St. Nuage - Like floating on a cloud...

Happy New Year to you all!

I hope that you all had a wondrous holiday season filled with lots of family, friends and food! My holiday season was great - I just can't believe it's over already...

Even though we are well into the month of January and are past most of the New Years parties and shindigs, I still had some sparkling wines leftover in my fridge. I didn't want these to go to waste (both my best friend and my girlfriend do not care for sparkling wine - crazy right?!), so I decided to pick up a tasty cheese to have with my leftover sparklers.

I was super excited when we brought in the St Nuage this season from Hervé Mons. It just recently made it to the stores, is on promo for the month of January and was a no brainer to pair with my sparkling wines...

 

Cheese: St. Nuage (or "Saint Cloud")
Affineur: Hervé Mons
Location: Produced by a cheesemaker in Burgundy, France
Milk: Pasteurized cow's milk
Rennet: Traditional (animal)

The St. Nuage is a triple crème, bloomy rind cheese that really embodies the meaning of its name - Saint Cloud. It is light, fluffy and airy yet still extremely buttery and decadent. It has an unbelievably smooth paste that basically oozes out when brought to room temperature.

When I took this picture, the cheese was still cold. By the time I got around to eating it, it was a divinely gooey treat. I spread it on some Raincoast Crisp crackers, but a baguette would have worked just as well. I was drinking a sparkling Vouvray at the time and the crisp acidity of the wine cut through the creamy, buttery flavor just right.

The St. Nuage is an extremely versatile cheese as well. You can pair it with either sweet or savory flavors. A toasted baguette with butter and roasted garlic would be heavenly if you slathered some of the St. Nuage on top. Or you can pair with pretty much any preserve of your choosing... Cherry and blackberry preserves are some of my favorites. I could also see this cheese being used in crepes or even in sandwiches. The choices are endless!

This is not a cheese we carry year round, so be sure to grab one (or two!) before they're gone. Until next time, eat, drink and be happy!!

Last Post of 2013! The Delicious Alpha Tolman

Happy New Year's Eve everyone!

I'm so excited to be wrapping up my day because I know that I have a few fantastic cheeses that I will be eating tonight! One of the cheeses that will most likely be gracing my cheese plate will be the Alpha Tolman, which I had the pleasure of tasting a couple of days ago. It is an absolutely amazing cheese... but I wouldn't expect anything else from the folks at the Cellars at Jasper Hill.

 

Cheese: Alpha Tolman
Producers: Jasper Hill Creamery
Location: Greensboro, VT
Milk: Raw cow's milk
Rennet: Traditional (animal)

 

 

The Alpha Tolman is an Alpine style cheese that is named after Mr. Alpha Tolman who was a dairy farmer in Greensboro, VT (where the creamery is located) who, among other philanthropic acts, built the town library in 1900.

The cheese itself is quite a treat. It is a washed rind cheese, but not super stinky like many of the same cheeses in that family. The natural rind that it develops is more brown and "dusty" as opposed to orange and sticky. By developing this type of rind, the cheese is able to develop an earthy, nutty and buttery flavor that is found in cheeses like Gruyere or Raclette. If you're a fan of these cheeses, you can use the Alpha Tolman in the same way that you would use those cheeses. Think fondue, or melt it over grilled pineapple, pickles or any other savory food of your choice.

I was thoroughly impressed with this cheese and I recommend it for any cheese plate regardless of the season. Most of the stores in the Northern California/Reno region should have this cheese in stock right now and would be a wonderful treat at any New Year's party.

On to 2014! I look forward to continuing to spread the cheese love next year. Thank you for reading and until next time, eat, drink and be happy!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Champagne Cheddar

Happy Holidays everyone!

Today I wanted to talk about a fun cheese that we have in specifically for this time of year. It's a cheese that was a HUGE hit last year and as a result we brought in a lot more for this season... the Champagne Cheddar from Somerdale.

Cheese: Champagne Cheddar
Producers: British cheesemakers associated with Somerdale UK
Location: England
Milk: Pasteurized cow's milk
Rennet: Vegetarian

This is a cheese that Whole Foods Market partnered with cheesemakers in the UK to create. They have taken a traditional farmhouse cheddar that has been aged for 10 months and then mill it again to break it up and add the Champagne. The addition of the Champagne gives a touch of acidity and a little bit of a citrus tang.

You can see in the picture above that the cheddar is slightly crumbly, but what you can't tell is that it is actually pretty soft for being aged at least 10 months. This is due to the addition of the liquid Champagne. The effervescence of the Champagne adds a whole other element to the texture in that it adds more gas and loosens up the curd. All in all it is a very interesting cheddar... unlike anything I've ever tasted before.

