Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Golden Blyth Aged

Recently, a new cheese came into my life and oh my,  it has become a new favourite!  Everything about this from the beautiful colouring on the rind, rich in russet and golden hues to the lovely paste, a creamy white so indicative of goat cheese speaks to the care that the cheesemaker, Paul Van Dorps has put into his farmstead cheeses.

The Van Dorps came to Canada in 2000 and began their farming life with sheep.  In 2008, they began the process of becoming cheesemakers and turned their attention to goats.  Today, they produce a selection of goat Gouda which includes a number of flavoured varieties, cumin, jalapeño, nettle but the outstanding one is the Golden Blyth Aged.

I have said many times that age improves EVERYTHING and I stand by that statement and certainly this cheese proves the point!  With a flavour that is rich and assertive that lingers on the palate, this is a perfect cheese to be paired with a red wine.  This is notable because it is often more difficult to pair cheese with the fruity notes of a red but this one does the trick nicely!

At the last Canadian Cheese Grand Prix in 2014, Golden Blyth Aged was the winner in the Gouda category and deservedly so.  

Available at C'est Cheese Please! where you will also find the Blyth Nettle and coming this week is a new addition, a wine-soaked version!

With Christmas just around the corner, be sure to add this one to your holiday cheese platters...and with that in mind, be sure to order your custom platters and gift baskets from C'est Cheese Please! soon to avoid disappointment!

Bon Appetit!


Friday, July 17, 2015

Wendi's Faves


Well, I heard it through the grapevine that you might want to know some of the favourite cheeses of mine!

This is a question that I get regularly here at and one that I find so difficult to answer.  But I thought that maybe I would take a stab at this...but be prepared, the list may be a long one!

In the soft cheese category, Sauvagine Reserve is the one that always is on my cheeseboard when it is available.  Sauvagine both the edition that is regularly available and the Reserve, from Quebec is a fabulous surface-ripened cheese...in other words a brie although we are really not allowed to call these bries as they do not originate from the two regions of France, Ile-de-France and Champagne thought to be the birthplace of brie.  Sauvagine Reserve is only available certain times of the year and since this weekend is my birthday, I will be sneaking a piece from the half wheel that is left from the June release for my birthday cheeseboard.  Look for Sauvagine Reserve for your Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations which is the next time it will be available. But I will have a special on the regular Sauvagine starting next week (July 20) through the Civic Day weekend.

There is nothing like an aged Ontario Cheddar....these are getting like winning the lottery to find these days.  Sadly, the proliferation of cheap blocks of garbage in the grocery stores have affected the fine aged cheeses.  
C'est Cheese Please! Custom Smoked Cheddar - I love, love, love this!  I have a 2 year old cheddar custom smoked for me and it is delicious!  Alone or try making a panini with fresh tomato and the Beet and Red Onion Marmalade from Wildly Delicious which is also available here at C'est Cheese Please!

I have a number of blue cheeses that I really like.  Roaring 40's from Tazmania, Le Bleu d'Elisabeth and Bleu d'Auvergne are all fabulous.  And when I think about baking a brie, I like to do that with one of the small wheels of Borgonzola (a brie, gorgonzola combination)....just a bit different and delicious with a fruit comport...lots of those to choose from here at the store!

BellaVitano is one of my top sellers...the Merlot is so popular however, my favorite is the Espresso-coated one.  This goes so well with a big red wine....think Ripasso or a Cabernet Sauvingnon and if it has notes of chocolate to it, it is even better!

One other one that is appropriate for now is the Buffalo Mozzarella - I do not like Bocaccini which I find rubbery and tasteless but the Buffalo Mozzarella has a creamy texture and mild flavour that is perfect for Caprese Salad or pizza or how about with this Heirloom Tomato, Mozzarella and Stone Fruit Salad?

Bon Appetit!

Thursday, June 25, 2015

Canada Day


Canada Day is just around the corner!  And since no celebration would be complete without a selection of cheeses, I would like to suggest a cheese board representing the founding provinces of Canada with one exception and that is Nova Scotia.  There is a wonderful cheese from this province but unfortunately it is not licensed to sell outside of Nova Scotia.  So I have instead selected a cheese from Prince Edward Island which although that province didn't join the confederation until 1873, it was the site of the Charlottetown Conference in 1863 which set the groundwork for the founding of the most wonderful country in the world, Canada!

So without further adieu, here is the selection of cheeses for your Canada Day cheeseboard.  All are available at C'est Cheese Please!

  • Avonlea Clothbound Cheddar (PEI) - this thermalized milk cheddar is made in a typically British fashion by binding the wheel of cheese with cloth (this keeps the moisture in the cheese) and since this is from PEI, the cloth that is used are potato sacks!  This gives an earthy taste to the cheese.  Aged 12 months.  Award winning (First prize - American Cheese Society Conference, 2012, Second prize - American Cheese Society Conference, 2013)
  • Gai Bleu (New Brunswick) - a raw milk blue that is velvety on the tongue and earthy in taste from La Bergerie  Aux 4 Vents in Camp Doré.  It is named for the Blue Jay's that made the farm their home.
  • Le 1608 - Charlevoix region of Québec, this wash-rind cheese is made from the milk of the oldest breed of cattle in Canada, the Canadienne.  This breed is directly descended from a few hundred cattle brought from Normandy and Brittany 400 years ago!  More Canadian than maple syrup!
  • Lindsay Clothbound Goat Cheddar - this goat cheddar is aged 12 months.  Creamy, buttery and with that tangy goat cheese flavour, it is no wonder it took Second Place for Best of Show at the 2011 American Cheese Society Conference.
Happy Canada Day!  Joyeux Jour du Canada!

