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!