Vacherin Mont D'Or

The Jura Mountains is a small mountain range that connects with France, Switzerland and Germany.  "Jura" means forest mountains and aptly describes the geography of the area - rich in lush grass meadows, high in the mountains.  In France, this is the province of Franche-Comté, renowned for it's cheeses, Comté being one of them.  On the other side of the mountains is the French-speaking area of Switzerland.  The traditions of both areas are quite similar and this is evidenced by the cheese above, in France it is called "Vacherin du Haut-Doubs" and in Switzerland "Vacherin Mont D'Or" (Do you hear the song "I say tomato, you say tomato" playing??).  No matter what you call it, this is a spectacular cheese only available at Christmas time after the cattle have returned to the barns from their summer meadows and are on hay.

This is another of the AOC protected cheeses which guarantees that the cheese has been made with the same time-honoured process that has always been followed and that the cheese making and processing is of the highest standards.

Vacherin Mont D'Or comes in a lovely pine box which is removed to expose the cheese which has a birch strip, called a sangle, encircling it.  The cheese is allowed to come to room temperature after which the rind (which is inedible) is removed.  Under the rather gnarly-looking rind is a creamy, rich, gooey, decadent cheese.  In Switzerland, the cheese is enjoyed along with fingerling potatoes.  In France they sometimes make a small hole in the rind and pour some champagne or white wine into the cheese.  And perhaps this was the original "baked brie" as the cheese is often warmed in the oven.  Here is a wonderful recipe:

• Leaving the cheese in the pine box, make a sleeve around the box of aluminium foil
• If you are serving the Vacherin Mont D'Or as an appetizer, you may want to prick the surface and insert some slivers of garlic.  The Vacherin is often served as a dessert cheese, so in this case, eliminate the garlic.
• You may pour a generous ounce of white wine or champagne over the surface which has been pricked
• Bake in a pre-heated 200 degree Celsius oven for about 25 minutes
• Now dig in and sigh contentedly and like Tiny Tim say "God Bless us everyone!"

Vacherin Mont D'Or is an increasingly difficult cheese to come by on this side of the pond, but I have managed to bring some in.  Not inexpensive, it is a treat at Christmas or New Year's or a special gift for that hard-to-buy for foodie in your life.  So come into C'est Cheese Please! soon and scoop up this delicacy!

Literally!

Bon Appétit!

Christmas at C'est Cheese Please!

There is nowhere that I would rather be at Christmas than at my home with my family enjoying the laughter around the table, pulling the Christmas crackers (and of course, wearing the stylish paper hats!). One of the traditions that we have is that a noon hour on Christmas Eve, everything that is going to get done is done and anything that is unfinished, well, that is the way that it will stay. Then we all go out to see a movie and come back to a nice meal. This year's Christmas Eve dinner will be, as they say, easy peasy - a chicken pot pie from Summerhill Market. See them? Third shelf down on the left, the steak and mushroom pot pie is on the right. These are as good as homemade - perhaps even better because you don't have to clean up the mess! Or if you are a traditionalist, there are fabulous tourtiéres from the Farmer's Daughter.

I have a few things on my Christmas Wish List and this reproduction of a French Tartine Stand is one of them. I can just see that on my pine harvest table with a changing display according to the season - sometimes fruit, in the fall gourds and, oh, yes my famous Lemon Meringue pie!

There is a fabulous selection of really unique cheese platters in the store for a really one-of-a-kind gift .  There are the wine barrel head platters and a new line from Urban Salvage.  This latter company salvages the trees that are cut down in the cities and re-purposes them into a variety of products including the handled platters.  They come in three sizes...

And I should mention the Gigha Fruits.  What a great gift - and I won't tell if it is going in your own stocking!  Promise!  These are fabulous.  They come from a cheese maker in Kintyre, Scotland (yes, the Mull made famous by Sir Paul is nearby).  They feature cheddar made from the milk of the Guernsey cow (see the blog entitled "Bursting With Pride" for some interesting information about Guernsey cows) which is blended with Pear Schnapps in the pear, Highland Liqueur in the apple and Orange Liqueur in the orange.  Also in stock at C'est Cheese Please! is Captain's Claret (mature cheddar blended with claret) and Highland Chief (mature cheddar blended with single malt whiskey).

Shown with the Gigha fruits are spectacular balsamics - a 12 year old balsamic blended with pomegranate, fig, truffle, blackberry.....also in stock, a 50 year and 100 year balsamic beautifully presented and sure to be appreciated!

If you are looking for brie bakers or something special to put some olive oil in or.....

a really beautiful cheese cloche, how about these beauties all hand-painted by a potter in Montrèal?

 If you are looking for something for the foodie in your life, there is the AMAZING olive oil from the Pingue family farm in Italy - ask for a sample, you will agree with me when I say that it is quite simply the best.

I should also mention that the store will be open the three Sunday's before Christmas, December 6th, 12th and 19th from 11 am until 4 pm.  My daughter, Brittany will be running the show so come in and say hello!

In the meantime,

Bon Appétit!



Another Winner from our Belle Province!

