Featuring Detroit Street Brick and Saint Marcellin!

He Said...

Last summer I was lucky enough to make a pilgrimage to Zingerman's in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Zingerman's is a specialty food shop that includes cut-to-order cheese. While I was there I got to try a cheese they created called Detroit Street Brick. I knew once I tasted it that I wanted to bring this marvelous cheese in to share with everyone. Finally, it is here! Detroit Street Brick is a mold-ripened goat cheese studded with whole and crushed green peppercorns. The name is derived from the shape of the cheese as it resembles the same cobblestone bricks in front of Zingerman's on Detroit Street. It is aged around one month and has a fresh tasting dense paste with subtle spice from the peppercorns, rounded out with a citrus tang. This is seriously good but amazingly approachable goat cheese. I am hooked. This would be a great Memorial Day cheese if you are like Krista and I and will be spending the holiday weekend enjoying the heat. Pair it with a Sancerre from France or another great acidic white. Enjoy!

She Said...

Can you resist a cheese so delicate and oozy it comes in a tiny terra cotta pot?  I cannot.  A small batch of Saint-Marcellin arrived at our shop last week and they certainly deserve some newsletter attention.  Saint-Marcellin is made in the Rhone Alps and was traditionally made with goat's milk but now often made with cow's milk, which is what we have.  It is aged and exported by French affinuir Chantal Plasse.  Being such a tiny cheese (only about 3" in diameter) they start firm and age to a creamy, almost liquid consistency. The four left in our case are all mature versions.  The flavors have gone from nutty and fresh to mushroomy and tangy.  We love it with tart apples and a fruity Cotes du Rhone wine. Several of my cheese books recommend baking it but sometimes I can't bring myself to bake cheese fearing that it will loose some of the complexity that it has at room temperature.  However you enjoy it, Saint-Marcellin is a lovely (be it quite stinky) little cheese.  

This Just In 

Cheeses: 

Red Hawk

Fenacho 

Mt. Tam 

Point Reyes Blue 

Crow's Dairy Chevre 

Big John's Cajun Rub 

Rainbow Valley Farmer's Cheese 

Wine: 

Vera Vinho Verde 

Sussingo Toscano

Faust Kabinett

3 Wine Co 

Vidigal Dao 

The Ned Pinot Gris 

Philippe Zinck Pinot Blanc 

Other Goodies: 

Rustic Bakery Crackers 

Our 7 best selling cheeses and DUCK!

He Said...

One can not live on pork alone, although I give it a good go. So, when I am not consumed with snacking on choice cheeses or cooking up bacon I enjoy duck meat as a worthy substitute. I was asked by a customer to bring in some duck confit (he did not have to ask twice)and it has finally arrived. Duck confit are duck legs that are seasoned, cured, and slowly cooked in their own duck fat and it is heavenly. My dinner recently involved a tray of greens, side of dijon mustard, and duck confit that was washed down with a glass of bold red wine. Duck confit can be enjoyed in numerous ways, try it with a side of lentils, as a meat in a cassoulet, as part of a mixed charcuterie plate or enjoyed with the holiest of holy, potatoes cooked in duck fat. That brings me to my next favorite item this week. Duck Fat! We have packaged some 1/2 lb containers of duck fat for your cooking pleasure. Duck fat is silky, savory, and helps food get a nice crisp browning. In the world of animal fats, duck fat is lower in saturated fats then butter and has more unsaturated fats. In fact, regions in the south of France point to the health benefits of this type of fat over other animal fats. However, the real issue is the taste. Perfect for potatoes, searing meats, or melted with vegetables. On a recent trip to the cinema we made some popcorn cooked in duck fat and flavored with freshly grated parmesan-reggiano. I forgot what the movie was about but I remember this popcorn. Enjoy!

She Said...

Celebrating 2 years at Wedge & Bottle is very special and we wouldn't still be here if not for our amazing customers!  As a way of saying thank you, we have a special menu of our top selling cheeses paired with a specific choice of wine or beer and crackers.  Only $7 for wine pairings and $5 for beer pairings.  Our first cheese is Crow's Dairy Peppercorn Chevre, we have carried this local favorite since the first day we opened. There is something about the fluffy tangy chevre with black pepper that is so satisfying when spread onto a cracker.  The second cheese is an American Classic, Humboldt Fog from Cypress Grove.  The beautiful thin blue line of ash and white bloomy rind aside, this cheese tastes as good as it looks.  It has a range of flavors from citrusy to tangy to spicy.  The third cheese is Cowgirl Creamery's Mt. Tam triple cream soft-ripened cheese.  It is hard not to like a cheese that tastes and melts like fresh churned butter.  The fourth cheese is Carr Valley Marisa from Wisconsin.  We often refer to this sheep's milk cheese as a pecorino toscano with an extra punch of salt.  It was the hardest pairing to come up with because it is so versatile and went with almost every beverage we tried to pair with it.  The fifth cheese is Beemster XO Gouda from Holland.  This 26th month aged Gouda has all of those lovely crunchy protein crystals in-between butterscotch and caramel flavors that so many of our customers love.  The sixth cheese is Beehive Cheese's Barely Buzzed Cheddar from Utah.  We get so many calls about this wonderfully unique white cheddar covered in ground espresso and lavender buds.  The seventh and final cheese is Rogue Creamery's Smokey Blue.  This cheese gained popularity by our own local Chef, David Hall's endorsement and is a must try for any blue cheese lover.  The subtle smokey flavor from cold smoking it over hazelnut shells makes this a very easy eating cheese.  We hope you have the opportunity to come in this weekend and try some of your favorite cheese paired with some of your favorite beer and wines!  Thank you for helping Troy and I have the best job ever!  

This Just In 

Cheeses: 

St. Marcellin 

Green Hill 

Detroit Street Brick 

Gorgonzola Piccante 

Asiago Pressato 

Carr Valley Marisa 

Crow's Dairy Herb and Natural Chevre 

Rainbow Valley Butter & Farmer's Cheese 

Widmer 10 Year Cheddar 

Cocoa Cardona 

Meat: 

Fra'mani Salame Rosa

Fra'mani Salame Toscano

Jamon Serrano 

Beer: 

Bell's Oberon

North Coast Scrimshaw  

Wine: 

Vidigal Dao 

The Ned Sauvignon Blanc 

Stellar Shiraz 

Alberti 154 Malbec 

Other Goodies: 

Fentiman's Ginger Beer 

Sonoran Root Beer 

Belinda's Pickles 

Divina Garlic Stuffed Olives 

Great Ideas for Mother's Day!

He Said...

We recently received our chocolate shipments just in time for Mother's Day and in time to beat the heat. Krista and I love chocolate and cheese so we were truly excited to bring in the great chocolate creations from Dandelion Chocolate out of San Francisco. Dandelion Chocolate is a bean-to-bar small batch chocolate company that is producing some amazingly tasty chocolate. To be a bean-to-bar choclatier means to have full control of the process. Unlike large scale producers who blend their cocoa beans from different sources in order to achieve a consistent tasting chocloate, bean-to-bar creators embrace the idea that where the cocoa bean comes from (country, region, or individual farm) will and should create a unique flavor and tasting experience. Dandelion Chocolate states they "roast, crack, sort, winnow, grind, conch, and temper small batches of beans and then mold and package each by hand." Yeah, that is pretty cool. All of that would be academic if the chocolate did not taste so good. Along with Dandolian Chocolate, we have other great chocolate wizards like Dick Taylor, Askinoise, Woodblock, Hagensborg, and Poco Dolce. All of these make amazing accompaniments to cheese and make a fantastic gift for mom. Enjoy!

She Said...

