Category Archives: Toast Posts

October 20, 2011 · 1:41 pm

Toast Post: Let’s call it “camping Brie”

Strangely enticing.

Have jug o’ wine, need cheese pairing?  This was my first thought when I received a little package of new products from Agropur the other day.  Three of their fine cheeses have been packed into spreadable format.

OKA, Brie L’Extra and Champfleury can now be scooped out of little 100g, recyclable plastic containers and straight onto you baguette.  It is suggested they can also be used as dips or easily melted into sauces.  To be perfectly honest it was hard to get beyond “spreadable” without jumping to Cheez Whiz conclusions.

You may be licking your lips if you’re one of “those” that doesn’t eat the rind of a Brie.  Yet, even as I disapprove of such antics, I must assume that you actually like the taste of a “Brie” that is not also referred to as a “processed fine cheese spread” and does not list “cheddar” as an ingredient.  Which is what you’re getting here.  It tastes kind of fake.   Not horribly bad–I enjoy a Kraft singles in a grilled cheese afterall-but, it’s not fine cheese.

I spread “the spread” on my toast, topped it with pear and have an surprisingly enjoyable lunch.   Fast and tidy it was.  If someone melted this into a silken sauce over my broccoli I’d probably think it was awesome.  It would also fair brilliantly packed in a camping cooler.

But while it might be OK to call Katy Perry “fine cheese”,  it just ain’t gonna fly with these guys.  But if you’re looking for an upscale take on Laughing Cow, dig in and see what you think.

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September 26, 2011 · 5:18 pm

Toast Post: Maytag Blue

wallpaper for a small sitting room

Maytag Blue.  I’d never had it, I’d heard about it, I’d associated it with the washing machine repair guy.  So when I was looking for a blue cheese to pair with my oven roasted fig ball from Cheese Boutique it did not cross my mind.  I was thinking of Bleu D’Auvergne.  But then Afrim at C.B. gave me a taste of this fruity, creamy and very fresh blue.  Which means (in my mind) it smelled like the outdoors (not like a sheet of Bounce supposedly smells like the outdoors.)

And actually, it is the son of the Maytag appliance founder that created this cheese.  So the above association is correct.  Sometimes you’re smarter than you think.  Often not.

It was a perfect pairing  with this fig ball (Artibel is the producer)

peel away figs like orange segments

The fig ball hails from Italy’s Calabria region and here is some more info from the Italian Harvest website.

The fig balls  preparation involves drying the figs for days, then oven glazing and packing them together with molasses and honey of figs. This preparation is then wrapped in a fig leaf and tied with a piece of straw, creating an intriguing and interesting old world appearance (packaging in stainless steel would not be the same at all).  These figs are extremely rich, moist, and densely packed. (yes, the fig ball kicks dense, sweet ass.)

Mr. Pristine at C.B. said that fresh fig balls would be arriving in November and I am thinking this would be pretty wonderful for entertaining as the holidays are upon us.  Afterall, nothing says “I remember” more than a fig ball on Remembrance Day.  Other than a poppy.  Yes, I concede, that might be better.

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August 5, 2011 · 7:51 am

Toast Post: American Cheese Society Conference, day 1

Cheese-alanche

Soak it up.  I ate it up.  A room of cheesemakers from the US and Canada offering their cheese at the American Cheese Society conference in Montreal.  The luscious fromage in the photo above is from Beecher Handmade Cheese in Seattle.  This is a new version of their Flagship cow’s milk cheese, it’s a mixed milk cheese (sheep and cow).  I walked by the table, popped a piece in my mouth and walked on.  And then went back.  The flavour of this cheese just kept evolving and lingering.  I left with more in  hand and some wrapped in a napkin stashed in my purse. (It was that or the waistband of my jean skirt and I already had a washed-rind tucked in there.)

Better than Cheetos (maybe)

A hit of cheese anyone?

These awesome little cheese bites above come flavoured with lavender, saffron, rosemary and chili.  They are called Hannahbells and hail from Shy Brothers Farm. These thimble-like cheeses are made in the style of the French “boutons de coulottes”. (Trouser Buttons).

