tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73774472264365679172024-03-13T01:39:49.592+01:00The Cheese And Imattferozehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09718499384104348386noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377447226436567917.post-78491694018099168722014-01-01T20:32:00.000+01:002014-01-01T20:39:55.115+01:00Happy New Year!<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 16px;">Hello and Happy New Year!</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 16px;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 16px;">2013 was an amazing year for me. There was the competition of course, my book '<a href="http://thecheeseandi.blogspot.co.uk/p/book.html">The Cheese and I</a>' was published, I spent the summer on farms making cheese with my French cheese-making heroes and I came back to the UK and met loads of brilliant UK cheese people.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 16px;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 16px;">It looks like 2014 is set to be a big one too; I’m currently working on a second book, much more about the people who work in cheese than about me, with loads of tips about how best to enjoy cheese including a pile of my <span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="1a18df85-5b0e-48a5-87f7-507e2b8b3f7b" id="ebf70c3b-2d6b-4152-845f-f69e67b49f85">favourite</span> cheese-based recipes. I’m also hoping to set up a series of cheese and wine evenings, get married and buy a flat – it’s going to be hectic.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 16px;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 16px;">I’ll keep you posted with everything that I consider to be interesting, but in the meantime, why not take advantage of the ridiculously good value of the kindle version of my book on <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Cheese-Englishmans-Through-Fromage-ebook/dp/B00EZPDXPU/ref=sr_1_cc_2?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1388605159&sr=1-2-catcorr&keywords=the+cheese+and+i">Amazon</a> at the moment – yours for just 99p!</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 16px;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 16px;">Hope that you’re all having a good one – here’s a happy New Year goat…</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAMjBWSBaL6oF-7ZWbg3LZpTrhJ8ArmzoT3PMlYQnRvYd1ZwMU7lfiWJjnTlHFLFPmuN82X0Bb5WRchbGd3aBwa_z5jZilVuPJgViONoqjdV2DbqcDLUBTjKiQUz9Q7u8hPk887vSI2cE/s1600/Goat+new+year.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAMjBWSBaL6oF-7ZWbg3LZpTrhJ8ArmzoT3PMlYQnRvYd1ZwMU7lfiWJjnTlHFLFPmuN82X0Bb5WRchbGd3aBwa_z5jZilVuPJgViONoqjdV2DbqcDLUBTjKiQUz9Q7u8hPk887vSI2cE/s640/Goat+new+year.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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mattferozehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09718499384104348386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377447226436567917.post-6155935108179698702013-11-19T23:03:00.001+01:002013-11-19T23:03:34.400+01:00More cheese adverts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The Nolan's cheese advert made me think of this one. Not sure that I would like panda cheese, but the advert is brilliant.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/X21mJh6j9i4?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />mattferozehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09718499384104348386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377447226436567917.post-21799134295515631092013-11-16T20:40:00.000+01:002013-11-16T20:40:00.518+01:00Mice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was asked yesterday how it was going, settling back into
London. I had to confess that it took remarkably little time to get back into
the swing of London life. It’s busy, expensive and the transport system is frustratingly
crowded but, there’s loads to do and see and the food is getting better and
better all the time.</div>
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One of the seemingly unavoidable aspects of living in London
seems to be the presence of mice - they’re all over the place and seem to
affect most houses at some point or other.</div>
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<br /></div>
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So it was without too much surprise that found myself
face-to-face with a mouse in the kitchen yesterday evening (before clumsily
chasing it around the kitchen like something out of a Tom & Jerry cartoon).
Our kitchen is pretty clean, and we keep our food up high having had problems
before, but hey, mice happen...</div>
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As I was laying out the traps, I was reminded of two things.
