Cheese

Those of you, our loyal readers, who have been on this cheese journey with The Lady and Moi since 2008, might recall we began the journey not too enamored of cheeses of the goat persuasion. That was largely the result of an aged goat cheese that took the enamel off my fangs and had The Man, The Lady and me wondering who in their right mind would eat something that tasted like a buck in heat smelled… But Cheesemakers like Allison Hooper of Vermont Butter and Creamery, Rhonda Gothberg of Gothberg Farms, Mary Keehn of Cypress Grove and Bob Stetson of Westfield Farms changed that fear (and loathing) into a friendship that soon became a passionate love of good (and great) goat cheeses… adding to that passion is Pat Morford’s lovely cheeses she makes at Three Ring Farm and sells under her branding of River’s Edge Chevre. When Murray’s Cheese began opening in the Pacific Northwest at Fred Meyer and QFC stores in Seattle and Portland, the local cheeses included three from River’s Edge, Silt Coos (which we have previously reviewed), Cape Foulweather and Up In Smoke. The reviews of these cheeses is long overdue but with The Lady’s travels, sometimes I get behind in my duties… what with napping and hanging out with The Man… a cat can only do so many things… Up In Smoke is a fresh chevre that Pat has wrapped in smoked maple leaves and then spritzed with bourbon to add even more smoldering smokiness to the taste of this award-winning delicacy. All we did was slather it on 34 Degree Crackers and enjoy. What a delight; the tang of the chevre blends perfectly with the smoke and the bourbon. It’s creamy and crumbly at the same time; leaving a lingering taste on the palate. It comes in little quarter pound disks; just the right size for snacking and adding to a cheese board. I give Up In Smoke 4 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got)**. Serving Suggestions: On a cracker is a safe bet but you can go wild and add a few grapes or nuts to the mix. Spirit Pairing: How about bourbon? Source: Fresh, pasteurized goat milk. The third cheese from River’s Edge we tasted is Cape Foulweather, a soft-ripened cheese sprinkled with ash to inhibit the growth of the bad bacteria and encourage the growth of the good ones of which The Lady is learning, there are many… Cape Foulweather is a pyramid-shaped cheese whose namesake is a 500 foot outcropping on the Southern Oregon Coast; sighted and named by Captain Cook on one of his journeys before he pissed off the Natives of Hawaii… The one we tasted was young and the paste was still firm, smooth and dense with a strongish tang. As it ages it will become creamier in texture. Again, we stayed naked and just enjoyed it on crackers with nothing else to adorn it nor to detract from its luscious citrus taste. It’s another 4 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got)** for Cape Foulweather. Wine Pairing: Champagne is the perfect pairing for this cheese. **And once again, for those of you who have written in about my ratings’ system; The Lady and I are here to “celebrate cheese” so you’ll rarely see us denigrate cheese (other than that first aged goat cheddar and the cryovaced Caerphilly of days long ago in our cheese journey)… now days, if it’s not a 3 or 4 Paws cheese, we just keep our thoughts to ourselves…

Nadine Ijaz was invited to present on raw milk science to the BC Centre for Disease Control. Watch Nadine’s presentation online.  Click image to go to site to see video of Nadine’s presentation on raw milk. Not sure how long this presentation will be available for viewing. Earlier post on The Bovine about Nadine being invited to give this presentation.