I have  a confession to make, when I was a little girl I hated cheese!  Even my Mom's homemade Macaroni and Cheese wasn't a favorite of mine.  I can empathize when little ones come into the store and cringe when I offer them a sample because that was me a few years ago - OK, maybe just a little more than a few years ago, but just a little!  And it wasn't such a long time ago that I thought that I didn't like blue cheese....until one time I selected a little morsel from a cheese tray that was delicious.  I went back for more and then when no one was looking, took the whole piece!  It was later that I discovered that this was indeed blue cheese and once I got the tang, well suffice it to say that I haven't looked back. 

Today's topic is the magnificent blue cheese from a small cheese maker in Québec, Fromagerie du Presbytère just east of Drummondville.    Le Bleu d'Elizabeth is the second cheese to come from Fromagerie du Presbytère and won a gold medal in 2009 at the Québec Seléction Caseus awards!  This says a lot about the quality of cheese making and the skill of the cheese makers, brothers Jean and Dominique Morin who are fourth generation farmers of this land.  Le Bleu d'Elizabeth is a farmhouse cheese, meaning that the milk produced from the farm's mixed herd of Holstein's, Jersey's and a few Canadienne is the sole source of the milk used to make the cheese not only that but the farm has been organic for the past 20 years.  The cheese itself is aged two to three months which produces a milder blue although the brothers are busy aging some of the cheese for 12 months for those who like a stronger blue kick.

Le Bleu d'Elizabeth is a raw milk cheese with full flavours of sour cream, butter and salt all balanced in a creamy paste that is melt-in-your-mouth delicious and not a bitter note to spoil the experience!  To all of you who proclaim not to like blue cheese, this one may very well change your mind.  Pair it with a glass of Cidre Glacé available at the LCBO and why not try  Le Bleu d'Elizabeth  ($8.00/100g) with an aged Comté ($7.70/100g) on your cheeseboard - a bit of Old World paired with the New!

It is of note that another cheese produced by Fromagerie du Presbytère, Louis d'Or won the gold medal at the Seléction Caseus in 2010 - 2 years in a row!  We will be watching to see what masterpiece comes from this cheese maker in the future.  And you can be sure that I will be adding Louis D'Or to the shopping list for "C'est Cheese Please!"

Bon Appetit!

And Now For Something Quite Different!

Looking for something quite unique for your cheese board this weekend?  Well, this just might do the trick - Tomme Marc de Raisin.  This is a tomme cheese that has been aged in the "marc" which is the residuals leftover from making red wine.  So you ask me, what perchance is a "Tomme Cheese" Wendi?  It is, I reply a pressed, unheated cheese.  Let me explain a little more.  We all know that pasteurized milk is milk that has been heated to 65 degrees Celsius for a period of not less than 30 minutes.  At this temperature all bacteria, both good and bad are killed.  Raw milk cheeses are for the most part partially heated, below the temperature for pasteurization and must be aged for at least 60 days prior to being sold, this allows the good bacteria in the cheese to survive adding a special flavour to the cheese which cannot be replicated in pasteurized cheeses.  Tomme's fall into this second category.  The milk is heated to approximately 31-37 degrees Celsius at which point rennet is added to the milk to hasten the separation of the curd from the whey.  The curds are then hand pressed into molds.  The cheese is matured in caves where the natural "micro flora" (naturally occurring good bacteria) does its thing to the cheese et Voila, Tomme.  In the case of Tomme Marc de Raisin, the aging process is done under a thick coating of the marc which imparts the flavours of the wine to the cheese - a wonderful cheese to enjoy with one of those "big" reds that we hear so much about.  Oh, and don't try to eat the marc (I know that you will try it!), brush it off and serve the cheese on a bed of the marc for a WOW presentation - the marc is not just the dried grapes but also includes a lot of "roughage" too - twigs, bits of grapevine - which don't lend themselves to the pleasant enjoyment of the cheese.  Come into "C'est Cheese Please!" where Tomme Marc de Raisin is in stock at $8.00/100g

Bon Appetit!

Girls, Girls, Girls......See The Buff Girls In All Their Glory!

Well, maybe not what you were expecting but ain't they cute?  These fabulous four-legged beauties are the Water Buffalo that produce the milk which is made into the Buffalo Mozzarella available here at "C'est Cheese Please!"   To your left is Hannah, below her is Peanut.

Buffalo Mozzarella as well a Burrata are relatively new cheeses in terms of availability.  As these are fresh cheeses, they were flown in from Italy and that reflected in the high cost.  Now with milking herds of Water Buffalo here in Ontario, these fabulous cheeses are easier to come by at a much better price.  Buffalo Mozzarella has a creamy texture and a mild flavour that is perfect for salads and of course, Margherita Pizza.

As a nod to the hot weather that we have been experiencing, why not serve a salad tonight?  Take your Caprese Salad up a notch by grilling a couple of peaches on the BBQ.  On your platter, place a bed of Arrugala. slice up some Heirloom Tomatoes, the grilled peaches, chop some fresh Basil and drizzle with your Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar and  pour yourself something white, cold and crisp.