Bleu Moutonnière up front, Apple Ice Wine in the rear

This is my tasting plate from the Taste Buds and Molecules session–a discussion about the science of pairing food and wine. Sommelier Francois Chartier, author of Taste Buds and Molecules led the tasting, he’s worked with Ferran Adria amongst others, helping create about 50 dishes for El Bulli (which just closed last Saturday) using the science of deliciousness.  He would never serve you Perrier if you didn’t want to partake of  alcohol with a meal—at his house he would offer spruce beer or green tea–so your bevvie would compliment your meal, not just wash it down.

Stupid Perrier.  Smart molecules.  Amazing Pairings.  Hercule de Charlesvoix +apricot+ apple marshmellow and curry butter+apple ice wine.

YES, YOU WANT THE MARSHMELLOW CURRY BUTTER RECIPE.

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July 21, 2011 · 2:37 pm

Toast Post: Tiger Blue

Buttery, fierce Tiger Blue with ginger/apple/pear chutney.

Does it work with Zinfandel?  Depends who you ask.  If you ask the cheese, then yes. If you asked the Zinfandel, well, wine won’t answer you. It talks with its eyes.

I recently had Tiger Blue at a wine tasting and realized I had forgotten how addictive it was.

Tiger blue is a spicy, roar of a cheese and it won’t work for everyone.  It’s also very smooth, rich and creamy and I find that just as the blue-lover in me is begging for mercy I’m hit with buttery richness that soothes my panicking taste buds.

You’ll see that in this case I added a smear of apple/pear/ginger chutney courtesy of Nick at Olympic cheese (have you seen the stores’ makeover?).

And BTW, even if you don’t eat this cheese it just looks unbelievable on a cheese board.  Like a cool piece of marble.  It watches you and thinks, “Hey Matey,  (I know! The pirate voice is so unexpected) why don’t you lurch on over here and slice a sliver off my cool, smooth wedge.   What’s that parrot?  Polly want a neutral cracker to cleanse the palate?”

Tiger Blue in 11 words or more:  Producer is Poplar Grove in British Columbia (Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley).  This cheese will change over the seasons depending on the cow’s milk, it may be more creamy or it may be more crumbly.  Made in the style of Stilton. Comes in a 2Kg wheel.  Pasteurized and a must-try if you like blues.  Get it at Olympic Cheese if you hail from Toronto….

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July 2, 2011 · 10:21 am

Toast Post: Cottage Gold

Cottage Gold, sibling to Niagra Gold

It’s not my camera, it’s the Guernsey milk.  The cheese really is this intense colour.  All due to the elevated beta-carotene levels found in the milk of the Guernsey cow.  (It also has more protein and vitamin A and D than Holstein milk.)

Let’s stop picking on the Holstein and concentrate on the fact that this cheese is A. only here for the summer and B. the summer is not that long. (I’m being a pessimist like my mom, who on the first day of a long-awaited vacation will point out “well, it’ll all be over in 10 days– also there’s a lot of rain in the forecast.)

Cottage Gold is a cheddar-like version of Niagara Gold (an Oka-style cheese) made by Upper Canada Cheese, who are also known for Comfort Cream and the lip-smacking and grillable Guernsey Girl.  Cottage Gold is dense, salty and buttery with a pleasant earthiness at the   rind. Avoid the rind if you prefer but if sliced thinly the “earthy” quality appeals on the palate and evokes a real sense of the outdoors.

Today was my first time trying the Cottage Gold and I can already see it doing a heelside front flip on the wakeboard and then drying off with a threadbare “Florida: The Sunshine State!” towel obtained from a long-ago family drive to Daytona Beach.  Also I can see Cottage Gold reclined on a patio chair drinking a cold beer.  Actually, that’s me on the chair with a beer, and a slice of cheese.  Or maybe I’d melt it onto a burger or pack it with some pickle chips and apple slices for an afternoon outing to Snake Pond (childhood reference–insert any mucky, deliciously squishy-between-the-toes pond with frogs and dragonflies from your own youth).

Cottage Gold in 11 words or more:    The Guernsey cow breed, originally from the British Channel Island of the same name, was introduced to North America in the 19th century and officially imported to Canada by future prime minister Sir John Abbott in 1878.  If you’d like to know more, check out this informative review of Cottage Gold  by Stacey at A Taste of Cheese. I’m going to eat more cheese.

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June 11, 2011 · 7:07 am

Toast Post: Burrata

Forget babies, storks should deliver Burrata.

