20% off this weekend's Featured Cheese

This weekend's featured cheese is:
Chällerhocker  - $11.80 for a half pound (includes discount)  

Made by only one cheesemaker - Walter Rass - at a small creamery in Toggenburg, Switzerland, northeast of Zurich. The name Challerhocker means sitting in the cellar, which is what this cheese does for 10 months. Earthy, and full flavoured reflecting Walter’s recipe and the flora of his cellar.

Enjoy 20% off a half pound minimum cut of Chällerhocker this weekend.

Congratulations Coach Farm Goat Cheese! & New Arrivals

Coach Farm's Triple Cream Wheel wins the Gold at the 2008 Summer Fancy Food Show


Coach Farm has been recognized once again for its fine line of goat cheeses. A national panel of specialty food experts named Coach Farm's Triple Cream Wheel "Outstanding Cheese or Dairy product" at the 2008 sofi awards, part of the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade (NASFT) Summer Fancy Food Show.


Since being first introduced more than twenty years ago, Coach Farm cheeses have consistently won awards and honors at competitions across the country.

We just received a wheel of their delicious Triple Cream Goat Cheese ! $39.50 / LB

OTHER NEW ARRIVALS

Coach Farm Fresh Goat Buttons $4.50 / Each
Coach Farm Aged Goat Sticks $14.00 / Each or $7.50 for half

Saint Marcellin is back - from France $7.50 / Each - A supple cow's milk cheese from Southern France. Soft creamy texture, mushroom aroma and an earthy, buttery flavour. Pairs with Syrah and Champagne.

Esrom - Denmark - $15.00 / LB - This was a customer request, and rather difficult to find, but it is well worth the research! The flavour is quite rich and "aromatic" with a lingering, bitter-in-a-good-way finish. Invented in the 1930's and was for a time named "Danish Port Salut." In fact Esrom is a much more interesting cheese than Port Salut - Come in and taste the difference!

The WESH 2 Polls for "Best Gourmet Grocery" close on Friday
PLEASE VOTE FOR THE CHEESE SHOP ON PARK

We invite you to please take a moment and vote for The Cheese Shop On Park in WESH 2 / CW18 A-List 2008 for Best Gourmet Grocery.
Please click the following link to cast your vote!http://wesh.cityvoter.com/the-cheese-shop-on-park/biz/87151


Thank you for all of your support!

NEW ARRIVALS

NEW CHEESE

Cambozola Blue Brie - Germany $20.00 / LB - We've had many customers request this cheese and we finally got our hands on a lovely wheel. The cheese maker describes it as a cross between Camembert and Gorgonzola (hence the name) but it is indeed a triple creme brie that is infused with blue mold. It has a white bloomy rind, like a brie, and is smooth, buttery and VERY creamy - rather mild in the blue department, but the flavour is tangy enough to satisfy any blue lover.

Coach Farms Fresh Chevre - Pine Plains, New York $4.50 / Each - We debuted this little fresh goat cheese Wednesday night at our Anthology of American Artisan Cheese tasting event (huge success - see below for more on the event) Coach Farm is located in a small Hudson Valley village, just two hours outside of New York City. They have over 900 French Alpine dairy goats, born and raised on their farm. The small, white-tiled creamery where they make their cheeses connects directly to the milking parlor.

Green Peppercorn Aged Chevre - Pine Plains, New York $31.50 / LB - Our second Anthology debut, From the folks at Coach Farms again, this is their aged goat cheese that they laced with… green peppercorns. Aged goat cheese is stronger than fresh chevre, and the spicy little tidbits throughout the cheese give it a very unique, delicious surprise in each bite.

Wine Pairing: Both Coach Farm cheeses were paired at the event with New Gewurz, Gewurztraminer $13.50 - From Alexander Valley Vineyards, the New Gewurz is dry, with fresh floral flavours and note of spice, pear and citrus - light enough to not over power a fresh chevre.

Pleasant Ridge Reserve – Dodgeville, Wisconsin $35.00 / LB (yes Wisconsin has Artisan cheese makers too) Our third cheese launched at Wednesday night's tasting event. Pleasant Ridge Reserve is made by Uplands Cheese Company with unpasteurized cow’s milk using old world practices. The result is a distinctive "mountain style" flavour rarely experienced from a cheese made in the USA.

Smoked Gouda - Winchendon, Massachusetts $14.00 / LB Smith’s Farmstead Gouda Cheese, rivals any Dutch Gouda on the market today. Old fashioned traditions and hard work make this smoky farmstead gouda delicious and memorable.

Wine Pairing: Temptation Zin, Zinfandel $16.50 - From the same folks who make the New Gewurz at Alexander Valley Vineyards comes this seriously smokey, long finish Red Zin that bursts with plum, cocoa and big bing cherry.

