I try a lot of new cheeses over the course of a year, and it’s not hard to identify the standouts. They’re the ones I can’t wait to serve to guests in my home and introduce to guests in my classes. I want these cheeses to still be here next year, and the year after, and the year after that. All ten of these lovelies were new to me (but not necessarily new) and help convince me that we live in a Golden Age.
Read moreBrie Dresses Up
Love them, or love them not so much, truffled cheeses occupy more space than ever at the cheese counter. Obviously they are popular, or creameries wouldn’t make them. From truffled goat cheese to truffled Gouda, there are fungi-scented renditions of virtually every cheese style. Fresh truffles blossom in butter and cream, so it makes sense that the most successful truffled cheeses—in my view—are buttery, creamy types. The luscious new arrival pictured above makes my case. If you’re seeking some bling for a holiday cheese board, look no further than this bloomy beauty.
Read moreWill Tariffs Hurt Cheese?
If the new administration makes good on its tariff threats, there could be pain at the cheese counter. Importers will pay the duties, but they’ll likely try to recoup the expense. They may ask European cheesemakers for price breaks, or pass some of the cost to distributors, who then raise prices to retailers. Ideally, everyone along the supply chain absorbs some of the blow. “To be blunt, when stuff like this happens, you learn pretty fast who believes in partnership and who wants to pass it on to the consumer,” says Adam Moskowitz of Larkin, an important importer of specialty cheese.
Read moreAnother Year, Another Day-After-Thanksgiving Soup
The minute the guests are gone and the Thanksgiving dishes are done, my husband starts making another mess. We can’t go to bed until Doug’s turkey stock is on the stove. It bubbles, just barely, all night and is liquid gold by morning, intense and aromatic. You need great stock for Day-After-Thanksgiving Soup…
Read moreMake it a Cheesy Thanksgiving
From the Planet Cheese archives, these six recipes may inspire you to bring something new to the Thanksgiving table. At least that’s my hope. Most are portable, in case you’re a guest. For pre-dinner nibbling, set out a creamy goat cheese dip imbued with fried shallots—an elevated take on the sour-cream classic—or smoky pimento cheese, an unusual recipe from the baker who makes the Obamas’ Thanksgiving pies. For traditionalists, I’ve got the recipe for Zingerman’s famous pimento cheese, courtesy of the beloved Ann Arbor shop.
Read moreNew Blue for the Holidaze
A debut from Jasper Hill Farm is always newsworthy on Planet Cheese, but this recently launched blue could be a supernova. The Whole Foods monger who alerted me to it called it “lovely to say the least” and cradled the package in her arms like a baby. Even my husband enjoyed it, which, when it comes to blue cheese, is not a bet I ever make. It’s fruity, winey and moist, with an offbeat shape and novel packaging. Everything about this Vermont newcomer screams “holiday cheese boards.”
Read moreSuspect Arrested in Cheese Heist
Neal’s Yard Dairy’s sought-after cheeses include Colston Bassett Stilton (l) and Sparkenhoe Red Leicester
London’s Metropolitan Police have arrested a suspect in connection with the recent theft of nearly 50,000 pounds of fine British and Welsh cheese. Neal’s Yard Dairy, the esteemed retailer and exporter, reported the disappearance of the hefty wheels of Hafod, Westcombe Cheddar and Pitchfork Cheddar on October 21. The company had already paid the producers, so it faces a loss of about $390,000 even if the wheels are recovered.
Read moreDoesn’t Get Much Cheesier
Cheese and bread, all toasty, crusty and melty. Who doesn’t love that? I’m surprised that zuppa Gallurese has eluded my radar until now, given that the dish includes my two favorite food groups, and not much else. I watched an elderly Pasta Granny make this Sardinian specialty recently (never miss an episode of that YouTube cooking series) and then immediately started hunting for recipes. In the end, I merged methods from several Italian food authorities--including Lidia Bastianich and Katie Parla —to concoct a zuppa Gallurese with the bread and cheeses I like. Despite the name, the dish is much closer to bread pudding than to soup.
Read moreSwiss With a Twist
I don’t quite get it, but not everyone loves the same cheeses I do. Those beefy, concentrated alpine cheeses I adore can strike some folks as over the top. “Too much flavor” is one critique I’ve heard but could never imagine saying myself. If you tend to like cheeses that show a bit more restraint, this Swiss beauty may be for you. It’s a little younger than many comparable mountain cheeses, and while I don’t find it remotely lacking in aroma or flavor, it’s not as in-your-face as some.
Read moreConfessions of a Bargain Hunter
My husband and I spend way too much money trying to find inexpensive wines we like. Sometimes, after three $15 disappointments, I’ll think, “We could have bought a $45 wine.” Rummaging around for a bargain is often a false economy, and a recent endeavor with Cheddar reinforced this. My objective was to identify a few Cheddars that over-deliver for the price
Read more