 So why don't you mooove on over to "C'est Cheese Please!" for a container of the Buffalo Mozzarella  or Burrata that these girls have been busy grazing away to produce?

From Hannah, Peanut and Wendy (she's the little one!).....

Bon Appétit!

Eat, Pray, Love or is it Eat, Love, Pray?

The current "Chick Flick" is "Eat, Pray, Love" chronicling the quest to find oneself that Elizabeth Gilbert embarks on.  Her first point of call is Italy where she regales us with her non-stop feast.  I understand this well as I spent 6 months in Italy (Milano to be exact) studying footwear design back when there was a Canadian footwear industry.  During my time there, I marvelled at the way that the Italians revered food - it wasn't just something that you did 3 times a day often in a car with the paper wrappers sort of spread out in hopes that the juices would be contained whilst you downed the article to be consumed (hate to give it the status of actual food) as quickly as possible.  No, the Italians would frown most emphatically at that notion and in a somewhat disgusted tone make reference to "Americanos".  No, this is a land that celebrates the meal and from the very simple to the complex, every dish is afforded the respect that it deserves.  I remember sitting in a park in the late September sun at the noon break (which by the way goes from noon hour until 3 pm - yes, really!  And EVERYTHING closes.) enjoying a slice of what I now know to be focaccia, dimpled and tossed with caramelized onion and olive oil which I got just out of the oven from a little store just up the road from the school I was attending and a fresh tomato from the fruit and vegetable store and thinking that I had died and gone to heaven. 

So today I just got in a little somethin', somethin' that is pretty special.  Along with the parmigiano reggiano and pecorinos that Italy is so famous for, Italians love soft, fresh cheese.  We are probably most familiar with ricotta which we have become accustomed to adding to our lasagna but there is a world of wonderful soft cheeses - La Tur, Burrata, fresh mozzarella or  Bocaccini are just a few that come to mind.  And this one, Stracchino which is the one that I will focus on today.

Stacchino is a derivative of the word "stracca" which means quite literally tired as in cows which have been moved up and down the slopes of the Alps.  Apparently the milk that these poor tired cows produce is richer in fats and more acidic which gives this soft, silky custard-like cheese its characteristically delicate, tangy flavour.  It comes from the northern part of Italy, Lombardy, of which Milano is its capital!  These cheeses do not have a long shelf life and therefore up to now, getting them to Canada quickly has been problematic and VERY EXPENSIVE!  But now an Italian family, no doubt pining for these delicacies, has started to produce them here in Canada!  In stock today at "C'est Cheese Please!" is Stracchino in a 200g container for the bargain price of $8.79, ready to spread on a crusty bread with your favorite fruit preserve or maybe served in this traditional way, spread on focaccia.

Focaccia al Formaggio

500g durum wheat flour

5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

Salt

Make a mound of the flour on your work table and scoop a well in the middle.  Pour 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil into the well, a small ladle of warm water and 2 healthy pinches of salt.  Work this mixture into a dough and knead until it is soft, smooth and elastic.  Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let stand for 1 hour.

Preheat your oven to 360F and divide the dough into 2 pieces.  Roll out to a thin disk the size of the baking sheet that you are using (a 12 - 14 inch pizza pan should be right).  Lightly oil the pan and spread the first sheet of dough on it.  Roughly (with your hands) shred the cheese and dot the dough with it.  Spread the second sheet of dough over everything and roll the edges up and around to form a rim that seals the two sheets.  You can add a decorative look by pressing the tines of a fork around the edge.  Puncture the top sheet so that the moisture can escape and bake for about 15 minutes until the top is golden.

Now, go find that tomato and Eat, Love and Pray for more!

I found a really great video that shows how to make Focaccia al Formaggio except that it is in Italian, but regardless I think that you will see the method quite well and this guy is such an expert kneader - watch his his hands so expertly kneading and then throwing the dough around to shape it - WOW!  I will post that on the "C'est Cheese Please Facebook Page"

Buon Appetito!

I've Got The Blues

This past April, I wrote about a beautiful Swiss-style cheese called "Mont St. Benoit" which is produced by the monks at the Abbaye de Saint-Benoit-du-lac located in the Eastern Townships of Québec.  I thought that with the upcoming Blues Festival in Kitchener (August 5th - 8th), I would write about another of the great cheeses that come from the Abbaye - Bleu Bénédictin.  This is one of two blue cheeses that come from the Abbaye, the other being Ermite.  The difference between the two comes from the length of time that the cheese is allowed to mature in the ripening room,.  Ermite has a ripening time of 5 weeks at which time the natural rind is washed off whereas Bénédictin is allowed to mature for 5 months and the natural mould rind is kept on the cheese. 

It is perhaps helpful to understand the process that is used to make blue cheese in order to better appreciate the differences in the end product.  Blue cheese is really a form of controlled spoilage.  Early in the cheese making process, the cheese maker introduces the "Penicillium Roqueforti" spores into the milk.  Once the cheese has been formed, long, thin needles are inserted into the cheese allowing air to enter the cheese through the tunnels that are created.  The result is the growth of the familiar mould  or veining.  The mould breaks down the fats and proteins in the cheese and the longer that this process is allowed to occur, the more intense the flavour that develops and the smoother the texture of the cheese becomes.  Blue cheese because of the tunnelling, ages from the inside out, the opposite of say for example, a cheddar which ages from the outside in.

