Angela's carrots

NA is about to receive the couch she had recovered with the fabric she had commissioned in Turkey! We’ll send pictures when it actually happens. Anyway, I was down in Alexandria today delivering her pictures to her Art League entry in the Torpedo Factory, and I had to stop by Cheesetique and got these:

Cabra La Mancha
Firefly Farms
milk: goat
Located in Maryland’s Allegheny Plateau, Firefly Farms is a collaboration among a small group of neighbors who decided to enter the world of artisan cheesemaking. With a 130 acre farm purchased in 1997, the four “Fireflies” initially managed their own herd of goats. In 2006 they decided to focus all their efforts on cheesemaking. They now purchase milk through a coop that is supplied by a local group of Amish farmers.

This cheese was inspired by the Spanish Manchego. Its semi-firm texture is smooth and pleasing with a pleasant sharpness. The paste is earthy with grassy notes and a nice, tangy finish. Aged for two to four months, this cheese ripens beautifully for up to a year.

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Grinzing: Austrian Tilsit
milk: pasteurized cow
Grinzing is an Austrian cheese modeled after Danish Tilsit. A young cheese with a soft texture, Grinzing is very mild and buttery, with a light, sweet flavor. For connoisseurs who find that German Tilsit is a bit too spicy and robust, try Grinzing for a similar, but sweeter treat. It’s perfect for serving with fresh fruit as a light dessert, and pairs wonderfully with a crisp Riesling.

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Dante
Wisconsin Sheep Dairy Cooperative
milk: sheep
Made with 100% pure sheep milk and aged a minimum of six months, DANTE has a rich, nutty flavor with a firm and somewhat dry texture. Dante complements pasta, dried fruit and balsamic vinegar as well as medium red wines and semi-sweet white wines.

After the George Washington portrait lecture at the Portrait Gallery we went to the nearby farmer’s market where Chapel’s Country Creamery had a stand. We got these:

Chapelle Cave Aged Cheese – This young moist cave aged cheese has a bloomy white rind which has rich mushroomy flavor that compliments the creamy interior. Chapelle drains naturely overnight. Then is placed in a cave for two months. Great with a wine and cheese platter or display at a party.

Cave Aged Cheddar – Chapel’s Country Creamery cave aged cheddar cheese has been aged a minimum of 8 months or longer to ensure optimum flavor. This superior cheddar cheese has just the right sharpness for any use.

Mary & Angela also bought some bastard cheeses (cheeses mixed with things) at the Eastern Market: one had sage, and the other had cheddar and stilton in layers. Bowers Fancy Dairy Products “Cheese from All Parts of the World!” let us try others, too — one was pink (red wine) and another with chives (would have been good on burgers).

Both from Cheesetique, a cheese store in Alexandria/Arlington. They are so nice there — plenty of samples and more USA cheeses than anywhere we’ve been. They are moving to a new, bigger places just a few doors down before the end of the year.

Appalachian
Meadow Creek Dairy
Galax, Va
milk: cow

A dairy in Virginia, closest point in Virginia to David’s house. Appalachian has a supple straw color paste and a white mould rind with glimpses of pink showing through. The flavor is mild and buttery with a spicy finish and a hint of mushroom.

Great Hill Blue
Great Hill Dairy
Marion, MA
milk: cow

Great Hill Blue is an internally ripened variety made with raw, unhomogenized milk resulting in a true gourmet quality cheese. The cheese has a slightly more Yvettedense and yellow curd as no bleach or food colorings are added.

Mt. Tam Triple Cream
Cowgirl Creamery
Point Reyes Station, CA

A smooth, creamy, elegant, 10-oz, triple-cream – made with tasty organic milk from the Straus Family Dairy. MT TAM is firm, yet buttery with a mellow, earthy flavor reminiscent of white mushrooms. MT TAM won 1st Prize in the soft-ripened category at this year’s American Cheese Society competition.

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California Crottin
Redwood Hill Farm
Sebastopol, CA

milk: goat

Our traditional French-style California Crottin has a wrinkly, geotrichum candidum rind, a fluffy texture and robust, earthy flavor. Twice it was voted “Best Farmstead Goat Cheese” at the prestigious American Cheese Society judging and chosen as the best Crottin, better than the French originals, in a recent Wall St. Journal tasting.