Mom wants cheese!  Ok not all of your Mom's want cheese for Mother's Day like I do but for those of you who are shopping for Mom's who do, here are my recommendations.  Crow's Dairy Fresh Natural Chevre would be a great gift accompanied by Grizzly Strawberry Champagne Jam and Peach Prosecco Jam.  The tangy goat cheese spread on a cracker is the perfect way to deliver sweet preserves.  For the chocolate lovers, a big wedge of Kokos, a coconut milk Gouda from Holland, and a few single origin chocolate bars (see Troy's Dandelion chocolate post) is a great idea.  The dark chocolate tannins and sweet creamy cheese make a great combination.  For the coffee fans, Barely Buzzed Cheddar is a must buy.  The sharp cheddar from Beehive Cheese Company in Utah is covered in lavender and espresso grounds.  This cheese is great with coffee and also medium-bodied red wines.  If mom is a Blue cheese lover, get her a wedge of Rogue River Blue from Rogue Creamery in Oregon.  It is a blue cheese wrapped in Syrah grape leaves drenched in Pear Brandy and aged in caves.  The flavor explosion in the cheese is perfectly paired with some local Spring Clover Honey from Made by Bees.  Save some time on wrapping and have us put it all together in a Wedge & Bottle cheese Box for you.  We also have great gifts if you are looking for something less perishable.  The new s'mores kits from Pistol Whipped pastry are a wonderful treat, nothing beats a bottle of wine, pasta, and Nonna's Sauce, and the Himalayan Salt Slabs are a fun gift for any adventurous cook.  Hopefully this makes your Mother's Day Shopping easier.  Happy Mother's Day!

This Just In 

Cheeses: 

Crow's Dairy

-Natural Chevre

-Jalapeno Chevre

Barely Buzzed Cheddar

Mt. Tam 

Rogue Smokey Blue 

Beemster XO

Meat: 

La Belle Duck Fat 

Tender Belly Cherry Smoked Bacon 

Beer: 

Bell's Two Hearted Ale  

Wine: 

Boci Sweet Kiss Lambrusco 

Brion Cabernet Sauvignon 

Saint-Hilaire 

Cotes du Rhone Blanc 

Other Goodies: 

Pistol Whipped

-S'mores Kit  

Grizzly Foods

-Spicy Carrot Jam 

Made by Bees

-Orange Blossom Honey

-Cherry Pepper Relish

-Spring Clover Honey

-Raspberry Habanero Jam 

Featuring Finnochiona and Kuntener!

He Said...

As Wedge & Bottle's 2 year anniversary approaches I wanted to write about a salame that I brought in on day 1 and still carry to this day. That salame is Salumeria Biellese's Finocchiona. The first time I tried this salame I fell in love, and knew I had to carry it in our store. It combines coarsely ground pork with fennel seed and fennel pollen. It has a delicate fennel aroma combined with a deep fermented pork flavor that one can only get from slow ripening. It might be my favorite salami in our shop (presently competing with Smoking Goose's Gin & Juice Salame). The coarse texture is on the softer side and slightly chewy, which creates alternate flavors of fat and porky goodness. The high quality of the Salame is a prime example of what Salumeria Biellese delivers with their salami. Along with their Finocchiono we typically carry their Soppressata, Spicy Soppressata, Petit Jesu and occasionally their Lardo and Wild Boar Soppressata. Their store front is in New York City and was started by the Buzzio family in 1925. The Buzzio family brought their Charcuterie chops to New York when they immigrated from northern Italy. Salumeria Biellese has stayed true to the old world tradition of dry-curing and slow aging their meat. Nothing can compare to this slow food fermentation. I believe that secures the Buzzio family a special place in pork heaven. Come on in for taste. Enjoy!

She Said...

A new arrival from Swiss Maitre Affineur Rolf Beeler is always a reason for excitement at Wedge & Bottle.  Rolf Beeler is well known in the Cheesemonger world and has been called "Cheese Pope" and "Rambo of Cheese" in articles I have come across. He carefully selects only raw milk cheese to ripen in his aging facility to ensure exceptional quality.  He practices ripening cheeses with traditional methods that were practiced thousands of years ago.  Kuntener is a beautiful washed rind cheese done in a Reblochon style.  The story around Reblochon was that to avoid payment of the tax, the Haute Savoie farmer would only partially milk his cows when the tax man was there and then finish milking (reblocher means remilk) afterwards and keep the remaining milk for their family tax free.  Kuntener made in the same way as Reblochon is made by turning the cheese every 2 days and washing it with whey to speed up the ripening process. The result is a real cheese experience!  To fully enjoy first get a whiff of the barnyardy aroma. To me, that stinky funk aroma is a sign I am going to really enjoy the taste.  Then take a bite of just the paste to observe the creamy tacky texture and meaty flavor.  If you love it, try a bite with the paste and the grainy rind to get the full flavor of the cheese.  To me, Kuntener calls for an off-dry Riesling and something sour like olives or cornichon pickles.  It is quite versatile to use in cooking but in the case of most great cheeses like Kuntener, the cheese stands alone!

This Just In 

Cheeses: 

Gina's Burrata 

Green Hill 

Cropwell Bishop Stilton 

Blue Mont Dairy Cheddar 

Meat: 

Salumeria Bielese Spicy Sopressata 

La Belle Duck Confit 

Beer: 

Fox Barrel Blackberry Cider 

Wine: 

Zarpara Sauvignon Blanc 

Fittings Grenache 

Pali Alphabets Pinot Noir 

Domaine Bousquet Malbec 

Saint-Hillaire 

Stellar Shiraz 

The Ned Sauvignon Blanc 

Franco Serra Barbaresco 

Le Lapin Zinfandel 

Vera Vino Verde 

Purato Nero d'Avola 

Sussingo Toscana 

Other Goodies: 

Mitica Spanish Cocktail Mix 

Virginia Chutney Company 

-Hot Peach Chutney 

-Spicy Plum Chutney 

Nonna's Arrabiata Sauce 

AZ Bitter Lab Orange Sunshine Bitters 

3 Little Figs 

-Tomato Tapas Jam 

-Cabernet Cracked Pepper Jelly 

-Peach Prosecco Jam 

Poco Dolce Chocolate Tiles 

Askinosie Chocolate 

Woodblock Chocolate 

Farfalle Pasta 

Featuring Sour in the Rye Beer & Spanish Cheeses!

He Said...

Don't get me wrong, I love a heavy dose of hops or caramelized malt with my beer but this time of year I start to crave the thirst quenching qualities of a good funky sour beer.  Case in point there is a beer by The Bruery out of Orange County, California called Sour in the Rye. This is not like many beers where the sour sits back patiently and occasionally speaks up when it detects a lull in the palate discourse. This is an all together different beast. This is more of a belligerent bully who dominates the conversation. I love it. This beer is created with around 40% rye and sour bacteria. It is then aged in oak barrels where it transforms into its funky self. While it was still in the bottle I detected a balsamic vinegar aroma which peaked my curiosity. Once poured the aroma morphed into more of a gastrique (sweet and sour) with the addition of fruit and yeasty notes. The color was a deep orange hazy glow. The flavor was dominated by the crisp sour green apple balanced with tannins from the oak barrels. My research dictated another pour, and another. What I will not do for all of you. Enjoy!

She Said...

Spain is a country that is most known in the food community for their wonderful Jamon cured ham.  While they are certainly pork-centric they also have a long list of amazing cheeses.  On our Spanish Cheese plate this Saturday we will have 5 wonderful examples of Spanish cheese tradition.  The first on the plate is Monte Enebro which is a goat's milk cheese from Avila.  The log shaped cheese is covered in penicilium roqueforti which is the same mold they use to make Roquefort cheese in France.  The result is a densly creamy, lemony, acidic cheese.  Next we have Garrotxa from Catalonia.  Garrotxa has a natural rind that looks like stone.  It is a hard goat's milk cheese which has a more delicate nutty flavor.  The third cheese is classic Manchego from La Mancha.  I never tire of this hard sheep's milk cheese.  It is both nutty and buttery.  Next up smoked farmhouse Idiazabal from Navarra.  Idiazabal is also a hard sheep's milk cheese like Manchego but it is smoked.  They originally smoked it because the shepherds stored the cheeses in the chimneys of their temporary summer huts in the mountains before returning home for the winter. Last we have Valdeon from Leon. Valdeon is a blue made with goat and cow's milk and wrapped in sycamore leaves.  It has a medium spicy bite with a distinctive earthy flavor from the leaves.  Each $20 plate also comes with quince paste, marcona almonds, and crackers. We would pair each cheese with different style wines but they all go well with fruity/bubbly Sangria!

