The Joy of Cheese Presents Cheese for a Summer Evening
That’s a riff on a movie title and the first few people to correctly identify the film get extra cheese at the tasting.
Anyway, we all know about summer wines; they’re bright, dry, spicy and above all, often chilled to take the edge of the heat. What cheeses match them? You might want to avoid a deep, dense Gruyere but why not a lighter Alpine make like Tarentaise or Seelisberger? A classic grassy English Farmhouse Cheddar probably has too much heft but what about a variant like Doddington or Mrs. Kirkham’s Lancashire? Many chevres are perfect for summer wines but which ones are best?
These questions and more will be addressed at the next Joy of Cheese Tuesday Tasting at 10 Degrees, 121 St. Mark's Place. We’ll rumble through at least 12 and probably 14 or 15 cheeses that match warm weather wines. Our selections will likely include most of the above as well as wonders like Hoja Santa from Texas, Myrtlewood from Georgia and Bra Duro from Italy.
This should be a lot of fun. These are cheeses that should pair well with almost every white wine on the menu and the rose. If you insist on drinking red wine or beer, I won’t take umbrage.
The tastings are scheduled for August 14th and 21st as well as Thursday August 16th
As always the tastings run from just after 7 until around 8:30 at 10 Degrees, the wonderful wine and high end spirits bar at 121 St. Marks Place in the East Village. Admission to the tasting is $30 and you pay for your drinks as you go.
Reservations are a must. Contact me at thejoyofcheese@yahoo.com
The Joy of Cheese blog is up at http://thejoyofcheese.blogspot.com
Next tasting: Cheeses of Spain and Portugal September 18, 25, and 27.
-MJ
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Monday, July 23, 2007
The Next Tastings
Where to from here?
The Joy of Cheese tasting sked for remainder of 2007
August 14, 16 and 21: Cheeses to pair with Summer Wines
September 18, 25 and 27: Cheeses of Spain and Portugal
October 16, 18 and 23: Cheese to match Autumn Wines
November: A Man Called Rolf: The Joy of Cheese Rolf Beeler celebration
December: Our greatest hits: the most loved cheeses from the 2007 tastings.
The Joy of Cheese tasting sked for remainder of 2007
August 14, 16 and 21: Cheeses to pair with Summer Wines
September 18, 25 and 27: Cheeses of Spain and Portugal
October 16, 18 and 23: Cheese to match Autumn Wines
November: A Man Called Rolf: The Joy of Cheese Rolf Beeler celebration
December: Our greatest hits: the most loved cheeses from the 2007 tastings.
Monday, July 2, 2007
The Joy of Cheese presents Mostly Mons
The Joy of Cheese Presents Mostly
The July edition of the Tuesday Tasting series at 10 Degrees will hold a post-Bastille Day celebration with a survey of great French cheese and the focus is on the work of affineurs like Herve Mons, Chantal Plasse and Pascal Bellevaire. We will explore the extraordinary range of cheeses handled by these three and we will do some A-B comparisons of cheeses from affineurs and those not. Expect at least 12 and probably 16 or 17 great cheeses from all over
This should be a lot of fun. These are cheeses that should pair well with almost every white wine on the menu and several of the fruitier reds.
The tastings are scheduled for Tuesdays July 17th and 24th as well as Thursday July 19th.
As always the tastings run from just after 7 until around
Reservations are a must. Contact me at thejoyofcheese@yahoo.com
Next tastings August 14, 16 and 21: Cheeses for Summer Wines
-MJ
Thursday, May 31, 2007
The Joy of Cheese Presents the Young Americans
The Joy of Cheese Presents The Young Americans
Yes, I’m big on David Bowie.
With July 4th approaching, let’s celebrate the rising American hand-crafted cheesemakers.
