by glenn on June 22, 2010
I was going to a small Solstice Eve dinner. Of course, I would bring the cheese. I wanted cheeses that would be perfect for summer – either fresh or, if aged, at their peak. So I was off to Central Bottle and Provision to consult with David, my favorite cheesemonger. Central Bottle always has an everchanging inventory of great domestic and international cheeses. David is always seeking out interesting new cheeses, bringing in the best that he can procure from his purveyors. And he always offers many samples – questioning me about cheeses I’ve purchased in the past to determine what I might like of his current stock. I taste, I judge, we move on to the next. For my Solstice cheese plate, I wanted to present the trinity - cow, goat and sheep. After a bit of back and forth, an exchange of cheese-world news and gossip, I had my three. [click to continue…]
Lingot du Quercy, Roves des Garrigue and Georgia Pecan
Finally, the ordeal of moving behind me, I was heading out of town for some R ‘n’ R in the country. (And no, that’s not Rock ‘n’ Roll.) Before hopping on the Pike, though, I stopped at Central Bottle to procure some cheese from David, the shop’s affable and extremely knowledgeable cheesemonger. Since one of my hosts had just celebrated a birthday, I wanted something special, something springtime and therefore something goat. For me, fresh goat cheese is one of the culinary glories of this season. What I intended to be a quick stop lengthened as David had me try numerous samples from his great inventory of fresh goat cheeses. After much tasting and discussion, I had my three birthday cheeses and hopped on the Pike. [click to continue…]
by glenn on April 13, 2010
On Sunday April 11th, The Bueno Queso Social Club held the inaugural meeting of its fourth year. Previously, I’ve written about my passion for cheese and the BQSC in the post “It’s the Most Wonderful Class of the Year“. Now, once again, we were gathered for further gastronomic adventures with Robert at the helm ably complimented by Derek the wine guy. In addition to our usual chef, Morgan Bigley, we had a guest chef, Robert from The Butcher Shop. All were assisted by Judy from the sushi and wine shop Seiyo. The theme for this class was charcuterie – the ancient art of preserving meat through curing, smoking, salting and the manufacture and cooking of various forcemeats. Robert also had a line-up of cheeses to round out the menu. Derek’s choice of wine was mainly Italian – according to him, Italian wines and charcuterie make the best pairings. On to Round One…….. [click to continue…]
by glenn on February 23, 2010
As the ancient constellations wheel through the winter night sky, we enter the House of Aquarius – dominion of those conceived in the merrie month of May and birthed in the dead of winter. Each year, a group of my friends gathers to celebrate the birthdays of the two water babies in the group – one of whom is me. As pastry chef, I would create the requisite cake. Yet now, as cheese aficianado, I provide the cheese course. And since all great fetes begin with champagne, I bring a bottle – or two – of the liquid stars. [click to continue…]
