My sweets, a couple weeks ago, we figured out
how to make the perfect cheese plate. But what about really those change-your-life
strong cheeses? Well,
Murray's Cheese helped us put together a cheese plate for brave souls that will blow your mind (and stink up your living room). The only question is: Can you handle it? :)
Murray's head cheesemonger Sydney Willcox showed us how to create a truly adventurous cheese plate, and the wonderful
Jamie Beck took photos. Here goes...
Overall rule of thumb: Typically it's OK to eat the rind of any cheese, as long as you can handle the stronger flavor (exceptions, of course, are cloth-bound or wax rinds).
Monte Enebro. This quirky Spanish goat cheese is covered in ash and mold. The flavor is creamy and salty on the inside, and then gets spicy, damp and acidic as you get toward the rind. Its overall funny appearance is said to resemble the leg of a mule!
Quadrello di Bufala. This gamey cheese is made in northern Italy with water buffalo milk. Two SUPER cool brothers took over their father's farm (their dad had started the farm in 1968 and tragically died the same year). They wanted to do more than just make mozzarella, so they created a bunch of different funky cheeses. This cheese is very barnyard-y; you can taste wet straw, a bit of stink and sweetness at the same time. Tangy, meaty, very rich. Washed in brine.
Epoisses. There are two ways to serve this runny cow's milk cheese--cut it like a pizza or cut the top off and scoop it out with a spoon (or dip your bread in!). After four weeks of aging in France, this cheese is rinsed in French brandy--and once it crosses the pond, Murray's washes it in brandy
again in their cheese cave to kick up the intensity. Very strong, gooey, stinky. (In fact, it's so stinky that there's a rumor that it's banned from French public transportation.) Like a salty pudding. Fun fact: Napoleon Bonaparte was a huge fan!
Pecorino Foglie de Noce. This raw sheep's milk cheese is buried in barrels full of walnut leaves while it ages. You can taste the walnut flavor in the cheese, and the rind is grassy and herbaceous. Milky, nutty, sharp and very salty. Great with fresh grapes, since it's so salty that you need that refreshing palate cleanser. (Fun fact: Did you know that the word "pecorino" doesn't actually connote a specific cheese, but simply refers to
any Italian sheep's milk cheese?)
Caveman Blue. This blue cheese is made with raw cow's milk in Oregon. (The Pacific Northwest is a big blue hotspot.) Really fruity and spicy, the flavor is right up front. Has nuances of beef and bacon and grass. Not for people who are timid about blue cheeses! The name "Caveman Blue" is a nod to the nearby town of Grant's Pass, which is overlooked by a huge hulking
statue of a caveman.
Yum! Thank you so much, Sydney and
Murray's! What do you think, my lovelies? Do you dare? How bold are you when it comes to cheeses? (I would love to serve this tray at a dinner party!)
P.S. Remember
Toby's stinker shirt? :) And more
cheese-y posts!
(Photos by the amazing
Jamie Beck for
Cup of Jo)
Source URL: http://gbejadacosta.blogspot.com/search/label/foodVisit Gbejada Costa for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection
Abby and her fiance wanted a relaxed wedding, so they invited their friends and family over for burgers! "We celebrated at my parents' house in Maine," says Abby. "We ate burgers, sweet-potato fries and salad. For dessert, we served Maine blueberry pie." Isn't that sweet? Would you rather have a casual or formal wedding? I love this idea!
Wow, how's this for a travel fantasy: The Rock Restaurant is an amazing seafood shack perched on a rock in the Indian Ocean. Depending on the tide, you either walk, swim or row a boat to it!
Whoa! Did you know that you shouldn't saute at high heat with olive oil? It can release toxic smoke above a certain temperature. So, Abbey recommends avocado oil, which works perfectly for high-heat cooking and tastes great on salads.
Alex and I had a few people over for wine and cheese last night, and, just as a twist, we made personal wine labels from Pinhole Press. I used a photo of Paris and the words, "Have a magical evening."
