Going Coconuts!

It's here!  We have waited patiently and sometimes impatiently for the Canadian summer to hit and it's here!  Thoughts of lazy afternoons poolside or at a cottage...easy meals and our favorite beverage.  And what could be easier than a cheeseboard and a few bottles of your favorite libation?

Today, we are going to put together a selection with a tropical feel.

First up is Brie Coco by Alexis de Portneuf.  To quote their cheesemaker:  “I have two passions: Coconut and brie, happy union… an indulgence for big and small occasions. By adding a tropical touch to this triple cream brie, our master cheese makers will delight even the most demanding gourmet.”  

A bloomy rind, triple cream brie, this has the distinctive creamy texture and nutty, mushroomy flavours of a brie with a hint of coconut..not overwhelming for those of you who aren't crazy about coconut but just a little "Je ne sais quoi" that will have you going back again.  Let's pair this with a new product at C'est Cheese Please!, Tropical Mango Chutney from Yummies in a Jar.

Next on our Tropical-themed cheeseboard, we will put a piece of Stilton Mango and Ginger.  This is always a favorite, the base white Stilton is blended with the sweetness of mango and the spiciness of ginger.  And to finish off this board, a piece of Gorgonzola Cremosa would be perfect.

Be sure to include some nuts and fruit (grapes, blackberries and kiwi would look pretty) And for crackers, we have a new cracker exclusive to C'est Cheese Please!, it looks like an Italian Pizzelli cookie but is a cracker, firm enough to handle the cheese without being overwhelming.  Everything described here is in stock and waiting for you at C'est Cheese Please! 

To finish off, why not pair this board with a lovely sparkling Rose?  Crisp and cold, pretty in pink and you will be dancing around just like the famous Carmen Miranda.  Check out this YouTube link: 

 Carmen Miranda -Chica Chica Boom Chic

Bon Appetit!

Something Blue for Ewe!

Lanark County is the home of Back Forty Artisan Cheese, the "lab" for Jeff Fenwick, Cheesemaker.  Jeff  and Jenna produce a few cheeses all made from the milk of the sheep on Back Forty Farm.  In the past, Lanark County was known for its textile miles producing woollen goods so it is quite apropos that the area is developing a reputation for another product of sheep, its milk.

Highland Blue is a raw Ewe's milk cheese, unpressed with a bloomy rind.  The bloomy rind is more familiar on a brie or camembert where it imparts a mushroomy taste to the cheese.  Highland Blue has those delicate notes of mushroom along with the piquantness of the blue mold combined with the tangy sheep's milk.  Being an unpressed cheese, the ivory coloured paste is buttery on the palate.  It is an award winner at the Royal Winter Fair.

Try this beautiful, rich cheese with Port or a personal favourite of mine is Cidre Glace from Quebec.  This is a cider made in a similar fashion to Ice Wine.  The apples are allowed to freeze on the trees before being pressed.  Serve Cidre Glace the same way as an Ice Wine, very cold and in a small glass...it is the perfect accompaniment for blue cheese.  And this pairing makes a perfect weekend cheeseboard.

Highland Blue is in stock at C'est Cheese Please!

Bon Appettit

Canadian Cheese Awards

On April 14th, the winners of the Canadian Cheese Awards were announced at a gala held held in Montreal and this year's grand prize was awarded to Avonlea Clothbound Cheddar by Cows Creamery, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.  We have carried this cheese since C'est Cheese Please! opened....we loved it then, we love it today!  It is a thermalized milk cheese (the milk is heated but not completely pasteurized) made in a typically British fashion of binding the wheels of cheese with cloth.  This keeps the moisture in the cheese resulting in a creamier aged cheddar.  The unique feature of Avonlea Cheddar is that the cloth that is used to bind the cheese is potato sacking which gives the cheese an earthy taste...the taste of PEI.  This cheese has won many awards internationally and now adds this honour to its pedigree.

