Cheese at the Ritz Carlton Dining Room.

WOW.

I arrived at the Dining Room at around 7:30 to meet Ben Hetzel, the wonderful Cheese Buyer I've had the pleasure to interview. When I told the hostess who I was looking for, she told me that Ben was "busy with some guests" and ushered me into the bar to wait for him. I sat awkwardly at a luxurious chair in the dark, nearly empty bar sipping a glass of water. After five minutes, Ben rushed in excitedly. He was very gracious and asked me if I wanted some cheese to munch on. Of course I said YES, please. I waited another five minutes and started to get antsy, wondering if maybe he had forgotten about me. In another minute, Ben came strolling in with the entire cheese cart. He wheeled it right in front of me, opened it up, and began to, very professionally- I might add, present each cheese. They were so great looking. I found my eyes frantically going back and forth from Ben's enthusiastic face as he described all the details and stories about each cheese he personally selected for the cart and the majestic cheeses themselves. As he went through the cart, a pungent smell began to deepen with every second. I was delighted with the stink!

After having been introduced to each cheese, I was eager to taste some. I was wondering how I would be able to choose one or two when he brightly said, "SO!- Would you like to try a small taste of each of them?!" ALL of them?, I wondered. Oh my goodness! "Well, um...YES", I said, shyly. He cut a nicely sized piece from each cheese. We were both silent, as he cut into each cheese, releasing more pungent smells. Finally, he set down a large platter, artfully filled with a huge variety of cheese, in front of me. It was amazing to see so many varieties on one plate. He then set down another platter with crackers and delicious raisin-apricot bread. He then held up a hand and said he'd be back in a minute. Only a few seconds later, he raced back into the room with two small dishes- one filled with blanched almonds and the other with honey.

I felt really happy, but simultanesouly sheepish. Here I was, being treated like royalty for FREE and all I did was send a few e-mails to this guy! I wondered if it was legal, if it was maybe a trick.

Ben told me to enjoy and raced off back into his job. I couldn't beleive he would do so much, offer me so much of his precious cheeses, while he had absolutely no obligation to do so. I beamed as I solitarily ate my way through a plate of every cheese on the cart while a few nicely dressed ladies sipped their scotch.

I worried that I was making too much noise as a clanged my fork against the plate, scraping off every runny piece of cheese onto my bread.

When ben came back in, I was about halfway through the dish. He smiled at my progress and we made chit chat before he rushed back to the dining room.

When I was done with the cheese, I sat there contentedly.

To my surprise and- I must admit- delight, Ben wheeled in yet another cart. The desert cart! This man is a genius, I thought. how did he know I'm as enthusiastic about sweets as I am about desert. He asked me if I'd like to try every single one again. This time, I had to decline. I picked out 5 of the very best-looking sweets. A couple of minutes later, Ben came in and took me away from my desert to show me the kitchen. We both giggled and agreed that it's great fun to see the inside of a fancy kitchen. He showed me a small set of two fridges, not even temperature-controlled. Only a few cheeses were in there. He explaiend that he buys cheese regularly enough that he only keeps enough in there to last about a week.

I thanked him profusely and stumbled back to my desert. I finished and then walked out of the Ritz a very, very happy girl.

The cheeses I enjoyed, as Ben has so kindly informed me due to my forgetfullness, WERE:

Soft Ripened cow's milk:
St. Pat- cowgirl creamery with nettles
Pave d' affinois - France, double cream
Fleur de teche - Gonzales, LA, triple cream

Firm, cow's milk:
Comte- France #1
Ubriaco - Drunk cheese, veneto, Italy
Montgomery's Cheddar - Somerset, England

Goat's Milk:
Tome de Recollets- Goat's and Cow's milk with herbs
Le chevrefuielle- Loire valley cone with ash
Hyku- St Helena, Goat's Leap

Sheep's Milk:
Dante- Wisconsin, firm
Everona- Rapidan, VA

Blue:
Rogue River Blue- Bend, OR, Vella Family
Valdeon - Spain

Washed Rind:
Winnemere- Jasper Hill farms, Greeensboro, VT
Munster- Alsace, France

Cheese Plate at CAV

My parents and I enjoyed a delicious meal at CAV Monday evening. I met the chef, Christine, in person. She welcoemd me into the kitchen, where the cheese to be served that night was kept neatly in a small, plastic donut case.
Not instead of desert, but in addition to desert-as is my habit-, I ordered a cheese plate. In honor of my project, I picked out FIVE cheeses for my table, which included 4 people. I picked out the Epoisse- a raw cow's milk cheese from burgundy, france, the Brillat-Savarin, a triple cream Brie-like cheese from Normandy, the Sao Jorge- a Portuguese cheese after which a local cheese called St. jorge is modelled, the Raclette, and the Valencay- an ash-covered raw goat cheese.

Christine served us two extra cheeses on our plate and an extra desert- the strawberry shortcake.

Overwhemlmed with her kindness and the large ammount of iincredible cheese in front of me, I had a giddy, lovely, and STINKY end to my night.