America’s hand crafted cheese tradition actually goes back to Plymouth Rock (some of the first New England settlers were from dairy farming communities, but it got lost in the rush to industrialize. Now, that tradition has been revived and Americans are making cheeses that match any in the world, even France and Italy. So we’ll investigate our own changing national heritage of cheese by sampling at least 12 and probably 15 different superb--and possibly extraordinary--cheeses from all over America, even obscure places like Georgia, Idaho and Texas.
This should be a lot of fun. These are cheeses that should pair well with almost every white wine on the menu and several of the fruitier reds.
The tastings are scheduled for Tuesdays June 12th and 19th as well as well as Thursday June14th.
As always the tastings run from just after 7 until around 8:30 at 10 Degrees, the wonderful wine and high end spirits bar at 121 St. Marks Place in the East Village. Admission to the tasting is $30 and you pay for your drinks as you go.
Reservations are a must. Contact me at thejoyofcheese@yahoo.com
The Joy of Cheese blog is up at http://thejoyofcheese.blogspot.com
-MJ
Yes, I’m big on David Bowie.
With July 4th approaching, let’s celebrate the rising American hand-crafted cheesemakers.
America’s hand crafted cheese tradition actually goes back to Plymouth Rock (some of the first New England settlers were from dairy farming communities, but it got lost in the rush to industrialize. Now, that tradition has been revived and Americans are making cheeses that match any in the world, even France and Italy. So we’ll investigate our own changing national heritage of cheese by sampling at least 12 and probably 15 different superb--and possibly extraordinary--cheeses from all over America, even obscure places like Georgia, Idaho and Texas.
This should be a lot of fun. These are cheeses that should pair well with almost every white wine on the menu and several of the fruitier reds.
The tastings are scheduled for Tuesdays June 12th and 19th as well as well as Thursday June14th.
As always the tastings run from just after 7 until around 8:30 at 10 Degrees, the wonderful wine and high end spirits bar at 121 St. Marks Place in the East Village. Admission to the tasting is $30 and you pay for your drinks as you go.
Reservations are a must. Contact me at thejoyofcheese@yahoo.com
The Joy of Cheese blog is up at http://thejoyofcheese.blogspot.com
-MJ
Thursday, April 19, 2007
The new Whole Foods Cheese Department
Whole Foods, that juggernaut of upscale shopping has opened a new store on Houston Street and in stark contrast to their other New York City outlets, this store is serious about cheese.
It's a persistent mystery to me that WF rather ignores cheese in New York City. Until now, there stores had the same Citerella caliber selection of middlebrow cheeses. For a store that labors so mightily to tell you how much they value locally grown produce and small producer goods, it always felt like something of a contradiction that when it comes to cheese that they would buy so many factory made products and sell them in precut, cellophane suffocated pieces.
I rather suspect that that was the plan for Houston Street and that what is now the cheese cave was going to be a wine shop. However, in one of NYC's most unfortunately quaint laws, you can't sell wine and food under the same roof. Since WF makes a lot of money selling food, the wine had to go. Enter cheese.
Great cheese is sold in NYC but it's typically done at the boutique level (my weekend employer, The Bedford Cheese Shop is one such boutique), so I'd often wonder what it would look like if a big store sold great cheese.
Now I know.
And it is pretty but I doubt it'll last. WF hired away a buyer from Artisanal, brought in big name consultants, and hung pictures from Neal's Yard. They have cheeses from Rolf Beeler, Herve Mons, Luiggi Guffanti and several other key figures that cheese lovers revere. So far so good. The one thing they didn't do was train the staff.
Hell of an oversight. If you can't present great cheese well, then the public that doesn't know the diference will stick to the middlebrow cheeses since they cost about half as much.
I've been three times and each visit I keep wondering what they'll put there next.
It's a persistent mystery to me that WF rather ignores cheese in New York City. Until now, there stores had the same Citerella caliber selection of middlebrow cheeses. For a store that labors so mightily to tell you how much they value locally grown produce and small producer goods, it always felt like something of a contradiction that when it comes to cheese that they would buy so many factory made products and sell them in precut, cellophane suffocated pieces.