There were 31 categories in the 2016 Canadian Cheese Awards.  The Regional Awards were as follows:

Best B.C Cheese - Traditional Clothbound Cheddar, The Farm House Natural Cheeses, BC

Best West Cheese - Natural Smoked Gouda Medium - Sylvan Star Cheese, Alberta

Best Ontario Cheese - Tania (Sheep's Milk) - Lenberg Farms Classic Reserve, Mariposa Dairy, ON

Best Quebec Cheese - Le Pionnier - Fromagerie Nouvelle France, PQ

Best Atlantic Cheese - Cows Creamery Appletree Smoked Cheddar - Cows Creamery, PEI

Currently, there are a number of the cheeses which were on the short list for the awards in stock at C'est Cheese Please! including L'Hercule de Charlevoix, Tania, Lindsay Bandaged Goat Cheddar, Avonlea and Alfred le Fermier to name just a few.  So celebrate our fabulous artisanal cheese makers this weekend!

Bon Appetit!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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 casein, caseinates, whey products (including whey butter and whey cream), cultured milk products (including yogurt, sour cream and cultured buttermilk), ultrafiltered milk, milk 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!

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!

A Canadian Success Story

 

A couple of years ago, 2 young women came into my store and introduced me to a 100% Canadian product, Three Farmer's Camelina Oil   - they were wonderful to work with and I have proudly carried this product at C'est Cheese Please! ever since.  This has been a Canadian success story including a pitch to the "Dragons" on Dragon's Den  (a shout-out here to Arlene Dickinson for her investment in this company!)

 

My daughter, Ainsley LOVES this product and uses it all the time.  It has a much higher burn point than  peanut oil which is the usual suspect when doing a stir-fry plus it is high in the Omega-3 oils and vitamin E and thus is a great choice when sautéing or stir-frying.  But maybe I should let Ainsley speak for herself!

 

""Cooking, at times the thought is daunting.  Long hours of work at demanding jobs, heading home to the waiting family or those errands and trying to fit in a trip to the gym...sometimes the question is "Do I have time to cook?"  In recent years my interest in food, cooking, presentation and all those other subjects has become a guilty pleasure.  Wouldn't it be nice to have all the time in the world to cook....a bit of a dream right now but for now with all those tasty dishes to try, I will keep on dreaming!  One of my go-to dishes is a simple pesto pasta - fresh vegetable, garlic, onions, zucchini, red pepper, spinach, artichokes and tomatoes (fresh from the garden when available but try cherry tomatoes  on those frosty winter nights!).  Sounds simple, but one evening I used a new oil to sauté that changed the taste of my dish in an incredible new way!  I had "borrowed" the sample bottle of Three Farmer's Camelina Oil  from my Mom - amazing!  It leaves such a smooth finish, coating the vegetables without that unpleasant oily taste, enhancing but not over-powering.  So if you are looking for a little tweak for an ol'standby dish, why not try Camelina Oil ($19.99 a bottle)?  Available at C'est Cheese Please!  A simple change for our hectic daily lifestyles!"   

 

The link  for the Dragon's Den episode here                                  

 

 

Bon Appétit!

 

 

 



Milestones

On October 31st, 2009 the doors to C'est Cheese Please! opened for the first time and the adventure began.  I would like to thank all my loyal customers for their support and of course my family and friends who have been there when I needed a few positive words of encouragement.  I would also like to thank my daughter who has written a beautiful piece for my blog which I will share with you now.

With the change of the season it seems like the right time to sit down and reflect on what has happened in the past and what is currently happening as of this moment. It becomes a time, in my life in particular, when I start to think of where my life is heading over the next little while, what I want to accomplish and how to get there. However, at this moment, I don’t find myself thinking so much about only me, but instead my mother. The end of October will mark her three year anniversary as the owner and creator of C’est Cheese Please! Three years she has been passionately running her store in Galt, Cambridge and from what I can see has never looked back. This is where my mind has been over the last little while. It inspires me to think that she took such a leap of faith and did what her heart told her to do. Yes, she works hard, yes she is there day after day ensuring that her business succeeds, but when you do something you love, does it not just become a labour of love?

            Over the past three years I have been privileged to witness her hard at work, interacting with the customers, sharing her wealth of cheese knowledge, and daring those who are willing to try, incredible cheeses that one would not find in the grocery store aisle. She has built her business on something that is hard to compete with, knowledge. She truly walks the talk, sharing stories about where the cheeses originate, why they were named the way they were, health benefits, pairings, and so much more. She never rushes a customer, only taking the time to educate them on their choices, offering something new and different to try, and making sure they walk out the door satisfied and excited about their experience at her store.

