So while all you guys were opening presents and wearing bright and shiny Holiday sweaters and spilling egg nog all over yourself, I was here, contemplating cheese. What else? And I realized that I couldn’t stop thinking about one particular cheese we have in the shop. It’s like the QB of the cheese shop team…throwing that pig skin long and far and has perfect aim and is going to take the team to semi-finals and then is going to get a scholarship and go and play college ball…Ok. So maybe I was watching a lot of Friday Night Lights AND thinking about cheese (but seriously, I didn’t think NBC could actually create a show about football that sucked me in so fast…bravo NBC, bravo. And can we talk ’bout Tim Riggins for a second?!? Oh. My God.)

Anyways, I’m going to get to the point here.  The cheese I was thinking about was none other than the Essex Street Cheese Marcel Petite 16 month Comte.  Yeah, that’s right.  The one.  The only.  The classic.  The best.  It’s like the perfect holiday cheese.  You can use it to cook with, you can use it to snack, and you can cover it in mayo and cream cheese and serve it to your friends and they will LOVE you for it.

Do they still make this? Because I'm putting a case of it in my bomb shelter.

Usually, we have the Comte that is about a year old. Nutty, hints of shallots and berries, delicious, creamy, waxy texture…But this 16 month wheel….let me tell you. It went through puberty and blossomed into a beautiful swan. Made of out cheese. Cheese swans. That’s a good idea…I’m gonna have to write that one down in my journal to remember for later…

I didn't think anything would really come up when I Googled "Cheese Swan," but let me tell you that there are plenty of weirdos out there who decided to put the two together. AT LAST.

Anyways. COMTE. It’s French, it rules, you should get it. It’s one of the oldest cheeses out there. Hailing from the Easternmost region of France, the Franche-Comte (home of the often referenced Jura!), which is right near Switzerland, this mountain cheese is actually the most highly produced cheese in all of France. In your face brie.

And cue the unnecessary soft focus...

On average, over 40,000 tons (which is like 88,000 pounds or like 27 and a half giraffes. Literally!) of Comte is made in a year. While some claim that Comte has been around since the glory days of Charlemagne (that’s the 9th century in case you are keeping track), the earliest references to a cheese named “Comte” were made in the 12th century, when groups of cows herders would pool their milk together and make big wheels of cheese they could sell throughout the year. (Remember this blog post? It’s all explained here. Full circle, peeps. Full Circle.) Comte is generally made until the end of the summer, when all wheels are put away to age. Cheese production is then switched to a special fall time cheese, the crown jewel of the cheese world, Vacherin Mont D’Or, which we forced upon many of you to make your Thanksgiving unique and special.

Made in “fruitières,” wheels are on average 80-110 pounds. BEASTS of the cheese world (they could easily smash a wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano to smithereens…ok not really, but you get the idea), these wheels are delicious. An AOC (Appellation d’origine contrôlée or basically, “controlled designation of origin”) cheese, Comte is name protected and can’t be called Comte unless it is made in a certain way, in a certain place, from certain milk. So you know that all wheels of Comte are going to be top notch quality. Aged in the Marcel Petite Fort St. Antoine, hundreds and hundreds of wheels live and are tended to by fromager extraordinaire Mr. Claude Querry. He spends all day looking at Comte, tasting Comte, banging on Comte like a drum, flipping Comte…heck he probably even talks to the Comte. And here he is in this video, impressively flipping wheels of Comte like they are tiddlywinks:

That’s so much cheese! It’s crazy! Kiiiiiiind of freaking out a little. Anyways, as I said earlier, Comte is extremely versatile. Munch on it. Cook widdit. Melt it (remember our winter time friend, Mr. Fondue?!). Or if you google “Comte cheese” you’ll get a plethora of websites suggesting an unusual technique that involves cubing the cheese and serving it on a platter with little frilly toothpicks and various dried out vegetables, including broccoli, cauliflower, or even wilty lettuce leaves!

Personally, I think you would want to drink your Comte with big, dry white wines (like a good Sancerre), a lighter red (like a Beaujolais), or any kind of beer. Pair with some pickles, mustard, a good crusty cracker/loaf of bread, and some mustard, et voila. As the French would say: “Pic-nic!”

