Cato Corner- The Bloomsday Experience

Still inspired from the deliciousness of CheeseCon in Madison and loving new selections from one of my  favorite distributers in Northern California, Cream and the Crop, I woke up wanting to tell you about Cato Corner's Bloomsday. With a grey, cold Oakland sky fueling my staying-in-bed-to-drink-cofee-with-my-laptop desire, I'm feeling very cozy, caffeinated, and as I haven't yet had my breakfast, very ready to think and talk about cheese.

I first sampled Cato Corner's cheese as Brooklyn's Prospect Park farmer's market on a trip to New York about a year ago. Back then, Cato Corner wasn't readily available in California and as I had seen wheels of it in some of my favorite New York cheese shops like Lucy's Whey, Eataly, and Saxelby Cheese, I was eager to sample. After tasting through three or four of Cato's selections, I could hear a familiar voice rumbling in my stomach again saying, "maybe you should move.... to New York."

Granted, this voice is generally quiet when I see weather reports about NYC in Febuary or August, when thinking about California's national parks, or when looking at rent prices in NYC on craigslist. Yet it gets a little loud and sassy after I had a beer or two that doesn't make it past New York, visit the Tenement Museum in the Lower East Side, hit up an amazing art exhibit that keeps to Manhattan, go to Prune, or eat cheese that hangs out only on the east coast. Like one from Cato Corner.

Cato Corner is an itty bitty creamery in Connecticut with 40 cows. It's a mother-son duo. The son makes the cheese, runs farm operations, and the mama cares for their Jerseys.

Now you probably already know by now that Jerseys give super rich milk, but just in case you didn't, let's set the scene. Cheese made from the milk of this cattle breed has a higher butterfat content, meaning, take a bite from a cheese wheel made from this milk and you'll get a heck of a lot of sweet butteriness. To be precise.

Such is the case with Cato Corner's Bloomsday. Happy to see that this lovable cheese was now distributed by Cream and the Crop, I put it immediately in the cheese club I run at Solano Cellars. It was a big hit.

Semi-soft and as cheese board-worthy as it is fit for a mighty lovely dish of mac n'cheese, Bloomsday's tastes like fresh hand-churned butter, creme fraiche, and lightly of caramel. When it ages it develops a slight bite. Right now the only age available near me is 6 months, but I hear it shines even more at 12 months. To this I say, twist my arm and make me taste it to believe it (and contact me if you need my address...).

Cato Corner makes about a dozen cheeses, and so far we've been blessed with this one, and Hooligan here. Oh my gosh, if you haven't tired Hooligan, go get yourself a taste of this washed-rind cheese too.

What do you have from Cato Corner near you?

Classes: Alpine Cheese & Jura's Tournelle (this Thursday), & Healdsburg Shed

You know what time it is after you've been happily heading to Sacramento for maid of honor duties for your best friend's wedding (which of course involves gorgeous brides, cake, cupcakes, cake, and a glass of wine or two), and then returning from sampling vast amounts of artisan dairy, visiting creameries, and perhaps eating one fried curd too many at ACS in Madison, right? Right. Obviously.

It's cheese class time. Education. Education that involves wine and beer. And while it also could be time to fit in an extra jog, yoga, or pilates class or two, it happens to also be time to sit in bed while writing a post and thinking about a cheese class you're going to attend tonight. Mmmmm....

Speaking of cheese classes.

This Thursday I'll be co-teaching a class inspired by my recent trip to the Comté region with Nadia of Joli Vin at Solano Cellars- 6 Alpine-Rhone style cheeses, and 5 wines from Domaine Tournelle. Here's the write up below. The second class is at the Healdsburg Shed. It's my first time teaching at the Shed and I'm super excited. It will be a how-to cheese beverage pairing class focusing entirely on domestic cheese, wines, brews, and mead.

CLASSES

Alpine Inspired Cheese & Jura's Domaine Tournelle, Solano Cellars

6:30pm, This Thursday, August 15th

"Inspired after an in-depth Comté cheese expedition to the Jura region, author and wine bar manager Kirstin is pairing up with Joli Vin's Nadia Dmytriw for a cheese and wine pairing class. Equipped with pictures from the trip (we promise to keep classical music during slide shows to a minimum), cheese from or inspired by the traditional creations of the eastern French mountains, and Tournelle's wine from the Jura, Kirstin and Nadia will lead students through a tasting epiphany. More than one type of Comté, mountain cheeses, a domestic inspiration or two, and some of the weirdest and delicious wines you'll ever taste. Vin jaune included." 6:30pm, Thursday, August 15th, limited to 18 people, $37. Sign up by calling 510.525.9463 or emailing mail@solanocellars.com

Cheese & Beverage Pairing 101, Healdsburg Shed With so many celebrated artisan cheeses crafted next door to some of the country’s best wines and beers, it can sometimes be overwhelming to figure out what to pair with what. Using Shed’s local wines, beers and mead, author Kirstin Jackson will help you sort through the basics of cheese and beverage pairing in this hands-on tasting. After leaving this class, you’ll have the tools to work through our delicious abundance- one cheese and beverage at a time. 5:30-7:30, Wednesday, August 28th, Sign up here.