As we would expect from this understanding of the cheese making process, Bénédictin has a more pronounced flavour and a smoother, creamier texture than its younger sibling, Ermite.  In 2006, Bénédictin won the Canadian Grand Prix and is in stock at "C'est Cheese Please!" $4.85 per 100g.   Enjoy this beautiful cheese with a soupcon of Cidre Glace, also from Québec.   Cidre Glace is the fabulous Iced Cider from Pinnacle and is the perfect accompaniment to blue cheese especially a blue cheese from La Belle Province.  I guarantee it will have you singing the blues, the blue cheese blues!

Bon Appétit!

Is Cheese Art?

"...nature is still a mystery, you never see it whole.  It's like me, always slipping away."  Jean-Paul Riopelle 1923-2002

Beginning as he described himself as a "Sunday Painter", Riopelle developed into one of our national treasurers, an absract painter who used large varieties of different coloured paint applied thickly to the canvas with a trowel.  In the years from 1942-45, he became part of a group in Paris known as the "Automatistes" known for their spontaneous method of painting.  In his later life, he divided his time between two homes in Québec, one of which was in  Isles-aux-Grues, a little island in the St. Lawrence east of Québec City.  This little island is only 4.5 miles long and 1.5 miles wide and boasts a population of 120 people!  From this tiny island comes this fabulous cheese named for an equally fabulous artist.  Riopelle, the cheese, is a raw milk triple cream with a bloomy rind.  It melts in your mouth leaving behind tastes of hazelnut and mushroom with a buttery paste.  In 2004, Riopelle won the Canadian Cheese Grand Prix, a testament to the dedication of the cheesemaker to produce a cheese worthy of the Riopelle name.  When asked to give his name to this outstanding cheese, Jean Paul Riopelle made a few conditions.  Firstly, that the cheese be of the highest quality and that $1 from each wheel of cheese sold go towards a fund to help educate the young people of the Isles-aux-Grues.  He also provided the original painting which graces the outside of the wheel.  He died in March of 2002 without having tasted his namesake cheese.

Is cheese art?  In the case of Riopelle, the answer is " Mais Oui!"

Bon Appetit!

The King of Cheeses

"...but for the odor which is felt in the back of the mouth, the sensation of taste would be but obtuse and imperfect"     Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin 1755-1826.                  

Époisse de Bourgogne, named for the village in Cote-d'Or where it is made in France, is one of those quintessential French cheeses whose presence on the cheeseboard makes itself known long before one sets eyes upon it.  Yes, it smells, but as is often said "Get over it!" because once you do, you will discover a cheese that beneath its reddy-orange rind is decadently creamy.  Spoon it onto a hearty bread or for a really French approach, serve it as the dessert course with raisin bread and toast to life with a glass of Burgundy wine "Santé"!

Époisse is made in a very complicated process, the cows must have grazed on the grasses in the meadows of Burgundy for 3 months.  Once the cheese is formed, it undergoes a complicated series of washes with salt water, rain water and finally Marc de Bourgogne (a local spirit) two or three times a week until it is ready.  It is an AOC protected cheese which means that all the time-honoured preparations must be followed in order to be called "Époisse".  This was a favorite cheese of Napoleon and Brillat-Savarin (the original "foodie" of the 1700's whose book "Physiologie du Gout", 1825 set the stage for the appreciation of the meal.  He is remembered for his famous quote "Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are.")  And it can be a favorite of your's too as it is in stock at "C'est Cheese Please!"

There are a lot of new and old favorites that are here waiting for the chance to thrill you.  Cendrillon, the 2009 World Champion from Québec, Cendré du Lune (Triple Cream with an ash coating), Paillot de Chèvre, Comté along many other goodies are here in the display cases.  And be sure to print off the coupon that was in last week's edition for $2 off your purchase of $15 or more - good until July 31st!

Bon Appetit!

The Website is Live!

http://www.cestcheeseplease.com/

Well after much blood, sweat and tears, the website for the store is now up and running.  I hope that you will have a look and let me know what you think.  Is there additional information that you would like to see?  Have you had a look at the cheese listing?  That is still a "work in progress" but I think that you will find a lot if information there about the various cheeses that have crossed the threshold of  "C'est Cheese Please!"  As I indicatd when I started this blog, this is where I will post in-store specials and talk about new cheeses and maybe some old favorites too.