            I know this may seem like some sort of sales pitch for C’est Cheese Please! But in fact, it is a sort of ode to the store, and my mother. There is something so incredible about this store, I get that feeling inside me that makes me so proud to be her daughter. I can only hope that one day I find a passion as strong as hers and have the strength to go after it, make it my own.

            Lastly, I want to congratulate her on her three year anniversary of C’est CheesePlease! It has been a lot of work, but I know that this is what she was meant to do.

 

Big news is coming in a few days!

 

Bon Appétit!

Smokin'

I love smoked cheese and I have lots of selection here at C'est Cheese Please!  Of course there are the usual suspects - Applewood Smoked Cheddar from England and also Applewood Smoked Cheddar from Scotland but I also carry some fabulous cheese that I have custom smoked for C'est Cheese Please!  These include Gouda and Spiced Gouda, Ontario cheddar and the Red Hot Chili Pepper Cheddar as well as a low fat Mozzerella.  One of my person favs is the Smoked Spiced Gouda.  The gouda is spiced with cumin and that combined with the smokiness is in one word, yummy!  I really enjoy this melted on the fresh asparagus that is just hitting the local markets now.  I add some slices of toasted Asiago Pepper Bread ($4.99 a loaf) that I stock in the freezer along with my favorite red wine, Ripasso as my "Spring Has Sprung!" treat.

Try the smoked Red Hot Chili Pepper Cheddar melted on your nachos and the C'est Cheese Please Custom Smoked Cheddar is amazing on a bowl of chili.
I also stock a smoked blue cheese, Blue Haze.  This is a Québec blue cheese from the Abbaye Saint-Benoit-du-Lac (this is a link to a previous blog that I did on the cheeses made by the monks of the Abbaye) which is then smoked in Ontario using a blend of Ontario hardwood chips.  Burnt carmel notes on the outside contrasting with the creamy, piquant interior - great on your next hamburger or steak!

For something a little different, here is my recipe for Cheddar Biscuits - you could easily substitute the cheddar for Applewood Smoked Cheddar or the Smoked Red Hot Chili Pepper Cheddar.

Cheddar Biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup shortening (cold)

3/4 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese

1 egg

2/3 cup of milk

In large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.  Cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Stir in the cheese.  In small bowl, beat together the egg and milk.  Add to the flour mixture mixing lightly until the mixture just comes together into a soft ball.  Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and knead gently 20 times.  Roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/2 an inch.  Cut with a floured round cutter approximately 2 inches in diameter.  Bake in a preheated 450 degree oven 8-10 minutes.  Will make approximately 2 1/2 dozen.

Bon Appétit!

Like Mother, Like Daughter

Well, I have a treat today!  My daughter, Ainsley has asked to do a guest blog and I am so pleased to introduce her to you.  So without further adieu, take it away Ainsley!

After another beautiful weekend in the city, biking, picnics, friends, wine and of course a fair share of cheese, I am sad to see it go, although it is already Monday evening.  I am lucky to have a mother that owns such a beautiful little cheese shop, and lucky that I live relatively close that I am able to get down often to visit. I was down in Galt at C’est Cheese Please! a few weekends ago and walked away with some lovely Mozzarella and some fresh Parmesan. However, since being down that way I haven’t found a moment to use it. Thus, until tonight, while slowly slipping back into the memories from the weekend. I was determined to take a moment for myself tonight, an action that is rare, as with most others I can only imagine. I had decided while feverishly working away today that I would come home, relax, read, cook and go for a long walk, and I am happy to say that is exactly what I did, mission complete. So back to what I cooked, I have been craving pizza ever since stumbling upon a small pizza place in the East side of Toronto, and even though I cannot cook pizza exactly like that place (no stone oven in this small apartment) I can sure try. I picked up a thin crust (yes store bought unfortunately, I mean it is a Monday evening…) some lovely pesto sauce, some crème fraiche, and some wild mushrooms. I mixed together the pesto and crème fraiche to create a lovely creamy pesto to use as the sauce then sprinkled the mushrooms on after I first sautéed them in some sesame oil (also from C’est Cheese Please), and finally being very forgiving in the layers of the fresh mozzarella and parmesan. Such a simple dish yet I feel like I have achieved so much. A lovely evening at home with me, myself and I, and well The Bachelorette of course.

