Keeping it raw

Strolling through Covent Garden has its benefits—namely Neal’s Yard Dairy.

Although we were engaged in post-Christmas bargain hunting, it seemed wrong not to pop into this long-respected cheese establishment. It was on the way after all.

The shop is compact and the staff are welcoming. We were dutifully offered several samples without any prompting, and eventually selected Kirkham Lancashire for an honorary place in our fridge (and stomachs).

This creamy, unpasteurised cheese is made by the dedicated Kirkhams of Beesley Farm—the last unpasteurised cheesemakers from Lancashire.

Indeed, the Kirkhams are determined to keep their cheese raw. And, by staying a relatively small business, they can do just that, controlling the process from start to finish to achieve the best flavour possible.

In the video below, Graham Kirkham explains that it’s not about being the biggest producer, it’s about the results: “We want the best flavours.” He also reveals that part of their traditional process involves putting butter on the outside of the cheese. The result is an irresistably creamy taste, while the texture is smooth and moderately firm.

The helpful staff member at Neal’s Yard advised that Kirkham Lancashire goes excellently with a slice of Christmas cake. Perhaps it goes well with other types of cake too. Only one way to find out!

10 fabulous cheese plates on Pinterest

With the holiday season well and truly upon us, it’s high time to consider what cheese you’ll be offering/scoffing (that is if you haven’t already).

I’m a big fan of Pinterest for ideas, be it for mouth-watering dishes or style titbits, so I’ve picked some of my favourite cheese boards pinned on the site; perhaps they’ll inspire you in time for Christmas or your next soirée.

Found on Joannagoddard.blogspot.com
Via Missykay

This pin originates from Joanna Goddard’s cheese-friendly food and lifestyle blog. She’s selected six cheeses for the perfect cheese plate, a well chosen arrangement of soft, blue and hard cheeses.

Found on sbs.com.au

I like the quirky cut-out style of these graphics. A winning cheese board pin: simple and informative.

Found on roughluxeperspective.blogspot.com
Via Thistle Coltsfoot

More traditional, this lush, wholesome board was pinned from another lifestyle blog, Rough Luxe Lifestyle. I love its autumnal harvest look, with an inviting display of figs, dried apricots, nuts and range of exotic cheeses.

Found on domeafavorblog.com
Via Lindsey McKitterick

This is a textbook cheese board pin. Clear images and concise, arrowed labels. What more could you ask from a cheese platter guide?

Found on stylemepretty.com

In contrast to the others, Jessica Sloane’s clean, neatly arranged cheese board separates each element: cheese on a round board, olives, nuts and chutney on a stripy serviette and fresh fruit loaf with assorted crackers on a separate board.

Found on cali-zona.com

Poking out from the mounds of cheese and crackers, I love how the sprigs of rosemary point, like fingers, towards the colourful condiments. Thumbs up from me.

Found on mildredmildred.tumblr.com
Via Elizabeth Langston

Never mind that this pin was found on a tumblr called mildredmildred (brilliant name), this vivid photo leaps off the screen with its voluptuous jam, ripe figs, speckled cheese, crunchy hazelnuts and gorgeous plums. You can almost taste each ingredient.

Found on designmom.com

This minimalist cheese board is carefully stocked with Mediterranean delights from Italy, Spain and Greece. The author, Lindsey Johnson, coins a handy phrase for choosing the right cheese: Something old, something new, something goat, something blue.

Found on thepartydress.net
Via Wine Gifts

Round as a full moon, this symmetrically pleasing board aptly features a goat’s cheese called Midnight Moon. I’m taken with the subtle yet confident font labelling each item, plus the rich red board contrasts beautifully with the yellow Cheddar, purple grapes, pale Gouda and caramel-coloured fig chips.

Found on buzzfeed.com

This pin proves that Buzzfeed can be useful as well as funny. The image instantly conveys the different flavours you ought to buy. And when you click through, you’ll find the reasoning behind each choice, what to look for, as well as inexpensive supermarket brands to try.