This year has been a year of milestones.  You may have noticed the painting of the store above.  The artist is my talented daughter, Brittany who has decided to live her dream too.  This September, she will be starting the Graphic Design course at George Brown College in Toronto.  My younger daughter, Ainsley graduated with honours from Carleton University a few weeks ago and is hoping to teach English in South Korea this fall.  And my son Kyle has started his business, "RenoMan".  He specializes in high quality renovations and construction - his work is amazing so if this is something that is in your future, check his website out at:  http://www.constructionheros.ca/

 So, we are coming up to the year anniversary of the birth of "C'est Cheese Please!". It was the end of June, the beginning of July 2009 when I decided that I could continue doing the things that I was doing and getting the same result or as Monty Python would say, "And now for something completely different"!. July has also always been a month to celebrate Canada's birthday so here is a little treat for all the follower's out there! This is valid until July 30th, 2010.

Happy Canada Day and Bon Appetit!

Un Nouveau Fromage Quebecois!

Just arrived at C'est Cheese Please! this week is this lovely piece of decadence from our Belle Provence, Filou.  This is made in the classic style of a Morbier with a line of ash running through the centre.  Many people on first sight think that this is a blue cheese and shy away from it ("I don't like blue cheese" add shiver here!)  So don't worry and instead give Filou a chance to seduce you with its washed rind and raw cow milk paste.  Add a bit of aging to this cheese and you have one of the French cheeses that linger in our memories.  When it is young, the flavours are soft and mild but wait a bit and you will be rewarded with a bolder, nuttier flavoured cheese that pairs well with a dry, red wine or blond beer.  For something a little different, try serving this cheese with cider.  Available at the LCBO is a wonderful "cidre glace" from Quebec called Pinnacle.  It is made using the same methodology as is used to make ice wines.  The apples are allowed to freeze on the apple trees and are then harvested.  This cider is served in the same way as an ice wine, cold and in a small glass.  It is the perfect accompaniment for blue cheese too.

I have been busy this past few weeks putting the final touches on the website.  Included in the website is a listing of the cheeses that have been in stock at the store over the past 7 months along with a short description and pairing where applicable.  There is also information about the custom cheese trays and gift baskets that I can make up for that special person or special occasion and the beautiful table decor items that I carry.  So please have a look and let me know how you like it!

I thought you might like to see the attractive presentation that Filou comes in.  A wonderful gift for the hostess with the mostest!

Bon Appetit!

Figaro, Figaro, Fi-ga-ro!

Even if you are not a fan of opera, I don't think that there is a Boomer alive who doesn't remember Bugs Bunny's rendition of "Figaro" and who's toes automatically start tapping, hands start conducting and voices start singing "Figaro, Figaro, F-i-g-a-r-o.....".  What would you say if I told you that there was a cheese out there that would produce the same reaction?  And it's called (are you ready?), Figaro!
Figaro is a fresh cheese from one of our fabulous artisanal cheese makers here in Ontario, Glengarry Fine Cheese.  Margaret Morris, master cheesemaker at Glengarry has this to say about this piece of decadence, "At two to three weeks old, the cheese will be mild and milky with a fresh, mushroomy taste and as it ages it will start to ripen and become "fondue-like" under the crust. It will get more of a bouquet on it and the rind will go from white to a golden colour." My comment here would be if it lasts that long! This luscious, velvety cheese is a fresh cheese with only a small amount of culture used in it and no rennet added so the flavours of the cheese really reflect the original milk used to produce it and that means to you and me that the type of grasses that the cattle are grazing on affects the flavour of the cheese. In the springtime, you might taste more honey notes to the cheese from the red clover blossoms and later in the fall when the first frost hits, there might be a stronger flavour with hints of asparagus and leek.

Figaro is what is termed a "moule a la louche" or hand-ladled cheese. You might have seen this term used on a traditionally made camembert and in cheese-maker's terms it means that the curds are hand-ladled and not pressed to retain the natural texture and taste. Once formed, the Figaro is allowed to drain over a 24 hour period of time. When unmolded, it is salted and aged to develop the bloom. Margaret's experience with this technique was learned from a small producer of the AOC cheese, Chaource in France's champagne region.

For serving, try Figaro on your morning croissant with a bit of apricot or peach jam or come into "C'est Cheese Please!" on a Saturday morning for the fabulous Montreal-style wood fire oven bagels (.80 each) and try it with some nice smoked salmon and capers! Or maybe indulge in a bottle of champagne and enjoy Figaro with a little bubbly either way, you'll be singing Figaro, Figaro, F-I-G-A-R-O!!!!

By the way, if you would like to hear a wonderful rendition of "Largo Al Factotum" as you are enjoying your cheese, follow this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yf4c8uREO3U

Bon Appetit!

