known as Perlagrigia so you may have to ask for it by either name.

Wine parings: Barolo or Barberas

French Munster Cheese A Stinky Masterpiece

French Munster cheese is not the same entity as the less flavorful German Munster or the banal American version.The German and American versions are quite dull and are only similar in their names.This powerful cheese is produced in the Alsace region of France and has been granted the AOC ( Appellation d'Origine Controlee) designation. Munster can trace its roots back to the Middle Ages where it was produced by monastery monks, in the town of Munster, as their way of preserving dairy products for future consumption.

Details: True Munster is produced using unpasteurized cow's milk and is known as a "washed rind" cheese. Initially the cheese curds are pressed into molds and allowed to drain completely, then the pressed cheese is "washed" with a brine solution periodically during the aging process. The brine solution inhibits the growth of mold but allows for the build up of beneficial bacteria on the rind. The growth of this bacteria is the reason for Munster's powerful aroma and flavor. Yes this is a "stinky cheese"! The washing process is also responsible for the reddish orange tint to the rind.

Munster is aged for a minimum of 2 months but at this early stage it will have a very mild flavor and aroma with a white chalky interior paste and a russet colored rind. A longer aging process creates a straw colored interior paste and darker outer rind and produces the strong flavorful and "stinky" cheese that is loved by by its many admirers. Munster has a moderate fat content of 45% to 50%. If you are looking for the full experience seek out an aged version of this cheese, it will not be hard to find in a good cheese shop. Do not let Munster's strong aroma stop you from a nice and tasty experience!

So when shopping for Munster look for a light brick colored rind that is semi-soft to the touch and slick but not slimy. The aroma should be strong and a bit musty but not sour. The interior paste should be a faint yellow tending toward beige with a creamy appearance. The flavor will be strong with a slight acidic tang. Avoid any that look hard and crumbly or have a cracked rind, also do not buy it if it tastes very salty as this may be used to cover any off flavors.

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Munster can be served by itself but in the Alsace region it is commonly served with bread or with baked potatoes. Also try it sliced with ham on crusty bread for lunch Do not let the powerful aroma stop you from enjoying this great French cheese. This is a cheese you will love after a few encounters.


Wine parings: with aged versions serve with big red wines like Corton, Pinot Rouge d'Alsace, Burgundy or Haut-Medoc also try it with malty beers.

10 More Quick Panini Recipes

Our last set of quick Panini recipes was a big hit so I thought I would provide several more. I hope that you enjoy them. A panini press makes an ordinary grilled sandwich look exotic and interesting so if you might want to invest in one.

Set your Panini press at 375 degrees. The following ideas are great for breakfast and lunch.

1) Brie and sliced banana on a ciabatta, garnish with sliced strawberries or grapes

2) Brie, sliced pear, sliced avocado on a baguette

3) Camembert and sliced apple on a baguette garnish with sliced sweet melon topped with whipped cream

4) Swiss Vacherin Fribourgeous cheese (trim off the rind before grilling), thinly sliced ham and basil pesto on a baguette

5) Raclette (trim off the rind before grilling), sliced apple or pear on a baguette garnish with blueberries and whipped cream


6) Fresh goat cheese, sliced tomato, cooked (roasted) eggplant, roasted red peppers add balsamic vinegar after heating on

7) French Munster cheese and cooked ham on olive bread

8) Cashel Blue cheese, ham and Irish mustard on a ciabatta, this is a bit different but it is great!

9) Buffalo Mozzarella, grilled eggplant, romaine lettuce, tomato and basil pesto on olive bread

10) Parmigiano Reggiano, Prosciutto roasted red peppers and basil pesto on a ciabatta.

Spanish Idiazabal Cheese A Basque Masterpiece

Idiazabal  (ee-dee-ah-zah-bahl) cheese is produced in the Basque Region of Spain. It received it's D.O.(Denominacion De Origen) from the Spanish government in 1987. This certification assures that the cheese is produced with sheep's milk from the traditional areas within the Basque region and produced according to strict guidelines. Idiazabal is made from the milk of the Latxa breed of sheep. Basque shepherds still use the old tradition of herding their sheep up to the high mountain pastures in the early spring. Here the sheep graze on pure mountain flowers and grasses and the sheep in turn produce high quality milk.

Spanish Cheese Sampler  at Amazon

Cheese Cutting Board Set  at Amazon

Details: Idiazabal is made by using raw sheep's milk and using animal rennet to form the curd. The newly formed curd is pressed to remove the water and placed into cheese molds. The traditional way of aging the new cheeses was to place them near the chimneys in their summer huts. The smoke from the shepherd's cooking fires would then permeate the new cheeses giving them a sweet smoky flavor. Idiazabal is made by larger dairies now but they  still must use sweet local hardwoods to smoke the cheese. 

The cheeses are aged for two to four months and will have a yellowy beige interior paste that is semi soft and has small holes throughout. Idiazabal has a rind that is inedible and will range from semi-hard to hard that will also vary in color from orange to a medium brown due to the smoking process and how long it is aged. 

Flavor: Idiazabal has a flavor that is both buttery and nutty with a subtle hint of balsam and smoke. The longer aged cheese will have a bolder flavor and is  good for  grating  Idiazabal is a truly wonderful cheese at any age and makes a great substitute for Manchego.

When shopping for Idiazabal look for any interior mold and an overt dryness or cracking in the rind. Any mold on the exterior rind is a good sign that it has been aged longer than four months. It is best to store this cheese wrapped in tin foil or waxed paper and placed in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator. Idiazabal can be purchased online at Amazon. Idiazabal

Idiazabal can be served with most fruits, Iberico ham or salami and crusty breads or a ciabatta roll. it can also be served with Membrillo and crackers as a quick snack.

Wine Pairing: Any Navara reds

Spanish Manchego Cheese Spain's Number One Cheese

Manchego is undoubtedly the best known DOC (Denomincion de Origen) certified Spanish cheese and is produced in the La Mancha region. The Spanish DOC certification insures that the named cheese is authentic and conforms to all the rules and regulations concerning its sale and production.

Spanish Cheese Sampler  at Amazon

Details: Originally Manchego was made by local herders and allowed to age in small handmade baskets, as the cheese aged and the rind hardened it retained the crosshatched pattern of these baskets. Now the cheese is aged and covered with an inedible plastic or waxed outer layer that retains the old traditionally imprinted pattern. Manchego is a sheep milk cheese, and as such it has a higher fat content (up to 57%) than cow milk cheese. It is sold in several stages of aging. 

Flavor: The young 3 month aged (Fresco) Manchego will have a milder flavor than it's 4 to 9 month aged (Curado) and the 12 month aged (Viejo) twins which will have a much richer and deeper flavors. The cheese will linger on the palate to expose the subtle herb and wild flower flavors and will finish with a slight peppery zing. When cut the cheese will emit a sheepy or lanolin scent and a pale yellow interior paste that is a bit dry and crumbly but not flinty. When purchasing real Manchego it may have an oily look and feel. This perfectly normal and the reason for it is that olive oil is rubbed on the rind to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. A nice substitutes for Manchego is the smoky flavored Idiazabal or Roncal.

Serving: Manchego can be the centerpiece of a tapas when served with green Andalusian olives or with fresh fruit like apples it can also be grilled with Serrano ham. As a table cheese, serve it with crackers and membrillo (quince paste) or fig jam. Marcona almonds and honey make a wonderful addition to Manchego as a desert course.

Wine parings: For the Fresco cheese serve it with a light Navarra, sparkling whites or dry sherry, for the Curado and Viejo cheese serve it with big Spanish reds like Rioja.