The Champagne cheddar is available exclusively at Whole Foods Market and we have plenty to get us through this holiday season! Make sure you swing by your local Whole Foods Market cheese counter and try a taste! It's an obvious addition to any of your holiday cheese plates! And as you can imagine, nothing pairs nicer with this cheese than some tasty Champagne :).

Happy Holidays to you all! Until next time, eat, drink and be merry!

Petit Vacherin Mont d'Or

Hello everyone!

I hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving holiday and that you ate until you could eat no more! I had a wonderful time with my family and was able to spread some cheese love :). This is the cheese plate that I made on Black Friday... Starting from all the way on the left and working clockwise we have: Cantal, Humboldt Fog, Petit Basque, Brillat Savarin, Rogue River Blue, Dancing Fern and Rush Creek right smack in the middle. It was quite a treat!

Now on to an exciting cheese that has recently arrived in just a few stores... The Petit Vacherin Mont d'Or.

Cheese: Petit Vacherin Mont d'Or
Producer: Patrick and Charles Hauser
Location: Le Lieu (Northwestern Switzerland)
Milk: Thermalized cow's milk
Rennet: Traditional (animal)

Many of my favorite cheeses emulate the Petit Vacherin Mont d'Or (think Rush Creek, Winnimere or Harbison) and while they come close and are absolutely delicious, the Petit Vacherin Mont d'Or is a cheese on its own. This cheese is only made during the fall and winter months when the cows switch from eating grass to eating hay. The milk used to make this cheese is the same milk that is made to make the classic Gruyeres we know and love.

As it is shipped from Switzerland, it comes in a little wooden box that helps it hold its shape. After carefully removing the box, I was greeted with the funky, grassy, barnyardy smell that is unique to washed rind cheeses. I slowly and carefully cut off the top of this cheese in order to enjoy it in the traditional fashion - dipping into it like a fondue.

I had never tasted this cheese before, so it was a really exciting moment for me. Upon first tasting the cheese, you get a hit of butter followed by grassy, sweet hay flavors. The aftertaste you are left with is earthy and slightly funky. It was divine! As it comes in 12oz rounds, I couldn't eat it all by myself and had a couple of friends enjoy it with me. They were pleasantly surprised at how the smell was pretty pungent but the flavor was mellow and creamy. I served a slightly more robust Pinot Noir with this cheese and the pairing went over fairly well. The wine did not overpower the flavor of the cheese and the particular Pinot I served had a little bit of a smokey flavor that paired wonderfully with the woodsy notes in the cheese.

This cheese is super limited and only available at certain Whole Foods Markets in this area. I bought mine from the Whole Foods in Cupertino. If you see this cheese, make sure you snatch it up! You won't be disappointed. Until next time, eat, drink and be happy!

Rush Creek Returns!

Hello everyone!

It's such an exciting time of year.. Not only is it the holidays, but it is Rush Creek time! That's right, Uplands Dairy has released their delicious seasonal cheese and I figured that I would repost my blog post about it from last year... with a few edits of course. :)

*Special Note* If you want to swing by and talk cheese with me, I'm going to be working behind the cheese counter at the Whole Foods Market in Los Altos (4800 El Camino Real) on Thanksgiving (11/28). I'll be there from 7am to 11am so swing on by!
 

 

Cheese: Rush Creek
Producer: Andy Hatch at Uplands Dairy
Location: Dodgeville, WI
Milk: Raw cow's milk
Rennet: Traditional (animal)
 

Behold the Rush Creek in all of its glory... this is how the cheese itself looks like fresh out of the package. It weighs a little less than one pound, is wrapped in spruce bark and as an added bonus - made with raw milk. When I first unwrapped this cheese I was hit with a very woodsy almost floral scent from the spruce bark. To the touch, this cheese is very soft and I could tell right away that this was going to be quite a treat.

A little background on this cheese... It is inspired by the French Vacherin Mont d'Or which is also wrapped in spruce bark and made with raw milk. Rush Creek Reserve is produced in a similar fashion as the Vacherin because they only use milk from the fall season as this is when their cows are moving from eating in the fresh pastures during the summer to eating hay in the winter time. Due to the nature of grass (very watery compared to hay) the milk that is produced when cows eat mainly grass isn't as rich or dense as the milk produced when the cows eat mainly hay (hay is solid and passes more solids to the milk). Rush Creek Reserve was created to really highlight the richer, creamier, delicious milk of the hay-fed cows.

Now to the tasting... I highly recommend letting this cheese come to room temperature before serving. This ensures that you're able to taste all of the flavors of the cheese as refrigeration often masks subtle flavors. To serve, cut a "lid" off of the cheese (as seen above) and treat it like fondue. As I am a purist, I wanted to try the cheese by itself - so I got myself a spoon and dug in. The first flavors you get are the sweet woodsy notes that you smell right after you open up the cheese as well as a bit of saltiness. Then you get a nice creaminess along with the earthy, barnyard flavors that are seemingly present in all raw milk cheeses. This cheese has a beautifully long finish and the earthy, creamy flavors stay with you long after you've finished your taste.