Taste of London Winter 2014

Mid-late November. TimeOut had sent an unexpected email: You have won tickets to the Taste of London Winter. Awesome! With just a few days’ notice, my first challenge was to find a suitable foodie partner in crime. Luckily, Juliet stepped up, so off we trotted eastwards to Tobacco Dock.

I’d never been to a large-scale food festival before, and our expectations were high. The website promised “the world’s greatest restaurant festival.” There would be famous chefs, including Michel Roux Jr, Monica Galetti and Raymond Blanc. Cocktail masterclasses. Taste Theatres. A bandstand. 

Friday came, the night our tastebuds had been waiting for. We arrived at the cavernous, festively decorated Victorian venue and, having deliberately refrained from eating much beforehand, immediately dived into the hot food samples. 

The venue - Tobacco Dock

Festive fairy lights

The evening continued in this walk and grab vein; we gobbled food and booze galore. I sipped a few glasses of Prosecco, Juliet savoured red wine. We tried fresh spinach juice—a tad too healthy; dairy-free oat milk—surprisingly milky; the world’s most expensive ham (pata negra)—yum. I entered a competition to win a holiday to Malaysia—didn’t win. 

Unusual menu options

There were cheese-making kits, hampers, chutneys. And, most importantly, an array of delicious cheese samples. 

Two cows on a Comté

My favourite cheese brand of the night was the Snowdonia Cheese Company Ltd. They were one of the most popular stalls, and after joining the scrum, I could appreciate why. About six different Cheddars were available for tasting; each morsel was creamy and rich and moreish. Having since checked their website, I’m not surprised that all 10 of their cheeses have won at least one award. 

We weren’t organised enough to book a place at any of the chef demonstrations, but it didn’t matter. We had a thoroughly decent time, knocking back alcohol and cheese like no-one’s business. If you ask me, a great way to spend a Friday night.

Of course, free samples weren’t enough for my stomach, so I ended the evening by polishing off a hearty chicken stew, followed by some delectable pumpkin doughnuts from trendy Peruvian restaurant Andina. Scrumptious. I hadn’t thought much of the food in Peru when I visited earlier this year, but after that triumph of a meal, I will think again. 

Taste of London will return to London next summer from 17 – 21 June in Regent’s Park. Hopefully I’ll win tickets to that too! 

Drunken cheese

Thought that only humans, and the odd wild animal, could get sloshed? Not so. I can confirm that certain types of cheese love a tipple too. Following from my previous wine-orientated post, the time is ripe to highlight some wine-soaked cheese.

I've previously mentioned stinky and stupendous Epoisse, which is bathed in brandy—a crucial aspect of its unique flavour. More recently, my pal, and fellow cheese fan, Juliet brought my attention to this fearsome specimen:

Gorgonzola matured in Italian white wine

Of course, I wouldn't eat this—as I’ve already mentioned, blue veined cheese ain’t my thing. If you decide to try it, apparently Gorgonzola goes well with short pasta such as penne, melted into risotto, or used as a pizza topping.

The Gorgonzola may not have been my cup of tea, but it inspired me to seek other inebriated cheeses. Happily, I came across the delightful St. Vernier. Much like Epoisse, it oozes and sticks to the knife. I have no problem with clingy cheese. Even its scalloped wooden packaging was charming; it resembled a large dairy daisy.

St. Vernier

St. Vernier is made in France from the milk of local Montbélliardes cows and its rind is washed with a white wine. Its flavour is delicately fruity and a little funky. I ate it simply with some Jacob’s cream crackers, but I imagine it would taste equally wonderful with a fresh, crusty baguette and a glug of Chablis. 

Wet your whistle

Alcohol is a typical symptom of the holiday season as we accelerate towards yet another year; and while I usually just talk about cheese, it makes sense to tip my hat to its oft-quaffed companion.

Thanks to a Time Out special offer, Stuart and I headed to Pall Mall Fine Wines, which is hidden within the chic Royal Opera Arcade, the oldest shopping arcade in the world. Once you duck into this elegant, quiet passage, it’s easy to forget you are minutes away from the hectic hubbub of Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus.