By the way, I'm planning to get around the country a little more this year, with a definite stop in NYC and Denver. I'll keep you posted on that too, just in case you're not blessed with the same time zone as me.

Are there any themes you'd like me to focus on in the future, or spaces in which you'd like to see me teach? Anything in particular you'd like to know more about?

CheeseCon 2013- American Cheese Society ♥s Madison

After six days of hanging out with some of my favorite cheese makers and people in the biz, dining around Madison, and eating more fermented dairy than one might have thought possible (but not me, I knew what was possible, I knew), I have one word that describes the way I am feeling after the experience. Inspired. And then a phrase. In need of vegetables.

What exactly do you do at a CheeseCon? Because it's called CheeseCon (a title that is not yet officially endorsed by the American Cheese Society), some might think we put on capes, tights, and cheese hats. Some of us do. But we also do somewhat grown up things like attend educational sessions and shake hands in a business like fashion. Then there's also a lot of what's in the below photo that goes on.

I arrived a night early to attend a pig roast at Pleasant Ridge Reserve. We ate pigs fed with Pleasant Ridge Reserve whey and drank Wisconsin beer while listening to a live bluegrass band. You know- it was a little tasty and fun. I debating skipping this and coming the next day instead to get more work done back in Oakland, then figured that missing this for that reason would be as punishing as taking a child to an ice cream sundae shop and making them order sorbet. So I went and had a hell of a time.

The second day I went on a "Classics" tour of Wisconsin cheesemakers.

One of my favorites was Blue Mont. A winner of an ACS award this year, Blue Mont is run by cheesemaker and yodeler Willi Leher. He makes the cheese at Cedar Grove, then transports it to his underground cave underneath a hill outside his home. The inside of the cave looks like the photo above. Then, like any good washed-rind cave, the inside smells like ammonia (washed-rind by product) and cheese. Like any good cave built under a hill and covered with grass, it also looks like a fine hobbit home.

We also hit up Hook's, tried their old cheddars and new blues, and were told if we didn't behave they would head lock us in the device above. Just kidding. That's a blue piercer. After  a blue cheese's milk is inoculated with Penicillium roqueforti and the wheels are formed, the wheels are individually pierced with tines like these to form holes, or veins. When air circulates through these holes, it interacts with Penicillium roqueforti and turns the veins blue. By the way, Hooks has a new mixed milk cheese called Ewe Have to be Kidding. Guess how many milks.

And this is Roelli's Red Rock from our visit to Roelli. Very similar to Dunbarton Blue in theme, Red Rock is an American cheddar style cheese that's been inoculated with Penicillium roqueforti. It's made by fifth generation cheese maker Chris Roelli, whose skills at drinking beer until 11pm then waking up at 3:30 am to make his cheese during ACS conferences two days in a row are just as impressive at his cheesemaking. For further reading, Dunbarton Blue is in my book.

What else do you do at CheeseCon?

Well you buy treats.

Then you eat more cheese curds.

Here and there (six days, people), you take a probiotic or two to stay strong.

Then you attend classes, and the Festival of Cheese and try to pick which of the 1,600 samples you should taste. I tend to pick the blue table pretty clean.

And, always, always shoot for the Best in Show. You may or may not get to it in time.

Redwood Hill Visit- Mother's Day and Goat Kisses

If because of the lack of new words on this blog, anyone was worried that I decided to stay in Jura, France to take the 140,000 or so eighty-pound Comté cheeses hostage at the Fort Sainte Antoine caves, never fear, I am not in trouble with the French government. I considered staying in the Jura, or Alsace, where I could eat pounds and pounds of Alpine style cheese or Morbier for the rest of my life, but alas, I came back to Oakland. I mean..... I can buy kale here. Which is... yah, it was a tough decision.

Anyhow, I have landed. I'm back! Busy making up for the time I missed while traveling- writing, writing pitches (I love this blog, but a girl's gotta pay for her cheese somehow), and attempting to be a good maid-of-honor to my best friend who's getting married in five days (by the way, did every girl but me know how hard it is to find a pair of black strappy sandals that are under five inches high these days? Oh, bridesmaid dress. I'm hoping I don't need to grow up and learn how to walk in high heels.).