This Just In 

Cheeses: 

Gina's Burrata 

Monte Enebro

Valdeon 

Smoked Idiazabel 

Mahon 

Coupole 

Kuntener Reblochon 

Bucheron 

Meat: 

Tender Belly Cherry Smoked Bacon 

Pepper Bacon 

La Quercia Tamworth Prosciutto

Bonito del Norte Tuna in Oil 

Beer: 

Oskar Blues Dales Pale Ale 

Fox Barrel Pear Cider 

Wine: 

Purato Nero D'Avola

A-22 Pinot Noir 

Vera Vinho Verde 

Orin Swift F1

Caduceus Nagal de Naga 

Fleur Chardonnay 

Hill Family Barrel Blend 

Demure Cabernet Sauvignon 

Domaine Bousquet Malbec

Alberti Malbec 

Pali Alphabets Pinot Noir 

The Paring Rose 

Broman Sauvignon Blanc

Anderson's Conn Pinot Noir 

Other Goodies: 

Maille Cornichons 

Strawberry Champagne Jam 

Crow's Dairy Goat's Milk Caramel 

    

This week featuring Mousse au Sauternes & Thomasville Tomme!

He Said...

Pork, Duck, and Goose liver oh my! I wanted to share with you my afternoon snack that I have been enjoying this week. It is Trois Petits Cochon's (3 little pigs) Mousse Royale Au Sauternes. Although Krista likes to stick with her cheese for her snack I like to indulge in meatier delights. A mousse in this context is a mold made of meat, egg, and gelatin that is light, creamy, smooth, and perfectly spreadable. This particular mousse is made with sauterne wine. A sauterne is one of the outstanding sweet wines in the world. It is created in the Bordeaux region of France and is a blend of Semillion and typically Sauvignon Blanc. The wine receives its sweet nature from the mold Botriytis cinerea, which shrivels the grapes late in the season and leaves behind a sugar laden conentrated grape. This sweet wine pairs nicely with the rustic taste of liver and plays off one another to create a beautifully structured and decadent treat. You can enjoy with a light to medium bodied fruit forward red but I recommend it with a off-dry white or even an acidic white that will whisk away the fat of the mousse. The mousse is made with pork, duck, and goose liver that provides a deep rustic and earthy flavor. Enjoy!

She Said...

One of the experiences I love most when tasting cheese is differentiating between the flavors that come from the milk and the flavors that come from the techniques used in cheesemaking.  If you share this joy Thomasville Tomme is a great example of this.  It is made by Sweet Grass Dairy in Georgia.  Al and Desiree Wehner ran Sweet Grass Dairy as a Dairy farm for 20 years but when they switched over to rotational grazing and reduced the number of cows in their herd in 2000 they realized the quality of their milk was better and perfect for making cheese.  Today the farm is run by their daughter Jessica and her husband Jeremy who share in the enthusiasm for high quality cheese.  Thomasville Tomme, which is named after their hometown has a semi-soft paste and is made from raw milk.  It is inspired by Tomme style cheese in the French Pyrenees.  The buttery flavor has a subtle tangy grassy note that you usually can only find in raw milk cheeses.  The cheese is aged for 60 days where it develops a thin natural rind that looks like the walls of a cave.  This is where the wonderful mushroomy earthy aroma and flavor comes in.  The combination of butter and mushroom give it a savory quality that is wonderful for a picnic of fruit, fresh bread, and Syrah.  

This Just In 

Cheeses: 

Manchego Gran Valle 

Garrotxa 

Brickhouse Tilsit 

Kokos Coconut Cheese

Ewephoria 

Noord Hollander Gouda 

Meat: 

Gin & Juice

Dodge City 

Delaware Fireballs

Pate de Campagnia 

Beer: 

The Bruery Sour & Rye 

Oskar Blues Good Knight 

Wine: 

Sanguis Some Poets 2010

Ocone Flora Falangina 

Domaine Bousquet Malbec 

Trios Proprietary Red 

Other Goodies: 

Grizzly Strawberry Champagne Jam 

Crow's Dairy Goat's Milk Caramel 

Pistol Whipped Pastry 

-Bitty Betty Marmalade 

-Salted Caramel Sauce 

Gearing up for our European Beer Tasting tonight!

He Said...
I am Excited! Tonight is our second team-up with the guys from Pitcher of Nectar for a beer and cheese pairing. We will be pouring 5 European beers that we paired with 5 of our cheeses. To be honest not all these beers were easily paired, some of them played a very evasive game of "You Can't Pair Me". The Wedge & Bottle staff, however, being the consummate professionals we are (please don't try and confirm this) rallied and created what we believe to be some fun pairings. We are presenting a smoked Berliner Weissbier from Germany, a Flanders Red Ale from Italy, and a Juniper Barley Wine from Finland. Lastly, we have a coffee stout from the Netherlands that is created with one of the most expensive coffees in the world. The coffee berries for this particualr beer are eaten by the Luwak, a cat like creature, who can not digest the bean. The bean is passed through, collected, hopefully washed, and slightly roasted, and used to make this beer. It truly is a great line up of beers and I encourage to come for a tasting. It is $9 for the beer and if you choose to pair them with the cheese it is an additonal $12. The event is from 6:30-8:00pm tonight. Enjoy!

She Said...

Wow we have a very flavorful line up of beers for our European Tasting tonight!  While we often think that pairing beer and cheese together is easier than pairing wine with cheese because of the way that carbonation washes the buttery fat of cheese off of your tongue so efficiently, the complexity of some of the more intense craft beers can be a challenge.  When Troy selected the beers with Tony and Shawn and came back to me with what they picked, the most notable one being the Kopi Loewak made with coffee beens that have passed through the body of weird jungle creature, I was worried that our cheeses wouldn't shine in the pairings.  Through hard work and "research" we found some cheese pairings that bring out the complexities in the beers without losing the nuanced flavors of the cheeses.  It really wasn't hard but we did taste some horrible combinations in the process.  The resulting cheese line up is Wagon Wheel from Cowgirl Creamery, Dancing Fern from Sequatchie Cove, Coolea from Neal's Yard Dairy, Fourme d'Ambert from Chantal Plasse France, and Barely Buzzed Cheddar from Beehive Cheese.  I would tell more about the pairings but I want you to come tonight and experience the flavors for yourself!  

This Just In 

Cheeses: 
Crow's Dairy Cheeses 
Rainbow Valley Farmer's Cheese & Butters 
Bonne Bouche 
Wagon Wheel 
Nicasio Square 
Mt. Tam 
Cabot Clothbound Cheddar 
Widmer 10 Year Cheddar 
Cashel Blue 
Nettle Meadow Kunik 
Parmigiano Reggiano 
Thomasville Tomme 

Meat: 
Les Trois Mouse au Sauternes 
Wild Mushroom Pate 
Les Trois Duck Rillette 
Angel's Duck Salami 
Leoncini Mortadella 
Salumeria Bielese Petit Jesu & Wild Boar Sopressata 
La Belle Duck Fat 

Beer: 
Freigeist Abraxxas 
Oskar Blue's Old Chubb 
Bell's Oberon 
Panil Barriquee Sour Red
De Molen Kopi Loewak
Huvila Arctic Circle 
Haandbryggeriet Nissefar 

Wine: 
David Girard Mourvedre
David Girard Rose
David Girard Viognier Roussanne
David Girard Syrah 

Other Goodies: 
Mama Lil's Sweet Peppers

Featuring Fresh Teleme Cheese & New Balsamic Jellies!

He Said...
I love vinegar and anything that can expand what I can use vinegar for is a good thing. That is why we recently brought in some vinegar jellies. Balsamic Vinegar and cheese can be a killer combination and with the balsamic as a jelly this can create more culinary opportunities. We brought in a strawberry balsamic and a white balsamic jelly. The strawberry jelly would be killer with all the fresh cheeses Krista is bringing in right now (see her post this week) while the white balsamic jelly would love to be paired with a cheese with a little age on it. I think the white balsamic would go amazing with an aged sheep's milk cheese like Marisa or Black Sheep Creamery's St. Helens. The salt of the cheese would meld well with the vinegar bite of the jelly. The sweet strawberry balsamic would go well with any of the fresh goat cheeses, mascarpone, or cow's milk burrata. Of course, you wouldn't necessarily have to exclusively pair it with cheese, just don't mention that to Krista. Instead the jellies could be spread on piece of great crusty bread for breakfast or dressed up to serve as an appetizer.  Enjoy!

She Said...

