ReMARKable Palate #248: Talking Cheese with Max McCalman

This week, I speak with cheese expert Max McCalman the Annual Fancy Food Show, where he was leading a seminar on Spanish cheeses, particularly the ubiquitous and sublime masterpiece that is Manchego cheese. We speak about Spain, the emergance of Partuguese cheeses, and the proliferation of artisanal cheeses made here in the United States. We also get into some food science and the politics of cheese in America.

ArtisanalCheese.com

Theme Song: “Go Fish”, by Big Money Grip, from the Podsafe Music Network.

ReMARKable Palate is a production of The Gilded Fork. www.gildedfork.com

ReMARKable Palate #239: Cheese & Sake Pairing with The Cheese Impresario

Today I speak with Barrie Lynn, The Cheese Impresario, as we conduct a live simultaneous tasting of artisanal cheese paired with sake. It’s not a common pairing, (in fact, I think this may be the first ever cheese & sake pairing podcast recording!) and we learn about the unique characteristics of both. Follow along below for images and descriptions of the cheeses and sakes we discuss.

www.thecheeseimpresario.com

Theme Song: “Go Fish”, by Big Money Grip, from the Podsafe Music Network.

ReMARKable Palate is a production of The Culinary Media Network. www.culinarymedianetwork.com

Barrie Lynn’s Cheese and Sake Notes:

Artisanal Cheeses made by the Artisan Cheesemakers of Wisconsin

Carr Valley Cheese Company – LaValle, Wisconsin
 Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker – Sid Cook
Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker, Sid Cook, is a rock and roll star in the world of artisanal cheese. Sid is the most awarded cheesemaker on the planet…a fine artist whose medium is cheese. He is the fourth generation that’s rocking out with the amazing milk and terroir from the green rolling hills and glacier action in his pristine part of the world. Some call him ”The Jimi Hendrix of Cheese.” I was in Chicago at the 2008 25th Annual American Cheese Society Conference & Competition where Sid won 16 ribbons and an unprecedented two Best of Show Awards. The crowd went wild!
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Airco – Cow, Sheep, Goat
Airco is a hickory-smoked cheese made from cow, goat and sheep’s milk. It’s a brown-rind cheese with a gentle smoked flavor that perfectly balances the sweetness of the cheese.
www.carrvalleycheese.com

Paired with Banzai’s – Best in the East
Junmai Ginjo – 16-17% – 51%
Elegant, fruity with a long finish.
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Roelli Cheese Haus– Shullsburg, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker – Chris Roelli
Dunbarton Blue – Cow
The Roelli family came to Wisconsin from Switzerland the 1920’s and have been making delicious cheeses ever since. Dunbarton Blue is just beautiful to look at and will be beautiful on your holiday cheese plates. It’s what’s called a Cheddar-Blue cheese that delivers an earthy flavor with a nutty sweet finish.
www.fromagination.com
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Paired with Banzai’s – Euphoria
Junmai Ginjo – 16-17% – 45%
Well balanced and fruity

Widmer’s Cheese Cellars – Theresa, Wisconsin
Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker – Joe Widmer
Third generation cheesemaker, Joe Widmer, is a fine artist whose medium is cheese. Joe is one of only 44 Wisconsin Master Cheesemakers who have passed the state’s rigorous standards…much like a Master Sommelier or Master Chef program.
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Aged Brick Spread – Cow
OOOHHH, you will crave this spread once you’ve had just a teeny bite. I tasted it when I went to visit Joe at his small creamery in rural Wisconsin and had the joy of being turned on to Joe’s Aged Brick Spread. Enjoy! Made from a blend of Joe’s Aged Brick and his Cheddar, this delectable spread will keep you coming back for more. Slather it on artisan bread and you will be in heaven.
www.widmerscheese.com

Paired with Banzai’s –Euphoria
Junmai Ginjo – 16-17% – 45%
Well balanced and fruity