Now that the cheese whee is rolling again, I wanted to share pics with you of a creamery visit.

If any readers are Bay Area folks who grew up driving the windy backroads of Sonoma, you're likely familiar with Redwood Hill. Of course, if you're a cheese lover, you are probably also just as familiar with this spot. They make good dairy. Owned by the Bice family, this company is as in love with their goats, if not more, as they are with cheese. 4-H-ers unite! These photos are from this mother's day at Redwood Hill. The creamery always opens its gates to farm visits on this day, and it always rocks. A cool celebration right?

My parents, funnily enough though, forgot that the day they were planning to visit Redwood Hill was Mother's Day. They instead told me what they were doing that weekend, I reminded them of the importance of that particular Sunday, then I asked to be invited along. Luckily, they let me join.

Mascarpone cake brownies

While I'm off in France this week eating and drinking through the glories of fermented things in the Jura and Alsace, I’m featuring some of my favorite spring cheese recipes to hold you over until I get back. I know, I know, it's tough, but hopefully last week's post of strawberries and fromage blanc over butter-brushed crostini helped to hinder your craving.

If you want to follow my travels or track my cheese or wine consumption levels while I’m gone, check me out onTwitter or Facebook. I’ll be updating somewhat frequently, on some days, if there’s internet. I’ll also be writing about the trip on this blog and on my (new!) newsletter upon my return.

Also, just shortly after I get back I'll be co-teaching a class at the Cheese School of San Francisco with Waldemar Albrecht on July 9th called: East Coast vs. West Coast Cheese Smackdown. Very excited! First time teaching with this amazingly energetic cheesemonger-fromager/ping-pong player extraordinaire, and I expect it to be fabulous. Here's a little bit from write up on the listing. "Harvard vs. Stanford, Wall Street vs. Silicon Valley, Biggie vs. 2Pac. Between the East and West coasts there is no shortage of beef. But the real question is: Who has the best cheese? "  Like it? Read more here.

 

Now, Chocolate mascarpone brownies.

An Italian-style cream cheese, mascarpone lends a richness to these decadent, cake-like brownies. The cheese has a natural hazelnut-nutty sweetness that softly melds with the chocolate’s flavors, and though the mascarpone lends a brightness to the brownies, they're much more mellow and low acidity than your standard American cream cheese brownies. Want a little more tang? Top with an American cream cheese frosting too. Want more chocolate punch? Add a cup or so of semi-sweet chocolate chunks to the finished batter. Then, send me some. I'll let you know how they turned out.

Because the chocolate, and not the subtle cheese, is the highlight of these sweet snacks, make sure to choose a high quality semi-sweet chocolate. I chop 60-75% cocoa semi-sweet chocolate bars into pieces.

Mascarpone Brownies Makes 28 brownies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick), plus 1 tablespoon salted butter 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped 5 ounces Mascarpone, room temperature 1 1/3 cup sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 egg yolks 3 whole eggs 1 cup all-purpose flour

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Grease a 9 x 13-inch pan.

Melt 1/2 cup butter and chocolate together in a medium sized bowl over a double broiler or bain-marie. Once melted, remove the bowl from heat and whisk in the Mascarpone, then sugar, salt and vanilla. Next, whisk in the egg yolks. Then, whisk the whole eggs in one at a time. After the mixture is well blended, add the flour to the chocolate mix with a rubber spatula, stirring only until incorporated.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the pan comes out clean, and the brownie top is shiny and slightly crinkly. Let cool to room temperature.

Strawberries & fromage blanc, and, France.

France, guard your wheels. "It's Not You, It's Brie" is coming over.

This Friday I'm leaving for France for eleven days. My destinations- Jura and Alsace, with a little pit stop in Paris just in case I haven't had time to inhale all the raw cheese produced in the country while in the west. First priority: Comté. I'm touring some caves, meeting some Montbéliarde cows, tasting the heck out of this beautiful Rhone-Alps cheese, and drinking all the Jura vin jaune I can get my hands on. I'll be busy.  If you want to follow my travels or track my cheese or wine consumption levels while I'm gone, check me out on Twitter or Facebook. I'll be updating somewhat frequently, on some days, if there's internet. I'll also be writing about the trip on this blog and on my (new!) newsletter upon my return.

For the next two weeks on this blog, however, I'm going to feature some of favorite spring cheese and produce recipes. The first: Strawberry and fromage blanc crostini, pictured above.

