This article might be of assistance
http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archive...aufort_dt.html

So William YOU are the person that is buying this ;)

When I was running a fancy food shop we had a standing order for this cheese,which came packed 6 to a case.
The person soon cut back their order and at one point I had to say sorry because I was throwing out 4 for the 2 they purchased.
So unless you used to shop for cheese in San Francisco(?)you do have a fellow gjetost lover out there!

It's big in the upper midwest!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geitost

I will second the vote for aged Gouda -- it's familiar, yet surprisingly different. Along those same lines, Vella's dry Monterey Jack cheeses are excellent, firmer than what you think of when you think of Monterey Jack cheese, and much, much better tasting, too. I can get the "special select dry" locally and it's one of my favorites.

...it might be fun to try to put together a tasting of cheeses that are variations on "standard" cheese -- find a "classy" version of a Gouda, Jack, Cheddar and so on, just to explore the full range of possibilities even in the basic cheeses. Anybody know of someone making a good "American cheese"? :)


If you like cheeses with additional flavors thrown in, sage derby is one of our favorites, and it's readily available, but there are a large range of qualities out there, so it may take a little experimenting. I'm also a fan of Red Dragon, a Cheddar made with ale and mustard seeds that has lots of flavor and is great for casual snacking with crackers and a beer.

there is a FANTASTIC book by Steve Jenkins called The Chese Primer-highly suggested.
Ten Cheeses is a lot for a cheese board-things start to get confused.
The classic suggestion is,one soft ripened (Brie/camembert or one of its sisters)one good Chevre(try to get away from the "american cream cheese"varieties)one blue,one washed rind,one hard/semi firm cheese.
you can throw in a triple cream(those who love St. Andre try Exploreteur or Brillat Saverin)and if this if for a cocktail party rather than dessert a flavored cheese is nice.A good chedder is nice for those that are not adventurous.
I garnish with a variety of nuts and. dried fruits as well as Spanish quince paste and Italian fig spread.
The world of cheese is so very vast and wonderful that even I-who have been at this for over 20 years!-make new discoveries every time I visit a cheesemongers shop.

"Anybody know of someone making a good "American cheese"? ""
So many wonderful wonderful American cheeses out there!
I just tried some from Colorado,Texas has some fantastic cheese makers-and of course California has a long history of artisinal cheese.
The only problem of course is our reluctance against raw milk.while pasturization adds to the safety of dairy products it means that we will never be in the same league as other countries.Actually new EU resrictions mean that many of the best cheeses of the world might have to be sold on the black market. :eek:

LOL. It is probably not a widely-known cheese outside those with Norwegian origins. I was turned onto it early in life by one of them. ;) As a result, sometimes it can be hard to find. For instance, here in Austin, I buy it now at the Central Market off South Lamar, but they don't carry it at the one off North Lamar. Never seen it anywhere else in Austin other than Hickory Farms in Highland Mall.

Currently running at $9.48/lb, by the way. I bought a 1/2 pound block in December and it will probably last me through February as you really don't slug through this like other cheeses. Four or five paper-thin slices with a surface area of 1.5" x 2" at a sitting is really quite satisfying...for me anyway. ;)

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]

Uncertain, I don' t know where you are in texas, but Dallas has a thing called "Central Market". they are in a number of texas cities

http://www.centralmarket.com/cm/cmLocation.jsp

very big store very big cheese selection. go there, and have someone working there who knows cheeses put together your collection with a theme. can be all spanish, italian, british, french, or all something or another.

If no big store in town,, find the specialty shop as mentioned before.
label the cheeses. name,country of origin, perhaps a bit of taste comment.

since you are having finger food, might add smoked salmon and a few pate's also.

if having wine, consider white, as it tends to go better with cheese. a good chenin blanc is a good choice, as is a good reisling.

Portions of the post that previously appeared in this space has been deleted. I would provide you with a reason why, but doing so would likely be against the TOS.

Lebanese specialties...
 

...for a little variety and a definite contrast. :)

Labneh, a soft white cream cheese that is often topped with olive oil.

Shankleesh, an aged cheese, more crumbly in texture and reminiscent of the stinkiest Roquefort you may have ever eaten. LOL. Sometimes served with chopped tomatoes, herbs, and onion.

Either one is usually accompanied by zatre bread, which I loathe personally. :eek:

Note: The spelling of these cheeses is more or less a transliteration of Arabic, so... ;)

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]

Sorry, BigGuy, I should have made the joke more obvious -- I know there are tons of amazing cheeses made by American cheese makers -- the Vella Dry Jack I mentioned is among them, as is the goat cheese coming out of Capriole Farms. It's some of the best in the country (and they are deeply committed to raw milk cheeses). I'm fortunate that they are close enough to me that the owners set up shop at my local farmers market all summer long. ^

Since I had mentioned a "fancy" Gouda and a "fancy" Monterey Jack, I was (facetiously) asking if anyone knew of a fancy "American cheese" (i.e. the processed cheese-like substance that is sadly passed off as cheese in deli cases around the country). Would aging a Kraft Single make it subtle and complex?