Or, if you consult cheese blog superstar Stephanie, she would use it as a variation on this Nigella Lawson recipe! For “cauliflower cheese.” NOM NOM NOM.

Now presenting the recipe in all its British vernacular glory!!!!

INGREDIENTS

1 cauliflower cut into florets

1oz butter

1oz plain flour

6oz COMTE, grated

½ pint milk

6 rashers streaky bacon (back if the fat is a worry)

freshly ground white pepper

METHOD

Par boil the cauliflower in boiling salted water for about 6-7 minutes. Drain and put in greased, oven proof serving dish.

In a saucepan melt the butter and add the flour. Stir together to make a paste and let it cook for 1-2 minutes.

Add the milk a little at a time stirring constantly making sure that it is all combined together until it is to your preferred consistency.

Add the cheese and stir in until melted and unctuous. Remove from the heat. Cut the bacon into ½ strips and dry fry until crispy.

Throw the bacon into the cheese sauce and stir in together with the pepper.

Pour the sauce over the cauliflower and bake in a preheated oven at 180 deg C for about ½ an hour or until bubbling and golden on top.

Serves: 4

Yum! I think my aorta just burst!

I would translate, but I think it’s endearing to keep it in its native tongue. Plus I gotta keep y’all on your toes.

Ok. Well there is my verbose blog post. Rhymes. I have lots of ideas about future blogs, so get your blogging pants on! It’s gonna be a wild ride…

As precious as this baby bobcat?!?!? Well...no. Also, not as delicious.

So we are going to hop right back into things with the thoughts of a one DYLAN D. HIESTER. Hooray! This week Dylan picked the delightful Swiss cheese -Senne Flada. It is a decadent, spreadable, unpasteurized washed rind cheese from the Alps. It’s rich and buttery with a slight stinky finish.

We're so cool.

Here is what Dylan had to say about why he chose Senne Flada for this season’s cheesepinion:
“Welp, it’s starting to get cold and there is really nothing better than a rich, creamy, ever-so-slightly barnyardy thing to share with the loved ones. This cheese has been so tasty lately that I haven’t even cared about stuffing my face with rich, thick, buttery goo in the heat, and now that it’s cooling down I don’t know how I’m going to stop myself. The thing about it is its delicate blend of butter/barnyard/sweet flavors balancing a rich, smooth cheese. This cheese is probably the reason drinking by the hearth became popular.”

In case you didn’t realize, Dylan is somewhat of a prose fan.

Then, when I asked him what he would pair with this, he gave me another epic answer. He’s really good at cheesepinions:
“I would really go two ways with this. I would find some kind of exciting Jura red to test the flavors of the Senne Flada playfully like two bitters scurrying about my room. Or I might consider going for some kind of beer. This cheese is a beer lover and while a nice, heavy winter ale might put you in a happy coma, you could just crack off a 40 oz of Ballantine’s Tres Equis (that’s just what I call it ’cause it has 3 x’s) and revel in the juxtaposition of class and crass.”

Ballantine is actually a really delicious, inexpensive beer!

Look at that! So thorough! Dylan makes my job so much easier while also informing the masses. Grrrooooovy! So get ready for more cheesepinions, because I have them stockpiled for your blogging pleasure. Peace out home slices! Until next time…

Two blog posts in one week!?  What?  That’s like.  Crazy people talk!

Well guess what.  You can finally rest at ease because I feel like blogging TWICE this week.  And it’s more cheesepinions.  Awwwwww yeahhhhhh sonnnnnnn.

New York is ungodly hot right now.  Yesterday, it got up to 108. (Well…by the Target at Atlantic Center.  But things are always a tad sPicIer over there…)  So there isn’t a whole lot of cheesin’ going on.  But, hopefully when things cool down we can go to farms and play with farm animals and take lots of pretty photos.

But until then you’ll just have to take our favorite farm animal: Dylan.  And he’s got a couple things to say about sheep.

This week, Dylan is so into Pecorino di Parco.

Pecorino di Parco CLONES.

