Quest For Queso

Preparing, eating and sharing Jasper Hill Farm’s Harbison was my favorite part of Thanksgiving. Even better was grabbing one of their raw milk wheels, where the majority of these sold are made with pasteurized milk.

The spoonable, melty goodness was such a treat as we polished off most of it pre-meal and then mixed it into some scrambled eggs the next morning. Woodsy, sweet and with some lemon/mustard/vegetal notes.

Attention: Cheesy Weekend Ahead

Friday's are different for everyone in New York City. Some hit happy hour, others go out to dinner but the majority usually sticks to takeout and Netflix. For me, however, I plan to continue my strategy of expanding my palette and tasting capabilities: one for you (intense and challenging, not you "personally" - I think you get what I mean) and one for me (safe and what I’m known to love at the moment).

Queso de Valdeón: hearty, spicy Spanish blue wrapped in sycamore leaves

Alp Drackloch: Alpine cow’s milk, texture similar to a Gouda, with notes of caramel, smoke and flowers

If There Were A Tinder For Food, These Would Be An Instant Match... And Last Forever

I remember being five-years-old, sitting in the car with my mother, waiting to go to my afternoon kindergarten class and sticking that little red stick into the gooey cheese, lifting it up and spreading it on those tiny, delicious crackers.

You can probably tell by now that I'm speaking of Handi-Snacks, and it turns out whether it's fake cheese on a stick or an aged Manchego on sesame crackers, cheese and crackers have been a staple in American cuisine. It's not only evolved over time, but pretty much been around for ages. Seriously, like before the Civil War.

Its origin is from, of course, the timeless pairing of cheese, alcohol and bread. However, how we consume cheese and crackers today is very different from how they did back then thanks to the needs and inner workings of many:

The US government who used the pairing for soldier's rations

Bakers who cooked the bread to make it lighter and add texture

Saloon owners who paired it with beer for the perfect after-dessert snack

Homeowners who needed quick, cost-efficient ways to entertain guests

Families who, during the Depression, served this "concentrated food protein" as dessert due to the sugar rations

American corporations like Oscar Meyer who, after home economists, food authors and parenting experts endorsed cheese and crackers as a children's snack, created what we all know today as "Lunchables"

Always Say Yes To Happy Cheese

Following a few tough weeks at work, I returned home to a gift from a pretty special and lovely person: happy cheese.

Happy cheese can be any kind of cheese, of course, as long as it serves the purpose of leaving your troubles behind and putting a smile on your face. Cheers to that, whatever your drug is. 

Here was my source of happiness, acquired from the good people at Stinky Bklyn. 

Miranda

Pure joy and a first for me: a washed-rind cow's milk cheese that’s been bathed in absinthe! You can only see a half wheel in my pics, but as you’ll see here from cheesenotes, it’s pressed in small italian cheese molds and stacked on top of one another by the fine people at Vulto Creamery. The aroma is pungent but the taste is much like a Tallegio: meaty and savory, however, the absinthe adds some subtle fruitiness. Absolutely delish.

Ossau Iraty

This French sheep's milk was a natural fit for me, as my palette currently lends itself to firm and/or hard, aged cheeses (I grew up on cheddar, what do you expect?). However, my first taste was overwhelmingly sweet and had traces of caramel. Quite a different taste from what the brothy Miranda, but if you know me, I never turn down anything sweet. Or cheesy.

4C Foods Recalls Grated Parmesan 

Further poof that you shouldn't waste your time with mass-produced, non-raw cheese. First Kraft singles, now 4C grated parmesan.

Stick with the good stuff, like a satiny, velvety Melville. That'll do the trick.