Sticking with my fresh cheese kick for spring I ordered a classic California original.  Teleme (TELL-uh-me) was first made by Greek immigrant Serafino lacono in Northern California because he and the other Greeks were missing their native Touloumi Goat Cheese.  Many companies have made Teleme cheese but the most notable is the Peluso family.  Third generation Telume cheesemaker Franklin Peluso still makes Teleme cheese the way his grandfather did and he has now created a washed-rind version.  Telume comes in a square block.  It is made of cow's milk and it's most notable feature is that it is lightly dusted with rice flour.  It is only aged for one week so it has a very fresh clean taste.  In San Francisco's North Beach you can often find it on a sourdough baguette with Italian Salami.  The tangy flavor and creamy texture make this cheese a great base to go with fruit, preserves, honey, and pickled vegetables.  We have so few artisanal cheeses that are this old in this country, the ones that stick are incredibly delicious and worth bringing to the forefront.  Come in and try it!  

This Just In 

Cheeses: 
Dancing Fern "Reblochon Style"
Prairie Breeze Cheddar 
Teleme 
Boorenkaas Gouda
Cypress Grove Flavored Chevre 
-Psychidillic
-Ms. Natural
-Purple Haze
-Sg. Pepper  
Rogue Smokey Blue 
Lamb Chopper 

Meat: 
Olli Salami Molisana  

Wine: 
Faust Riesling 
Scarpetta Barbera 
Scarpetta Brut Rose 
Ballentine Cabernet Sauvignon 
Eric Montintin Sancerre 
Left Coast Cali's Cuvee 
Eyrie Pinot Noir 
Arizona Lady American White 
Arizona Lady American Red 
Flying Leap Graciano 
Flying Leap Grenache 

Other Goodies: 
Peanut Butter Truffle Pig Bars 
Farro Penne Pasta
Farro Spaghetti
HOB Strawberry Balsamic Jelly 
HOB White Balsamic Jelly 

Angel's Duck Salami and Springtime Cheese!

He Said...
Angel's Duck Salumi is back and we could not be happier. Duck meat is one of my greatest cravings and I love it in salami. Angel's Salumi is a company founded by Pascel Besset, a chef who learned many of his charcuterie techniques in the South of France.  Coming from a behind the scenes wholesale position in Los Angelos he now produces small batch charcuterie for his company Angel's Salumi.  His charcuterie is free of artificial ingredients, coloring and preservatives and is dry cured fermented with red wine and black peppercorns before being aged for 2 months. What I love about the salami is that it maintains the tender and almost creamy nature of duck meat. I know we currently have one opened to sample so if you love duck like I do come in for a taste. Enjoy!

She Said...

Spring is here!  We have flowers in bloom, sunny days, cool nights, and lots of dairy farms full of babies!  I was lucky enough to take a trip last Monday to Crow's Dairy to check out all of their baby goats.  A big THANK YOU to Rhonda and Wendell for welcoming my family on your busy working farm!  Some of our favorite local goat cheese dairies are short on cheese this time of year because the milk is going to an abundance of new kids.  If you don't see their cheese here or at the farmers markets just be patient.  The kids will be eating adult food soon and the milk can go to cheese again.  Visiting the farm to see all of the adorable goats is a great reminder that there are animals and people working very hard to put food in our shop and on our own table.  I am happy to have certain cheeses in short supply knowing that it means mother nature was involved in my food.  In the meantime, we have a few fresh cheeses that might satisfy your fresh cheese cravings.  Gina's Burrata made from milk from Straus Dairy is always great this time of year with a drizzle of olive oil and salt over a bed of greens or tomato.  Rainbow Valley's flavored farmer's cheeses make a great spread on a cracker for a snack.  We especially love the Dill & Red Onion Farmer's Cheese. We have Robiola Tre Latte from Italy that is made with Goat, Sheep, and Cow's milk.  It has a cheesecake texture with a little tang from the goat's milk, a little sweetness from the sheep's milk, and a fresh lactic flavor from the cow's milk.  If you are a fan of the stronger leaf wrapped goat cheeses you might like the O'bannon, which is fresh goat cheese tucked into chestnut leaves that have been soaked in Kentucky bourbon.  These are all great with the fresh fruit and citrus that tastes so good this time of year.  Enjoy Spring and Happy Easter! 

This Just In 

Cheeses: 
Nettle Meadow Kunik
Rogue River Blue 

Meat: 
Olli Salami Molisana  

Wine: 
Hedges Red Mountain Syrah 
F1 Orin Swift 
Ladera Cabernet Sauvignon 
Castillo Perelada Brut Cava 
Castillo Perelada 3 Fincas 
Number Nine Tempranillo 
Ballentine Cabernet Sauv.
Eyrie Pinot Gris 
Bandwagon Chardonnay

Other Goodies: 
Edward Wohl Cutting Boards 
Belinda's Pickles 

Featuring Ghost Pepper Salt and Bay Blue Cheese!

He Said...
In anticipation of our Salt Slab Cooking Class we are having this evening I wanted to feature a fun sea salt we sell called Ghost Pepper salt. This salt is for lovers of hot spice only. Those of mild palette need not apply. This is your warning. This salt is a fusion of unrefined Mexican sea salt with a pepper from India called Ghost Pepper or Naga Jolokia. By many accounts this is the hottest chili in the world. The Scoville Heat Scale is a useful scale when speaking of the heat properties of peppers. The higher the units a particular pepper has the spicier it is. A Jalapeno pepper for example is given a range of 3,500-4,500 Scoville Heat scale units. In comparison India's Ghost Pepper sits at 1,000,000 heat units. What! I would hate to even touch one of these bad boys. So, what to do with a salt this hot? Depends on how creative you can get. It is wonderful to use it as a finishing salt, meaning adding it after the food has been cooked. This salt, however, would also be quite interesting to bake with, adding a little spice to bread or brownies. . I would love this salt on a cheese burger where the cheese can temper some of the spice of the salt but still give you that great heat sensation. Perfect for fajitias and chili and anywhere you want to spice things up. Come on in and ask for a taste to see if you can add this salt to your repertoire. Enjoy!

She Said...

We have a real treat for blue cheese lovers this week!  The newly released Bay Blue from Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company is here for you to enjoy.  Point Reyes is most famous for their Original Blue cheese which the Giacomini family has been making for 12 years in Point Reyes California.  The family roots are from Northern Italy and Italian cheesemaking was an inspiration for both the Original Blue and Toma cheese.  All of their milk comes from their own herds of cows.  Their new Bay Blue is inspired by English Stilton because of the way it is aged in open air with a natural rind.  The Original Blue is aged in a sealed bag.  The result is a very unique very delicious buttery blue that is spicy but not as sharp as Stilton.  Bay Blue has already won a Good Food Award and I have no doubt it will place well in the upcoming American Cheese Society Competition in August.  Right now the supply is still limited so we are lucky to have gotten a wheel.  Grab some local honey, a Tawny Port or Sherry, and a chunk of Bay Blue this weekend!

This Just In 

Cheeses: 
Cypress Grove Flavored Chevre Disks 
Laura Chenel Chevre Logs 
Ricotta di Brigante (Sheep's Milk Ricotta)
Mizithra 
Beemster XO 
Humboldt Fog 
Big John's Cajun Rubbed Cheddar 
Gubbeen 
Marisa 

Meat: 
Pepper Bacon 

Wine: 
Trios 
Ballentine Petite Sirah 
Beckman Cuvee Le Bec 
The Ned Sauvignon Blanc 
The Ned Pinot Gris 
Fleur Pinot Noir 
Sexual Chocolate 

Other Goodies: 
Hagensborg Chocolate 
Tracy Dempsy Bacon Brittle

Celebrate Saint Patrick's Day with Wedge & Bottle!

He Said...
It's finally here, the annual Wedge & Bottle Irish Cheese Plate! To accompany our favorite plate of the year we have put together a beer list of some incredible stouts to be enjoyed here or taken home. Our lightest stout is Grand Canyon's Coffee Bean Stout. This is a new beer in Grand Canyon's Flavor Bomb series. It comes in 22oz size, so it's perfect for sharing, and is a great example of a coffee stout that you can drink and enjoy during the sweltering Arizona summer. Next in line is an old favorite, Left Hand Brewery's Nitro Stout. Nitro is a milk stout out of Colorado. A milk stout is born with the addition of lactose sugar that gives it its signature sweetness, low bitterness, and creamy milk chocolate flavor. From there we move to Anderson Valley Brewery's Oatmeal Stout. The addition of oats gives this stout added complexity and a silky mouthfeel. It is a welcome new addition to Wedge & Bottle. If you have a desire to go deeper into beer infested waters then the next three Imperial Stouts will be your guide. The story goes that Peter the Great of Russia loved English Porters, but the long distance that the beer needed to travel tended to erode the beer. In order to successfully make the trip the English added hops to be used as a preservative as well as higher alcohol. Problem solved. These beers tend to be big and bold with dark chocolate and espresso flavors and aromas. One of my favorites of this particular style is Great Divide Brewery's Yeti. Trust me folks this is a beast to behold. Following the Yeti is a true stout classic, North Coast Brewery's Rasputin Imperial Stout. Last but certainly not least is part of Leinkugel's Big Eddy Craft Series. This is their Big Eddy Imperial Stout and is made from 11 different malts infusing the beer with strong flavors of espresso, mocha, toffee, and molasses. So, when it comes to St. Paddy's Day go big or go home. Enjoy!