“This is the perfect young pecorino.  With an amazing balance of slightly sour, tangy flavor and a slightly dry and airy texture, this is an excellent pressed cheese for the summer.  Plus the two dudes from Jersey whose family own the farm in Abruzzo, where this cheese comes from, are just about the most delightful people you can hope to meet.  Great cheese.  Great people.  Perfect.”  Dylan!  I didn’t even have to edit this at all.  I just copied and pasted because even though Dylan may smell like a goat, he has the brain of a human boy.  A real human boy.

Here is where Abruzzo is! It's so pretty and mountainous and has like 12 people in it. Sheep cheese heaven!!!!!

To pair with this cheese, Dylan would pick up some of the Marcelli Formaggi Miele di Tiglio (Lime Flower Honey – arguably the best honey I’ve ever had.  Literally.) to spread on a crusty baguette.  Perhaps from Il Forno bakery in the Bronx?  Grab a moussamousettes (this totally awesome small production sparkling field blend rose for the Loire in FRAAAAHNCE made by a husband and wife team.  Rene and Agnes Mosse.  Cute.  I wonder if these guys know that they are making wine that is specifically designed to get you laid.)  You can buy this little gem at our favorite neighborhood wine shop Uva!  And guess what?  You put all these things together and yer bout ta have a good time.

Can you guys tell that I just learned how to insert hyperlinks?  Because I’m real excited about it.

Oh snap!  Dylan!  All this time we thought you were going through the motions but it turns out you be a real CHEESEMONGERRRRRRRRRRRR.  Way to be.  We love you.  Hooray.  Too much ice tea.

Ok, that’s all!  And since things are slowing down for summer time, expect some totally fun blog posts!  Hooray!

XOXO, Me.

Well guess what.  I snuck inside from my serious summer of sunbathing and white wine spritzers to write something on the blog.  Because the internet doesn’t take vacations.  No sir.

So I thought I’d get back into the swing of things with everyone’s favorite: CHEESEPINIONS!  Huzzahhhhhhh.  And we are back with everyone’s most bespectacled cheesemonger, STEPHANIE!  And the crowd goes wild…

So this week, Stephanie is all tingly over Appalachian from Meadow Creek Dairy in south eastern Virginia.

Meadow Creek's Appalachian

We haven’t had any of the Meadow Creek cheeses for MONTHS now.  Literally forever.  I mean, get it together Virginia.

At BCS we have been waiting so patiently for ANYTHING from the Feete Family’s farm and finally, Virginia Cheese Season is upon us.  (So put down your PBR and time to waddle over to the shop for some real AMURRRRICAN flavor).

Stephanie says that the Appalachian right now has a “lovely, satiny smooth rind, dotted with yellow flowers.”  And that delicious interior pate?  Totally “laden with tang and minerality – not too hot to eat in the summer!”  And let me tell you – it’s been so hot that I’ve been schvitzing cheese curds for about a week.  Oy….

Anywho.  What to have with this wonderful summer time cheese?  “I would have it with a tall, ic e cold bottle of Lone Star and a jar of home made bourbon soaked cherries – cause that’s Southern y’all!  XO!”

Lone Star, everyone's favorite Texan beer!

Southern cheese party!  Whoooo!  Now if only we could get our hands on some of the cheeses from Sweet Grass Dairy we’d be set for a regular hoe down!  Cheese down?  Cheesy-hoe down.  Hose down.  I would have these two DJ, because I would be so PUMPED for what would happen.

Look at the slit in that dress! What! And that wig! Totally fly. Like. The coolest thing everrrrrrrrrrr. God. She’s so great! I can’t get over it.  Anyways.  Back to cheese.  Well, nevermind.  I don’t really have anything else to say about Appalachian except is tastes like sweet, clover butter.  From the South.  Which means it’s the real deal.  Like….block your calories with happiness type of deal.  Yeah.  Gout and diabetes HERE I COME.

And to depart, here is an image of Chris Brown at the World Cup this year:

Way to let us all down, Chris Brown. Viva Rihanna.