Greek Feta - Greece $18.00 / LB - NOW CUT TO ORDER - We've carried the Mount Vikos Feta from the beginning, but always in the retail packs which were, as many of you mentioned, too large (they were usually 1 - 1.25 pounds). SO... We listened to you and got it in bulk. This Feta is a blend of Sheep's and Goat's milk and not like any Feta you have ever tasted from other stores or restaurants. We've been sampling the Feta all weekend (another benefit of buying cut to order) and the funny thing is when anyone tastes how fabulous this cheese is - they take home a pound! If you have not tried the Mount Vikos Feta come on in and taste the difference!

NEW NOT-CHEESE

Truffle Honey - $25.00 - Truffles Truffles Truffles - we can't get enough of them - and if you share the same obsession then this honey was made for you! Imported from Italy this 8.8 oz jar of pure Italian Acacia Honey is laced with 1.5% White Truffles... you can see the large truffle pieces hanging out in the top of the jar (who knew - truffles float, but I for one am not surprised as they are brought to us mere mortals by little culinary angels... ahem).


Wine and Cheese Event

Thanks to all who participated in our first event An Anthology of American Artisan Cheese. We tasted a lot of wonderful cheese from artisanal cheese makers in the USA, paired with American wines - also from small wine makers.

Our next Cheese and Wine Tasting Event is:

GET YOUR GOAT
When: Thursday, June 19, 2008 6:30pm - 8:00PM
Where: The Cheese Shop On Park 329 Park Avenue North
How Much: Tickets are $20.00 in advance and $30.00 the day of the event. Tickets are available for purchase in The Cheese Shop On Park or by phone with a credit card (407) 644-7296 - please DO NOT leave your credit card info on our voicemail - if you leave a message we will call you back.

GET YOUR GOAT

• Sample and compare goat cheeses, fresh and aged from all over the world paired with the appropriate wine and gourmet accoutrements
• No pretense or boring seminar, but active tasting and open forum discussion that truly helps you to discover new cheeses
• Participants enjoy a 15% discount on all cheese and wine sampled during Get Your Goat and 10% off everything else in the shop
• This is a walk through tasting event, there is no seating
• Space is limited so get your tickets early! Our previous event sold out.
• Advance ticket sales end at 7PM the day before the event - Wednesday June 18, 2008
• See our website for our cancellation policy www.thecheeseshoponpark.com/events

Some discussions from Wednesday night...

What is American Artisan Cheese?
We are seeing a renaissance in artisan and farmstead cheese making in the United States driven by changing consumer tastes, culinary tourism and agricultural activism. Cheese making in the US can be traced back to the Civil War. In the past 25 years, artisan and fine cheese making has become a significant food-culture movement in the US.

What is the difference between Artisan and Farmstead?
In a nutshell, the key difference between these two approaches to cheese making is in how the milk is sourced. Farmstead cheeses are made by a farm operation using the milk produced by their own animals. Artisan cheeses are also made by hand, however, artisan cheese makers typically purchase their milk from one or more local dairy farmers. In both cases, the production facilities are relatively small, and the owner typically operates the facility.

What makes a Cheese Maker an artisan? What defines an artisan cheese maker is his or her ability to make great cheese largely by hand in a relatively small scale creamery using locally produced, pure milk. The cheese maker is recognized for their ability to design a cheese to reflect their local environment or terroir. They know how to liberate the taste of a place within the cheese via the artful introduction of microflora into fresh milk. The unique taste profile created in the end is ultimately the artisan cheese maker’s signature.
The above information is credited to Petra Cooper of Fifth Town Artisan Cheese Company & Fifth Town Productions

Italian Parm commercial BACK STAGE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-jnZlzUyvA&feature=related OK - I guess it's official, I'm obsessed... the link here is to BACK STAGE at the italian parm commercial. For you newbies who have not seen the actuall commercial, scroll down to March 24 to see the commercial... oh what the hey... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmZ28NIQPbM&feature=related here's that link too!! Enjoy!

And you know - just to plug some cheese - we love Piave just as much, if not more than, Parmigiano Reggiano so come on in and TASTE THE DIFFERENCE.

NEW ARRIVALS

NEW CHEESES

Gouda Truffle - Holland $39.50/LB (whoa!! but worth every penny you have to try this one, you will become seriously addicted) Black Italian truffles throughout this amazing cheese lend wonderful taste and aroma to this high-quality, farm-made gouda. Made on a small farm in Noord, Holland. We paired this cheese with our Foris Dry Gewurztraminer - yummmmmm

Bleu D’Auvergne - France $14.00/LB A name-protected cheese from the Auvergne region in south-central France, Bleu d'Auvergne is made in the traditional manner from raw cow's milk and features blue veining throughout. Its moist, sticky rind conceals a soft paste possessing a grassy, herbaceous, and (with age) spicy, pungent taste. Our French organic Alsatian Riesling pairs perfectly.

Lemon White Stilton - England $26.50 / LB This unusual dessert cheese came in from a customer request. It is made with vegetarian rennant and is dotted with candied lemon peel. It has no blue veining, is mild in flavour with a tangy, sweet lemon taste. Very tasty and will be quite the conversation piece on a cheese tray!