My comment was made as a slight against the realm of processed cheese food products, not as a slight on American-made cheeses in general. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

Ok-for those of you who might not have ready access to a cheese store or fancy food store there is a website I have used called egourmet.com
You can access it via most of the airline shopping portals.
They are a food importer/negotiant and have a very nice selection of cheeses-and you get miles also.

But nothing like going into a real cheese store.

"My comment was made as a slight against the realm of processed cheese food products, not as a slight on American-made cheeses in general. Sorry for the misunderstanding."
No ofense taken at all.
One of the most exciting things-and really the thing that made me want to come to work every morning-was getting folks away from the mass produced cheeses-and yes there are plenty of mass produced/heavily processed "fancy" imported cheese out there.Most of us are familliar with a goat cheese from france called Montrachet.It is produced from dried milk and frozen curds and never sees human hand till it is unpacked at the market.And yet phoney food snobs think it is someting great.This is just one of many European cheeses that now(thanks to the dollars decline)sell for huge prices in the US.

I am so glad I am not lactose intolerant-that would be hell for me.

I agree with the suggestion of the Riesling for almost all cheeses, but with a strongly flavored mold cheese, I generally prefer a hearty red.

What?!?, No champagne? :D LOL. My head hurts just thinking about it.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]

Wow. I thought I knew a lot about cheese. I'm disappointed in myself as I'm feeling pretty ordinary about now. I guess it's true that we do love our cheese. I've noticed a lot of resturants in the last six months have even put Mac & CHEESE on their menu's. I guess because it's a comfort food people are interested (Maybe they can start making a great bowl of Tomato Soup to go with it).

There's a family story about my mother (many years ago) convincing some of her younger siblings to eat Fels Naphtha soap by telling them it was gjetost... :eek:

Hey rmagritte, may I ask which farmers market you are talking about? I think we may be neighbors. ;) But I didn't know the capriole cheese was available at one of the local farmers markets -- would love to know where to look. Thanks!

:eek:

Sauternes

Since we are making specific cheese recommendations, I'll add my favorites (which can be found at fromages.com ):

Comte (I think the best hard cheese in France)

Bleu d'Auvergne -- a great blue cheese

Epoisses de Bourgogne -- considered by many the king of cheeses

Reblochon - extra creamy

Selles sur Cher -- great goat cheese, particularly heated just a bit to melt it on a cracker (12-15 seconds in the microwave)

Saint Nectaire -- just a great all around cheese.

And just for some variety, I'm a real fan of Manchego (which has to have some quince with it!)


And it's generally red wine for me with my cheeses.

The above is an excelent list.
The only drawback is that real Epoisses is hard to find and expensive.There are imitators but a real epoisses will be around $25 for a small cheeese.
Reblechon-also a little hard to find in good shape.This is one of my all time fave's.I buy it in Montreal at Hormel since they swll a great lait cru version-the one we usually get in the US does not compare.

Djlawman great suggestions for a French cheese board.

I'm partial to aged Gruyère, a harder cheese with a somewhat nutty flavor.

I agree. When eating cheese, particularly if you're eating a variety of cheeses, you need some carbonation in your beverage to scrub and refresh your palate. You don't get that with most wines. That's why my choices with cheeses tend to be bubbly, whether it's wine or (my usual selection) an appropriate style of beer.

Those are some of my faves. Also, epoisses (hard to describe - rich, I guess) and camembert (some people claim camembert smells like feet. :D But dog that I am, I like it anyway. :p ).

Yes-that might be a true Epoisses-but you must examine the lable to see if it is the real thing-they are not showing a lable in the above link.
Sometimes,and this is pretty common,cheese makers will make a cheese in a certain style of a famous(and expensive cheese)such as Epoisses an a different locale-and then ship it to be aged and distributed from the location that is home to the more expensive cheese.Often these are very good,and I sold a lot of these-but always with the understanding that this was not the real deal.

Thank you for the link-nice resource for those who do not have a cheesemonger near them.

http://www.bongardscheese.com/pi_retailshopping_fs.html

made right here in Minnesota, and I think it is excellent!

Romelle

Thanks.

The Epoisses from fromages.com costs 9 Euro (250 gram cheese). The Reblochon is great as well 9.69 Euros for a 500 gram 1/2 cheese.