</div>
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<br /></div>
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First was the amazing video for Nolan’s cheddar – not a
cheese that features significantly (if at all) in my life but I do like the
advert.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/RDwg-qgq1vk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<br /></div>
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Second, I remembered back when I was in the caves and had
been sent out to the Savoie on the weekly trip to collect cheeses maturing in
the caves. We had set out at midnight to make sure that the cheese was back in
time to be put away by the day shift, meaning that our last farm on the trip
coincided with breakfast at about 7am.</div>
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The warm farm kitchen was packed with family, employees and
the neighbours who had come down from the mountains to drop off some of their
cheese to us. It was a typical farm breakfast: thick black coffee, strange pappy
French cake-things in their individual plastic wrappings, homemade charcuterie and
of course, cheese.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The cheese on the table, smallish at about 1.5kg, showed
some interesting marks, it had been gnawed by mice - turns out that a mouse had
got into the ageing room and had a go at one of the cheeses. Of course, it’s
unthinkable to sell a cheese that a mouse has chewed, so they kept those for
themselves. </div>
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Naturally this became a topic of conversation and I was impressed
to find out that in taste tests, the nibbled cheeses were also the ones that humans
would consider to be the best – showing that there’s not so much of a difference
between us after all. I’m not sure if there’s truth in it, but I love the
story.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Mice are pests and spreaders of disease and they absolutely need
to be removed, particularly from areas of food prep and storage. That said, it’s
hard to hate on a serious cheese connoisseur.</div>
mattferozehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09718499384104348386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377447226436567917.post-36417251683455892482013-10-20T21:53:00.001+02:002013-10-20T21:53:27.050+02:00Taleggio on chips<div class="MsoNormal">
A while ago now, my amazing fiancée Jen won us a 3 night
stay in luxury accommodation on Bryher – the smallest of the inhabited Isles of
Scilly. Last weekend, we collected the prize.<br />
<br />
Needless to say, we had an amazing time: rambling lazily around the islands, relaxing in the sun and eating really rather well. In fact the awesomeness of the food was matched only by its epic quantity (I put on 4 pounds over the weekend).<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI3WOGrIZdtCdS9sHHu6t7IWXNtaUjbak1v-TD7kK3hHGBjcioKr_xvs4gVsEvr48bDTraYnAx467L9DUs-_ZhfJvPKJ4iUUh33CsdawqGssqdQaDhFBLjJsz8LsWUbbtSGLOTyC6sVIc/s1600/1310_Bryher_061.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI3WOGrIZdtCdS9sHHu6t7IWXNtaUjbak1v-TD7kK3hHGBjcioKr_xvs4gVsEvr48bDTraYnAx467L9DUs-_ZhfJvPKJ4iUUh33CsdawqGssqdQaDhFBLjJsz8LsWUbbtSGLOTyC6sVIc/s640/1310_Bryher_061.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from our window</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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There were many highlights for me: chatting to the seals in
the secluded bays, meeting the local goat, and sampling the black pudding in the gourmet full-English.
What I thought I would share today though, is a pub snack that we had at the
New Inn on Tresco - Taleggio topped chips.</div>
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I’ve talked about Taleggio a fair bit on the blog recently
so this is the last post on that subject – promise!<br />
<br /></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOiTDREMFK2QAQCJrfz-47OQD6LJQb5YBuApD6oSVeXiOloY7Pq-4k7tFjt8i2ycUbQMkXP2w5iY7CftId45KXvujovaaKXgxj0hV_8l7IwyBfdacSKCfnUS5bLhLlubHM92IPsTG2aYQ/s1600/IMG_20131020_183609.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOiTDREMFK2QAQCJrfz-47OQD6LJQb5YBuApD6oSVeXiOloY7Pq-4k7tFjt8i2ycUbQMkXP2w5iY7CftId45KXvujovaaKXgxj0hV_8l7IwyBfdacSKCfnUS5bLhLlubHM92IPsTG2aYQ/s640/IMG_20131020_183609.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taleggio on chips - gooey, crunchy and thoroughly delicious. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Actually, the cheese wasn’t
the finest ever, it was a bit on the young side but that really didn’t matter.
It had been applied perfectly, Taleggio is, to my mind, one of the finest
cheeses for cooking, its washed rind which can have a sandy texture crisps
up and the slightly bitter taste cuts the fattiness in a dangerously moreish manner. If you've never tried it, make sure that it goes on your next pizza.</div>
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In this case, the chips (hand cut of course) had been piled
generously into the serving dish and were golden and fluffy. The cheese had
been liberally applied on top and presumably grilled, turning it molten but gloriously
stringy as you removed a chip.</div>
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The <i>coup de grace</i>?