Kasseri - Greece $24.00 / LB Made from the fresh milk of free-ranging sheep and goats. Mt. Vikos Kasseri is made during months when grasses are green for a sweet flavor. No antibiotics are given the animals (Americans call this organic, the good folks at Mt Vikos call it normal) Mt. Vikos contains no preservatives, additives, or calcium chloride. It is the "melting cheese" of Greece. The curds are hand-kneaded. The cheese rounds are placed in special aging rooms for six months. Though kasseri has been made for centuries, Americans are just discovering this super cheese that tastes like a cross bewteen feta and cheddar - with the texture being more like a cheddar.

Rouge et Noir Triple Crème Brie - California, USA $13.00/Each This classic award winning California Brie is creamy from the natural ripening process, with an even yellow color throughout. 100% Jersey milk used; it is at the same time delicate in its buttery first-flavor, with a pleasant robust aftertaste.

Rouge et Noir La Petite Crème - California, USA $8.00/Each A delicate “dessert” cheese that is rich yet mild, with a soft and creamy texture that melts in your mouth. This romantic cheese when young with a firm pate, is perfect for brunch or as an after dinner treat.

NEW NOT-CHEESE

Lamb & Beef Sausage Saucisse Merguez D’Agneau et Boeuf - San Francisco, California, USA $12.50 / Each Spicy North African lamb and beef sausage made in the classic French style from Marcel et Henri. Must be cooked thoroughly.

Honey Combs - $18.00 / Each Back by popular demand. These beautiful honeycombs are entirely edible and look stunning on a cheese tray. If you haven't tried honeycombs with goat cheese you don't know what you are missing!

Where For Art[isan] Thou?

• ARTISAN, ORGANIC, FARMSTEAD. All cool buzz words we Cheese Mongers like to toss about. But what do they really mean? Assuming this composition will not cure the insomnia from which I am suffering tonight I will delve into definitions, comparisons and why these words are important.
  
• AS with my favorite BORDEAUX region, Pomerol, the idea is quality not quantity. Would one expect anything less than perfection from a tiny communal region in France that produces less wine in a year than a certain giant Californian factory produces in six minutes?
  
• One year versus six minutes. Handmade, meticulously cared for, aged to perfection ARTISAN... or stems, leaves, insects and oh yeah grapes cranked out by a machine in six minutes. Hmmmm?
  
• And so is ARTISAN with cheese making.
  
• When I see a cheese maker's website feature pictures of their herd along with their children I think "they must care about their animals, right?"
  
  
  

• Artisan cheese making begins with caring. Caring about the welfare of these docile creatures from which you make your living. Caring about the integrity of the product you put to market, and caring about the craft and the artistry of the traditional cheese making process enough to stay this difficult path. A steel machine and a big sheet of plastic might be more profitable, but the cost of that profit is likened to selling one's soul.
  
• That brings us to the definition of the word Farmstead. A Farmstead Cheese is one that is made from a herd of animals owned by the cheese maker. The [ideal] flip side would be a cheese maker who does not own a herd of animals, but purchases milk from a local farmer [who posts portraits of his animals on his website] .
  
• Organic is a word that wears many hats.
  
• ADJECTIVE:
  Of, relating to, or derived from living organisms: organic matter.
  Of, relating to, or affecting a bodily organ: an organic disease. [yikes]
  Of, marked by, or involving the use of fertilizers or pesticides that are strictly of animal or vegetable origin: organic vegetables; an organic farm. [thus organic cheese - milk producing critters fed crops that are not grown with nasty toxic stuff]
  Raised or conducted without the use of drugs, hormones, or synthetic chemicals: organic chicken; organic cattle farming. [yes.... this is what we look for]
  Serving organic food: an organic restaurant.
  Simple, healthful, and close to nature: an organic lifestyle.
  Having properties associated with living organisms.
  Resembling a living organism in organization or development; interconnected: society as an organic whole. [ooookkkaaayyyy]
  Constituting an integral part of a whole; fundamental.
  Law Denoting or relating to the fundamental or constitutional laws and precepts of a government or an organization.
  Chemistry Of or designating carbon compounds.
  
• Of course our main goal is, to sell you cheese :) BUT we want to be clear that we will not knowingly sell ANY product where an animal - or person [free trade is an entirely different insomniatic blog] is mistreated or chemically compromised.

CONSTRUCTION UPDATE

Painting begins

The Cheese Shop On Park - brought to you in Technicolor!

Tile installation - we're looking more like a Cheese Shop every day!

Don't forget to visit our website http://www.thecheeseshoponpark.com/ - and forward our link to your family, friends, coworkers and neighbors.

We love visitors - so please stop in and say hi if yousee the doors open during construction.

As always - if you have any comments, suggestions or favorite cheese requests - please send me an email or fill out our comment form below.

Till next time ! Kirsten