(Of course, there is a 3 cheese minimum, and considerable shipping expenses to the US. But the product is shipped FedEx in a cooled box, and has always arrived in terrific shape for me -- after a couple of dozen orders.)

I hope Steve Jenkins is a better writer than he is a speaker.

Last year I was at a wine and cheese tasting charity benefit at one of the Fairway stores here in New York City where he is an investor.

After railing against Société for their Roquefort he doesn't like (although it's sold in the store) he then delivered the pronoucement that Société, Perrier and Air France were all part of the same conglomerate.

I am sure this will come as a surprise to the French government if not the shareholders.

I love every kind of formage bleu especially with a good red.

I a special fan, however, of Roquefort. I think it's great to sample the different kinds of real Roquefort, from the supermarket package from Société to the wheels of which my favorite is Vieux Berger. I have Swiss friends who swear by the Papillon but only the one in the black wrapper.

DJL, next time you're in my neck of the woods, let me know and we will make the rounds of Zabar's, Fairway and all the rest. I'll bring the Vytorin. :)

Last time I bought the Papilllion in the black wrapper(right before xmas)it was almost $40 a pound!Still a great cheese.
The declining dollar will make many cheese lovers blanch when they go to buy their fave's.Maked the US producers look like bargains!

At our chistmas eve dinner I served
Exporateaur
Brillat Saverin(also a triple cream-but very different in Charcter from Exploraterur)
a very nice raw milk reblachon
A great Tallagio-this is one of my favorites when you can get it at peak.
Graite Paille
Cabrales
Stilton
A nice slightly mature boucheron
A nice domestic Banon
A Neils Yard extra aged farmhouse chedder.

so that is ten,more than I really care to put out at one time-but my boss loves excess at Christmas :D

Our cheese guy in Las Vegas(where we held our dinner)Is really an Importer and will only sell many cheeses whole-so we always have a lot of cheese in the house and end up sharing it with the neighbors.

I'm not especially exotic in my cheese choices, but one that I like that no one has mentioned yet is Jarlsberg, which is a kind of a swiss cheese, but (imo) better. I also like edam.

I also like the orange powder that you use to make Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, so I may not be the best person to give advice regarding cheese parties... . :)

I am far from an expert, and just beginning down this wonderful road of cheese exploration myself, but here are some of my discoveries:

The aforementioned Norwegian gjetost is wonderful. It tasted to me like a rich, thick peanut butter. I had a slice on the smorgasbord at EPCOT :)

When I was in Ireland I sampled a wonderful local cheese in County Clare made with seaweed, a creamy cheese with a very strong flavor. The seaweed was in veins within the cheese, and made it spicy.

I've gotten a cheese called Drunken Goat - not for the wimpy, very strong flavor. It is goat's cheese cured in port, and has veins of purple running through it - got it at my local Fresh Market (upscale grocery store)

Another I like is Stilton, with various fruit flavors in it, or port.

Some of my favs:

Tomme de Savoie
Fougerou
Brie
Emmentaler
Fresh goat cheese

I love Munster, the real Alsatian stuff, which in the analogy section of the ACT would be:

Munster (Alsace): Munster (America) :: Sharp Cheddar: American.

Also, Morbier, Mango/Ginger Stilton, Port-Salut, Banon, a sharp Cheddar, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and another shout out to Gjetost.

I usually have at least two or three of these in the fridge at any given time.

The West Point Market in Akron, OH has a great cheese seection. Plus ask for a cheese card, which when you buy $60 in the cheese dept. gives you 1/2 pound (used to be a pound) of free cheese. It doesn't have to be 1/2 lb. of the same, e.g., it can be 2 oz. of one, 3 oz. of another, 2 oz. of a third.

You are so right - I'd always thought of fresh goat cheese "logs" as being Montrachet-style. After your comment, I actually found some Montrachet and tried it. ICK. It tasted processed and horrible. Like the goat cheese version of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese powder. I've even lived in France, and I'm quite sure I never tasted this Montrachet crap before! Is this just something they export???

I'll switch back to the fresh Texas goat cheese logs that taste infinitely better! Who knew you could learn about cheese on FT? ^

A vote here for my favourite cheese (which hasn't been mentioned so far)

Appenzeller - at any maturity.

And when I want something younger and fresher tasting
Tomme des Pyrénées

I'm currently eating part of a huge slab of Cornish Yarg - it's very agreeable.

Ooooooh I do like Appenzeller also,it's been a while....

Havarti is a must for your wine tasting tray
 

Definitely add Havarti to your list, as well as a good imported smoked provelone (Brazil produces excellent provelone).

Now, I didn't like the Havarti I've tried - albiet grocery-store Havarti. I didn't care for the texture.