More cheese hidden under the chips! I was a happy man.<br />
<br />
As we head into winter, this simple yet perfect dish will definitely be featuring on our menu...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP9OxAo81BiPE1nLIzRjWbPwvpHMx5ka1MoxbvLXuzqHJBXsC8tGzmUvU2nuQWP6fbBbQOvCp102D7LvI2UPn-tKHU5ih_BXJyWIDLpYilpfcqSKiissg1ThzKTVxUwoh3iF1iefa83S0/s1600/1310_Bryher_102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP9OxAo81BiPE1nLIzRjWbPwvpHMx5ka1MoxbvLXuzqHJBXsC8tGzmUvU2nuQWP6fbBbQOvCp102D7LvI2UPn-tKHU5ih_BXJyWIDLpYilpfcqSKiissg1ThzKTVxUwoh3iF1iefa83S0/s640/1310_Bryher_102.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St Mary's</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2xLrJKpEzNSd91_MaLcwZ7U0kJO5zkoM_lMOImBpSyFxmhNK0p6FuIQVX7Jlvwejcv_As_laokD_FZo18nWbExj2gicD2W1NU5YiCKCusDVEzBfpJAR8VjyolQRTEEadH3-P74rgIUW8/s1600/1310_Bryher_089.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="636" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2xLrJKpEzNSd91_MaLcwZ7U0kJO5zkoM_lMOImBpSyFxmhNK0p6FuIQVX7Jlvwejcv_As_laokD_FZo18nWbExj2gicD2W1NU5YiCKCusDVEzBfpJAR8VjyolQRTEEadH3-P74rgIUW8/s640/1310_Bryher_089.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and William the goat</td></tr>
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mattferozehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09718499384104348386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377447226436567917.post-85840836930212776092013-09-27T17:53:00.003+02:002013-09-27T17:56:42.818+02:00A to Z of Cheese<div class="MsoNormal">
Hi All,<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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In case you missed it,
here’s a photo of an article that I wrote for the Daily Express this week. You
can find a <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B4i-hyFQAKQdamZVWi00VVRnYkk/edit?usp=sharing">more readable image here</a>, or you can head over to the <a href="http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/431491/Matt-Feroze-gives-us-the-lowdown-on-cheese">Express site</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt7vHLoe1OPOSJEroGRmDkNneQwOkaZuwixRJi2O94taxIKXXBxgIflXe-87uGUanO8OqFXbKVguigcPtNlF-zyhZFx19E5HankIzsRfgY20Bd0ddsglGWvnoHmZUVlQBMUwvO-gJqApY/s1600/1309_untitled_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt7vHLoe1OPOSJEroGRmDkNneQwOkaZuwixRJi2O94taxIKXXBxgIflXe-87uGUanO8OqFXbKVguigcPtNlF-zyhZFx19E5HankIzsRfgY20Bd0ddsglGWvnoHmZUVlQBMUwvO-gJqApY/s400/1309_untitled_001.jpg" width="328" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My A to Z of cheese</td></tr>
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Here are a couple of extra letters that didn't make the final cut:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>C is for Casein</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Casein makes up most of the protein in milk - it’s usually soluble, and its form is a little like tiny balls of wool. The cheesemaking process starts with the unwinding of these balls or cutting them and reforming them into a big web, often with Rennet. This is the curd part of the curds and whey, once the whey has been strained off, you have a cheese – although you might want to take it to the Affineur before tasting it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>T is for Terroir</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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A French term used to represent everything that makes a product made from that area unique. It’s a combination of geology, geography, local climate, animals and plant life.</div>
mattferozehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09718499384104348386noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377447226436567917.post-22633776741307668372013-09-23T20:17:00.000+02:002013-09-23T20:17:30.836+02:00The anatomy of a cheese label<div class="MsoNormal">
In the <a href="http://thecheeseandi.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/taleggio-from-sainsburys.html">last post</a> I wrote about a piece of Taleggio
that I had bought from the supermarket. It struck me later that it might be
interesting to talk a little bit about the packaging of this cheese and the
process of judging a cheese by its cover.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I’ve included a
picture of the wrapper below and will talk through what I consider to be the
important bits. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxmeNJQPV8TtTQQQOaI4i5dUSdPEeO8ryuCvGXKYR0BSdMvWIwilRxUnQ6pXP0Ki3NhHLhG1sI9OE0riIMzBMyNq8xboY4_yutWDBON5FGxTCqB1vPtjV69BwbfwwRDTYbEX_I1_3b73Q/s1600/lable.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxmeNJQPV8TtTQQQOaI4i5dUSdPEeO8ryuCvGXKYR0BSdMvWIwilRxUnQ6pXP0Ki3NhHLhG1sI9OE0riIMzBMyNq8xboY4_yutWDBON5FGxTCqB1vPtjV69BwbfwwRDTYbEX_I1_3b73Q/s640/lable.jpg" width="576" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Label from the cheese that I picked up</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>(a)</b> Here we have the name