 

            Sometimes taking a night for yourself, evening though the city is still running around me outside, gives me a sense of calmness and content.

Eat Well.

Et Bon Appétit!



Does Anyone Know How To Pronounce This??

Happy New Year!  I will make a few predictions:  The sun will rise despite economic difficulties.  The grass will grow regardless of global warming.  And cows, goats and sheep will produce milk that will be made into a plethora of cheeses many of which will find their way into "C'est Cheese Please!" this year.

Take this one for example, Millefoglie a la Marzamino, or like I say "Drunken Cow".  This beautiful raw cow's milk cheese comes from the alpine area north of Venice, Italy from the Latteria Perenzin who have been cheese makers for 4 generations.  Millefoglie is the Italian word for the French pastry, Mille-feuille which in English means "a thousand sheets".  During production, this cheese goes through a special treatment designed to produce a paste that has flaky stratification's.  The cheese is allowed to age for 6 months.  After the first aging, the cheese maker then inserts long needles into the cheese (this is called "needling" and is commonly done to blue cheese prior to the introduction of "penicillium roqueforti", the culture which then creates the traditional blue veining). The cheese goes through a second aging, this time in a regional red wine, Marzamino di Refrontolo for 10 days.  The stratification process allows the wine to be infused between the layers of cheese.

This cheese is not just another pretty face, it is fabulous with a piquant flavour melded with the sweetness of the wine.  It is sure to be a hit on your cheeseboard and excellent with an Italian red!

Millefoglie al Marzamino (Drunken Cow) is in stock at C'est Cheese Please! 

Buon Appetito!

Gooey Delights

As we head into the Christmas season, thoughts turn to warm fires and comfort food and what could be more comforting than to spend the evening enjoying the Swiss tradition of Raclette or Cheese Fondue?  Our imagination conjures up pictures of snowy days on the ski hill as we carve the perfect course down the slope, the crowd cheers, cowbells ring as we raise our hands in the victory air-punch....OK, so I face-planted!

The history of Raclette goes back 700 years to the Swiss cowboys in the southwestern part of Switzerland best known for the Matterhorn.  These were the young men who lead the herds high up into the summer pastures of the Alps.  They would take basic provisions with them and of course one of those things would be a wheel of cheese.  This would be one of the semi-firm wash-rind cheeses that the Europeans are so well-known for.  In the evenings, they would face the wheel in front of the fire until the top layer became soft and then "racler" which is the French verb for "to scrape" the gooey cheese onto a piece of bread or new potatoes and enjoy this with onions and pickles.  To this day, this is the traditional way of enjoying Raclette.

Today, Raclette has become a meal that also includes a variety of charcuterie - cured meats such as sausage and prosciutto, seafood like shrimp, vegetables and of course, boiled new potatoes and a selection of pickled condiments.

Why not start a new tradition in your home this Christmas Eve by enjoying Raclette or Fondue?

Classic 3-Cheese Fondue

·         235 ml (1 cup) dry white wine

·         1 clove garlic, halved

·         200 g (7 oz) each of Gruyere, Emmental and sharp Cheddar

·         30 g (2 tablespoons) Sherry

·         15 g (1 tablespoon) cornstarch

·         Nutmeg, dry mustard and pepper to taste

Grate the cheeses, set aside.  Rub the inside of your fondue pot with the halved garlic and discard the rest of the clove.  Heat the wine without boiling and if desired, add a splash of lemon juice to the wine.  Add the cheese to the hot wine handful by handful, stirring until cheeses have melted.   Combine Sherry with cornstarch and add to melted cheese mixture.  Dry mustard and or nutmeg can be added to taste.  Serve the fondue with chunks of crusty bread and vegetable crudités for dipping.

Bon Appétit!