Chat with Colin at the Market

The Farmer's Market on Sat. at the Embarcadero, behind the Ferry Building, is a beautiful, wonderful thing!
There are food stalls from a variety of local restaurants and food companies. My two favorites include Hayes Street Grill, which featurest crab cake samwiches and oyster Poboys and Rose Pistola, which has delicious brioche french toast and a tender pulled pork samwich.

There is produce!

There is CHEESE. There are half a dozen to a dozen stalls selling local artisan cheeses. My personal favorite at this moment is the Redwood Hill Farm stall, since I am a huge fan of their cheese, specifically the CAMELLIA, and because I just visitted their farm!

Colin, who works the cheese stall at the market for Redwood Hill Farm is actually the nephew of Jennifer's, who runs the creamery!, husband. Thus, cheese is in his BLOOD. He grew up with cheesemakers and sellers in his family. His first job out of college was at Cowgirl Creamery! He then worked for a cheese company in London! His career in cheese selling has been booming ever sicne!

Unlike any of the other cheese sellers, buyers, and restauranteurs I have spoken to so far, Colin HAS had experience with cheese on a production level. he has seen cheese made and knows a great deal about the process. In general, he says, you learn about cheese by working with it and being around it for a while and then boom! you know what there is to know. Unlike with wine, in which you can actually get a master's degree after 2 years of reigorous wine studies, cheese has not become much of an academic study, besides a purely scientific one. No, one learns about cheese through practice and action.

Colin think that working with cheese, and speficially selling cheese, is like no other thing in the world. He says this is because there's such a variety, because of the fact that cheese is made ALL YEAR ROUND and that there are constantly changes made to its production during different seasons. The redwood hill farm cheeses, for example, are quit different in the winter than they are in the spring or summer.

Colink LIKES cheese, his job is fun and it is in his family. He even ships redwood hill farm cheese to his grandparents, on the other side of the country, for them to sell at their local farmer's markets.

On the Phone with Christine

Christine is the chef and the boss behind CAV, a relatively new Wine Bar and restaurant. The atmosphere edges upon pretentious, with dim lighting and long tables and "fancy food". Fortunately, this "fancy" food is delicious and beautifully-presented enough that no yuppies can bother me while I am consuming it.



The best thing about CAV, for me, is that while they are a wine bar and have an excellent and widely ranged selection of wines, with many knowledgeable recommendations and suggested "pairings", they also have an INCREDIBLE selection of cheeses and similarly impressive knowledge.

The wait staff is spunky, prepared, and intellgent. The service has always been very good and knowledgeable. And after my conversation with, Christine I know why.

Every morning, Christine conducts a rigorous line-up. The entire Restaurant staff goes over the menu, spending time on any changes made to the wine list, the menu, or the cheese plate. Once they have familiarized and re-familiarized themselves with everything, Christine quizzes them. She quizzes them on ingredients used, good wine recommendations, the background and details about every single cheese.

She says she buys her cheeses through CheeseWorks West (a company I have contacted and plan to talk to next Tues.!), a great local company with a nice staff and excellent cheese selections.

What is unique about Christine's goals concerning her cheese plate is that, unlike many other local restaurants that try to present locally made cheeses, Christine presents very few, if any (there are none on the menu right now) California cheeses, preferring to represent cheeses from around the globe or cheeses from smaller, lesser known farms in order to introduce people to new things and give exposure to unique cheeses. She admits that there are some very good local cheeses but fels that they are being well-represented in all the other restaurants. She sites a few countries in particular, New Zealand, Spain, and of course France, as being where she looks to for a lot of her cheses. She also recalls that she currently has a great Gouda from Ireland!

She says she tries to have about 16 cheeses on the menu at once and to maintain a good balance of different styles of cheeses. She recalls that, since the restaurant opens, she must have had at least 50 different cheeses in circulation on the cheese plate. She likes to have a couple of each of cow, goat, sheep, and mixed milk cheeses as well as representing some raw and some pasteurized, some washed rind, some fresh, and some blue cheeses. She admits that the hardest to sell are the pungent blue and goat cheeses. She tries to have at least two of each of theese, of different, unique, and approachable varieties, at once. She thinks it is important to introduce people to theese kinds of cheeses. She says she sells a lot of riper, stronger cow and sheep's milk cheeses and soft blue and goat cheeses.

I asked Christine if she herself like stinky, pungent cheeses. She said she does, in moderation. She continued to say that, as a chef and food lover, there are VERY few things she will turn down in terms of food. She is willing to taste anything. She also admits that she has stopped having regular meals and instead ends up snacking on restaurant food all day long, including cheese.

Christine said they do not obssess too much about trying to pair wines with cheeses, feeling that the two are really their own thing and that it is a matter of taste. Yet, she feels that what most people say, which is that red wine goes better with cheese than white, is wrong. She thinks white wine goes better with cheese, in general. She thinks soft, triple cream cheeses are best with sparkling wines and that pecorino and similar cheeses are good with red wine.

I asked her if there are any difficulties, as a restaurant with many other things to take care of, with storing the cheese properly. She said that, as it turns out, they store the cheese in the wine cellar and that it works out perfectly because the two require similarly temperature-controlled areas.