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Midnight Moon
Cypress Grove Creamery
Arcata, CA

milk: goat

Aged one year or more, this pale, ivory cheese is firm, dense and smooth with
the slight graininess of a long-aged cheese. The flavor is nutty and
brown-buttery, with prominent caramel notes. The wheel is finished in a
beautiful black wax.

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Vermont Ayr
Crawford Family Farm
Whiting, VT
milk: Ayrshire cow
Our farmstead cheese is made by hand using traditional techniques, and each wheel receives individual attention. Cheese making begins in our kettle-shaped vat within an hour of milking. By adding only a small amount of culture, we succeed in revealing the complex flavors of our “terroir”—the land that the animals graze.

We are currently making one style of cheese, Vermont Ayr, an alpine style farmstead cheese made from raw milk, in 1 and 4 lbs wheels.

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Cave Aged Cheddar
Chapel’s County Creamery
Easton, MD
milk: cow

Chapel’s Country Creamery cave aged cheddar cheese has been aged a minimum of8 months or longer to ensure optimum flavor. This superior cheddar cheese hasjust the right sharpness for any use.

Washington Post had an article on them.

Reggianito. Similar to Italian Parmigiano Reggiano, mostly used for grating. The popular cheese is Reggianito. Because the loaf is smaller, its name is the diminutive in Spanish for the Italian, hard cheese Reggiano. It is made from milk, produced by cows which are pasture fed. Cured longer than competitive, it has an excellent taste and is perfect for cooking or a topping on pasta.
Country: Argentina
Milk: cow milk
Texture: hard
at: 3.4 ms: 3.75 wt: 3.5

Austrian Swiss has a firmer texture than baby Swiss, and is known for being shiny, pale yellow with large holes. Flavor is mild, sweet and nut-like. The process is specifically designed so that no rind forms on the cheese (maturing takes place in vacuum-packed plastic wrapping) for mass-production purposes. The taste of the cheese is very mild. It can be eaten with apples, pears, grapes and thinly-sliced prosciutto ham and salami, fruity white wine, aged red wine, crane-raspberry juice, tomato or vegetable juice. Swiss is the generic name, in the United States, Canada and Australia, for several related varieties of cheese, all of which resemble the Swiss Emmental. Some types of Swiss cheese have a distinctive appearance, as the blocks of the cheese are riddled with holes known as “eyes”. Swiss cheese is known for its nutty taste. In general, the larger the eyes in a Swiss cheese, the more pronounced its flavor; this is because the same conditions that lead to large eyes – longer ageing or higher temperatures – also give the acting bacteria and enzymes more time to produce flavor. This poses a problem for makers of pre-sliced Swiss cheese, the most popular category in the United States. Cheese with large eyes doesn’t slice well, sometimes coming apart in mechanical slicers. This costs time and money and is one reason why US manufacturers usually produce a product less aged and flavorful than imported cheeses of the same style.
Country: Austria
Milk: cow milk
Texture: hard
at: 1.5 ms: 1 wt: 1.5

New York Cheddar. White. Age unknown. Cheddar is always made from cow’s milk and has a slightly crumbly texture if properly cured. If the cheese is too young, the texture is smooth. Cheddar gets a sharper taste the longer it matures. It is generally matured between 9 and 24 months. The important thing in purchasing Cheddar, is to consider the age of the cheese. Could it be: Aged over a shorter period of time, this particular kind of sharp cheddar from New York has a milder flavor and smoother texture than our Extra Sharp. This, more moderating version, affords any recipe the rich flavor of cheddar – it will enhance, not overwhelm, the taste. It pairs well with any herb, particularly sage and rosemary, making it a delightful with marinaded meats and vegetables. If you are looking for a cheese that can boost the flavor yet cut the spiciness of a particular food, this is the cheese for you! Most surprising: This is the preferred cheddar for melting and grilling (think: barbecued meats, grilled sandwiches) and seems to have the more agreeable flavor for children. If you are serving with wine: dry, barrel-aged red wine; or dessert-style white wines will be most complementary.
Country: United States
Milk: cow milk
Texture: hard

