Like a party on my tongue

Our New Year's Eve feast began with an assortment of cheeses, both homemade and professionally-sourced.  The two large wedges in the photo came from the Beehive Cheese Co., from a  Wine Woot purchase a few weeks ago.  On the far left is the Barely Buzzed, a nutty and crisp cow's milk cheese, rubbed with coffee and lavender.  We actually broke this open last week, and weren't too impressed.  This time, however, it really hit the spot.  I can't imagine that an extra week of "aging" made much of a difference, so perhaps it was just our mood.  In any event, it was definitely a popular choice.  The other large wedge, on the right, is Beehive's Seahive, a salt & honey cheese.  I would actually prefer if it had a stronger honey flavor, but it was delicious nevertheless.

In the center of the main board is our homemade Habanero Jack.  I was a bit worried that it wouldn't be spicy enough, but it turned out quite nicely -- not too much pepper flavor, but it had a lingering heat that was perfect for a cold winter night.  It was still a bit too crumbly, though. It might be time to invest in a proper pH meter -- I clearly need to work on getting the right acidity level before adding the rennet.

On the plates at top is some freshly-made Chèvre.  We kept one plain (just lightly salted), one is rolled in Herbs de Provence [wikipedia], one is rolled in fresh ground black pepper, and then the crowning experiment achievement is the little guy sitting on his own plate -- it was rolled in cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and chopped pistachios.

We ran out of crackers fairly quickly, but found that the hard cheeses were a perfect substitute.  We simply cut off a piece and slathered the chevre right on top.  The Barely Buzzed and Herbs de Provence worked perfectly together (lavender! lavender!), and the Pistachio Extravaganza and Seahive were great together as well.

Yay Cheese!

Three Cheeses for the Holidays

My friends Sean and Michelle showed up to my holiday party with the perfect gift: Three wonderful cheeses they discovered at Venissimo Cheese, their neighborhood shop in San Diego.

First up: On the far left is the Humboldt Fog, an increasingly-popular goat's milk surface-ripened cheese from Cypress Grove.  The vein of edible ash is the signature mark of this rich, creamy, and delicious monster.  (I'm a big fan of Cypress Grove's cheeses -- especially the Fog and the Truffle Tremor, one of the most spectacularly decadent and knee-buckling cheeses I've encountered.)  Venissimo's notes:  California's top seller, with a ribbon of edible ash.  Herbaceous & Tangy.  Recommended Wines:  Sancerre, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Dry Rose, White Burgundy, Super Tuscan, or a wheat beer.

In the middle is a Goat Sage Cheddar from Spring Hill Cheese Co. in Petaluma, CA.  The distinctive goat's milk tanginess melds beautifully with the sage, creating a zesty and robust kick... what an earthy delight!  Venissimo's notes:  Organic, pasture-fed, infused with sage, herbaceous and fresh, perfect on pizza.  Recommended Wines: Chardonnay, Champagne.

Finally we have the real zinger, the Chipotle Cranberry Cheddar from Carr Valley Cheese in Wisconsin.  This white cheddar has huge smokiness and tang, followed by the slightly tart and sweet cranberries, ending with quite a bit of heat.  Venissimo's notes:  Studded with cranberries, infused with chipotle, sweet, BBQ sauce flavor, incredible melted!  Recommended Wine:  Zinfandel.

Served with Fuyu Persimmon, Medjool Dates, and water crackers, this sampler was the perfect year-end treat.  Thanks, Sean and Michelle! You're the best.

"Fromage and Foamage"

Quick article in Wine Enthusiast, encouraging beer & cheese pairings. Can't argue that!

Speaking of which: Hey Chillindamos, what are we going to pair?

"If you’re thinking of jumping on the fromage and foamage bandwagon, start with a line up of favorite cheeses and beer. Knowing the flavor profile of each before trying to pair flavors makes libation matching easier.

Decide if you want a match that will contrast or harmonize. Most beer and cheese pairings will be pleasant. What you consider the most delightful is a matter of what you want to experience."

Flight of the Cocktails

Last weekend my friend Dave hosted a terrific cocktail party at his home. He planned the evening so that we were all set to enjoy a new cocktail each hour, more-or-less on the hour.

My contribution, of course, was bringing the cheese. Unfortunately I didn't have enough of the homegrown variety ready to go, but a quick stop at Trader Joe's served me well. (Bonus: it's fun shopping at TJ's while decked out in your finest linens, amongst the riff-raff in their sweaty workout clothes!).

I took a few chances on the pairings. Three worked beautifully; the other two were, umm, rather lackluster. Here's the deets:

Seven o’clock Homemade strawberry and pineapple infused vodka spritzers Paired with Iberico. Not such a great match, sadly. The aftertaste from the cheese somehow ended up a bit "plastic-ey." Not sure what was going on there, but it was less than stellar. Dang.

Eight o’clock Blood orange martinis with a sugared rim Paired with Cotswold Cheddar, a creamy cheddar with chives and onions. I thought this was the biggest gamble, and boy did it pay off. Absolutely incredible! The sweet drink was balanced by the sharpness of the chive and onion -- each magically enhanced the other's flavor. Weak in the knees!

Nine o’clock Absolut mandarin and soda Paired with White Stilton with Apricots. The Stilton was good, but it had sooooo many apricots! A bit of a fruit overload, I'm afraid.

Ten o’clock Dirty Dave’s filthy dirty martini This was a surprisingly tough call. I needed something that would stand up to the olive brine, which I was sure Dave would be applying liberally. I ended up selecting Mushroom Brie. I'm a big fan of mushroom & olive pizza, so I figured it just might work. The distinct, piquant flavor of the Brie really held its own against the martini, while the mushrooms gave it a unique flavor that really helped bring it all together.

Eleven o’clock Chocolate martinis This one was easy. Plain Goat's Milk Chevre. Creamy, simple, elegant: "Chocolate Milkshake." Take that, DQ!