In the end, Christine said that her job is fun, although very hard and definitly not for everybody. She loves it because she takes pleasure both in food and in running things and creating things and being in control. She likes to pop out of the kitchen now and then and meat the diners. She said that working with food is quite a lifestyle. She invited me to please stop by the restaurant and let the wait staff know when I'm there so she can "pop" out and meet me.

I am looking forward to meeting her in person and getting tasting the delicious food creations and cheeses of CAV.

Below I will leave you with CAV's cheese menu:

Seal Bay – Tasmania, Australia
Cow’s milk, washed rind, soft texture, triple cream

Brillat-Savarin - Normandy, France
Cow’s milk triple cream, soft ripened white bloomy
rind

Brillo di Treviso - Italy
Cow’s milk, wine wash, semi-firm texture

Sao Jorge – Azores, Portugal
Raw cow’s milk, semi-hard texture

Quebec Vintage Cheddar - Canada
Cow’s milk, semi-hard texture

Vento d’Estate - Treviso, Italy
Cow’s milk, semi-hard texture, aged in straw

Grayson – Virginia, USA
Washed rind raw cow’s milk, semi-soft texture, pasture
grazed

Raclette – Jura, France
Raw cow’s milk, semi-firm texture

Sweet-Grass-“Thomasville-Tomme”-–-
Georgia, USA
Raw.cow’s.milk,.semi-soft-texture

Parmigiano Reggiano - Modena, Italy
Raw organic cow’s milk, hard texture

Cabecou- St. Martin, France -
Goat’s.milk,-soft-texture,.washed.with.plum.-
brandy,-leaf.wrapped

Nevat - Pujol, Spain
Goat’s milk, soft texture

Torta del Casar- Spain
Sheep’s milk, wash rind, soft texture

Manchego - Spain
Raw sheep’s milk, hard texture

Pecorino “Grand Old Man” - Tuscany, Italy
Sheep’s milk, hard texture

A selection of fine artisanal cheeses
Selection of three 16
Selection of five 27
Cheese platter 85

Cowgirl Creamery At the Ferry Building

I walked into the store at 9:10am on Wednessday, which I had been told would be the least-busy time at Cowgirl Creamery and thus the best for me to come in and indulge in a few minutes of the manager's time. It was a beautiful sight, seeing all the artfully arranged cheeses in plain sight, without crowds of tourists glued to the counters.




When I walked in, I felt nervous and dorky. I was unsure if anyone there remembered me as the cheese-o-phile student. I hung around the counter and smiled. Rachel, the manager smiled back and waved me over, "You want to ask em some questions?", she asked.

"Yes!", I said. First I asked her what do you DO on a daily basis, as the store manager, what are your daily goals? She said she had to keep the store going in a number of ways- she had to make sure every cheese was properly taken care of and wrapped up and presented in its place on the counter. There was also a certain ammount that had to be prepared during the day- pre-packaged things, unlike the cheeses which are all cut to the desired size. Then she had to do inventories of various sorts. Ultimately, she has to make sure the store opens, with all the cheeses taken out of storage and arranged on the counter, and closes, with all the cheeses securely stored back in the "walk-in" fridge that is their substitute for a cheese cave. She described the main principle she had to juggle as the store's manager- financial success (or any case, cutting even) and loyalty to the store's goals.

"How would you describe the store's goals or mission?", I asked her.
She said their mission was to promote artisinal cheeses and run a store indifferent to the capitalization and generic-ization of cheese. It's a lot of work to make cheese the traditional way, she said, the work never ends and we want to respect this devotion and hard work. "AND"- I interrupted- "the artisinal cheeses TASTE better!".

In our conversation, Rachel mentioned the Cheese Nun as a documentary that gave a good sense of what is so important and worthwile about traditional, artisan-style cheese-making. She was pleased to hear that I already seen, and been inspired by, the movie! I'll take this time again to encourage anyone with an interest to SEE THE CHEESE NUN!

Then, I began to ask Rachel questions about her personal interest and involvement with cheese. I asked her how se got the position she has as the manager of the store. She responded that she's always loved and worked with food. She had been working as a baker at a local restaurant that bought cheese from Cowgirl Creamery, and thus had contact with them. When she spoke to a cheese seller at Tomales Bay Foods and mentioned she was leaving her job at the restaurant, she was encouraged to apply for a job at the Cowgirl store at the Ferry Building, which needed more people. She applied, got the job, and "the rest is history!", she concluded.

Rachel said she'd always enjoyed cheese. She said part of her interest in cheese is due to her knowledge of the devotion many individuals, families, and companies have towards cheesemaking and even the making of one particular cheese. She loves to see the variety of dligiently and traditionally made cheeses coming out of the area and the world.

Upon asking another staff member at the store what he finds so appealing about cheese, I received a sincerely "deep" answer:
He descirbed that, in a continuingly superficial and capitalistic society of commercialization, it is nice to see something REAL and hand-made that comes from the earth and is naturally flavored by time, and mold, and milk. He laughed as if he had said something silly or embarassing but then smiled confidently and said "I just really like it, you know?"