Ha.  Dorkus.  I bet he’d come in and ask for “Brie cheese, manchengo, and cotswold.”  HA.  Cheese jokes are always so f’ing funny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here marks the beginning of the end…

…of Spring time goats milk cheeses.  (GOTCHA!  I bet you thought I was going to say something about the end of the blog.  Ha!  Never.  This blog will NEVER DIE.  Just like Elizabeth Taylor.  Or Terminator…)

Anyways – I again apologize for the lag in blogging!  I am a busy little cheesy bee, running around and trying to get things done.  But, I am back for another round of everyone’s most favorite installment: CHEESEPINIONS. (And the crowd goes WILD.)

So this week Dani has got some things to say.  Even though he is in Europe right now, raging with the best of them in Barcelona and Holland, he shall be heard across the pond – right here in Brooklyn.

April is a special month for cheese.  After spending the winter months sitting inside and doing nothing but eating and getting all fat and pregnant, goats and sheep all over the world start popping out babies like Octomom.  As a result, they start producing the most delicious, nutrient rich, and decadent cheese of the entire year. (Gotta keep those babies all fat and happy, you know…)  As a result, goat cheeses in the spring time are SICK.  And I don’t mean sick in that pukey, I-ate-too-many-taquitos, kind of way.  Sick as in good.  So f’ing good.  But, come mid-May, all the babies are born, and we move onto tangier goat cheese pastures.

One of the last cheeses we are going to get from this goat baby mania is the delicious French blob – Chevrot.

Ok, so it's more of a drum...shapes aren't my "thing."

Dani is going crazy over these little midgets. (That’s right. MIDGETS.)  Dani is super excited for spring and summer and is ready to crack out his booty shorts while eating goat cheese.  These cheeses taste like grass and fresh milk and call for summer picnics and ridiculous BBQ’s.

This may or may not be an accurate portrayal of my birthday BBQ this year.

With this simple yet delicious round disc, Dani would pair it with some honey and a chilled Riesling.  Aww…sweet.  These goat milk cheeses tend to be super tangy and pair great with the sweet flavors of honey.  (Kind of like Sour Patch Kids…except only the red ones because all the others are so gross.)  He would eat all this with a Reisling.  Mainly because it gets you drunk, but the sweetness of a wine would create the perfect end to a romantic spring picnic for two.  Talk about sweet finishes…

Anyways.  That’s all from me.  Yes.  So…..any ideas for blog posts?  Recipes?  More interviews?  Does anyone have any questions about cheese I can answer?  And I know people are reading this blog – I use Google Analytics and I know what cities you are in and how long you stay on the blog for.  So…..just humor me and talk to me.  Via the internet.  Ok…it just got creepy.

This has nothing to do with cheese, but look at this cat!

This week, I present to you Dylan, one of our newest hires, who hails from the sunny state of Colorado (is it sunny there?  I’m actually not really sure.  I’m pretty positive he’s from outside Aspen?  Which leads me to believe it’s mostly sunny.  Because that sure does sound tropical.  ASPEN.  Like Aruba.  Or Des Moines.) and is pretty new to the cheese biz.  But, like the rest of us, he already has opinions about what products he wants to put all over his tastebuds.

This time around, Dylan presented me with a two part Cheesepinion.  One for when you are feeling fancy and one for when you’re feeling down on your financial luck.  How considerate, dear sir.  His first pick this week is Stanser Schafkase, a lovely sheep’s milk cheese from east central Switzerland.  It’s kind of grassy, herby, and spicy and doesn’t pack too much of the stinky barnyard pungency of other soft sheep cheeses.  Dylan thinks that this guy is a “phenomenally complex, soft slice of sheepy goodness that leaves you wondering what the next taste will reveal.”  How “Labyrinth” of you, Dylan.

Dance Magic Dance.

And to make your picnic complete?  “I would enjoy this guy with a Cote de Rhone and a Creminelli Picante salami to really stimulate those taste buddies.”  You go boy with your spicy self.