François Gagnon, a Top Chef Canada contestant and owner of a trendy sandwich shop and flourishing catering business in Montréal, is returning to cook up a cheese-themed feast at the upcoming Great Canadian Cheese Festival. Chef Gagnon has created a mouth-watering five-course menu featuring the best in Québec cheeses paired with exceptional wines made by Caroline Granger at The Grange of Prince Edward Vineyards and Estate Winery on Saturday evening, June 1. Starting with smoked duck tartare and concluding with salted chocolate caramel for the road, the menu is posted above. Click on it for an enlarged view. Space is limited so don’t delay in ordering tickets online by clicking here. The costs is $125 per person + HST + gratuity for food and wine. The dinner starts at seven o’clock, Saturday, June 1. The eight outstanding cheesemakers taking part are all under the Plaisirs Gourmets banner. Top Chef Canada contestant François Gagnon, a seasoned chef who has worked in the best restaurants in Quebec, France and Vancouver, owns Lunch Insolite, a trendy sandwich shop and flourishing catering business in Montréal. Until a year ago, when he was featured in the Cooks & Curds Gala at last year’s Cheese Festival, François was a private chef for Ædifica, a prestigious architectural firm in Montreal, where the design culture stimulated his use of color, texture, technique and flavours to produce visually and conceptually inspiring meals daily. Just before joining Ædifica in 2011, Chef Gagnon took part in the first season of Top Chef Canada on the Food Network, finishing in the top five. At The Grange of Prince Edward, the title “president and CEO” doesn’t do justice to Caroline Granger’s job description. Caroline began with planting and managing 10 acres of vineyards all on her own. From there she oversaw the restoration of the historical barn that now houses the tasting room and cellar, as well as the construction of a brand new wine making facility. In those same years she oversaw the planting and management of a crew for another 50 acres. Caroline now over sees, winemaking, viticulture, tasting room, and sales herself. Perhaps “chief, cook, and bottle washer” would be a more apt title some days, but Caroline wouldn’t have it any other way. “The Grange of Prince Edward is a family-run winery,” she explains. “We produce only 100% estate grown and made wines because we want our wines to reflect our region and our distinct style. We grow seven varietals and produce three distinct lines of wine to suit our diverse clientele. We believe in eating and drinking locally and we believe in value—and we hope these beliefs can be passed on to you.” The Grange of Prince Edward is located at ?990 Closson Road?, Hillier, Prince Edward County. Click here for a map. Wine & Dine with Francois Gagnon at The Grange is the final event to be announced in the Festival’s new Saturday evening offerings for visitors seeking a memorable evening of food and drink—and artisan cheese, of course!

The Lady, The Man and I traveled north in a rental car this week… with me stuffed in that darn box… to the trendy Seattle neighborhood known as the Kingdom of Ballard… where the hippies of days gone-by roam and cheese lovers of all ages sigh in relief that a new Murray’s Cheese Shop is opening tomorrow to bring them the best selection of specialty cheeses from the friendliest cheesemongers known to man… Yep, The Lady was right there at the epicenter of cheese, slinging away with her “Cheese Children”, Jennae and Doug, and the extraordinary CheeseMaster, Samantha and her team of crack mongers… getting ready for their Grand Opening, tomorrow at 11am. If you live anywhere near Ballard, be sure you drop in to Freddy’s and pick-up some of the specials: Crave Brothers Fresh Mozzarella Balls on BOGO; Beecher’s Flagship at an amazing $9.99 a pound with their crackers also on special BOGO. Brie de Margaux wheels are also Buy One, Get One Free. There will be cupcakes at 11am and samples galore… at Murray’s Cheese Shops you can try anything they sell before you fork over the dollars… it doesn’t get any cheesier than that… Be sure to let Will…I…Am delight you with his cheese stories… most of which you shouldn’t believe… and tell him “The Cat Sent Me”. Fred Meyer in Ballard is located at 915 NW 45th St, Seattle, WA 98107, Store Phone Number: (206) 297-4300 View Ballard Fred Meyer in a larger map