I was thrilled to find at least two smart, motivated people who shared my fascination of cheese in its authenticity and with its incredibly variety.

I then asked Rachel about something I'd always wondered about: In her experience, is there any communication between the cheese MAKERS, or chees eon a production level, and the cheese SELLERS and marketers, or cheese in the market? She said that, in the case of Cowgirl Creamery, any communication of this kind went by way of the cheese buyer of Tomales Bay Foods, who dealt with the actual cheese makers and then did business with Rachel and other Tomales Bay Foods store managers seperately. Rachel said that her udnerstanding was that if the buyer noticed a cheese was not selling very well, she would make suggestions to the cheese makers (such as: This cheese is getting too salty, or the texture is not right, or this batch was sort of bland). The cheesemakers will then keep this advice in mind as they make changes to the cheeses they make and their methods of production.

This excited me. I like the idea of there being this kind of communication. I like the idea that the cheese makers can change their product in small, effective ways based on how it sells and the suggections of cheese buyers. I like the idea that cheese sellers can give suggestions to the cheese makers in order to help them improve their cheese and help it to sell better.

"Is your job fun?", I asked Rachel. "YES!" she repplied, but I could sense a "but". Sure enough, she said she really enjoyed her job and could easily say that it is the 'funnest" job she's ever has. And yet, she wanted to make it clear that it is not an easy job at all. She said that she loves working with food but that it is alsoa retail job, with the usual nuissance that come with retail. I asked her more about this. She said a great customer comes in and knows very little about cheese but enthusiastically asks to try "whatever is really good right now!" and gives everything a taste. But she then describes some of the less enjoyable customers. She says they get a lot of customers who ask them for cheeses the store does not have "and this is fine" she says, except that some of them get upset and yell at her for not having the cheese in question in stock, "WHY don't you have [insert nam of cheese here]!!! And you call yourself a cheese shop!". These customers refuse to try anything new, insisting upon only what they came for, even if it is not available. She also relates the story of a man who walked into the store and asked for "the most expensive cheese you have". She said he clearly did not care what the cheese was or what it tasted like.

I rolled my eyes and then gave a sheepish grin- "So, would you like to tell me about YOUR favorite cheeses that are in the store now and, maybe, give me a taste of a few?" She smiled, realizing what I was up to. "Sure", she said, "and let me know if there's anything you see that you'd like a taste of".

She first gave me a taste of a grainy, light-orange Gouda called "Coolea". "If I had to pick a cheese I'd want to take home with me, this would be it", she said. I tasted the cheese- it was delicious! I ended up taking a small hunk of this cheese home with me after all.

She then gave me a taste of a cheese that was "like fontina" but much more complex and flavor-ful. She said that people sometimes came and told her they wanted to make a non-traditional pizza and asked her what cheese she recommended. "This is what I suggest to them", she said, referring to the fontina-like cheese. It had a soft, thick, creamy texture, like a fontina and tastd buttery and sweet at first and then had an almost bitter bite to it. I liked it.

I pointed at a cream/white, tasty-looking cheese. It's called "Roccolo" She told me it was an Italian, washed-rind's cow milk cheese. I liked it a lot and bought a piece. It has a really nice mixture of flavors, both creamy and sharp.

Then she gave me a taste of a smoothe, aged goat cheese. I liked it, but not as much as the Roccolo.

Then the name "St. Jorge" caught my eye. This was a cheese I'd hear a lot about. It is made here in the Bay Area by a Portuguese family who it after a traditional Portuguese cheese. They have a very traditional-style farm and cave in the area and their cheese had become quite popular, sellign to popular local restaurants and shops. I personally liked it, but did not love it right away. A few seconds after having tasted it, I decided I liked it a lot.

I was really pleased with my trip to the Cowgirl Creamery. Rachel was very friendly and helpful- she seemed sincerely interested in my project and seemed to want me to learn as much as I could from her. It was a success! I bought my two cheeses, smiled at everyone in the store, and sheepishly slipped out to get myslf soem bread at Acme Bread right next store and take my delicious snack to the park.

The Farm!

The source of the incredible food called goat cheese! Goats are quite sweet, playful creatures. They like being scratched around and under their necks, like cats. They wag their tails and flop their ears when content, like puppies. They may also be somewhat responsible for the stink a goat cheese might develop. Goat milk has a complex flavor quite different from cow's milk. While Redwood Hill Farm makes great goat cheese and yogurt, I also suggest you try goat butter! It's delicious! And how exactly do you get the milk out of a goat? Well, you trap it in the udder and you squeeze it out! I'm sure you knew this but, here, let me demonstrate!



Voila. I am milking a goat. Woopdeedoo!


These baby goats are only a couple of hours old! As I watched them in their box, they struggled and shook as they attempted to stand up for the first time. They made all kinds of wonderful baaa-ing noises as they accustomed themselves to their acoustics. Let's say it together: Aawwww.


Little goats were everywhere, jumping around and doing tricks, eating our clothes and hair, and delicately taking a dump.



These babies are a couple of days old. They're pros as being goats! They've already gotten a hang of their legs and their throats and their mouths.