Source URL: http://gbejadacosta.blogspot.com/search/label/food
How many of these candy bars can you identify? (I can see Snickers and Payday, that's about it!) They look delicious.
We're going to make this pea pasta from Smitten Kitchen tonight. I'm embarrassingly excited! Deb is a genius with her simple, delicious recipes.
Claudia Lucero moved to Portland in search of slower, happier life. She started pickling vegetables and making cheese, and now she runs an etsy shop with DIY cheese kits! You can make the fresh cheeses in your kitchen in under an hour with just a gallon of milk.
Oh my goodness, who wants a bite of this PB&J candy bar?!
French fries are irresistibly delicious, don't you think? Well, Chelsea just shared this recipe for making your own, and it looks super easy. You could give it a Belgian twist and serve them with mayonnaise!
Ooooh, yes please.
German artist Uli Westphal started noticing how lawfully enforced standards of agriculture made every lemon, lime and tomato look exactly the same. "The complete absence of botanical anomalies in our supermarkets has caused us to regard the consistency of produce there as natural," he wrote. So, he went to Berlin farmer's markets and photographed a dazzling array of fruits and vegetables, in an effort to document the "last survivors of biological variety." I had no idea!
Yesterday we made our first batch of summer popsicles, and, inspired by the new popsicle cookbook Paletas, we made two awesome flavors: avocado (!) and Greek yogurt with blackberry.
The avocado popsicle was surprisingly sweet and refreshing...
...and the Greek yogurt with blackberry popsicle was creamy and tart.
Here are the recipes, if you'd like to try them out. Enjoy!
Last night, I snuck out for a pedicure and read the newest Real Simple in my massage chair. In the issue, I stumbled upon this adorable lighthouse carafe! How cute would it be for summer entertaining?Source URL: http://gbejadacosta.blogspot.com/search/label/food
The new shop Lil' Cake Toppers launched today. Aren't the custom cake toppers adorable? I love that she represents different ethnicities and backgrounds. xo
Trader Joe's, I love you.Source URL: http://gbejadacosta.blogspot.com/search/label/food
My lovelies, here's our third (and final) cheese tutorial! If you're planning a romantic night at home, or a fun evening with friends, here are three cheese + drink pairings that will knock your socks off...
The stinky French cow's milk cheese Langres comes in a wooden container. The traditional way to eat it is to pour Champagne into the little dip (or "fountain") on the top of the cheese -- which makes it effervescent and delicious! (Confession: We used Prosecco to save some coin, but it was still fabulous.)
There are two types of people in the world: Those who love smoky flavors, and those who hate them. (Which are you?) This smoked goat cheese, Up in Smoke, packs a major punch--and almost tastes like bacon! The award-winning cheese is bright, tangy and smoky, since it's wrapped in smoked maple leaves spritzed with bourbon. Double the intensity by pairing it with a really smoky beer. (Alex was obsessed with this combo.)
I never drink coffee (which is ironic considering my blog's name), but I made an exception for this amazing cheese. Barely Buzzed is a cheddar-style cheese made by two brothers-in-law in Utah, and the rind is rubbed with espresso coffee grounds and lavender. The flavors permeate the milky cheese--it's incredible. Barely Buzzed won a Blue Ribbon at the American Cheese Society three years in a row. Pair it with a strong cup of coffee for a taste explosion...and a serious spring in your step. :)
How rad are these wine bottles? They would be great to bring to a dinner party or celebration.
How sweet is this idea for brownies? (You could do it with letters, too.)
My sweets, a couple weeks ago, we figured out how to make the perfect cheese plate. But what about really those change-your-life strong cheeses? Well, Murray's Cheese helped us put together a cheese plate for brave souls that will blow your mind (and stink up your living room). The only question is: Can you handle it? :)
Overall rule of thumb: Typically it's OK to eat the rind of any cheese, as long as you can handle the stronger flavor (exceptions, of course, are cloth-bound or wax rinds).