At the counter of Max & Moritz. I’m afraid I dropped out of the döner race after only my second one in Berlin. A friend had warned me that there’s only so much greasy meat one can take, and I didn’t believe her. Maybe that’s why I failed to move past two döners, maybe it’s because there was so much other food to try, or maybe it’s because I’m just not cut out for döner. Whatever the case is, the establishment I chose, following several recommendations, was the Max and Moritz (“M&M”) stand underneath the Charlottenburg S-bahn station. I had had a döner at Mustafa’s, but this time, I opted for the durum version—essentially the same thing as a classic döner, but bigger and wrapped in a large flatbread. Service was fast, with an element of trickery. Carrots, onions, and herbs were neatly ordered in rows behind the counter, but when I told the man behind the counter that I wanted vegetables, the “real” stuff they served—cabbage and various chopped vegetables, were hidden behind those rows. It wasn’t major transgression, but it kind of threw me off. But hey, the durum cost something like 3,80 euro —so much food for so few euros! The guy at the counter piled on the sauces and thin slices of grilled chicken, rolled everything into a hefty package, and I was sent off to enjoy lunch in the sun. Durum! I took a bite, and another. The cucumber, carrots, and cabbage gave it much-appreciated crunch, while the meat was tender with just a bit of crunch along the grilled edges. Each döner place has its secret sauce recipes, and these were explosively good—tangy, creamy, spicy, and garlicky. I kept on munching until I suddenly noticed just how salty everything was, just how greasy the meat was, just how sated I was. And so, with that, the race to find the best Berlin döner ended. As delicious as this experience was, I knew my stomach was ready to explore other foods. Compared to Mustafa’s, M&M’s concoction was much saltier and heavier. There were no roasted potatoes and no spritz of lime, two elements I adored in Mustafa’s döner. Obviously, there’s no one way to make a döner, but M&M’s was a little too one-dimensional for my taste. Musafa’s wins this round. I’m going to have to come back and maybe enlist some help to try out the other great döner places! The goods.

This post is sponsored by Cracker Barrel Cheese. My passion for cheese. The “official” story behind the blog is that a small cheese shop opened in my old neighborhood, and Jill and I set out to sample every cheese in the case. We attended classes as often as they were offered and our love affair with fermented milk grew along with the shop — which, like us, has now spread to two locations. Jill moved away to Minnesota, and our sharing of cheese became virtual. In truth, though, it was a childhood memory that inspired my passion for gathering together over cheese. My grandparents used to visit us in Oregon for a month or so in the summers, driving their Airstream across country to temporarily take up residence in our gravel driveway. My grandmother had been an only child, so the annual re-immersion into the noisy life of a family with three lively children took its toll. She would retire to the Airstream each afternoon for a siesta. (Avid travelers in their retirement, this was a habit she was happy to acquire after spending time in Mexico.) At 5 o’clock, they would emerge for their next daily ritual: wine and cheese before dinner. I was eager to join them and hear tales of the exotic places they’d been in the past year, and perhaps nibble on a few crackers as well. The cheese was nothing fancy, but it was the ritual of gathering over the cheese board for a few moments of calm that stuck with me. While I’m always happy to pour a glass of wine or crack open a new beer with my cheese board, cheese itself is a family-friendly alternative to happy hour. Sharing new cheeses with my own family has become our Sunday tradition, a few moments of relatively quiet gathering over something we all love. The cheeses we share don’t always have to be fancy, either. A little creativity goes a long way in dressing up whatever you have on hand. It’s nice to know there are brands like Cracker Barrel that are crafted with the same passion and tradition and can be found in the supermarket. As I’ve immersed myself in the dairy world, it’s the stories behind the cheese that keep me inspired. There’s nothing better than sharing a new cheese with friends and family, and telling them of the time I stood in the cave with the cheesemaker seeing how it’s aged. To that end, I’m off to Wisconsin to sample a bit more of the dairy state’s cheese culture in advance of this summer’s cheese con. Stay tuned for highlights. This post is part of a series sponsored by Cracker Barrel Cheese. I am being compensated as part of their Influencer program, but all words and opinions are entirely my own. Read our full disclosure policy here.