Almost as good as an udder!



Let's say it together: Awww!

Redwood Hill Farm and Creamery!

My parents and I drove to Sebastapol yesterday to visit the Redwood Hill Farm & Creamery! This weekend was a tour weekend.
It was GREAT fun! Upon arrival at the creamery, you are immediately welcomed to taste their cheeses and yogurt (I must admit- there is no better way to my heart).



You are then required to get your feet into "booties"- basically large boot-shaped plastic bags. This is presumably to prevent you from tracking in unwanted dirt and germs into the creamery.




After this, we shuffled our bootied legs through the creamery after the owner of the redwood Hill farms, Jennifer, as we began with a tour of the yogurt making facilities.




(Above, two shots of the yogurt-making utilities are pictured).



(Pictured above is a shot of me with Jennifer, the woman behind the Redwood Hill Farm creamery!)

We then started the tour I was there for- the CHEESE tour!


Here I am with our lovely (and admittedly cheesy ;)) guide!



Voila. Beautiful and amazing cheeses ready to be packaged and delightfully consumed!



The cutter! This nifty thing stirs the curds in this big vat in order to do... something that clearly needs to be done!



Cheese curds in a bowl!


Cheese curds in cups! Here they consolidate and gain their cheesy shape- oh my goodness, how simple and wonderful.



Wow! Jammin' out while making some quality cheese- what a life! I wonder what they listen to :)



Oh my goodness, it's the cheese :). Notice how it's a different color and consitency on the bottom than the top...interesting.


It is fresh, rindless and interestingly textured on the sides.


Wow! It's only a week later and already it is growing friendly fuzzy mold. This is cool, guys! Theese cheeses grow their own natural rinds of mold.


Voila! C'est fromage. Here a man HAND-WRAPS every single cheese in seran wrap and a little descriptive sticker.



Here I HAND-WRAP a wonderful complete cheese, upon my own dorky and fascinated request! Woopdeedo.

It was fascinating and fermenting fun! I recommend taking a tour of this creamery or any creamery local to you, given that they offer tours, because the cheese-making process is quite awe-inspiring. First there is milk and then...there is cheese! But there are many, many steps in between so check it out!

THE CHEESE NUN
I rented this DVD documentary from netflix on a whim, thinking it might be humorous. I had no idea how serious, insightful and unique a story it would reveal. It is the story of Sister Noella Marcellino, a Benedictine Nun. She went to college at Sarah Lawrence in 1969- which just so happens to be the college I am headed off to myself next september. She was liberal and searching for freedom and passion in the world. Her search led her to a Benedictine Monastery, interestingly enough. She explains that she never pictured herself a nun, but it is clear throughout the story that she has a very spiritual personality. Her passion for cheese is gastronomical, scientific, AND spiritual. She spent 12 years in the Monastery, which is also a farm, making cheese and teaching other nuns the craft. She then went back to school at the University of Connecticut to study the fungus that grows on the cheese she makes. She describes how, when fresh and just made, the cheese is quite coarse and flavorless but, after being aged, it grows a dense variety of fungi and develops a complex, earthy flavor. The metabolism of the fungi, she says, contributes to the taste of the cheese. She feels that the variety of fungi in a certain region and cheese cave contributes to cheeses that can be made there. She discovers this hypothesis by travelling france and studying fungus strands, samples from cheese farms all over france, under microscopes. Soon, Sister Noella is known as an expert and called "The Cheese Nun". She attends convention, gives lectures, and stars in this DVD. She beleives in cheeses as a way for humans to connect to, taste, smell, and cultivate the earth. The way she makes cheese is a primitive process that she loves and hopes to preserve- she finds great value in the natural, hand-made process of cheese making, adding both to the taste and spirituality (she occassionally refers to the "soul" of a cheese) of the cheese.
I greatly enjoyed this film and recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about the cheese process or engaing in the quirky story of one cheesy nun.
Yet, my own passion for cheese remains predominantly gastronomical and not at all spiritual.

Cheese Plate

Having bought some wonderful cheeses to taste and "review" earlier this week, I had the urge to do something creative. Thus, I made art from cheese with this cheese plate. Two Cowgirl Creamery cheeses are featured on the plate, Mt. Tam on the outside and Red Hawk towards the inside. In the center is a delicious crumbly blue cheese.

Cheesy Books!

A day or two into my project, I thrust myself into the library to gain some stinky knowledge :).Here is the pile of books I came away with, skillfully arranged (i.e. SHOVED) into my small canvas bag, in such a way that I must have looked not a little odd, considering all the bullges and angles.

"On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen" is an incredible book, with information on the science of and peculiar facts about just about every food item you can think of. It has a great section on cheese, focussing on the scientific processes caused by reactions the dairy has with the rennet, enzymes, and acids.

"Making Great Cheeses at Home" is the primary book I plan to use when I embark on an adventure and try to make a couple of simple, fresh cheeses, in my own home! It has recipes from the simplest cheeses, cottage cheese and ricotta for example, to brie, blue cheese, and a variety of complex international cheeses.