She Said...

Last year our Irish Cheese Plate on Saint Patty's Day was the first of many theme cheese plate weekends!  It was so successful and fun that we now try to do a theme plate every month.  We are really excited for this year because we were able to get some cheeses not available to us last year and bring back some familiar favorites.  The first cheese on the plate is St. Pat from Cowgirl Creamery.  This is a creamy soft ripened cow's milk cheese from California covered in nettles.  The nettles impart a tasty smokey artichoke flavor.  It is the only cheese on the plate not from Ireland but it is so festive we had to include it.  Then we have two cheeses from Neal's Yard Dairy, Ardrahan and Coolea.  Coolea is a Farmer's Gouda style cheese from County Cork Ireland inspired by trips to Holland.  It has a sweet caramel flavor and a creamy texture with a touch of sharpness.  Ardrahan is also from County Cork and is a washed rind cheese.  Washed rind cheeses are perfect for the damp maritime Irish climate.  It is pungent and salty and oh so creamy!  The flavors are both buttery and meaty.  The fourth cheese is Cahill's Whiskey Cheddar from County Limerick Ireland.  It is a mild cheddar infused with Kibbeggan Irish Whiskey which comes through in the finish of the cheese.  The last cheese is Cashel Blue from Tipperary Ireland.  This mild and super creamy blue is a customer favorite at Wedge & Bottle.  We will be serving the cheeses with Irish Soda Bread made by Something Sweet Bakery, sour pickles, and cranberry chutney.  We will have the plates packed up to go and you can also enjoy them on a cheese plate at the shop.  Come in and enjoy a taste of Ireland's beautiful green pastures with cheese!  Happy Saint Patrick's Day! 

This Just In 

Cheeses: 
Point Reyes Bay Blue 
Coolea 
Ardrahan 
Robiola Rocchetta Tre Latte 
Eiger Mountain Gouda 
St. Pat 
O'Bannon 
Mt. Tam 
Reading Raclette 
Midnight Moon 
Saint Angel 
Cahill's Porter Cheese 
Fiore Di Capra 
-Jalapeno Marinated Chevre 
-Artichoke Sweet Pepper Chevre 
-Pyramid-Ash Coated Aged Chevre

Meat: 
Chorizo Cantimpalo 
Jamon Serrano 
Tender Belly Cherry Smoked Bacon 
 
Wine: 
Saint-Hilaire 
Cotes du Rhone Blanc 
Elio Perrone Moscato di Asti 
Zarpara Origin Red Blend 
Zarpara Lozano Red Blend 
Zarpara Rosado 
Zarpara Verdelho 

Beer: 
North Coast Scrimshaw 
Great Divide Collette 
Great Divide Yeti
Great Divide Nomad 
Fox Barrel Blackberry Cider
Left Hand Milk Stout 
Anderson Vallen Oatmeal Porter 

Other Goodies: 
Mama Lil's Sweet Peppers 
Rustic Bakery Crackers 
Fiore Di Capra Vanilla Sea Salt Caramel 
Glutino Table Crackers 
Nonna's Arrabiata Sauce
Nonna's Puttanescea Sauce
Nonna's Sugo Sauce 

Support Arizona Producers this Weekend!

He Said...
We are having some exciting events at Wedge & Bottle this weekend! On Sunday we are welcoming Rhona Macmillan and Mark Jorve, the owners of Zarpara Vineyard, who will be pouring 4 of their Arizona crafted wines here at the shop. Rhona and Mark first came into our shop and let us taste some of their wine. Krista and I immediately knew we had to do a tasting here at the shop. These are great food wines and complement the wonderfully warm weather we experience here in Phoenix. We are excited and proud to be able to bring their wines into our shop and share them with our growing number of friends. This is going to be a fun tasting and a great way to support some passionate Arizona wine makers. The event is from 1-4 this Sunday the 10th. As typical, it is five dollars to taste four wines and that five dollars can be put towards a bottle if you choose to bring some of this amazing juice home. Enjoy!

She Said...

Troy and I love to support local Arizona products but there is a catch, the product has to taste good in order for us to bring it in our shop.  Arizona Bitters Lab's small batch hand-crafted bitters far exceed our standards of taste and quality. If you don't know what bitters are, cocktail bitters are a concentrated alcoholic extract of fruit, botanicals, or herbs that have a multitude of uses. Husband and Wife Bill and Lillian were inspired by pairing cocktails with food.  They started experimenting with making their own bitters.  After getting great feedback from family, friends, and local bartenders they decided to share their Mason Jar experiments with everyone and AZ Bitters Lab was born.  They have two flavors, Figgy Pudding and Mas Mole.  The bitters are wonderful in cocktails and there are many recipes on thewww.azbitterslab.comwebsite.  At Lillian's suggestion I put a drop or two of the Figgy Pudding in my coffee and it was awesome! It amazes me that such a small drop of the bitters can bring so much flavor.  This Saturday from 1-3pm AZ Bitters Lab will be demonstrating how to make some beer and champagne cocktails with their Figgy Pudding and Mas Mole Bitters.  I really hope you don't miss the opportunity to support a local hand-crafted product, meet Bill and Lillian, and sample how great these bitters are for yourself!  

This Just In 

Cheeses: 
Prima Donna Gouda 
Mt. Vikos Halloumi 
Cahill's Whiskey Cheddar 
Garrotxa 

Meat: 
Angel's Duck Salami
 
Wine: 
Sivas Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon 
Scarpetta Pinot Grigio
Faust Kabinett Riesling 
Alberti 154 Malbec 
Stellar Shiraz 
Cotes du Rhone Blanc 

Other Goodies: 
Fentiman's Curiosity Cola 
Raincoast Crisps Gluten Free
Grizzly Peach Mango Jam 
Grizzly Pluots Jam 

Featuring Great Wines that love Cheese!

He Said...

I was thinking this week that it has been quite awhile since wine has received its due in this official record of my meandering thoughts. It just so happens, however, Krista was thinking the same thing (very smart lady indeed). So, this week we are focused on exposing some wines that we feel deserve some greater recognition. This week Krista represented the high minded crowd with her choice of Pinot Noir from California . I on the other hand will be shining a light on a 2 easy drinkers from regions of France and Italy. The first wine is a white wine from Cote de Duras (koht duh doo-RAH) east and just outside of Bordeaux. The wine is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. It is a creation by Nadia Lusseau, one of a generation of young female wine makers in France. Nadia Lusseau has been farming organically since 2005 and she is currently working on receiving her organic certification. What I love about this wine is its floral and peach aromas backed with balanced acidity and a pronounced minerality that I crave in my whites. Moreover, these qualities make it fantastic with food. The next stop is a red blend from Italy. This young red is from the Langhe DOC (LAHN-gyah) in the Piedmont region of Italy. It is the Rosso del Popolo or "wine of the people". The wine was created by Eugenio Bocchino who utilizes Nebbiolo and Barbera grapes from his own vineyards and blends it with Dolcetto from a neighbor. This is a great everyday drinking wine with a price to match. The wine is bright, lively, with light tannins and the winery is working on receiving its biodynamic certification. It loves to be paired with cheese, olives, or simply some olive oil and bread. Both wines are great when you want something unique but want to avoid paying a heavy finders fee. Enjoy!

She Said...