Update from Montana Jones: A four foot stack of disclosure documents in the CFIA against Montana Jones and Michael Schmidt and two others case. Photo: Montana Jones. This four foot high stack of disclosure is “almost” all of it, says CFIA investigator David Eagleson. Vincent Lam’s novel “Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures” seems an appropriate accompaniment, since CFIA’s bloodbath killing of the country’s finest heritage Shropshire genetics only proved that my flock was healthy, and did not carry any scrapie disease. It has not however, cured the CFIA of their mission. Yesterday in the Cobourg Ontario Provincial Court, The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) advised Justice Robert Graydon they intend to file a Motion that would prevent defendants Michael Schmidt and myself (Montana Jones) from having our preferred legal counsel of choice, lawyers Karen Selick and Shawn Buckley. Eagleson has publicly declared he may decide to call on Ms. Selick as a witness since she was present at the farm rally for the sheep on April 2nd, 2012. That  same day the CFIA arrived to destroy the healthy pregnant sheep and they were missing. He claims that would be a conflict of interest. How convenient.There are another 70 or so other people that were present that morning whom CFIA could easily call upon for testimony, thereby allowing the defandants the freedom to choose their own lawyers. A May 29th, 2013 date was set to appear again, and a tentative date near the end of June is scheduled for a hearing in Peterborough court to determine if there is indeed a conflict of interest. The actual trial date has yet to be determined, but the CFIA have already spent in excess of an estimated one million tax payers dollars on this case of the healthy, rare breed Shropshire sheep. No money at all has been spent on replacing the bloodlines of over 80 healthy rare Shropshires that CFIA killed. My Wholearth flock contained Canada’s oldest and rarest heritage genetics dating back to the early 1900′s, when the first British imports were brought in by the Millers. The Miller family are Agricultural Hall of Fame Premier breeders credited with providing our country’s prize foundation livestock. Judge Graydon reiterated that it was a complex, contentious and highly emotional issue. The legal bills will jump considerably if CFIA is able to convince a court to bump our chosen lawyers. We’ll need to start from scratch. Shouldn’t we have lawyers we are confident will provide us the best representation? Isn’t that our right? Please help by sharing widely and donate if you are able…http://GoFundMe.com/FarmedAndDangerous. Thank-you so much! Now I’ve got some reading to do…. This is a follow-up on this post from two days ago

The Great Canadian Cheese Festival is mighty pleased to have CHEESEWERKS as a Presenting Partner for the second year. In addition to lending its considerable promotional support, Canada’s only dedicated cheese restaurant will sponsor and organize an all-new, best-in-show awards program at the June 1-2 Festival in Picton, in the heart of Ontario’s Prince Edward County. It will also return as a featured food vendor with awesome Mac + Cheese and Nachos like you’ve never had them before—all made with Canadian artisan cheese, of course! PEOPLE’S PICKS CHEESEWERKS presents the first-ever PEOPLE’S PICKS at The Great Canadian Cheese Festival this year. CHEESEWERKS is about experiences and creating memories through comfort and great food. The Toronto eatery will present PEOPLE’S PICKS, awards to recognize and honour the most popular cheese, foods and drinks and their artisan producers. Guests will be given a ballot of PEOPLE’S PICKS that will act as votes for their favourites

Market-fresh flowers. The farmers markets dotted around Berlin are pop-up microcosms of freshness and sensory overload. Near my apartment is the Kollwitzplatz market, which takes place every Thursday and Saturday. It stretches out over three streets, and once within its confines, you can soak in all of the offerings: fresh produce, baked goods, fresh meat, fish, sausages, pasta, cheeses, flowers, arts & crafts, prepared foods . . . . I always tried to get there early to avoid the inevitable fair weather crowd. There’s nothing like browsing the stalls of a farmers market to start the day off right. The first morning I went, tulips were in full swing and peony season was just beginning. I couldn’t help myself and bought three tightly closed peony buds and a bunch of roses, which captured my attention for the next week as they all bloomed. My market spoils! Vegetables—I can admire farmers market vegetables all day! Unfortunately, with my limited kitchen, I could only bring a few home with me. It was more a feast

Alice Jongerden after her 27 day fast Mother’s day was the last day of my fast. How could I turn down the special, – made with love – bowl of soup? After 27 days of milk, Real Milk, I thought it was time for a taste of something else. It was worth it. Although, interestingly enough, I am still loving the milk, and the way I feel when it is all I have, so I have decided I will continue to enjoy it most of the day, and slowly add other foods. In the 4 weeks of my Real Milk Only fast I lost 16 lbs. People often would ask me why I was doing it…and for all the reasons I mentioned, the biggest reason was simply ‘because I choose to, and can’. A number of times I have been asked about the nutrition aspect of only Real Milk, and am I not worried that I am not getting enough nutrition. I find that question kinda funny… as if real milk from grass fed cows doesn’t have enough nutrition, especially comparing it with the western diet of processed and dead foods. The day befo