"Completely Cheese" is just what it claims to be- a complete book completely about cheese. It has endless ammounts of information and anecdotes. I can't say I have read it cover to cover, or that I plan to, its being 485 dense pages with a 15 page index and a seperate index for recipes.

These are the three books, of the ones I have collected, that I have found the most useful- so far. I recommend them if fromage catches your interest...A LOT.

Quirky Cheese-Themed Prose

"Cheese and Women"

Cheese, its smelly and musical calling, and estrogen, its eerie longing, filled the room like smoke or the sound of firecrackers. There was a climax. It became stifling. The men shuffled out so the women could stifle each other but they became charming and elegant. They ate the cheese and there was a sensual atmosphere. How musty and pungent the atmosphere was- how thick and crowded with hormones, with fermented milk curd, with that great delicacy mold. What delicious mold, what oppressed hormones, what polite false-hoods. The females ate the cheese and the men would have been sorry because it was good. It was very good cheese and the women knew it and they savored it but only one of them really tasted it. She really tasted it because she was not busy wishing she were in a man’s company. Taste was her favorite sense. She was not sensible. The other women used their eyes and their noses. She, the taster, smelled the stink of the cheese and saw its moldy blue-ish complexion but she preferred to savor with her tongue and that is why she tasted the cheese as nobody had before and that is why she fell in love with it.

"Cheese Plate"

“It’s all so beautiful”, she chants. There is such a variety, presented on the tray like a set of fancy dolls. There are the very solid ones, standing there confidently, knowing they are classic- the Gruyeres and the Parmesan and the Pecorino. There is a pretty group of goat cheeses, creamy and wrinkly and reeking. A flamboyant sheep’s milk cheese decorated cutely with edible flowers. A pungent liquidy one, melting into the cart romantically with the smell of farts.
She flutters her fingers at three, regretting she can’t have just a little taste of them all.
“Are you sure you wouldn’t rather desert, sweetheart?” her mother asks again, ignorantly.
“This IS my desert, mom”, she corrects her.
“Something sweet, I mean”, her mom replies.
“Try the wrinkly goat cheese he had on the left when it comes, you’ll see. It’s sweet like custard”.
“Oh, I don’t believe it’s like custard”
“It’s better”

"Cheese Alliteration"

Who would fathom that fermentation could make a food flutter so fittingly in one’s mouth- one’s fleshy and freckly face lighting up like fireflies on a clear night with all flashing lights and flashlights turned off.

Who could fathom such a fascinatingly fulfilling but fleeting sensation that so often leaves one fretfully wanting more.

And after feasting, one finds oneself full and fearfully flatulent

In a supermarket, one finds oneself fondling the fragile specimens of musty fromage.

Fasten you seatbelt, cheese is heading your way and may just flatten you with fierce and frightened longing.

"Love and Cheese"

The smell of cheese was more pungent than it’s ever been, when I walked into the store the morning I found love. He was the third customer. On a journey, all the way from the South to Wisconsin, for cheese. He selected four cheeses. His suede wallet was on the counter but it was empty. His face turned empty. Such a long way and he gave up easily. I chased him with a chunk of French gruyere. I held it out in my hand. “Be my lover?” He nodded and I presented the elite food to his lips.

Favorite Cheese Foods!

Pupusa- This is a wonderful El Salvadorean food, best described as a fried dough-y pocket (made of corn dough- with the texture/taste of a thick tortilla) of cheese and other fillings (commonly, chicken, pork, or lorroco). My favorite place for pupusas in the city is El Zocalo, a lively little restaurant on 3230 Mission Street, near 29th.

Fondue- Cheese melted in a pot over a flame. Simple as it sounds, this is one of the most delicious gourmet dishes there is. Bread, apples, and any other fruit or vegetables (or any small food item, in fact) of one’s choice are then dipped into the cheeses, using small, three-pronged forks. Food dripping with warm, rich, melted cheese is one of the most sublime things there is to experience. The Matterhorn, a Swiss and German restaurant located downtown in San Francisco, on 2323 Van Ness Ave.

Grilled Cheese sandwich- This is a wonderful comfort food. It can be made gourmet-style with fancy cheeses and focaccia bread or it can be made with white bread and orange cheddar cheese. A San Francisco Restaurant, Citizen Cake, located near Civic Center, offers quite a satisfying gourmet grilled cheese sandwich, described on their menu as, “grilled cheese ultima: cabot sharp cheddar, gruyère on acme italian bread” for $10.50. Expensive and very frilly, with deserts like “dried persimmon mochi cake”, “chocolate noodles”, “peanut paper”, and “chiffon croutons” (all paired with ice creams like “chili-ginger strawberry sorbet”, “tonka bean ice cream”, and “violet sorbet”), this restaurant does little else do attract me.

Salad- Feta cheese, blue cheese, gorgonzola, and goat cheese are a few common varieties of cheese that taste great crumbled plentifully into a fresh salad.

French Onion Soup- It is not common for a soup to have cheese in it and yet this rich, onion-flavored soup is easily my favorite soup of all. Served with rich melted cheese and soft, soggy bread pieces in it, this usually beef-broth soup is flavoured with caramelized onions. This is what I crave on a cold day (and occasionally even on stifling days). Ti Couz, a great restaurant on 3108 16th St. at Valencia specializing in crepes, offers a beautiful, warm French Onion Soup.