Mother's Day - It's Really Quite Simple

A few years ago, I was chatting with a young man (well, not that young, he was married and a young father) who was getting totally stressed out with the pressure of what to do for Mother's Day.  Men are like that, Valentine's Day and Mother's Day cause so much worry about getting it right.  So for all the males out there, I will try to make this simple - The Four "F's" - Food, Fashion, Flowers and Fun - any combination of these 4 items and you are Golden.  So tomorrow morning, pop into "C'est Cheese Please!" and pick up a couple of croissant which you will gently warm on Sunday morning with the assistance of your children.  While the croissant are warming, put on the coffee (fresh ground Brown Dog Cafe coffee is $7 a half pound and $13.50 a pound and I received a delivery today, so it's REALLY fresh!).  Prepare a tray using her best china, don't forget the napkin (linen is a nice touch) as well as a lovely rose that you picked up from Doug at The Flower Market (Southworks Mall) which you have popped in a bud vase.  The kids have probably made a card for her.  So now, place the croissant on the plate and place the small pots of jam (Greaves Jams, $2.50 a pot) on the tray and a little butter on the plate.  Pour the coffee - you know how she likes it best - and the orange juice.  Did you remember the strawberries, you know the ones that you washed and cut up earlier?  Now, you had better carry the tray at least until you get a little closer to the recipient and then let the children navigate the last little bit with your able bodied assistance.  This will pay dividends, trust me on this one, OK?  If you really want to get carried away, include the newspaper or a nice magazine (Fashion) and the joy of your children's excitement as they do this special thing for their Mommy is the best kind of Fun that there is.  So, just remember the 4 F's.

I have been working to get my website up and going this month.  One of the features will be a complete listing of the cheeses that have been available at "C'est Cheese Please!" along with a good description and suggested wine and/or beer pairings.  It has been a big project and I hope that you will find it helpful when making your decisions for those important cheese selections.  I will keep this updated as new cheeses are added to the repertoire!

For all of the fans of Niagara Gold, it is back in stock along with Comfort Cream just in time for Mother's Day in case my first suggestion doesn't work.  I am also expecting a shipment of Figaro this week from Glengarry Cheese for all of those who have been waiting anxiously for this fabulous cheese to arrive along with the cheese shavers and graters from Boska Holland.  I will post an entry when these items have in fact arrived.  In the meantime, to all the Mom's out there, Happy Mother's Day!

Bon Appetite! 

It all started with a pair of shoes!

So last night after closing the store, I went to pay a bill.  Just a quick trip, dash in, pay bill and head for home and oh, yea there is that bag of things on the back seat of the car to be dropped off at Value Village.  OK, dash in pay bill, drop bag off at Value Village and head for home.  But there is a Winners in the same plaza with the Value Village.  OK, dash in pay bill, drop bag off at Value Village and then because you are strong and can resist temptation you may have 10 minutes just to have a quick peek but no buying Wendi!  But they were a pair of Franco Sarto's (all the women out there are sympathetically nodding) and if they aren't completely right, I can return them, right? (all the men out there are saying "Like that's going to happen!)  So the pizza that I was going to get for dinner is out of the question - I mean I have to economize now.  So what to do?  I am hungry and I want something now.  I had a chicken breast in the fridge, so I can saute that, right?  But that is pretty plain - what to do?  What to do?  Then the brainwave hit.  I had taken home a container of Dana Shortt's Butternut Squash Apple Ginger Soup ($9.98) for dinner the night before - it was chilly out and a nice bowl of soup was just the remedy for that.  There was a little bit left - too much to throw out without feeling guilty and not enough for a full meal, so what if I used that as a base for a sauce?  Brillliant don't you think?  So this is what I did,  I heated some Walnut Oil ($14.99 a tin) in my skillet and used some of that bottled garlic and ginger to add additional flavouring to the oil.  Then I sauteed the chicken breast, salting and peppering both sides.  When there was a nice browning on both sides of the chicken, I deglazed the pan with a little of the same white wine that I was sipping on and added the rest of the container of the soup into the skillet.  I allowed the soup to reduce(throw in a little tarragon or thyme if you have it) and meanwhile threw (not literally) some veggies into the microwave.  By the time that the soup had reduced to the a nice sauce consistency, the veggies were done and Voila a delicious dinner AND a pair of shoes - how good is that?  So, I hear you asking, where is the cheese part of this story?  You may remember that I brought in some Sir Laurier Brie for Easter.  Well, it has reached its due date so I had brought one home to see how it was so as the chicken was doing its thing, I was enjoying my Chardonnay with the Sir Laurier and it is PERFECT!  That is the problem with due dates and cheese, they are just reaching their peak and then BAM - due date!  So, here is the deal - if you come into the store this weekend and spend $25.00, I will give you a Sir Laurier (sorry, you'll have to get your own Chardonnay and shoes for that matter!) to enjoy as you are cooking your weekend feast.

Bon Appetit!

Look What the Easter Bunny Left!

Wow!  Lots of great specials this week just in time for Easter so I will list these yummy treats for your convenience but remember to get into "C'est Cheese Please!" soon as I am sure that these will fly out the door.

• Sauvagine - a great brie with lots of flavour $6.99 per piece
• Sir Laurier - richly flavoured, washed-rind, soft cheese perfect for baking with a topping of nuts $7.99 per package
• Cendre Du Lune - an ash covered triple cream $7.99 per package
• Triple Cream Goat Brie - need I say more? $7.99 per package
• Goat Cheese with either a topping of roasted red pepper or blueberries and pomegranate $4.50 per package
• Goat Cheese log with cranberries and cinnamon $5.99 per package
• Chevrai - goat chevre $4.50 per package

Also in this week:  Bruschetta topping, a five-cheese dip or topping and a spicy artichoke dip and the Perth Pestle and Pepper products have arrived!