Thank you to those who came to our Wine Tasting with Orangewood Wines last weekend!  For those of you who missed it, I want to feature one of the wines that really stood out.  I am a big fan of Pinot Noir and while I love most of them I am usually pretty biased towards Pinot Noir from the Pacific Northwest and France.  I love their silky texture and spicy finish and the fact that Pinot Noir goes so well with sheep's milk cheeses.  Sometimes the California style Pinot Noir wines can be little to fruity and big for my taste. Riverbench 2010 Estate Pinot Noir from Santa Maria Valley California is definitely an exception.  The vineyard was established in 1973 and Riverbench quickly became known for quality Burgundian varietals.  They have been making wine since 2004.  The 2010 Pinot Noir harvest was made up of very small berries with plenty of hang time resulting in a full bodied Pinot Noir.  Up front you get a major strawberry aroma and taste with a subtle smoke and clove finish.   This is a great wine to sip on all on it's own but I recommend it with any of our hard sheep's milk cheeses and a few slices of speck.  Come in and try a bottle with a cheese and meat plate this week! 

This Just In 

Cheeses: 
Kunik
Manchego Gran Valle 
Saint Angel 
Beemster Vlaskaas 
Roaring 40's Blue 
Mt. Tam 
Humboldt Fog 
Hoja Santa 
Barely Buzzed 

Meat: 
Fra'Mani Salami Toscano
Duck Rillette 

Wine: 
Peter Franus Zinfandel
Brion Cabernet Sauvignon 
Fleur Pinot Noir 
Malm Pinot Noir 

Other Goodies: 
3 Seed Urban Oven Crackers
Cheddar Chive Crackers 
Black Truffle Salt
Spanish Rosemary Salt
Ghost Pepper Salt 
Round Himalayan Salt Slab 
W&B Large Cheese Boxes 

Smoking Goose, Beer & Cheese!

He Said...
It has been a privilege in  partnering with Smoking Goose Meatery in bring their mouth-watering piggy delights from Indianapolis to our customers here in Arizona. They recently sent us some background information concerning their philosophy on what they do (and they do it well) that I felt was interesting to share with all of you. Here it is.

"At Smoking Goose, they believe real meat has a tale…and it’s a delicious story we’re proud to tell.
The tale begins when Chris Eley and his wife Mollie opened their USDA-inspected meat locker in 2011. Smoking Goose handcrafts dry-cured and smoked meats on a massively meat scale from the recipes that the couple developed at their full-service butcher shop  that’s been lauded in the New York Times, Food & Wine, and Bon Appétit. Working by hand (with quick breaks to feed the smoker), the Smoking Goose team tells their tale with over 40 cured and smoked meats including Dodge City, Sopressata, Saucisson Rouge, Delaware Fireballs, Gin & Juice, and Stagberry.
The plot thickens since Smoking Goose only works with independent Midwestern farmers who care as much about their animals and their land as these butchers care about the dinner on our table. With old-school techniques like seam butchering each animal, hand tying every piece, and curing without additional compound nitrates, the patient and time-honored traditions of these local farms continue deliciously at Smoking Goose.
Naturally, the story goes from barn to butcher to (our) bellies since only all-natural ingredients flavor the humanely raised, well-marbled breeds going straight from the farm to Smoking Goose.  Smoking wood from local orchards smolders under plump sausages linked in real, natural casings to lace sweet and smoky flavors over the rich spice of organic sage, espelette pepper, ginger, mace, and…hungry yet? Wedge and Bottle is proud to be part of this tale, too! Working with Smoking Goose to provide our customers with delicious, handcrafted, all-natural protein provisions means we can all dine happily ever after."

She Said...

BEER & CHEESE!  February has really been a month full of beer and cheese pairings for Wedge & Bottle.  We started with our Jolly Pumpkin event the beginning of the month, World of Beer Belgian Beer & Cheese Pairing last Tuesday, and are wrapping up the end of AZ beer week with our $7.00 beer & cheese pairings at the shop this Saturday.  While some beers are harder to pair than others we feel confident we can find a cheese friend in our case for your beer.  The beers that we are pairing up this Saturday are Leinenkugal Wee Heavy Scotch Ale, Hebrew Lenny's Bittersweet IPA, Monk's Cafe Flemish Sour, Left Hand Milk Stout, and while not technically beer, Crispin Brownslane Cider. We have paired each beer with 1/8 pound of cheese and crackers. We try to start with classic cheese pairings but we have found that usually the cheese we think we will pair with a beer is okay and the cheese that is the best is unexpected.  The big winning cheese that has paired well with many types of beers this month is Fenacho from Tumalo Farms in Oregon.  This goat's milk gouda with fenugreek seeds has paired well with beers in all three pairing events this month.  Something about the creamy texture and butterscotch and caramel flavors can hold up to hops and bring out subtleties of malts.  We are pairing it with the Leinenkugal Wee Heavy Scotch Ale this weekend.  Come in and try it!  

This Just In 

Cheeses: 
Black Mesa Ranch -
Fresh Goat Cheese Log 
Fresh Chipotle Goat Cheese Log
Gina's Burrata 
Rainbow Valley Butters & Farmer's Cheese 
Fourme D'Ambert
Mimolette 
Abondance 
Grand Cru Gruyere Surchoix 

Meat: 
La Quercia Speck Americano 
Leoncini Mortadella 
Prosciutto di Parma

Wine: 
F1 Orin Swift 
Sivas Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon 
Sussingo Toscana 
Riverbench Pinot Noir 
Andrieux & Fils Cotes de Provence 
Victor Hugo Rose
David Girard Rose 
For a Song "Melody" 
Tres Sabores 
La Coquille D'Oc Blanc 
Haute Lavigne Blanc 
Bibich Debit 
Bocchino Cantine del Indi 
Novelty Hill Royal Slope White 
Cotes du Rhone Blanc 

Beer: 
Zunft Kolsch 

Other Goodies: 
Effie's Oatcakes 
Effie's Nutcakes
Effie's Sunflower and Sesame Crackers
Effie's Sea Salt and Lavender Crackers 
Dick Taylor Chocolate 
-Dominican 
-Madagascar
-Black Fig 

Happy Valentines Day!

He Said...
All right truffle lovers we just got in a new cheese and it is just in time for Valentine's Day. The cheese is a semi-soft raw cows milk cheese made in Veneto, Italy called Sottocenere al Tarufo. Sotocenere translates to "under ash," which speaks to how this cheese is made. The exterior of this cheese is a steel gray color that was quite stunning when we first unwrapped it. The color comes from a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander, fennel, anise, clove, truffle oil, and ash that is rubbed onto the rind as the cheese ages. I felt for sure that this process and the strong aroma would give the cheese a powerful pungent truffle taste. Fortunately, for me, it had a suprisingly mellow truffle taste with a smooth and creamy texture that gave it balance. Many truffle cheeses are one-note, that being dominated by the truffle, but the truffle in this cheese came across as an accent or partner to the overall taste. This cheese is great on its own or added to dishes to get the truffle taste without the truffle price. Happy St. Valentines Day and enjoy!

She Said...

Liz and I had way to much fun coming up with the cheese & chocolate pairings for the Valentines Day Cheese Plate we are offering today.  We have certainly had our share of cheese and chocolate but did not realize just how well it worked until we tried a few different chocolates with a few different cheeses.  You might be thinking that Cheese and Chocolate is an odd combination but like wine, Chocolate has tannins and the acidity works really well with the creamy fat components of cheese.  Sweet and savory are also always a fun flavor combination.  We don't think twice about pairing honey or fruit jam with cheese.  Our chocolate and cheese pairing box has four pairings that we are really excited about.  The first is a dark chocolate truffle filled with Brie de Meaux and rolled in pistachios made custom for us by Treat Desserts.  The second is a milk chocolate truffle paired with Lamb Chopper.  We found that milk chocolate was the hardest to pair because it is so sweet.  Lamb Chopper is a complimentary pairing with the milk chocolate because it is already inherently sweet and creamy.  The third pairing is Barely Buzzed Cheddar with Askinosie 70% Dark Chocolate from Ecuador.  The sharp cheddar and tannins in the chocolate mellow each other out leaving the espresso and lavender flavors on the cheese's rind to flourish.  The last pairing was with Poco Dolce's Aztec Chile Bittersweet Chocolate Tile and Roquefort.  This was another complimentary pairing of spicy chile and spicy blue cheese.  We hope you love these pairings as much as we do! 