Cheese in Pop Culture

A self-indulgent exercise. Voila:

In Pop Culture/Art:

Monty Python’s “Cheese Shop”- This hilarious skit features a man getting progressively more frustrated with the apparent lack of cheese in a certain cheese shop. In the end, the man is driven to drastic measures towards the shop-keeper. I can say no more.

Modest Mouse’s “Mice Eat Cheese”- A slow, strange song with a comic edge, this song describes someone who picks up a case of “factory outlet beer” and then goes home, even though they do not want to be alone. And yet, this description is followed by the refrain “Mice eat cheese/ and for the most part they do as they please then/ cat comes home/ mice don’t feel very free to walk around”. There may be a deep metaphor here that I am missing, yet I do believe this song is simply somewhat self-indulgent and random. I personally think it’s lovely.

In Pop Culture/Slang

Say Cheese- Generally said by a person taking a picture of one or several persons, with the intent of causing them to look like they are smiling.
Cut the Cheese- This refers to the act of flatulence.
How Cheesy- Used similarly to “corny”, this refers to something’s being over-the-top, tacky, and/or ridiculous/embarrassing.
Cheezin’- A big, dorky ear-to-ear grin.

Cheese comments and reviews!

In writing quirky little blurbs about various important cheeses, I have made a small selection of cheeses local to the bay area as well as international cheeses. Enjoy! Voila:

Local Cheese

Cowgirl Creamery Cheeses-

Red Hawk- With its strong, musty smell and its strong musty taste, this is one of my favorite cheeses ever. It’s a triple-cream, washed-rind, cow’s milk cheese. It is aged for six weeks and thus has a complex taste that increases with its age. Its rind is washed with a brine solution that grows a bacteria which turns the rind a nice orangey red color. The appearance of this cheese matches its taste. It is rich and fills one’s mouth with an excitingly stinky, complicated flavor. It feels as though something is GOING ON in one’s mouth when one has this cheese smeared against one’s tongue. 10/10!

Mt. Tam- Tasting this triple-cream cheese is almost like eating butter. If you eat a wedge of it alone, you will taste the creamy richness more than any real flavor. Yet, if you spread it on a piece of toast and let it melt slightly into the bread, it is rich and delightful. This cheese is rich, yet mellow. It is not so overpowering that, after consuming it, you will not be able to taste anything else. Yet, it does fill your mouth completely as you taste it. 8/10.

Redwood Hill Farm Cheeses-

Camellia- Soft and firm in the center and runny on the edges, this is a delicious, creamy goat cheese. The cheese has a complex, buttery taste. Its texture is delightful. The runny edges are the richest and most satisfying while the center is like a soft, firm cream cheese. 10/10!

California Crottin- This beautifully wrinkly cheese is dense, rich, and somewhat overpowering. Just a little bit of it fills one’s mouth with goat-y, creamy flavor. 9/10.


International Cheese

French Cheese-

Comte- A delicious grainy cheese, this French Gruyere is a cheese that one can eat a lot of at once. Unlike some richer, stinkier cheeses, in which case just a little bit goes a long way. After eating one little piece, one is driven with the desire to have the taste of it in one’s mouth again. This cheese goes well with a good baguette and fresh fruit. It is perfect to bring on a picnic. I have also eaten it in a grilled cheese sandwich, which was quite tasty as well. Yet, I am very fond of the grainy, almost crunchy taste it has when it is not melted.

Mexican Cheese-

Queso Fresco- This is generally a fresh, moist, rind-less, un-aged cheese. In Spanish, it means, simply, “fresh cheese”. It can be found in San Francisco in nearly any Market or grocery store in the Mission District. It is salty, crumbly, and somewhat addictive. In Mexican cooking, it is crumbled over soups, salads, enchiladas, tortas, and almost anything. It does not melt very well. It is a tasty fresh cheese.

Indian Cheese-

Paneer- This Indian cheese is fresh, rind-less and unaged. It is not salty and it does not melt. Unlike most cheeses, rennet is not used in the production of Paneer. It is made with a simple acid such as lemon juice or vinegar. This acid is added to hot milk to separate the curds from the whey. The curds are drained and pressed and chilled in cold water for a couple of hours. A fairly bland cheese on its own, it is delicious in spicy curries.

A Cheese Buyer Speaks!

This morning I finally received a response from esteemed cheese buyer for the ritz Carlton Dining Room, Ben Hetzel.
I had written him a series of interview questions and his responses are realistic, laid-back and interesting! Voila:

Interview with Ben Hetzel

1. What do you DO, on a daily basis, as the Cheese Buyer?

Each day is a little different. I work with many different purveyors, so on delivery days I must organize and store the cheese. The most important part of my job is setting up the cheese cart daily. I have many other responsibilities in the restaurant, so I can only spend an hour or so focused on the cheese.


a. Where and how do you buy these cheeses you speak of?