• Merlot Wine Jelly with Pink Peppercorn & Chablis Wine Jelly with Tarragon - $5.99 each
• Red Pepper Jelly with Blueberry Sambuca - $7.99
• Red Pepper Jelly with Ruby Red Grapefruit - $7.99
• Red Pepper Jelly with Balsamic Fig - $7.99
• Balsamic Vinegar with Port Wine Reduction -$7.99
• Raspberry Balsamic Vinegar - $7.99
• Pear & Pistachio Pinot Grigio Wine Vinegar - $7.99

Now that you are all drooling, I will look forward to seeing you here at "C'est Cheese Please!"

Remember to get your orders in for Brioche.  I will be bringing in a limited order of breads on Thursday April 1st in time for Good Friday - Brioche will be available on this day too including the beautiful traditional domed Brioche.

I think the crowds are arriving already!

Mont St. Benoit

With Easter fast approaching, we are all starting to think about the what to serve for the family get-together.  Perhaps some of you are planning a big dinner but one of the most enjoyable ways to spend Easter is with a brunch and today I am going to post a recipe for a wonderful savory tart that would be perfect for that occasion.  I am using in this tart some Mont St. Benoit, a mild Swiss-style cheese from our Belle Province, Quebec specifically from the Abbaye St Benoit in the Lac-du-Benoit district in the Eastern Townships.  I think that it is appropriate that we are using a cheese made by monks for a feast celebrating Easter, n'est pas?

I couldn't get a really good picture of this cheese, being photgenic isn't one of its finest qualities!  In the picture to the left we can see the frommagerie at the Abbaye and the racks full of the wheels of Mont St. Benoit.  This is a beautiful cheese, the palest of yellow-white in colour and full of holes like a Swiss, yet with a creamy texture and a finish that is nutty in flavour - mmmmm!  In my opinion, a far superior cheese than, dare I say it, an acutal Swiss from Switzerland.  The recipe that I am giving you is one that I have modified a little from one that was given to me by a lovely French customer at the cheese booth that I worked at at the Waterloo Farmer's Market (now defunct and much missed).  Perhaps you would like to serve this with a fruit salad and a charcuterie and cheese platter and don't forget the brioche!  If you would like to ensure your brioche order, please get it to me as soon as possible for pick up on Saturday, April 3rd.  A little reminder that I carry prosciutto and cappcolla from Mario Pingue and wine-infused salami (pinot grigio, rose and chianti) for those charcuterie platters as well as an amazing selection of great cheeses for your Easter table!  I am also carrying freshly roasted coffee from The Brown Dog Cafe in St. George and Paris, so be sure to come into C'est Cheese Please! for all your Easter feasting supplies!  Now for the recipe:

Rustic Tart with Caramelized Onion & Mont St Benoit Cheese

• Several good sized onions, the more, the merrier but at least 4 sliced (the onions can be regular cooking ones)
• Olive oil
• Pinch of salt
• A bit of brown sugar (1 tsp per 5 onions as a gauge)
• Some thyme

Heat the olive oil in your skillet over a medium-high heat and add onions, stir to coat and allow to gently sauté. After about 10 minutes, add the salt and sugar and then let the onions gently sauté allowing them to stick a little to the skillet to brown and then move them to prevent burning. You may want to turn the heat down to prevent burning. This caramelizing process will take about 1 hour to fully develop that rich flavour – maybe you better make extra to accommodate the “tastings”! If there is a lot of browning at the bottom of the skillet at the end, add a little balsamic vinegar or red wine to deglaze and get all that flavour into the onions. Add the thyme at the end, start with ½ teaspoon and add more if you would like.

Tart

• ½ of a package of frozen puff pastry
• 1 small container of cottage cheese
• 4 eggs beaten
• 150 grams of Mont St. Benoit, shredded
• Freshly grated black pepper & salt to taste
• Nutmeg & some sprigs of thyme to garnish

Allow the puff pastry to thaw in the fridge (do this while you prepare the caramelized onions) and then roll out to form a rough circle. Combine the cottage cheese, beaten eggs (reserve a little to brush on the outside), salt, pepper & nutmeg. Spread the caramelized onions over half of the pastry leaving a ½ edge around the outside. Spread the cottage cheese mixture over the top of the onions and sprinkle the cheese over the top. Fold the puff pastry over the filling and seal the edges. Brush the top of the puff pastry with the reserved egg. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 40 minutes. Dust the top of the baked tart with a little nutmeg and garnish with a few sprigs of fresh thyme.

Bon Appetite!

Bursting With Pride!

Weren't the 2010 Winter Olympics fantabulous? I'm going through withdrawal this week - for the 14 days, I was riveted to the TV watching all kinds of sports that I have no idea where people do them but what an experience. I do want to remember Nadar Kumariashivili who died trying to achieve his Olympic moment and express the deep sorrow that I think we all feel regarding that tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.