This Just In 

Cheeses: 
Sottocenere
Cabot Clothbound Cheddar
Manchego 12 months 
Widmer 10 Year Cheddar
Point Reyes Blue 
Beemster XO 
Rainbow Valley Farmer's Cheese & Butters 

Meat: 
Tenderbelly Bacon 

Wine: 
Scarpetta Barbera 
Perrin Cotes du Rhone 
Bieler et Fils Rose 
Copain Tous Ensemble 
Ballentine Cabernet 

Beer: 
Jolly Pumpkin La Parcela 
Jolly Pumpkin Calabaza Blanca
Panil Barriquee Sour Red Ale 

Other Goodies: 
Dr. Brown's Diet Cream Soda 
Poco Dolce Chocolate Bars 
Rainbow Valley Tapenades 

Jolly Pumpkin Beer & Cheese Flight Tonight! New Cheeses from Black Sheep Creamery!

He Said...
I just wanted to give everyone a heads up on a special beer event we are having tonight. We are pouring 5 beers created by the amazing people at Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales out of Dexter, Michigan. This brewery is the brainchild of Ron Jeffries who committed himself to opening the first 100% oak-aged sour brewery in the United States. An innovative and brave man indeed. He was defiant in his passion of creating a brew he believed in and was at the forefront of the sour beer movement that is gaining greater appreciation in the United States. All of the Jolly Pumpkin brews are aged in oak, which lends depth and nuance of flavor. They are unfiltered, unpasteurized, and bottle-conditioned (so open over a sink). The oak aging is a commitment given the storage space needed and the time to age. On a recent beer list entitled The United States of Beer, Jolly Pumpkin's La Roja represented the state of Michigan. We will be pouring the La Roja tonight. It needs to be said, however, that all of the Jolly Pumpkin beers have a range of sourness to them. This was one of the more challenging beer and cheese pairing we have done but the cheeses we decided on makes this event truly memorable. So, if you are the adventurous type and are open to a multitude of flavors from beer and cheese this event is for you. You can come anytime between 5:30-7:30. To just taste the beers it is $9.00 per person. If you would like the flight of cheeses that go with them it is an additional $12.00. Enjoy!

She Said...

So if you haven't already guessed it, I am a huge fan of sheep's milk cheeses!  We just got in 3 new cheeses from Black Sheep Creamery in Adna, Washington that brings me wonderful feelings of cheese love and happiness!  Black Sheep Creamery is a family farm owned by Meg and Brad Gregory.  They started raising sheep because their son had trouble digesting cow's milk.  They quickly went from 3 sheep to 80 and became fantastic cheesemakers in the process.  Their sheep graze on pasture as much as weather permits and are free of hormones and routine antibiotics.  They currently make cheese from their own milk and Tin Willows Farm in Oregon.  We have three of their cheeses in the shop currently and I am hoping our customers like these as much as I do so we can bring in more!  The Tin Willow Tomme is made from the milk in Oregon which brings some grass and sage flavors that are different from the others.  The Aged Pecorino has a smooth dense texture with a nutty and slight sharp flavor.  The St. Helens which was a first place winner at the American Cheese Society Conference last summer is nutty and sweet like the others but also has a wonderful sheepy funk to it caused by a gently washed rind.   They all go really well with Mediterranean inspired accompaniments like olives, nuts, and pickled vegetables.  We have found that Pinot Noir goes really well with these types of Sheep's Milk cheeses.  So, if you are ready to move on from Manchego, check out these new cheeses!  I will also mention that Black Sheep Creamery also sells beautiful wool yarns for any of you who are crafty.  They are available on their website blacksheepcreamery.com. 

This Just In 

Cheeses: 
Black Sheep Creamery
-St. Helens
-Tin Willow Tomme
-Aged Pecorino 
Red Hawk
Mt. Tam 
Carmody 

Meat: 
Smoking Goose 
-Dodge City 
-Sopressata 

Wine: 
Castillo Perelada 5 Fincas 
Pezat Bordeaux Superior 

Beer: 
Grand Canyon Coffee Bean Porter 

Other Goodies: 
Sonoran Root Beer 
Askinosie Chocolate 
-Tenende 72% 
-Davao Dark Milk 
-San Jose Del Tambo 
Woodblock Chocolate 
-70% Madagascar Chocolate
-Salt Chocolate
-Salt and Nibs Chocolate 
Chardonnay Brittle 
Fiery Beer Brittle 

Lot's of events coming this weekend!

He Said...
We are attempting something new this weekend and we are excited to see how it goes. This Saturday we are making a Raclette dish from 1-4pm or until we run out of potatoes. Raclette is both a popular Alpine cheese and a warm and melty cheese dish. Raclette, the dish, can be made with raclette cheese or any other alpine style cheese that has the proper moisture content to melt cleanly without a lot of oily residue. Raclette has been made for more than 700 years. It originated when Shepherds and farmers placed a wedge of raclette cheese close to the hearth or campsite and once it got all warm and drippy they would scrape it onto potatoes, pickles, and whatever else they had available. We will be serving our Raclette cheese over potatoes, cornichon pickles, and some Bresaola (cured beef). The Raclette Cheese we are using however, is made right here in the United States. It was one of Krista and my goals at the American Cheese Conference this past summer to find an amazing domestic Raclette cheese. We found it! We will be proudly using Reading Raclette from Spring Brook Farm. With the help of a French consultant these amazing cheesemakers created this alpine style cheese right in Vermont. Moreover, all of the profits from selling this cheese go to a foundation they created called Farm to City Kids where they take inner city children to their operational farm to experience first hand where their food comes from. Reading raclette is made with traditional methods and raw milk from pasture fed cows. Don't miss a taste of this Alpine treat! Enjoy!

She Said...

First off, I have a correction to make on last week's post, Julianna is made by Capriole in Indiana not Kentucky.  I got the part about being near Louisville right but the state wrong!  Second, it's Super Bowl Sunday this weekend!  I admit am not a big football fan but I love any holiday with cheese involved!   Whether you are more excited about watching the actual game or Beyonce at halftime our $20 cheese plate available Saturday and Sunday is one that you won't want to miss out on!  It includes fresh white Cheddar cheese curds for the Wisconsin transplants.  They are made in Tempe, AZ by Wisconsinites. We also have a special spreadable pimento cheese house-made by Troy, taste tested by Liz and myself.   Next, two white cheddar cheeses from Beehive Cheese Company in Utah, Barely Buzzed and Big John's Cajun Rubbed Cheddar.  Barely Buzzed is rubbed with lavender and espresso grounds and Big John's is rubbed with spicy cajun seasoning.  Finally we have Hook's 5 year Cheddar made by Cheddar experts in Mineral Point, Wisconsin.  Their 30 years of experience produce a sharp yet super creamy American style Cheddar, which is perfect for the game.  To go along with the cheeses we have Rustic Bakery Crackers, Marcona Almonds, and locally made Spicy Carrot Jam from Grizzly Foods.  We are also happy to put it all on a plate to enjoy here at the shop!  

This Just In 

Cheeses: 
Gina's Burrata 
Big John's Cajun Rubbed Cheddar 
Seascape 

Meat: 
Salami Toscano 
Alexian Wild Mushroom Pate 

Wine: 
Sand Reckoner Malvasia 2011 
Faust Gretchen Spatlese 
Faust Kabinett 
Beckmen "Le Bec Blanc" 
'Reverse Six' Red Blend 
Castillo Perelada 5 Fincas 
Matsu El Recio
Vidigal Dao 
The Ned Pinot Gris 
Field Recordings Neverland 
Sexual Chocolate 
Moscato D'Asti "Strev" 

Beer: 
Joseph James Fox Tail Pale Ale (Gluten Free) 

Other Goodies: 
Fentiman's Shandy  
Spicy Carrot Jam 

Featuring Sour Puss Pickles and Capriole Julianna Cheese!

He Said...
I want to introduce Sour Puss Pickles! We just received our shipment from this small batch pickling company on the East coast. The company is based out of Brooklyn and they have won two Good Food Awards. These awards recognize food companies that produce amazing sustainable foods. I am a newbie to pickling, having only done a few batches of my own, so I was excited to try these new pickled delights. We have brought in their Kirby Spears, spicy wax beans, and roasted beets. The pickled cucumbers have a great balance of sour and sweet with a little salt and a little zest. Spices such as fennel seed and allspice are used to give it that something unique and special. The Spicy wax beans are crisp with a nice balanced spice provided by Fenugreek seeds.  The result is a fresh and earthy taste. The Roasted beets include fresh thyme, ginger, juniper, cinnamon, and star anise. They are flavorful without being overbearing. These are great on their own or you can get creative with an antipasti dish. Just don't forget the cheese. Enjoy!