Pall Mall Fine Wines offer just that: a range of quality wines, from both well established and less common regions, all selected by the knowledgeable and accommodating staff. Not only can you purchase supreme wines there, the shop also offers a buying service so that you can sell your own collections. And, they’ll organise wine tastings for special occasions.

But enough about the wine already. What about the cheese? I’d cycled straight from work across town and my appetite was akin to a starved bear (I recently saw the film Paddington, which is wonderful by the way). So you can surely understand why I basically inhaled (more than my fair share of) our all-Italian Charcuterie & Cheese platter. For a few fleeting seconds though, I appreciated every morsel.

We gorged on Cacio Nero Di Pienza, a moreish crumbly white Pecorino; Pecorino Vinaiolo, matured for two months with a bitter skin; and Asiago, a gorgeous semi hard cheese. The selection of chorizo and salamis were a sumptuous treat too. 

Camillo De Lellis from Molise, Italy was a subtle fruity match for the salty meal.

If you fancy exploring a calm, sophisticated wine cave in a historic shopping arcade you didn’t know existed, Pall Mall Fine Wines is for you. Word of advice: For an optimal tasting experience, I’d recommend not being completely famished before you get there.

In with the old, out with the new

Old Amsterdam is full of character, according to its website. Why is it called Old? Because it’s mature and traditional, innit. It has a “timeless quality.”

I found it nonchalantly perched on the non-refrigerated shelf in Morrisons, a supermarket with an award-winning reputation, reflected in its numerous prizes at the International Cheese Awards in Nantwich this year.

My trust in the not so new paid off. Old Amsterdam is indeed full of character, similar to a mature Cheddar— creamy, rich and strong. With some leftover white wine loitering in our fridge, the obvious thing to make was a risotto, so I found a suitable mushroomy recipe. I took the liberty of adding some green beans and an abundance of Old Amsterdam. The result was gloopy but delicious. Nothing beats a steaming bowl of comforting risotto at any time of year and especially during cold, dark November.

The makings of a great risotto as well as two plug sockets

Really easy mushroom risotto

Mmm, buttery

Have you ever tried cheese that is just like butter but better? I hadn’t. That is, I hadn’t until the day I tried Chaource AOP (Appellation d’Origine Protégée). After that, everything changed. Namely, I had discovered a magnificent creation: cheese that tastes as creamy and soft and gorgeous as butter. Although I don’t usually eat butter on its own, if I did, I’d want it to taste like Chaource. My only criticism is that its name doesn’t have an “I”—how fun if a cheese’s name contained all five vowels!

Chaource AOP

If you had to choose any cheese to be your bodyguard, it’d be this. At 6 cm tall, it towers above other cheeses, and with its 10 cm diameter it wouldn’t stand for any nonsense. Although one must admit the consistency is so ridiculously squishy that any assassins would have a pretty good chance. Plus, if they had any sense they'd just eat it!

Anyhoo, I had vowed to recreate my wonderful Brooklyn sandwich experience once I returned to England. Although the authentic version used Brie and Garam Masala mustard, neither of those were handy, so I substituted the Brie for Chaource and Garam Masala for English mustard. Albeit eye-watering, it wasn’t too bad. Not a patch on Hungry Ghost’s version but a valiant attempt. Plus, it was a good excuse to melt my new favourite. Mmm, just like butter.

Melted Chaource with ham, English mustard and mango chutney

Adventures in New York and New Mexico

It’s been a while since I posted any cheese. My excuse is taking a week off gallivanting in the States, along with the subsequent recovery from the inevitable wearisome jetlag.

While the U.S. is fantastic is many ways—huge portions, actual sunshine, stunning scenery et cetera—I’m not convinced I’d specifically go there to seek out the best cheese, especially compared with the consistently quality produce of the likes of France and Italy back in Europe.

I visited New York and Santa Fe, New Mexico to see my sister and my good friend, who happen to live in these two vastly different places. The contrast is quite extraordinary, from iconic cityscape to breathtaking arid mountains.

New Mexico

I greedily embraced New Mexican food, which doesn’t seem all that dissimilar from Mexican cuisine: avocado heaven!