Out of the way triple-cream cheese, Burrata is here.  Here for a good time, not a long time (in the wise lyrics of the Trooper song.  They used to have burrata thrown on stage during concerts.).  As much as you want your Mozzarella di Bufala to be fresh, you want your Burrata to be newborn.  You want the exterior to be delicate and tender as possible while the inside is creamy, oozy heaven.  Heaven in this case being small, elastic bits of the torn mozzarella (stracciatella) mixed with rich cream.  It should be buttery, sweet and fresh in flavour.  It should make you weep.  Just a little bit.

Makes you feel a little savage. I WANT THIS NOW!

Burrata was once upon a time made with buffalo milk but now it’s made mainly cow’s milk. Originating in Southern Italy (in Puglia) the name comes from the Italian word “burro” (butter).  You might find it wrapped in green leek-like leaves called “asphodel” and the fresher/greener the leaves, the fresher the burrata.

More importantly, I have not yet made you drool to the maximum.  Here is the burrata “fork to mouth”.  My mouth.  And I never even made it to the bread.

Crazy Good. More than Pop Tarts even.

No matter what you do, if you rip this open in the car while driving or serve it at home– please–eat it at room temperature.  Warm it in a bowl of warm water (in a plastic bag or whatever wrap it came in) if you can’t wait to get to it.  Like batteries, you can hold it under your armpit to warm it up but this is best done out of site of guests or even the general public.

Most importantly, don’t share.  That’s just a crazy idea.  Your kindergarten teacher did not know about burrata when she taught you that rule.  (Though, she was right about not eating the glue even if it was glittery and bright.)

Burrata is now available at All the Best Fine Foods every Friday (flown in from Italy) until mid-September and on offer at Obika Mozzarella Bar.

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May 9, 2011 · 8:30 pm

Toast Post: Louis D’Or

Louis D'Or from Quebec reclines on avocado from Mexico

I first had Louis D’Or last fall.  I was smitten fast.  I wanted to move the relationship forward, make it more permanent but our fling was brief.  Louis D’Or was one hard cheese to track down.

It entered my life again this April, at the same time as Ben Mulroney who was hosting the 2011 Canadian Cheese Grand Prix. Being in cocktail attire, at an event where wedges of cheese are being flashed onto giant screens while Ben Mulroney is announcing, “and nominees in the fresh cheese category are…” is slightly like being at a Star Trek convention for cheese lovers (geeks, OK, geeks) or (as my friend pointed out) being in an excellent mockumentary.

Louis D’Or swept the night. I wondered what Louis was thinking about all the fuss around him.  Maybe, “If I win this category will Ben Mulroney’s hands touch my rind? Ok, I’ve now won two categories, this is going well, now will he touch me?   Maybe if I sweep the awards, surely he’ll glance my way.  Nothing?!  Are you serious?  There’s my maker–he’s shaking hands with my maker!  OMG, please come over here and wash my rind before I ferment myself!”

Louis D’Or in 11 words or more:  Firm, washed-rind. The producer is Fromagerie du Presbytère in Sainte-Élizabeth de Warwick, Quebec.  They also make the excellent blue cheese Bleu D’Elizabeth. Made with raw, organic cow sourced from the cheese maker’s farm.  When I first had the cheese last fall I loved its complexity and fruity, caramel and herbal notes which reminded me a bit of Comté.   I think I may have had the 9 month old version because when I tasted it at the Grand Prix it seemed further aged (further sleuthing has me thinking 18 months)–more crumble, less suppleness and though complex, perhaps a little less fruity or “fresh”.  It was still lovely but I think I prefer the younger wheel.

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April 28, 2011 · 9:51 am

Toast Post: Red Leicester

Red savoury heaven on Red Fife sourdough

It’s British, it’s bright orange and it’s looks slightly obnoxious on a plate.  Red Leicester will soon be your taste bud’s new BFF.  Les (all good friends should have a nickname) is so rich in savoury, nutty, sweet, umami-ness that he could be Parmesan’s bawdy, British cousin (thrice removed).  Don’t worry, he won’t overstay his welcome, in fact he’ll be gone much too soon.