She Said...

This week I want to feature a previous Culture Magazine centerfold!  Julianna is from Capriole, Kentucky (near Louisville).  Capriole is owned by the Schad family who started off lovingly raising milking goats.  Today they are so busy with making amazing cheese, other farmers are raising and loving on their mischievous goats.  Julianna is a great example of why we love American made cheese!  It is named after an intern who helped create the cheese.  The intern Julianna now works for Neal's Yard Dairy in London.  Julianna cheese is a soft-ripened (bloomy rind) sprinkled with Herbs de Provence and Pepper.  The texture is semi-firm and the flavor is of course herbal but you get a lot of buttery, nutty, mushroomy undertones as well.  For such a small cheese there is a lot of complexity and it makes a nice compliment to a crisp white wine or a wheat beer.  A little goes a long way so it makes a perfect snack for one or a good addition to any cheese plate.  Come in and try it! 

This Just In 

Cheeses: 
Nettle Meadow Kunik 
Humboldt Fog 
Barber's Cheddar 
Mt. Tam
Purple Haze 
Red Hawk
Capriole Juliana 
Marin Petit Creme 
Nuvola di Pecora 
Bayley Hazen Blue 
VBC Cremont
Cabecou Feuille
Cabot Clothbound Cheddar 

Meat: 
Smoking Goose Stagberry
Smoking Goose Saucisson Rouge 

Wine: 
Field Recordings Fiction White Blend and Cabernet Blend 
Diamond Ridge Petit Sirah 
Sexual Chocolate 

BEER: 
Bell's Hopslam 

Other Goodies: 
Rustic Bakers Olive Oil & Sea Salt Crackers 
Sour Puss Spicy Wax Beans, Roasted Beets, and Kirby Spears 

Featuring Olympic Provisions and Pecorino Romano!

He Said...

Olympic Provisions salami is back! I am excited to announce that last week we got in a shipment from one of our favorite salami geeks, Olympic Provisions. These pork enthusiasts are based out of Portland, Oregon and their salami is the real deal. You can tell by the fresh pork flavor that comes through their salami. Their salamis are crafted of pork from the Northwest and are inspired by regional flavors found in France, Spain, Italy, and Greece. The salamis are made old world and old school.  They butcher their pork until it's 100% lean then add hand-cut fatback to get the flavor profile they desire. The garlic used is freshly chopped and the spices are ground in-house on a daily basis. All of this care helps create a salami worth geeking out over. We have brought in 3 different types of salamis, one French inspired and two Italian. Olympic Provisions has been honored in both Saveur and Food & Wine Magazine. Great salami is an amazing thing and I love tracking them down. I would also recommend anyone traveling to Portland to check out one of their 2 restaurants.  I was lucky enough to enjoy the experience when we did training there before we opened our shop. I will never forget their side dish of English peas of all things and of course their charcuturie!  Enjoy! 

She Said...

In keeping with the theme of last week's newsletter about the important nutritional benefits of raw milk cheese I thought I would feature an oldie but goodie this week.  The real Pecorino Romano from Southern Italy is made of raw sheep's milk and each wheel weighs 40 lbs.  Pecorino Romano is the most famous grating cheese in Italy and like it's northern competitor Parmigiano Reggiano it has many impostors.  This is why the Italians have given it Denominazione di Origine Controllata (D.O.C.) status to protect the traditional methods and producers.  Pecorino Romano traces back to 100BCE and is said to have been a food ration for the Roman Legions.  It makes perfect sense because cheese is much more stable for traveling than milk, provides healthy fat, protein, and salt to an army always on the move. If you are a fan of big peppery sharp and salty cheeses like I am then this is one you should include on your cheese plate.  For most tastes, a few shavings of this cheese over roasted vegetables or salad is a perfect dose.  It is best to freshly grate Romano (or any cheese) so that the minimal amount of air is exposed to the paste of the cheese before eating it.  When you buy pre-grated cheeses from the grocery store you lose so much of the true flavor of the cheese because it doesn't have a rind to protect it.  This week put some Pecorino Romano over your soups, pastas, risottos, and salads.  A little goes a long way! 

This Just In 

Cheeses: 
Foote Hold Dairy Pepper Jack 
Beemster XO 
Crow's Dairy Chevre & Feta 

Meat: 
Fra'Mani Salami Toscano 
Alexian Wild Forest Mushroom Pate 
Tender Belly Cherry Smoked Bacon 

Wine: 
Ribera del Queiles Number Nine 
Novelty Hill Chardonnay
Pezat Bordeaux Superior 
The Ned Pinot Gris 
David Girard Mourvedre 
Cotes de Provence Rose 

Other Goodies: 
AZ Bitters Lab 
-Figgy Pudding
-Mas Mole 
Fentiman's Victorian Lemonade
RJ's Licorice 

 

New Menu Items! Featuring Mangalista Lardo & Pleasant Ridge Reserve!

New Menu Items! 

Tomato Basil and Carrot Soups  

Brie Sandwich - Brie de Meaux, Mortadella Ham, and Arugula on French Baguette 

Blue Cheese Salad - Point Reyes Blue Cheese, Dried Cranberries, Walnuts, and Mixed Greens, with sides of Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing 

He Said...

I wanted to get back to the true spirit of He Said and talk a little pig. Recently, we brought in Salumeria Biellese's Mangalista Lardo. Lardo is basically fat off a pig that has been seasoned and cured and is a traditional food of the Tuscan region of Italy. Mangalista is the breed of pig. This particular pig is considered a rare breed pig that was originally brought over from Eastern Europe. Mangalista's are wooly pigs that look like they are wearing an ill fitting toupee. What they are treasured for, however, is their fat content. They are known as an extreme lard pig and chefs have discovered the beautiful flavor that comes from these renowned pigs. Unlike the tasteless pigs that exist in much of the United States these are a throwback to a time when pork had flavor. Moreover, Mangalitsa fat is more unsaturated then average pig fat, which leads to a cleaner flavor and lower melting temperature. It is also healthier because of the higher levels of oleic acid in the fat (like that in olive oil). Lardo is traditionally devoured on a hot crostini with walnuts and honey when the fat begins to melt into the bread. It can also be used to jazz up a pizza or I have even seen thin slices draped over ripe pears. Enjoy!

She Said...

About 45% percent of us have made New Years Resolutions for 2013 and most of those Resolutions are to exercise more and eat a healthy diet.  Inspired by Max McCalman's recent interview on Cutting the Curd I thought I would remind you that cheese is not only delicious but also a great source of vitamins, minerals, and protein.  If enjoyed in moderation along with a Mediterranean style diet full of fruits, veggies, and whole grains you get everything you need nutritionally.  Raw milk aged cheeses are especially wonderful for a healthy diet.  As cheeses age, the lactose from the milk breaks down and makes the cheese easier to digest.  This is especially key if your body is lactose intolerant and lacking enzymes to break down milk products.  Raw milk cheeses provide an extra benefit of probiotics which help to let your body know when you are full and also carry a full arsenal of vitamins and minerals that didn't get lost during the pasteurization process.  A wonderful cheese arrived today that has all of these qualities!  Pleasant Ridge Reserve is an aged Alpine style cheese made by Uplands Cheese in Wisconsin.  They use the milk from May to October when the cows are grazing fresh pasture and soaking up all of the wonderful nutrients that give the cheese a golden yellow color.  The flavors of the cheese are nutty and sweet and what I love most about cutting into the wheel is that it has a grassy sweet aroma that I know means a wonderful tasting cheese.  I enjoy it often with an apple as an afternoon snack and sometimes shave it over a salad or soup for dinner.  Come in and try some! 

This Just In 

Cheeses: 
Barely Buzzed Cheddar 
Sole Gran Queso 
Gorgonzola Piccante 
Uplands Pleasant Ridge Reserve 
United Dairyman Cheese Curds 
Brun Uusto Grilling Cheese 

Meat: 
Leoncini Ham Busto 
Salchicon De Vic 
Olympic Provisions Meats 

Wine: 
Novelty Hill Chardonnay 
Novelty Hill Cabernet 
Groundworks Grenache 
Castillo Perelada Muscantini 
Andrew Murray Esperance 
Pezat Bordeaux Superior 

Other Goodies: 
Grizzly Carrot Jam
Raincoast Crisp Original Crackers
Rustic Bakery Rosemary & Olive Oil Crackers