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!