Thursday, June 11, 2015

Summertime And The Living is Oh So Easy



These wonderful Chévres just shout "Summer is Here!" don't they?  These flower topped delicacies are from Salt Spring Island Cheese Company and although they have been around for a time, they are still a favorite.

In 1996, David Wood and his wife started selling their handmade goat cheese from their farm on Salt Spring Island, just off the coast of BC.  
Their goal was to make excellent cheese with quality ingredients....and  succeed they have.  The list of ingredients is short:  100% goat milk, sea salt, dairy culture and rennet.  Try pairing these pretty chévres with a Sauvignon Blanc.





Also from Salt Spring Island Cheese Company is Blue Juliette.  This is another of their chévres this time made with half blue culture and half white which produces a mild goat blue.  Try pairing this one with a  slightly chilled Gamay Noir or Pinot Noir. 

Both are in stock at C'est Cheese Please! 

Either one of these on the afternoon cheese platter will have you  singing too!  And just in case you've forgotten just how good Ella Fitzgerald is, here's a reminder!


Bon Appétit!




Wednesday, May 27, 2015

The Difference in a Name or Why 100% is Better







"Dis-moi ce que tu manges, je te dirai ce que tu es."
(Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are)
Brillat-Savarin (1826)

"Modified milk ingredients also called natural milk constituents are umbrella terms for a group of milk products which have an altered chemical state from that which is naturally found in milk. This includes caseincaseinateswhey products (including whey butter and whey cream), cultured milk products (including yogurtsour cream and cultured buttermilk), ultrafiltered milkmilk protein concentrate, milk serum proteins and fats. [1][2][3] Since the products vary considerably in composition, there is also a large variation in their nutritional value, and this has been a source of public concern as they are sometimes used to entirely replace milk or other more recognizable dairy products."

The above is the Wikipedia definition for modified milk byproducts.  Now, I would like you to have a look at your recent purchase of cheese from your big box store or bulk food store or WalMart or major grocery store especially the "super special" at some ridiculously low price.....is the first ingredient "modified milk byproducts" or "milk solids"?  Then you are eating a product that is made from dried skim milk or whey powder or some combination of these sorts of ingredients. Please note that these ingredients do not have to come from Canada.

In 1826, the famous gastronome (or in other words, one of the original Foodies) Brillat-Savarin made the observation above.  Today, we are inundated with the "latest" pronouncement on the food that we eat -  so much so that we are driven crazy trying to eat well and live long.  May I weigh in with a few thoughts?  Food, the preparation and eating of should be a source of joy and pleasure...of the family around the table, sharing and talking together.  If we look at the Mediterranean Diet (which is basically The Canada Food Guide) , we see that people eat just about everything, ENJOY everything, live long and generally, healthy lives but the emphasis is on fresh, real food.  There is no scientific evidence that removing gluten, dairy or whatever the latest buzz is does anything to improve the average person's life.  Only those with those specific intolerance's receive any benefit.  Remember that author's of books are trying to sell their books, TV personalities are trying to promote their programs - everyone has their angle.

Here at C'est Cheese Please! all of the cheeses are 100% milk of country of origin, olive oil is 100% olive oil, and the products here, many of which come from small, local producers, taste great - that is my guarantee to you, my valuable customers.  Does this make a difference to the taste and quality of the cheeses?  Absolutely.  Is it more expensive?  Yes, but remember that you get what you pay for - quality always does come with a price tag.

And remember that the Blue Cow symbol only appears on products made of 100% Canadian milk.

Is 100% better?  My answer is c'est vrai!  My customers are worth it.

Bon Appétit!


Friday, May 22, 2015

It's a Home Run!



In 10 short years, the Morin family of Fromagerie du Presbytère have achieved levels of success that are unmatched.  Year after year, the cheeses produced by Jean and Dominic have won accolades and many honours.  In 2010, I wrote about Le Bleu d'Elizabeth which since has been awarded the Caseus Emeritus at the  2013 Sélection Caseus (founded in 1999, this is a provincial contest for Québec cheeses).

Another cheese from Fromagerie du Presbytère is Louis d'Or, a wash-rind cheese named for the Morin family farm . Louis d'Or was awarded the Caseus Emeritus in 2012 as well as being awarded the 2014 Grand Champion at the Canadian Cheese Grand Prix.......and a year later, Laliberté (pictured above), the latest addition to the repertoire at Fromagerie du Presbytère has won the 2015 Grand Champion at the Canadian Cheese Grand Prix.  Talk about a home run!

The farm (Louis d'Or) has been in the Morin family for four generations and the mixed herd of primarily Holstein with a few Jersey's thrown in for good measure, provide the milk that is used for the production of the cheeses.  The cheeses are created in what was a former Presbytery which sits in front of the farm...perhaps this is the key to great cheesemaking....being blessed from above!

Laliberté is in stock at C'est Cheese Please! 

Bon Appétit!