Happy 2013!

Ashe County Cheese for the new year

Happy New Year!

My brother gave us some Ashe County Cheese for Christmas!  You can visit their cheese store most days of the week, but check their schedule to see if they will be making cheese that day.  It is in West Jefferson, about 15 miles north of Deep Gap (Deep Gap is on NC 421 between North Wilkesboro and Boone).  We’ll have to go visit them sometime.

Redneck Romano is a nice, hard romano-style cheese.

Carolina Blue Marble is their soft blue-veined cheese.

We also had a gruyere which was supposed to be for the fondue set that he also gave us, but we didn’t bring the fondue set back on the train and Mom is shipping it to us.  I hope we have some gruyere left by the time we get the set.  Look for the fondue set in another post soon.

Ewephoria and brie

Ewephoria gouda (on the right) and Normandie brie (on the left)

Isigny St Mere Brie: Normandie is normally known for its camembert, but this brie is from there.  Very good.

Ewephoria: a sweet gouda style sheeps milk cheese from Holland that I found at the Brookville market in Cleveland Park.

 

Sandy is here!

Hurricane Sandy

And of course we had a cocktail in her honor:

the Sandy

Government (and our) offices were closed today & will be closed tomorrow.

The Sandy:

  • 1 1/2 oz rum
  • 1 oz cointreau
  • 2 oz watermelon & ginger ice
  • 2 oz orange, peach, and mango juice
  • tangerine wedge

Will probably have another & watch Earth Vs. the Flying Saucers (until the power goes out)

 

Reading Market Cheese

Reading market cheese

The other day we met T.T. and M.T. in Philadelphia so we went to the Reading Market.  I got some interesting cheese (and passed on the cheese that was $40/lb).

Le Fin Normand Camembert – a nice Camembert (aren’t they all?) from Saint-Hilaire de Briouze.  It was one that I didn’t have the box for, which was the main reason to get it.

Pecorino Sardo Ciresa – a very nice Italian sheep’s milk cheese

Asiago – very good, but not as nice as what NA smuggled in for us.

Tete de Moine

Actually, it is Tete de Moine Fromage de Bellelay. A good swiss-style cheese originally made by the monks of the Bellelay Abbey.  Quite good, but they say it is better to shave it with one of those round wheel things with a scraper.  We’ve seen one of those at Cornucopia.

 

Norwegian Cheese Package We Won

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Thanks to W’s brother who gets the Culture Cheese magazine subscription for him each year.

I’ve been entering for at least 3 years, so it was quite exciting to get the whole package.

It was Norwegian cheese, from Jarlsburg USA,  with accessories. We like the traditional Jarlsberg, a cow cheese we have had often, and we got about a pound of it.  It also included Snofrisk and Ski Queen Gjetost (yaytoast — has a flavor similar to tangy fudge — this blog, Cheesemonger’s Wife, describes it well). Both were goat cheeses. We got to enjoy it with some homemade, pickled veggies that we got from family at Christmas. The mustard was similar to a spicy, German mustard, and we haven’t opened the pricey, strawberry preserves yet.

And now the slate board  ($40) means we have one for the city (another family gift) and one for the country. The little cheese cooler will be handy, and the cute, little cheese knife that works quite well. The whole package was probably worth $150 or so.

Now we  you can win the next giveaway for the fall Culture magazine package.
• Yanni Grilling Cheese (plain and jalapeño-flavored)
• Hand- Braided String Cheese (plain, marinated, and smoked)
• Labne Kefir Cheese
• Basket Feta (green olive and sun-dried tomato–flavored)
• Plus, an insulated cooler, cheese knife and blade cutter, to-go coffee cup, spatula, and measuring cup.

This total package has a value of $120. Enter your name below for our November 30, 2012 drawing. No purchase necessary, you must be a US resident to enter.

 

Cheese at the E Street Cinema

At our local art theater, E Street Cinema, they now have an Artisan Cheese Plate, featuring 4 incredible cheeses from Italy and France; Galbani Bel Paese, Boule d’Or Mimolette, Istara P’Tit Basque and President Emmental. Served with Toasted Pita Bread and a mixture of Candied Pecans and cranberries. What could be better than cheese and a movie?

Movies and Cheese
Cheese @ the Movies

Illinois cheese

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AKT got some cheese from the farmer’s market there.  It was from Ludwig Farmstead Creamery in Illinois.

Feather Ridge – a semi-hard raw milk cheese.

Jake’s Wheel – patterned after Havarti.

Vermillion River Blue – a very nice triple cream blue.

AKT also got a nice cheese knife, but the mouse’s tail broke off after the first use.