Well that’s all this week.  Oh wait.  JUST KIDDING.  Totally jk’ing here, folks.  Dylan has a SECOND cheesepinion to throw out there this week.  This is the Blue Light Special edition, where Dylan breaks it down for those of us who like a bargain.  Dylan is also really pumped about Leonora, a Spanish goat’s milk from the rambling hills outside of Madrid.  It’s cakey, lemony, and grassy.  With a gooey edge (like me).  Dylan loves this goat’s milk treat because it’s like licking a sweaty, stanky goat, with a hint of lemon.  And to finish your goat picnic: “I would probably just grab a baguette and a 6 pack of Pabst with this because in reality this is all I could really afford.”  Yessssssssssssssss.  Honesty is totally the best policy, Dylan.  I love when you break it down for LA GENTE.  Besides, would Dylan ever lie to you?

Is this pony named Honesty?

Ok.  So for reals this is the end of the blog today.  I promise.  But I’m working on something really super cool about THERMALIZED MILK.  Yeah.  So cool, y’all!  Or is it?  I dunno – you’ll have to wait to see what I say.  Ok!

Oh!  And be our friend on Facebook!  Just search for us and you’ll be one of the cool kids.  Finally.

Cue the fanfare of trumpets and elephant parade.

This week, I asked Amy what she was vibin’ on.  At first, she felt too pressured and refused.  But, after I picked her up off the floor and curled her out of the fetal position, she came up with a lovely suggestion for this fantastic New York spring weather we’ve been having.  This week, Amy suggests that y’all come in and try Caprotto Madaio.  It’s an aged goat’s milk from Campania (where Naples and the Amalfi Coast are…Jay-Z eat your heart out) in southern Italy.  It’s hard and crumbly and has flavors of sweeter nuts and pepper.

Amy made the bold statement that “it’s the best goat…ever.  It’s like biting into a lemon…made of goat cheese.  It’s refreshingly sharp and nutty and lemony, but not too dry in texture.”  Mmmm.  Nothing makes my stomach grumble like the image of fruit molded out of cheeses.  Sounds like Grandma’s house.  What?

And what would Amy do with a hunk of this lactic goat treat?  “Chunk it up into nuggets and eat it with a green salad and some fresh fruit, maybe a Creminelli Casalingo.  Maybe drink with a Vinho Verde or Albarino, or a hoppy ale.  All this in the park…in the sun.”  Obviously.  Sounds like heaven.  But spending any time with Amy is like being transported straight to heaven via a giant escalator that is full of your favorite people.  Like Freddie Mercury.  And Pepe LePeu.  And Kitty.

Well.  That’s it this week.  We are developing some new ideas for different things to add to the blog roster.  Like recipes.  And cheese vocabulary.  And food history.  Do YOU guys have any suggestions?  Anything you would like to see?  Please, write a comment!  Because I get a lot of spam porn comments that I just delete.  And we’d love to hear from you.  Ok.  That’s all!  Love you guyz!

This week, we are getting cheese advice from our very own Mike.  Mike took a very serious approach to Cheesepinions and had to go home and mull over his decisions.  Upon his return he presented me with a piece of paper that was incredibly organized and detailed and I think that the best thing to do would be to copy down exactly what he wrote (also partially because I’m a little unclear as to what he is referencing to at points…but hey, gotta roll with the punches…).  So here we go. “Cheesepinions” direct from Mike’s mouth.

1.)    Doe’s Leap Trappist.  Tastes like yummy sweet grass.  Has a fresh snappy taste – umami.  (**Editor’s note: I had to look this word up and I basically figured out that it mean’s “savoriness.”  And it the idea behind MSG.  Cool.**) And it’s American!  Eat it with a white Touraine and cornbread made with goat butter, bacon grease, sage, and no sugar.

2.)    Battenkill Brebis.  So many different flavors and nuances in a nice balance.  Potatoes and earth, hay, berries, flowers.  And it’s American!  Eat it with a red from Languedoc, after a Navajo Taco.

3.)    Pleasant Ridge Reserve.  Like jumping in the deep end of cheese flavor.  Big taste!  Reminds me of chocolate cake with raspberry filling…that got dropped in the mud maybe.  And it’s American!  Eat it with an Ommegang Rare Vos, or cook into some mac and cheese with a meltier cheese partner.