Enjoy this cheese by dipping bread, pickles (a personal favorite) or fruit into it, or by spooning it over your potatoes or pastas. I personally just need a spoon and I'm in heaven...

Please note that this cheese is only released once a year and in very limited quantity. I know only a few Whole Foods Market cheese counters in Northern California have received or will receive the Rush Creek this season, so be sure to call ahead. If you don't get a chance to buy the cheese at your local Whole Foods Market, don't hesitate to snatch one up anywhere you see it because it won't be around long - and a year is a long time to wait... I hope you all get a chance to taste this cheese at some point, it really is a treat.

Until next time, eat, drink and be happy!!



Winter Gouda!

Good day everyone!

I hope you are all staying warm and enjoying the cooler weather. There's nothing better than getting all bundled up in your favorite jacket with a soft scarf, or is that just me? Haha.

Today I wanted to talk about a fun cheese that we recently got into the stores - the Melkbus 125 Winter Gouda.

Cheese: Melkbus 125 Winter Gouda
Producers: Best Cheese Corp
Location: Holland
Milk: Raw cow's milk
Rennet: Traditional (animal)

The Winter Gouda is considered a "Boerenkaas" or a farmhouse gouda that is produced on an individual family farm. The 125 in the name of this cheese is the farm's identifying number which traditionally could be found on all of the milk cans belonging to that farm. In this particular Gouda, fun winter spices are added... there is pepper, cumin, cloves, nutmeg, mace, cinnamon and cardamom. So tasty! I've honestly never tried a cheese like this before. It is aged for only four months, so the paste is still soft and super lactic, which really allows the winter spices to shine. It's like Christmas in your mouth!

I passed this cheese around at work today and it was a huge hit! I asked everyone what they would do with this cheese and some ideas were to mix it into a fondue, melt it on a sausage sandwich, use it to stuff a chicken or turkey breast, eat it with pears, melt it into an apple galette or just feature it as a fun cheese on their cheese plate. There are myriad ways of using this cheese and I really haven't seen a comparable cheese to this one before. Many holiday beers have some fun spices like the ones in this cheese, so those might be a fun pairing, or perhaps some mulled wine if you're really into the winter spices.

All of the Whole Foods cheese counters in the Northern California region are carrying this cheese right now, so swing on by and ask for a sample. As this is a seasonal cheese it won't be around forever, so don't miss out!

Until next time, eat, drink and be happy!!

Bucherondin - The cheese that started it all...

Hello loyal readers,

It brings me great pleasure to say that today marks the 1 year "birthday" of Shootin' the Bries! I can't believe a whole year has passed already... it's been quite a fun journey. I figured in this post I would share the cheese that ultimately started me on my cheesy journey. I hope you enjoy and continue to come back for more!

Cheese: Bucherondin
Producers: Sevre and Belle - an agricultural co-op
Location: Loire Valley, France
Milk: Pasteurized goat's milk
Rennet: Traditional (animal)

Bucherondin was officially the first artisan cheese I had ever tried. In the past I had been a huge Havarti fan and that was what I thought fancy cheese was. During my first year at Whole Foods Market I was working as the Demo Specialist and was asked to demo French Cheeses. I know that I had four cheeses and I honestly can't remember what the other three were. I was so blown away by the flavor of the Bucherondin that it completely shadowed the other cheeses...

Not only was this my first artisan cheese, but it was also my first goat cheese. I loved the flakey, yet smooth texture and the tangy, yet not overpowering flavor of the goat milk. Tasting it now, after 4 years of cheesemonger experience, I would describe it as a mellow, slighty grassy, really clean flavored chevre. It definitely gets a little more intense as it ages, so make sure you sample before you buy. You can see in the picture above that the middle is a bit more white and flaky than the outside ring. This is the way a soft ripened cheese ages as I've mentioned in past posts - from the outside in. The younger the cheese, the larger the chalk white circle in the center. As it ages, it gets more oozy along the outside and the flavors start to be a little more gamey.

Pair a young Bucherondin with a nice, crisp Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley. If the Bucherondin is more on the aged side, try pairing it with a yummy Pinot Noir. Most of the Whole Foods cheese counters should carry this, so if you'd like to taste the cheese that made me fall in love with everything cheese, make sure to swing on by and ask for a sample.


I would like to appreciate all of you loyal readers as well as everyone in the Whole Foods Market family who have supported me in this venture. This blog could not be what it is today without all of you.

Until next time, eat, drink and be merry! Salud!