Day 828 : A whirlwind of a weekend- a little less cheese and a little more reflection

Gosh this weekend flew by in a flurry of events celebrating two of my closest friends' marriage -- a bridal shower, a bachelorette, a reception and a post reception brunch all in the span of a few short days. Each event was completely distinct and truly was catered to the lives and passions of my two dear friends - a celebration of them. People came from near and far to be together and the outpouring of love and support for these two fabulous people was omnipresent. It surely made me stop and think about how lucky I am to have them in my life and in turn how lucky I am to be surrounded by such wonderful friends and family on a daily basis. So on this Memorial Day weekend, I encourage you not only to take the time to pay remembrance to those who have fallen while serving our country but also to pay thanks to those who make your life brighter and more special on a daily basis.

So thank you to all my friends and family for your constant love and support and congratulations once again to my friends on their marriage.


Stay tuned tomorrow for a return to things cheese-y and Fromagical's recommendations for what cheeses are best for cookouts and outdoor picnics!

Day 827: In honor of National Wine Day

Did you know that May 25th was National Wine Day?

What better way to ring in the holiday weekend than with a glass of wine in honor of National Wine Day and some cheese? I cannot think of anything better!

So in honor of the long weekend and National Wine Day - let's propose a Red, White, and Blue TGIF pairing!

Wine : Channing Daughters Rosati di Cabernet Sauvignon - Mudd Vineyard : Hailing from some of Long Island's oldest vines (1975), this medium bodied rose is full of earthy, herbaceous, fruity and floral notes with faint hints of red berries. It definitely packs a punch but doesn't weigh you down -- fanciful and fun, this is the ultimate summer time barbecue wine! In my mind, there is nothing that says summer more than a nice chilled glass of rose wine so this is the perfect choice for your Memorial Day weekend TGIF pairing.

Image courtesy of www.channingdaughters.com

Cheese : Rogue River Creamery's Smokey Blue - Following in our smoked footsteps of yesterday, the Smokey Blue was the first blue cheese that was ever smoked. Cold smoked for sixteen hours over Pacific Northwest hazelnut shells, this blue cheese is piquant and spicy yet round and creamy with caramelly, hazelnutty, earthy, rustic, and smokey notes. There's something about this marriage of flavors that just screams summertime to me. The jammy, fruity, floral characteristics of the wine will find their counterpart in the nutty, smokey notes of the cheese. An excellently summery TGIF pairing if you ask me!

 Image courtesy of www.roguecreamery.com

Happy Memorial Day weekend!

Day 826 : On the Road Again

It's that time of year again or well the calendar says it is despite the weather in New York disagreeing -- the beginning of summertime! Memorial Day weekend for me marks the beginning of summertime -- lazy sunny afternoons spent by the pool with a book, barbecues and cookouts galore, beach campfires at sunset, road trips, and plenty of time spent outdoors. It's time to rediscover your youth, let your inhibitions go and have fun!

What best way to ring in the season than with some Rivers Edge Up in Smoke Chèvre? This Oregonian is all about summertime fun! Young roundelles of pasteurized goat's milk are twice smoked to impart the perfect mixture of bright, citrusy, chalky, tangy, goaty goodness and that smoky, rustic, woodsy, campfire goodness.

You might be wondering how is it twice smoked? Before the cheese is wrapped in the local maple leaves, the leaves themselves are smoked and then once wrapped, the cheese and maple leaves are smoked again to impart this fabulous flavor profile.

What to drink with it?

I recommend a bright and light white wine!

So go out and get yourself a roundelle at Murray's and a bottle of white wine and let's get this summer started my friends!

Day 825 : On my doorstep...

I came home this evening to find a package of Vermont cheese-y goodness courtesy of Vermont Creamery in celebration of springtime! Three fresh logs of goat's milk cheese - one plain chevre, one pepper chevre, and one herb chevre accompanied with dried apricots and Castleton Rutland Rye Crackers.

What a treat! And a perfect way to brighten this grey muggy day!

Why fresh chevre right now?

Because these fresh logs of creamy, milky, lactic, citrusy, chalky goodness are the perfect ode to springtime! I personally love to enjoy them either with a nice glass of bubbles, perhaps a Prosecco or Blanc de Blancs even a glass of crisp, mineral forward white wine would be nice.

Either way the clean bright flavors of this young goat's milk cheese are destined to bring a smile to your face.

Day 824 : Breaking Cheese News - 320 million dollars of cheese destroyed!

How?!?!

Sunday there was an earthquake that occured in Northern Italy in the region where Grana Padano and Parmesan are crafted and aged. The 6.0 earthquake damaged warehouses, cave aging cellars and more! The earthquake caused the 90 pound wheels of cheese to topple and roll away...

Check out some pics here: http://gizmodo.com/5911957/unspeakable-tragedy-320-million-of-cheese-destroyed-in-italian-earthquake

Day 823 : Cheeses of France Pop-Up Coverage

Friday evening I had the pleasure of attending the Cheeses of France press preview pop-up -- a great opportunity to check out the exciting all day long pop-up that was open to the public yesterday at 159 Bleecker. 

Why have a Cheeses of France pop-up you might inquire?

To introduce one to the fantastic Cheeses of France, educate them on how to prepare a variety of dishes utilizing these cheeses and basically to draw attention to the fabulous and fantastic cheeses crafted in France. 

So what did you have the pleasure of experiencing at the pop-up?

You could check out cheese art done by Krai -- a cheese sculptor -- carving designs out of large wheels of Comte and Mimolette - intricate patterns etched into cheesy paste.

Once you finished watching the creations of Krai, why not go catch a cooking demonstration done by Ash Fulk, a former Top Chef contestant and currently Chef de Cuisine at Hill Country -- while we were there we had the pleasure of catching his three cheese mac n' cheese preparation. 

Or otherwise you could sample some fantastic French cheeses - ranging from Mimolette to Comte to Brie to Fromage D'Affinois and more! Apart from just cheese samples, they had a variety of small plates hors d'oeuvres you could try as well which were billed as American classic creations with a French twist.

Overall a fabulous way to introduce the novice to the world of French cheese or reintroduce the avid connoisseur to cheeses they might have forgotten about and don't forget the ability to buy lots of cheeses at wholesale price.

Here's to a successful event for Cheeses of France and many more to come - last I heard they had over 1700 people attend the tasting open to the public!

Day 822: Playing a bit of catch up - Big and Bold Pairing to Knock your socks off...

It's been a packed thirty-six hours and I haven't had the opportunity to sit down and catch up on my Fromagical musings but I am here now.

Friday I thought that it would be lovely to propose a knock your socks off TGIF pairing and even though its Sunday morning, the pairing suggestion here can be applied whenever you feel the desire!

The goal with today's pairing is "Big and bold."

Beer : Sixpoint Bengali Tiger IPA - Amber-reddish in color, notes of pine-y, floral, sweet hops on the nose. Malty, bread-y and warming at first sip, this medium bodied beer finishes with a nice bright bitterness. A great local IPA for those of you IPA fans out there.

Cheese : Twin Maple Farms' Hudson Red - Raw Jersey Cow's Milk washed rind semi-soft cheese-y goodness slightly aged to perfection. Classic washed rind bright orange hues on the exterior with a nice ivory interior -- creamy and tangy with a toasty, meaty, stinky pungence. The bitterness of the beer will find its counterpart in the creamy tangy-ness of the beer -- showing that big and bold can find its home hand-in-hand with big and bold flavors.

Enjoy~