I source my cheese from several purveyors. Each purveyor has something special to offer. I use tomales bay foods for most of my domestic cheese. I buy cheese directly from Soyoung Scanlan....(she is the most important cheese maker in CA)...who supplies me with her Andante cheeses and cheeses aged in France by Herve Mons, and in Switzerland by Rolf Beeler. I get my Italian cheeses from frescaitalia. I get my classic French cheese from Cheeseworks in Berkeley.

2. Who do you actually deal with (cheese makers, store managers?) in terms of cheese-buying?

Like I mentioned earlier, Soyoung makes her own cheese. Tomales Bay makes the Cowgirl Creamery cheese, and they work very closely with the CA dairies that they
represent.

3. Do you buy local cheeses, imported cheeses, or
both?

I buy cheese from all over the world. The best cheeses right now come from the US. They are healthier and more consistent. The best European cheeses are from Italy. French and Swiss ARTISINAL cheese, I only like if it has been brought in in small
controlled quantities and carefully handled. There is a ton of mass produced, pasteurized French "garbage" cheese in the US market.....I avoid it.

4. Do you travel to Europe or other parts of the
world? (Or within the country?)

I go to Italy as much as I can. I was just in Emilia-Romagna in January, touring parma ham farms and a Parmagiano-Reggiano farm. My career at the moment is focused on Italian food and wine. I am opening an Enoteca in the fall, where we will have 10-15 Italian cheeses on the menu. As far as local cheese farms, I go as often as I can,
which is not necessarily as often as I would like.

5. Do you taste many cheeses and pick one or two of
each category?

I do tastings with purveyors periodically, and I find something that I like I will
order it. I have been doing this for a long time, so I have kind of found a rythem. I try not to change things more than once a week, because it is hard for the staff to keep up.

6. What are the “requirements”, if there are any, for a cheese cart (how many of each milk type or consistency are you expected to choose?)

I like to have 15 or so cheeses on the cart each night. My formula is as follows: 2 soft ripened cow's milk cheeses, 3 firm cow's milk, 2 washed rind, 3 soft goat's milk cheeses, 1 semi firm goat's milk cheese, 2 sheep's milk cheeses, and 2 blue cheeses

7. What do you look for in a cheese for the Dining
Room? How do you choose?

The main requirement is quality. I don't care at all about the price ( within reason).....it just has to be the best cheese that I can find. I can tell by looking at a cheese, if it was
made with love and integrity, or if it was mass produced. I want only the best, handmade artisinal cheeses. I also base my choices on what really stokes me out at the moment. That's why I try to keep a really close, personal relationship with my purveyors. When I order cheese, it's more of a conversation than an black and white order.

8. How did you end up with this position?

I asked. One thing that I learned early in my career, is that if you really want to do something, just ask the person that can make it happen for you. I was a very young captain in the Dining Room (24 yrs old) and I didn't really know anything about cheese, but I wanted to learn. The gentleman who handled the cheese left, and they gave the program to me. It was kind of a trial by fire, but after some mistakes, I got the hang of it.

9. What are a few of your personal favorite cheeses?

Cheese is like wine, alot of the time it depends on who you are with and where you are when you enjoy it. I had an amazing cheese in Italy called squalquerone with some very close friends....it was a spiritual experience. My wife and I had a perfectly ripe Epoisses that was nestled in its leaf lined wooden box at Guy Savoy in Paris on the night that I proposed to her. I will never forget the way that cheese looked and tasted. But, I would have to say that overall my favorite cheese in the world is Vacherin Haut Dobbs....you can't really get this (the French one anyway) in the U.S. anymore because of the FDA regulations....but when it sneeks in I pounce on it....it's unreal.


10. Have you ever been involved with cheese on a
production level?

Not yet, but I would love to.

11. What is so appealing to you about cheese?

I feel like I am part of a movement....that I am involved in something and that I am making my mark. Cheese is not appreciated in the U.S. the way it is in Europe but I think that we can change that....at least in the Bay Area.

12. Were you always a fan of cheese, growing up? (a
cheese-o-phile, perhaps?)

Ironically, no....my mom fed me American cheese slices and Parmesan from a paper
canister. I didn't really have great cheese until I moved to San Francisco.

13. Do you buy cheeses only specifically for the
cheese cart or do you buy cheeses that are used in
other dishes?

Only for the cheese cart. The chef sources his own products. The cheese that I use is not, for the most part, good for cooking.

14. Do you get to taste every cheese that is served at
the Dining Room?

Absolutely! I am solely responsible for every cheese that is served on the cart.

15. Do you like stinky cheeses, personally? Do you buy
many stinky cheeses for the Dining Room?

I love stinky cheeses. I do always have a couple. If you have ever been to a farm you know that it does not always smell the best.....lots of hay, animals, dirt, grass, etc....I like to be reminded of those things when I smell a cheese. It lets you know where the food came from.

16. Is your job fun?

Yeah, it really is. The best part is wheeling the cheese cart to a table and turning some people onto something cool that they haven't had before.....it's rad!

Emma's note: What an inspiring story! One day, I hope to ask a big boss somewhere if I can be their cheese buyer. Who knows :).