Strawberries and fromage blanc are a classic of pairing as Sonny and Cher, and since spring announces its sunny arrival by gifting us the best of the berry and dairy world, it’s our blessed duty to honor this seasonal pleasure. I like to serve this for brunch with a side of scrambled eggs and sausage, or for a light lunch with an arugula and toasted walnut salad.

Since fromage blanc and spring strawberries are already so naturally sweet, it’s not necessary to sweeten them up with much more but a touch of sugar. Adding a little lemon zest to the fruit highlights it and the fromage blanc’s lively flavors citrus notes, and melted butter brushed atop the crostini adds sweet-savory nuances. Feel free to use day-old bread for this. Choose a sturdy-style bread with a tight crumb that can handle being topped with cheese and berries once toasted.

Strawberry & Cream Crostini Makes 6 crostini

Ingredients:

1 ¾ cup strawberries, washed, and sliced 1 tablespoon sugar ½ teaspoon lemon zest, finely grated or chopped 2 ½ tablespoons salted butter, melted 6 slices bread, sliced ½ an inch thick at an angle 8 ounces fromage blanc, room temperature Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Combine the strawberries, sugar and lemon zest in a bowl and stir. Let sit for 30 minutes to 2 hours at room temperature.

Use a pastry brush to evenly distribute the melted butter over the tops and bottoms of the bread slices. Place the bread on a baking sheet and bake for ten to fifteen minutes, or until golden. Let cool.

When ready to serve, spread the fromage blanc over the crostini, top with the strawberries, and serve.

Updates soon!

Ridge Montebello Release Party(ies): Cheese & Wine Done Right.

Situated in the Santa Cruz Mountains on the top of a steep hill rife with hairpin turns and crazy bicyclists who gravitate towards the middle of the slim and often one-way road, Ridge is one of the best, and most scenic, wineries in the United States. They rock a Bordeaux varietal like no one's business. Oh, and Zin. And Chardonnay. Officially in un-incooporated Cupertino, but for appellation sake, in woodsy Santa Cruz, Ridge was one of the famed wineries that shocked the world at the Judgement of Paris blind tasting when the world learned that California really knew what it was doing with those Bordeaux grapes.

Ridge continues to be a force today. They more wine these days, and stay true to their practice of making many small single vineyard and small blends bottling of amazing quality. Plus, worth mentioning because its a little rarer than one might think, Ridge also treats the people who work for them very well- from the people who seasonally pick the grapes to the people that sell loads of their wine.

This year I was asked to join Ridge for its Montebello release tastings this year to curate the cheese and talk to people about the offering. These folks know how to put on a party. I loved it. The team there is fantastic, from the resident chefs, the winemaker Eric Baugher, to the hospitality manager Amy Monroe and greeter-charmer-wine blogger Christopher Watkins. Plus, I got to eat a lot of Fatted Calf Charcuterie and Gayle's bread every day I was there.

Did I mention the wine? I did that do. Drank it. A fair amount of it.

A cool part about being at the Montebello release and barrel sampling events is that.... you get to taste the Montebello releases and barrel samples. Yup. And they are worth braving bicyclists in tight pants who breathe like pugs while zig-zaging in the road in front of you. I tasted through 2000, 2008, and 2013 Montebellos, one the prettiest and most vivacious Merlots I've sampled in a while, aged Zins like only Ridge can do them, and a lovely Santa Cruz Estate Chardonany. And also salt and vinegar potato chips with Gruet sparkling wine from New Mexico.

Upon entering the tasting barn, guests are greeted with a pour of a Chardonnay, then lead through tasting two wines inside, then an aged, and a current Montebello blend. After tasting the Montebello, guests head downstairs and work their way through six or seven aged Zins. The event lasted from 11-5pm and many people picnicked outside, minding the "watch out for  rattlesnakes" sign.

The cheese I selected was California, Ridge style. We ordered some direct, and some from wholesalers. I mainly picked hearty, layered aged cheeses to highlight the wines, then threw in a few delicious treats that were just damned tasty. I picked ones I adored and ended up by chance mainly in Northern California. Just a few of the ones served were Achadinha's Broncha, Bohemian Creamery's Cowbunga, PennyRoyal's Boont Corners, Garden Variety Hollyhock, and Vella's Mezzo Secco. I told folks about the delicious, had a newsletter for signups, and signed a book or two.

I was honored to be asked, taste the new releases -2013: a good Montebello thing-, and was so happy to work with the wonderful people there. The attendees were pretty awesome too. As was the Fatted Calf mortadella. (And In case you missed it, here's one of the most interviews I've done, on Ridge's blog).

Have you had a chance to taste Ridge with your local cheeses? Any memorable picks?