It’ll be a testament to your willpower if you manage to save some for the toast you’re waiting to pop.  I shaved thin morsels of Red Leicester onto my sourdough but chunks are nice for a snack.  But not a snack you’ll want to share.  People will eye Les and as you unveil him from your lunchbox, and you might be forced to ask, “Would you like some?”  But maybe you’ll add something like,  “It’s quite past its due date but I didn’t want to waste bad cheese. God, I hope it isn’t rife with listeria from being wrapped and left out of the fridge with that cheap baloney!  Oh well, what’s life without some risks?  Please, help yourself, I insist. And take some for your baby too.”

Red Leicester in 11 words or more: Leiscester (Less-ter) hails from Leiscester county in England and has been made since the 18th century.  It was original created as a use for milk left over from Stilton production.  Traditionally, it was produced in a cloth-wrapped  wheel which could weigh up to 45 lbs.  In today’s more common factory production it is often made in blocks.  Aged from 3-9 months, older is probably better in this case: firmer, flaky, concentrated flavour. The orange colour comes from annato which is the same natural dye used for orange cheddar.

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April 21, 2011 · 3:03 pm

Toast Post: Le Cendrillon

Tangy and smooth on sweet and warm

Tis true, I did just write about Le Cendrillon for the The Spread, so I do feel like I’m recycling cheese lore but it’s the most interesting pick of the cheese drawer at the moment–other than Felix’s Laughing Cow triangles which were once referred to as thickened cow mucus by a cheese teacher from England named Tom Badcock (yes, his real name, also he wore a bow tie).  The same accusation was thrown at all cheese in general by a vegan I met in LA once upon a time.

I thought it would be nice to pair Le Cendrillon with the Stollen I made for Easter.  The sweet/fruity bread is kind of a lovely match with the tangy, rich goat cheese.  I prefer this cheese on the riper side –a little more in your face.

Though freshly made,  I wanted to toast the Stollen just a bit to warm it up and give it a bit of a crisp exterior.  As I waiting for the toast to pop I studied Le Cendrillon and thought to myself, “The ash on its exterior looks like a warm blanket.  Maybe I should replace all the blankets in the house with ash.  Or  I could burn all the blankets and have more ash blankets. Scratch that–who wants to use a shovel to put on a blanket?”

Le Cendrillon in 11 words or more: Goat cheese from Quebec by Fromagerie Alexis Portneuf (owned by Saputo). Milk is sourced from the local area and all the cheeses are made by hand.  Won “Best Cheese in the World” in 2009 World cheese awards. The long pyramid shape (I called this a triangular prism, but I got an email from Don, a retired math teacher who set me straight, apparently it’s a frustrum) was created to help the cheese ripen quicker and keep the inner core from drying out.  Look for ones that are 7-10 days before their “best before” date for a real mix of textures in the paste and nice kick of flavour.

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April 14, 2011 · 8:49 am

Toast Post: Bothwell Horseradish Cheddar

Horseradish zing on South Dakota Loaf.

Like the first stiff drink of the day, Bothwell Horseradish cheddar is more of a midday or “after 11am” cheese.  It’s certainly not meek.  But it does taste of real, bright, fresh horseradish and would be a champion on a sandwich or melted on a roast beef sub (mmmmm mmmm, the taste buds are rallying).

The South Dakota bread (post to come) toasts really nicely–the crust gets crisp and all the seeds inside warm up.  You’d nibble on this cheddar while waiting for your toast and think, “This cheddar is so damn pungent I’m breathing it out my nose-like a big hit of wasabi hidden under tender sushi.  Man!  I finally  feel alive-let’s do an extreme sport.  I would totally serve this to my arch-enemy who hated horseradish.”

Bothwell Cheddar in 11 words or more: Bothwell hails from Manitoba and the company has been making cheese since 1936–no preservatives, no MMIs.  Dairy farmers still deliver the local milk to Bothwell themselves.  I am curious about the horseradish flavour itself–does it come from fresh horseradish root?  I have sent in an inquiry and will keep you updated. (FYI: Horseradish is the 2011 herb of the year.  Keep on rockin’ in the herb world little horseradish.)

April 19- Got a response about the horseradish from Bothwell:

Hello Sue,

It is always exciting to hear feedback from our customers.  The
horseradish that we use for our horseradish cheddar is a highly
concentrated liquid horseradish extract.  It is added during the make
process to give the desired flavor that you enjoy.

If you have any further questions just let me know.

Regards,

Pauline Doerksen
Bothwell Cheese Inc.

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