Pictured today is Niagara Gold, a cheese from Upper Canada Cheese Company in Jordan Station. I thought that it would be a great idea to celebrate that Canada is Number One in gold medals won at the Olympics and to honour all our atheletes for their efforts which made us all so proud by enjoying some Niagara Gold - 10% off until March 11th!

Upper Canada Cheese uses the milk from the only Guernsey herd in Ontario. So, you ask, what's that got to do with anything? Well, the Guernsey's don't produce large quantities of milk so if one is running a dairy farm, you are more interested in the big milkers, the Holstein's and Jersey's, so poor Guernsey is overlooked except that for cheese lover's, the milk from the Guernsey is very high in beta carotene which gives the cheese a beautiful golden colour and is very rich in butterfat thus making a cheese that is delicious. The Comfort family has been farming in the Niagara area for 5 generations and are dedicated to the land and to maintaning the herd. During the summer months, their herd enjoy the plentiful grass on the farm and in the winter are fed haylage and grain supplements that are grown on the farm.

The Cheesemakers at Upper Canada have developed Niagara Gold, a washed rind cheese that is a mellow, buttery cheese with a lightly nutty overtone. Like the washed rind cheeses, this cheese develops its flavours with aging becoming more pungent (a nice way of saying smelly!) and piquant over time

I should mention that Upper Canada also produces a camembert- style cheese with the Guernsey milk called Comfort Cream. This is a decadently creamy, gooey indulgence. New to the Upper Canada repetoire is "Guernsey Girl" which can be fried or grilled (like the Greek Saganaki - the "Opa" cheese) without loosing its shape. All of these are in stock at "C'est Cheese Please!" and if you are interested in trying Guernsey Girl, inquire about the recipes that are available.

Bon Appetit!

C'est Bon at C'est Cheese Please!

You are going to think that all I talk about are goat cheeses but this one is pretty special because it is a low fat cheese - calm down! I can hear you all sighing and see the rolling of the eyes as you say, but low fat cheese is awful. Please do yourselves a favour and try C'est Bon and you will become believers. Full of flavour, the consistency of cream cheese so you can spread it on your Montreal-style, wood-fire oven bagel (which I carry on a Saturday morning, warm from said oven) AND only 15% fat, 30 calories per tablespoon - this is a miracle. I have photographed it along with the Jelly Boys - the fabulous gourmet savoury jellies that come in such flavours as Ginger Lime Cilantro, Garlic & Hot Pepper, Cucumber Dill, Herb & Onion and Chili Tangerine. These jellies can be used as condiments and glazes as well as spreads and are delicious but the most important thing for all of you calorie and fat conscious gourmands out there, they are only 15 calories per teaspoon and zero, yes, zero fat. I also have some great new crackers that are 130 calories and 1% fat per, are you ready, 19 crackers! So go ahead, indulge while you are watching the quarter final game tonight between Team Canada and Russia! Go Team Canada Go!

Le Cendrillon and other bits & pieces

It's been a busy day here at "C'est Cheese Please!" what with customers coming in to stock up for the weekend, Luigi the Squeegee making sure that the windows are sparkling clean and getting the new products out in the cases and shelves. It was wonderful walking in this morning to a fridge/freezer that was happily humming along, freezing what needed to be frozen and refrigerating the things that needed refrigerating! Perhaps one day when I am short of topics I will relate the saga of the fridge/freezer but in the meantime, I walk past it ever so often to admire the fine job that it is doing!

I thought today I might chat about Le Cendrillion which you see pictured here. This is an ash covered goat cheese from Quebec which took the title of World Champion in 2009 competing against 2,440 entries from 34 countries. I think that we can be pretty proud of the wonderful cheese producers here in Canada - not only do we produce athletes of the highest caliber as we are enjoying watching at the 2010 Winter Olympics but we also have world class cheese makers. We truly live in the best country in the world and being the modest Canadians that we are, we don't toot our horn often enough!

I am very excited that I will also be carrying some cheeses from another of our great Ontario cheese makers - Glengarry Cheese makes fabulous cheeses such as Figaro, a bloomy rind cow's milk cheese in the style of a Chaource and a washed-rind semi firm, Fleur-en-Lait. These should be in stock here early next week - a yummy way to start a new week!

Soooo, here we go!

Bienvenue, welcome to my very first blog attempt! It's a grey day here in Cambridge with a bit of snow coming down, but customers have been coming in to take advantage of the special that I have on Quebec cheeses (10% off!) in honour of the very first gold medal won on Canadian soil by Canadian, Alexandre Bilideau at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver! Alex is from our belle province, Quebec and we are all so very proud of him and all of our atheletes at the Olympics - Go Canada Go! Yesterday, Maelle Ricker of Vancouver won the gold in Women's Snowboard Cross - not sure how to honour her achievement yet as I don't have any cheeses from BC, not that they don't have a fantastic artisanal cheese industry (I'm thinking here of Saltspring Island in particular and their beautiful chevre -hot pepper, mushroom and some that have delicate little flowers on the top, so perfect for the cheese board) it's just that they are pretty expensive by the time they get to Ontario and I'm not sure that my customers would buy they with or without a discount - but don't worry Maelle, I'll come up with something!