Hook’s Cheese Company – Mineral Point, Wisconsin
Cheesemakers – Tony & Julie Hook
Tony and Julie Hook are true artisans. They make such small production cheeses…they have no employees…just these two passionate people. The couple were college sweethearts and have made cheesemaking their life for more than 35 years. They spent months refurbishing an abandoned facility built in the 1850s that was once a livery stable and a blacksmith’s shop before being converted to a cheese plant in 1929. Built into the side of a hill, the building came with ideal cave-like conditions for aging cheese, and the Hooks have made doing so an art form as you will taste this evening. Their awards are numerous and Julie Hook was, and still is, the only woman to win the World Cheese Championship. Slow Food honored the Hook’s by making them delegates to the Terra Madre event in Italy.

Hook’s 10-Year Cheddar – Cow
Chefs are wild about this majesty of a Cheddar. This super-aged cheese has a deep, rich, outrageously sharp cheddar taste with tiny sparks of flavor crystals and a long elegant finish. It’s a testament to the skill and experience of Tony and Julie Hook that a cheese aged this long still retains a smooth, sensual creaminess rare in a cheese half its age. This cheese won first place in its class at the 2006 American Cheese Society Competition.
www.hookscheese.com

Paired with Banzai’s – Juiced: Plum Nectar Sake
Plum Sake – 12% – 21% freshly squeezed plum nectar

Banzai Beverage Corporation
www.banzaibeverage.com

ReMARKable Palate #187: Irish Cheese & Whiskey

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, we celebrate Irish cheese & Whiskey! I speak with Susan Hall from www.cheesefrombritain.com, then with artisanal cheesemaker Dan Cahill from cahillscheese.ie. We finish the show speaking with Jack Tealing from Cooley Whiskey, the last remaining Irish owned distillery in Ireland.

Theme Song: “Go Fish”, by Big Money Grip, from the Podsafe Music Network.

ReMARKable Palate is a production of The Culinary Media Network. www.culinarymedianetwork.com

ReMARKable Palate #172: Stinky Cheese!

This week, we speak with Dan Granke from Stinky Cheese Shop in Brooklyn. The name shows off their playful approach to the serious exploration of cheeses from all over the world.

Shop for holiday gifts for the food lover in your life at our Gilded Fork Boutique. Special discounts for our newsletter subscribers!

http://shop.gildedfork.com

Theme Song: “Go Fish”, by Big Money Grip, from the Podsafe Music Network.

ReMARKable Palate is a production of The Culinary Media Network. www.culinarymedianetwork.com

ReMARKable Palate #152: A Powerful Taste of Wales

This week, I take a trip to the west of the UK and get a taste of Wales! I wish it were really so, but actually I spoke with a bunch of Welsh food producers at the Fancy Food Show here in New York. From cheddar cheese, to beer, sea salt and flavored pates, the foods of Wales reflect the Gaelic roots of these warm people, and I’m sure you’ll agree that the ones I met are a fun lot.

Collier’s Cheese
Cwrw Haf
Halen Mon Seasalt
Patchwork Foods

ReMARKable Palate is a production of The Culinary Media Network. www.culinarymedianetwork.com

Theme Song: “Go Fish”, by Big Money Grip, from the Podsafe Music Network.

ReMARKable Palate #151: Greek Cheese with the Greek Gourmand

This week, I chat with Sam Sotiropoulos, the Greek Gourmand, who shares recipes and reflections on Greek food, culture, and history on his blog at greekgourmand.blogspot.com. Sam gives us a primer on Greek cheeses, helping us to go beyond feta, and distinguish between the many fine cheeses that come from the cradle of Western Civilization.

More on Greek Cheeses: Greek Cheese Page

ReMARKable Palate is a production of The Culinary Media Network. www.culinarymedianetwork.com

Theme Song: “Go Fish”, by Big Money Grip, from the Podsafe Music Network.