at: 2.2 ms: 2 wt: 2
Taleggio. Buttery, delicate, semi-soft and subtlety sweet cheese from Italy made from cow’s milk. It usually has a square shape. The cheese has a special taste and aroma. The crust is pinkish-gray and the paste is white, supple and fruity. It ripens in 25 – 50 days and has a fat content of 48 per cent. There is also a cooked-curd version which is firmer and bears a resemblance to Mozzarella. Taleggio is also known as Stracchino (from the Italian stracche (fatigued) which referred to the cows of the area after travelling back to the valley from their grazing season in the high pastures. Taleggio is an excellent dessert cheese that goes very well with a robust wine.
Country: Italy
Milk: cow milk
Texture: semi-soft
at: 4.8 ms: 4.5 wt: 4

Passendale is a modern, creamery, semi-soft cheese made from cow’s milk. It has a round shape. With its warm, brown crust, lightly dusted with white mould it resembles a loaf of bread. The flavor is mild and creamy. The cheese takes its name from the Flemish village of Passchendaele. The Belgian Passendale has distinctive, bulging, rounded edges and a soft, damp consistency.

at: 3.3 na: 3.5 ms: 2.8 wt: 4

Labor day, September 3, 2007

Le Berger de Rocastin
France
Sheep’s milk
<see above for description>

at: 3.5 wt: 4 na: 4 ms: 3.5

Passendale
Belgium
cow’s milk
Passendale is a modern, creamery, semi-soft cheese made from cow’s milk. It has a round shape. With its warm, brown crust, lightly dusted with white mould it resembles a loaf of bread. The flavor is mild and creamy. The cheese takes its name from the Flemish village of Passchendaele. The Belgian Passendale has distinctive, bulging, rounded edges and a soft,
damp consistency.

at: 3.3 na: 3.5 ms: 2.8 wt: 4

Mahon
Spain
cow’s milk
Mahon is a traditional, creamery, unpasteurized, hard cheese. It is produced from cow’s milk on Minorca, the outermost of the three Spanish Balearic Islands. The hard, orange rind carries the imprint of the cheesecloth and tends to be greasy. The curd is piled in the center of a cloth, square corners are knotted and twisted together and the cheese is pressed and twisted for a few days. This gives the cheese its typical “cushion” shape. Mahon is sold at various stages of maturity. It is usually sold young, when the texture is smooth and supple and the aroma is sweet and fruity. It must be consumed within 10 days.

11/19/2010 Update: I got a chunk of Spanish Mahon Menorca at Brookville tonite. It smells a bit like smelly socks, but not in a bad way. It was a semi-soft cheese and not very aged. Sort of the texture of a fresh asiago. It has little holes. Nice texture and sweet, pleasant taste. Imported by Forever Cheese. They say this Mahon is from Minorca aged between 10-12 months. The milk is thermalized, not pasteurized.

at: 3.8 na: 3.5 ms: 4 wt: 3.8

Parmigiano-reggiano
Italy
cow’s milk
http://www.parmigiano-reggiano.it
Named after an area in Italy, Parma Parmesan is one of the world’s most popular and widely-enjoyed cheeses. Milk used for Parmesan is heated and curdled in copper containers but not before most of the milk’s cream has been separated and removed. Curd is cut and then heated to 125 degrees F, all the while stirring the curd to encourage whey runoff. The curd is further cooked at temperatures of up to 131 degrees F, then pressed in cheesecloth-lined moulds. After two days, the cheeses are removed and salted in brine for a month, then allowed to mature for up to two years in very humid conditions.

What are the small grains you feel under your teeth when you eat a piece of Parmigiano-Reggiano?
Unlike what many people think, they are not grains of salt nor grains of calcium. They are crystals of an amino acid, called tyrosine, which, owing to its molecular conformation, crystallises if it is free and in high concentrations. Together with other amino acids, it is released during the process of protein breakdown triggered by enzymes. Therefore the presence of tyrosine is definitely a practical indication (since it can be experienced by every consumer) of a good degree of maturation of Parmigiano-Reggiano.

at: 3.5 na: 3.5 ms: 3.9 wt: 3.5

Cheese.com. You can search the database of 671 cheeses by names, by country of origin, by kind of milk that is used to produce it, or by texture. Trivia, too.