I rather suspect that that was the plan for Houston Street and that what is now the cheese cave was going to be a wine shop. However, in one of NYC's most unfortunately quaint laws, you can't sell wine and food under the same roof. Since WF makes a lot of money selling food, the wine had to go. Enter cheese.
Great cheese is sold in NYC but it's typically done at the boutique level (my weekend employer, The Bedford Cheese Shop is one such boutique), so I'd often wonder what it would look like if a big store sold great cheese.
Now I know.
And it is pretty but I doubt it'll last. WF hired away a buyer from Artisanal, brought in big name consultants, and hung pictures from Neal's Yard. They have cheeses from Rolf Beeler, Herve Mons, Luiggi Guffanti and several other key figures that cheese lovers revere. So far so good. The one thing they didn't do was train the staff.
Hell of an oversight. If you can't present great cheese well, then the public that doesn't know the diference will stick to the middlebrow cheeses since they cost about half as much.
I've been three times and each visit I keep wondering what they'll put there next.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
More All About Chevre Tastings
In addition to April 17, 24, and 26 we're also on for May 1.
Official word below.
The Joy of Cheese Presents All About Chevre
No, it’s not just “goat cheese.” Not anymore. Cheeses made from goat’s milk are essential offerings of every great cheesemaking nation and we’re going to try something from everyone. Leaf wrapped soft cheeses from Tuscany, firm chevres from the Pyrenees, old favorites from Switzerland and Italy, Goat goudas from Holland and California, hopefully even a great British goat or two, and of course several from other parts of America. In addition we’ll be doing a few comparisons of the industry standard then and now.
This should be a lot of fun. These are cheeses that should pair well with almost every white wine on the menu and several of the fruitier reds.
The tastings are scheduled for April 17th, 24th, 26th, and May 1st. .
As always the tastings run from just after 7 until around 8:30 at 10 Degrees, the wonderful wine and high end spirits bar at 121 St. Marks’ Place in the East Village. Admission to the tasting is $30 and you pay for your drinks as you go.
Reservations are a must. Contact me at thejoyofcheese@yahoo.com
-MJ
Official word below.
The Joy of Cheese Presents All About Chevre
No, it’s not just “goat cheese.” Not anymore. Cheeses made from goat’s milk are essential offerings of every great cheesemaking nation and we’re going to try something from everyone. Leaf wrapped soft cheeses from Tuscany, firm chevres from the Pyrenees, old favorites from Switzerland and Italy, Goat goudas from Holland and California, hopefully even a great British goat or two, and of course several from other parts of America. In addition we’ll be doing a few comparisons of the industry standard then and now.
This should be a lot of fun. These are cheeses that should pair well with almost every white wine on the menu and several of the fruitier reds.
The tastings are scheduled for April 17th, 24th, 26th, and May 1st. .
As always the tastings run from just after 7 until around 8:30 at 10 Degrees, the wonderful wine and high end spirits bar at 121 St. Marks’ Place in the East Village. Admission to the tasting is $30 and you pay for your drinks as you go.
Reservations are a must. Contact me at thejoyofcheese@yahoo.com
-MJ
Friday, March 30, 2007
The Next tastings at 10 Degrees
The April series is called All About Chevre. If I felt more secure in my branding, I'd have called it The Joy of Chevre, but hey. maybe next year.
12 (probably 14 or15 really) interesting goat's milk cheeses of varying textures and nationalities, will be sampled and discussed. As always there will be dark chocolate, fruit and the mystery cheeses (though you know what animal the milk comes from)
The tastings are presently slated for April 17, 24, and 26. If all goes well, there will be several others within this theme too.
-MJ
12 (probably 14 or15 really) interesting goat's milk cheeses of varying textures and nationalities, will be sampled and discussed. As always there will be dark chocolate, fruit and the mystery cheeses (though you know what animal the milk comes from)
The tastings are presently slated for April 17, 24, and 26. If all goes well, there will be several others within this theme too.
-MJ
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