"What Is He Buzzing In My Ears?" Robert Browning 1812-1889

In early August, the American Cheese Society held its annual conference and awards program in Montréal.....I can hear all Canadians doing a collective double-take.   Did you really mean Montréal, CANADA or is there a Montréal in Wyoming for example?  Yes, I really meant our own Montréal.  Finally Canada has started to gain some recognition south of the border for a little more than great hockey players and an excellent economic system! 

But this was a bit of a strategic move for the American Dairy Industry. Canada is a bit, well let's tell it like it is, A LOT unfamiliar with cheeses that come from the States and like Canada, there has been a real upsurge in small, artisinal cheese makers who are doing some really interesting things. Take this one for example, Barely Buzzed from the Beehive Cheese Company in Utah.

This reads like a modern-day "Green Acres " for those who remember the 60's sit-com, except that it involves two brothers-in-law (Pat and Tim) who decided
to chuck the 9-to-5 (one was in real estate and the other a partner in a softwear company) for cheese making.  Launching their business in 2005, they discovered quite by happenstance that their cheddar (Promontory Cheddar, an Irish-style cheddar with a buttery sharpness made with the milk of a single-herd) when rubbed with a coffee/lavender concoction all of a sudden took on a whole new flavour life of its own.  I have sampled this cheese to a number of my customers asking for them to identify the flavour.  The response has been hickory, spices including nutmeg and allspice but no one has come up with the actual combination.  But the overall reaction has been "I'll take some of that!"

 

Barely Buzzed won first place in the Flavoured Cheese category at the ACS and is in stock at C'est Cheese Please! 

Just as a side note, Canadian cheese makers did exceptionally well at the ACS winning 73 medals, two of which were Best of Shows! 

Bon Appétit!

Alfred le Fermier

Sometimes things that we think are bad turn out to be good and I think that I have found one of those things.  The Departments of Health, both federal and provincial, would like nothing better than to outlaw raw milk cheeses.  So, in the 1990's when the federal government took a run at doing this, the Federation des Proucteurs de lait du Québec fought this ban on the grounds that Québec was a distinct region with a history of raw milk cheeses.  What has occurred is an increasing number of small farmstead frommageries have been engaged in producing cheeses - an estimated 70 artisanal factories with an output of over 500 varieties of cheese have emerged in the last 20 years!  The area of the Eastern Townships has become known as the Cheese Trail and in 2005, the sales of cheese amounted to an amazing $670 million!

So today, I would like to introduce you to yet another wonderful cheese-maker from La Belle Province,  La Station de Compton, a small producer of three cheeses including the above pictured, Alfred le Fermier named for the great grandfather who founded the family farm in Compton, Québec.  That is Alfred pressed onto his namesake cheese - and what a cheese it is!  The farm is certified organic, the herd of cows are Holstein and they graze on meadows full of clover, alfalfa and asparagus trefoil.  This is a wash-rind cheese that is aged for six to eight months on spruce boards harvested from the wood on the farm.  What results is a beautiful wheel, orangy-red in colour on the outside, straw-coloured on the inside with small pinholes, buttery, nutty with a finish of sweet grassy notes.  Albert le Fermier needs nothing to enhance it other than a medium-bodied syrah or cabernet, not too heavily fruited to take away from the flavours of the cheese.  If you are a white fan, perhaps try it with a Riesling.

Albert le Fermier was a finalist in the 2006 Canadian Cheese Grand Prix as well as a finalist in the Caseus (Québec Fine Cheese Competition) in 2008.  Simon-Pierre Bolduc, owner of the farm also produces two other cheeses, Raclette de Compton and Comtomme.

The success of the Québec cheese boom has created a challenge for us - so many cheeses and a low per capital consumption.  In Europe, the average person consumes 20 kilos of cheese a year while in Canada, that is only 12 kilos and much of that is the mozzarella that is found on our pizzas!  So come on Canadians!  Come on in to C'est Cheese Please! and sample some of the wonderful delights awaiting your discerning palate!

Bon Appétit!

The Big Cheese

Next to mozzarella, cheddar is probably the most consumed cheese in North America.  It has been produced since at least the 12th century and is thought that the Romans introduced the recipe to Britain originally bringing it from the Cantel region of France.  Unfortunately the name has never been protected so now we refer to cheddar as being anything from wonderful, aged cheese to something that comes out of an aerosol can.  Like Brie and Camembert, technically speaking only cheddar that originates from Cheddar in Somerset, South West England is entitled to bear the name but let's try telling that to Kraft!