Well, there you have it.  The specifically Patriotic choices of Mike.  I am also curious about this “Navajo Taco.”  What exactly is that?  Tortilla + Dream Catcher +See Your Animal Spirit Guide or something?  It sounds like a great drug or some sort of really dirty sex toy.  Whatever it is…I want one. (I’m now being informed that it’s a sort of fried bread tortilla topped with mutton and assorted toppings.  Sounds good, but I’ll still take one Navajo Taco between the sheets.)

(Ok, so for you perfectionists out there, I know this is a pictures of Stracapra, NOT Stracchino di Capra, but do you guys have any idea how HARD it is to find a picture of Stracchino di Capra?  Seriously.  It’s bizarre.  Just as bizarre as Sandra Bullock being nominated for an Oscar.  Whaaaaaat?  Oh snap.)

This Italian goat cobblestone is in very lovely shape right now – “sweet and lactic, sticky and mouthcoating with delicate ‘goaty’ notes.”  Now who doesn’t want a little goat lovin’ all up in your tastebuds?!  And to round out the day on her bestial goat’s milk treat?  Some crusty bread, a few dried apricots, and a crisp bottle of Vernaccia (a Tuscan white wine with good acidity and strong citrus notes) to wash it all down.  Oh hey, girlfriend – this sounds like that perfect picnic we had Under the Tuscan Sun.  Minus Diane Lane…and our Italian Villa…and ignoring the fact I’ve never been to Italy.  More like Under the Bedbugs in my Bushwick Apartment.  Sounds just as romantic, right?

Well, that’s all from us here at “Cheesepinions!”  We’ll be back next week to bring you some more tasty and delightful suggestions from our eager to please cheesemongers.  And get excited.  In the near future we will be bringing you posts about a great local farm, as well as an appearance by the elusive Charlotte Kamin!  She will be filling us in on her recent trip to France and Switzerland to visit our favorite European cheesemakers.  So crack out your leiderhosen and yodel all the way home.  Until then, see you soon!

Appleby’s Cheshire (a British raw cow’s milk cheese that is tangy, crumbly, and grassy)

and Mrs. Kirkham’s Lancashire (another British raw cow’s milk that is mild and buttery).

Apparently we at the cheese shop have an affinity for dairy products from the UK…  Apart from being delicious cheeses, Jess is into these two for more “sentimental” reasons.  Jason and Raef, two of our buddies from Neal’s Yard Dairy just popped over for a visit and it reminded Jess how great the mouthfeel of these milky, tangy, fluffy British cheeses are.  While Cheshire and Lancashire aren’t the strongest of cheeses, they are delicate enough to taste the subtleties of good cheesemaking.   You always loved a challenge, didn’t you Jess?  Jess thinks that his perfect lunch would be these two cheeses, some McClure’s Pickles, a dollop of mustard, and an English bitter (like Old Speckled Hen or Fuller’s London Pride).  Hey – maybe you and Dani should start providing British farm hands with gourmet picnic lunches?  Sounds….semi-lucrative.  Maybe stick to the cheese, boys…

On two completely random notes, I want to throw some cheese trivia at you fellow cheese dorks and appreciators that I personally found fascinating.

Fact #1: Appleby’s Cheshire is thought to be one of the oldest cheeses in Britain, with its recipe dating back to Roman times.  It is mentioned in the Domesday Book, which was sort of like the first census of England ever taken (well, if you count a census as the government only counting the wealthy and their sheep.  But what else REALLY matters.  Am I right???)  in 1086 for William the First!  Woah.  Totes old.

Fact #2: Mrs. Kirkham’s Lancashire comes from one of the best-named cheese producing places in the world.  Can you guess what it’s called?  Bet you can’t.  Ok, I’m gonna tell you.  It’s GOOSNARGH.  Fine, so maybe the majority of you “adults” out there won’t find this funny.  “Don’t make fun of other places for being different!”  Yeah, whatever.  But, for the rest of you out there who don’t function well in the morning, doesn’t this totally sound like the majority of words that come out of your mouth pre-cup of coffee?   Besides, if I ever saw this on a map I would probably think that I bought some weird Harry Potter wannabe atlas designed to make British children excited about geography.  Tru dat.