Within the dairy realm, I enjoyed an exquisite flan from the respected Rancho De Chimayo Restaurante near famed Catholic pilgrimage center—El Santuario de Chimayo.

Back in arty Santa Fe (there are nearly 300 galleries!), I tried a grilled cheese sandwhich from The French Pastry Shop with Emmental, olives and tomato, which in fact was disappointing. I felt the cheese could have been softer and would have done well with some chutney. 

The enchiladas from Del Charro, a cosy laid-back pub/restaurant (Santa Fe's Central Perk), was a better experience: this cheese was definitely melted. It was also the first enchilada I've tried that included tofu. A healthy enchilada perhaps? Suuure.

While Santa Fe wins on the avocado front, as far as cheese goes, New York conquered my heart. My favourite cheese experience of the trip came courtesy of Brooklyn’s Hungry Ghost in Prospect Heights. Ever tried Brie with ham, mango chutney and garam masala mustard? I hadn’t either. Trust me, the marriage of creamy and curried flavours is sublime. We were hungover as hell and this exotic sandwich, accompanied by crunchy southern veg soup, worked a treat to nourish our tired and hungry souls; the ghosts of the night before were duly banished.

Hangover cure: Brie, ham, mango chutney and garam masala mustard sandwich with southern veg soup

Variety is the cheese of life

Imagine 37 types of the same brand of cheese. And not just any old cheese, mind. Castello—an artisan Danish range that has also found fame in North America, having won multiple awards. 

Happily, you don’t need to merely imagine; you can see and taste for yourself this varied and sophisticated collection at Castello’s pop-up cheese emporium. Following similar poppings up in Copenhagen and New York earlier this year, it has graced London’s trendy Commercial Street for the last month. 

On entering the shop, my pal Lucy and I were greeted immediately by a friendly French assistant who led us directly to the tasting station at the front. We tried an inoffensive Castello Creamy White, on a Table Water Cracker topped with Hot Gooseberry Chutney. Delightful in itself, we washed this down with a small sample of zingy Apple & Ginger juice by Cawston Press. 

The shop floor is spacious with high ceilings, allowing plenty of room to browse and sample the various types of Castello cheese. After our Creamy White experience, we enjoyed soaking Araldica Barbaresco Corsini in Acacia honey, dabbing Castello Tickler—Mature Cheddar—with onion relish; plus, I even tried and approved of the Castello Creamy Blue, smothered in Morello cherry jam. 

This short advert, which aired earlier this year, is a great homage to balance and how delicately the flavours combine in the Creamy Blue. 

Indeed, one of the most marvellous aspects about this Castello pop-up store is that they instruct you in exactly which combinations work with each cheese. For example, you should drink Falstaff Cider with the Creamy White, eat Melba toast and Acacia honey with an Aged Havarti, along with a glug of Barbaresco Wine; while the Marquis sweetly matches Lemon Butter Shortbread and lemon curd, washed down with wheat beer. 

You can also purchase almost everything you need in relation to Castello cheese, from cheese boards, to fondue kits, a myriad of knives, posh chutneys, chocolate, biscuits, bread and juices.

Prices seemed very reasonable. I bought Hot Gooseberry Chutney, Castello White with Green Peppercorns and a packet of five small creamy samples (chives, black pepper, pineapple and blue) all for just over a fiver.

Lucy and cheese goodies

If you fancy sampling some of Castello’s sophisticated creations, the Shoreditch pop-up store is open until Oct. 24. I went on a weeknight, however if you stop by on Thursday, Friday or Saturday, you can try various combinations of cheese, drinks and nibbles. Plus, Castello has enlisted wine connoisseur Matt Day to match your wine, beer or cider to the perfect Castello cheese. Why, how fabulous! 

After trying some of samples we’d purchased, we both agreed the Pineapple Halo was irresistibly sweet and delicious, thanks to its delicate layer of pineapple, papaya and almonds. It’s fortunate that I didn’t buy the regular sized version, as I strongly suspect I would have gorged the whole thing in one sitting. Arteries, be grateful.