Cheddaring actually refers to a process of cheese making where the curds are cut and stacked in a specific manner at the bottom of the vat every 10-15 minutes for an hour and a half allowing the whey to drain producing a cheese that is firm with a distinctive texture.  Beyond this initial  step, the techniques used vary depending on the region and cheesemaker.  One of the natural elements that contributed to the production of cheddar as we know it, are the caves found in Cheddar, England which provided an environment for the aging of the cheese.  It is this specific environment which cheesemakers seek to replicate when aging cheddar.

So how do we know a "good" cheddar from a "great" cheddar?  First, the ingredients. Any cheese which has "milk solids" as an ingredient falls in the category of factory cheddar.  A great cheddar is 100% milk with the addition of rennet and cultures.    Second, orange or white?  Natural cheddar is creamy to pale white in colour.  Orange cheddar results with the addition of annatto which is a natural plant extract.  When aging cheddar, ANY additional ingredient will affect the way that the cheese ages which is why most aged cheddars are white.  Thirdly, the age of the cheese - a young cheddar is mild in flavour and with age develops a complexity and a sharpness of flavour.  One other point is that as cheese ages, the lactose breaks down with the microbial fermentation of the cheese.

Here at "C'est Cheese Please!" we carry 5 and 7 year old cheddar from St. Albert.  Recently, the 5 year old cheddar won a silver medal at the 2011 Canadian Cheese Grand Prix.  Both are examples of great cheddars - complex and sharp but maintaining a creamy, clean finish but really in the end, you need to come into "C'est Cheese Please!" and taste for yourself a truly wonderful cheddar!

Bon Appétit!

Avec L'Amour À Maman!

There is something about Mother's Day that causes men great stress....so in an effort to ease the palpitations that are starting to occur, let me try to help you "Get It Right"!

New in the store this week are wonderful products that use culinary lavender as a major ingredient - Lavender Lemon Marmalade, Lavender Honey and a Lavender Apple Compote (all are priced at $6.99) from Steed and Co. Lavender.  Who knew?  Not only is lavender a wonderful fragrance that soothes the soul, it also complements cheese too!  Try drizzling the lavender honey over Paillot de Chévre or use the Lavender Apple Compote with a creamy brie and I am sure that you will be Mom's fave.  And the Lavender Lemon Marmalade is perfect with a croissant or scone to start her special day off on the right foot (or left, doesn't matter too much.)

Don't forget that fresh croissant, Pain Au Chocolat and Brioche are here at C'est Cheese Please! first thing on Saturday morning

And if your Mom has been a really good girl this year, there are lovely café au lait bowls ($19.99), sweet little milk jugs ($21.50) and confiture pots ($16.99) just arrived from France.

So Happy Mother's Day to all those special Mom's who wipe noses, tell you to straighten up and get a  grip and who love you to bits -          always!



Bon Appétit!



Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed and Something Blue!

OK, yes I admit it - I am  so excited about Prince William and Kate Middleton's upcoming wedding.  I got up in the wee hours of the morning to watch Diana and Charles' wedding (not so for the wedding of Charles and Camilla, but 'nough said about that) and I will be doing the same this Friday!  So with that in mind, I thought that I would remind you that there are frozen scones here at "C'est Cheese Please!" - Raspberry Lemon and Orange Cranberry ($11.98 for 6 large scones).  There is also MacKay's Lemon Curd which I thought would be great with the Raspberry Lemon scones and Lime Curd which would go with the Orange Cranberry scones very well - $7.50 for a 340g jar.  Or if you prefer, there is a selection of Greaves jams - peach, plum and black currant at $2.50 for a mini pot.  Now you just have to pour yourself a cuppa, sit back and enjoy the spectacle!

One of the touching things that this couple have done is to request donations in lieu of gifts and they have selected a number of charities that have missions that resonate with them.  In Canada, they have selected the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary, so in honour of their wedding, 10% of sales this week will be donated to this organization.

Best Wishes Will and Kate!

Bon Appétit!