Le Berger de Rocastin
France
Sheep’s milk

A member of the Brie family, this French soft-ripened cheese is made from sheep’s milk and has a white creamy smooth interior and a flowery white edible rind. It is delicately flavored, hinting at its sweet sheep’s milk content. It’s shaped like a hexagon and ripens in just 2 weeks. As with most cheeses, Rocastin should always be served at room temperature so its full flavor is allowed to develop.

at: 3 wt: 4 na: 3.5 ms: 3
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Raschera
Italy
Cow’s milk
http://www.raschera.com/eng/

A natural rind cow’s milk cheese from the province of Cuneo with a smooth, sweet flavor. Raschera is generally aged for about 50-60 days. Very little makes its way out of Italy so this is a real treat for any cheese plate. The name originates from a lake in that area. The wheel is wrapped in paper and then packed in a wooden crate.

Raschera is an Italian cheese that comes from Cuneo. Its name is derived from Lake Raschera, which lies at the foot of Mt Mongioie. It is a semi-soft cheese made from sweet cow’s milk. The flavour of Raschera changes from season to season. Spring and summer cheeses are sweet, fresh and slightly tart. Winter cheeses are more solid and vibrant. Raschera has a round or square shape with reddish-yellow crust.

at: 4.5 wt: 4 na: 4 ms: 4.5
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Chaubier
French
Half Cow’s milk, half goat’s milk

A mi-chevre, meaning half goat. It’s other half is made of cow’s milk. This semi-firm tomme, is a cooked, pressed, washed rind cheese. Chaubier is smooth and mild with a supple texture, but it possesses a persistent and distinct goat’s milk flavor. Chaubier is another favorite of mine, especially great for catering events. It will appeal to a wide audience, and is easy to portion or pre-cut.

at: 3.5 wt: 3 na: 2 ms: 3.5
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Provolone
Italy
Cow’s milk

A whole-milk cow cheese with a smooth skin produced mainly in the Po River Valley regions of Lombardia and Veneto. It is produced in different forms: shaped like large salami up to 30 cm in diameter and 90 cm long; in a watermelon shape; in a truncated bottle shape; or also in a large pear shape with the characteristic round knob for hanging.
The average weight is 5 kg. Provolone is a semi-hard cheese with taste varying greatly from Provolone Piccante (piquant), aged minimum 4 months and by the very sharp taste, to Provolone Dolce (sweet) with a very mild taste. In Provolone Piccante, the distinctive piquant taste is produced with lipase originating from goat. The Dolce version uses calf’s lipase instead.

at: 2 wt: 3 na: 3 ms: 3.5

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Stilton
British
Cow’s milk
http://www.stiltoncheese.com/

A blue-veined cheese with a rich and mellow flavor and a piquant aftertaste. It has narrow, blue-green veins and a wrinkled tan-brown rind which is not edible. Stilton is milder, and drier than Roquefort or Gorgonzola, with a slightly bitter note. Stilton’s are allowed to mature for 6 to 8 months.

Eighteenth century travellers encountering their first taste of Stilton™ cheese must have spread the word of its remarkable, mouth-pleasing flavour. Today, nearly 300 years later, Stilton is still made exclusively in the counties of Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire from local milk.

Only seven dairies, using the original centuries-old recipe, are licensed to produce the creamy ivory-hued king of cheeses. So esteemed is Stilton’s unique flavour and texture, it is the only British cheese graced with its own certification trademark.

Lighter than Gorgonzola, richer than Danish blue and more intense than UK blues, Britain’s Historic Blue is causing a revolution in the kitchen. Its meltable, full-rounded qualities enliven salads and hors d’oeuvres, soups and sauces, as well as meat, vegetable and fruit dishes.

More than a cheese, Stilton is prized as the authentic flavour of an earlier time – a taste of history that continues to make news.

at: 3.5 wt: 4 na: 3 ms: 3.5

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Manchego
Spain
?

at: 4 wt: 4 na: 4 ms: 4

Cheesetique is a gourmet cheese boutique located in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria, Virginia — would be great for a field trip. www.cheesetique.com