of the cheese and its origin, but the interesting bit is the “DOP”. This stands for ‘Denominazione di Origine Protetta’, which translates to ‘Protection Designation of Origin’ (PDO) for British produce and ‘<i>Appellation d'Origine Protegée</i>’ (AOP) for French produce.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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This label is proof
that the product conforms to, and is protected by, European legislation that ensures
that the cheese was not only made in the area from which the cheese was
originally produced but crucially was made using methods considered essential
to the giving the cheese its unique character. This is the same legislation
that requires Champagne to have been made in a very specific part of France
according to a well-defined method.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Cheddar isn’t
protected in this way and can therefore be made anywhere in the world (although
West Country Farmhouse Cheddar PDO is now protected).</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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The presence of this
label doesn’t guarantee the highest quality but it does set a minimum standard
that the cheese must have attained and is therefore generally considered to be
a good representation of that cheese.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>(b)</b> This is the DOP label
that demonstrates that the product conforms to the requirements for this type
of cheese.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>(c)</b> This is the stamp of
approval from the ‘<i>Consorzio Tutela
Taleggio</i>’ (CTT) – the consortium for the protection of Taleggio – which was
set up by the makers and maturers of the cheese to help create the case for the
geographical protection of Taleggio .<o:p></o:p></div>
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This precise label is
specific to Taleggio but other cheeses may have their own labelling for their
own unions. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>(d)</b> This is the identification
mark. It’s an identifier for the establishment which produced and packaged the
cheese or other consumable. This helps to maintain a degree of traceability
despite the branding and packaging of the retailer. With a little internet
research, these can also be used to find the producers of supermarket ‘own
brands’.<o:p></o:p></div>
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‘IT’ is the country
code (in this case Italy), and will be found at the top, ‘CE’ stands for
European Community (note that this changes with the country according to their
language) and will be at the bottom. In the middle is the national approval
number for the processing facility.<o:p></o:p></div>
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A quick google of “IT
03/048 Taleggio” brings up a number of sites that link the number to Emilio
Mauri S.p.A., a well-known exporter of Taleggio. You can then review that
website to find out more about how the cheese was made.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>(e)</b> A standard safety
warning for this kind of cheese – note that it doesn’t say unpasteurised milk,
implying that the milk is pasteurised. If it was unpasteurised then this would have
to be marked on the label.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>(f)</b> I quite liked this
little snippet of advice.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The use by date was
stuck to the wrapper as a separate sticker – with a soft cheese like this; I
personally would ignore what the use by date says and pick the softest feeling
piece of cheese. You’ll probably find that this is the one with the shortest
use by date though.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
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Also note the absence
of a ‘Suitable for vegetarians’ label, which implies the use of animal based
rennet – a very common in the production of traditional cheeses such as this
one.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’m not going to discuss the nutritional information in this post – I’m no dietician after all. Let’s just say we should try to enjoy cheese, as everything else, in moderation.</div>
mattferozehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09718499384104348386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377447226436567917.post-54081413895525820512013-09-20T00:00:00.001+02:002013-09-20T00:30:10.456+02:00Taleggio (from Sainsbury's)<div class="MsoNormal">
I was in the big Sainsburys on Clapham high street looking
for important household goods (elderflower cordial and silver polish) and wandered
over to the cheese isle. It turns out that even supermarket cheeses have a
strange gravitational effect over me – let’s call it professional curiosity.</div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<o:p>I was actually pretty surprised to find an intriguingly diverse display of European cheeses in the “Taste the Difference” range. Readers of this blog will know that I have previously <a href="http://thecheeseandi.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/so-what-is-proper-cheese-and-why-cant-i.html">advised against buying cheese from supermarkets</a> but something about the Taleggio called to me. It was a cheese that I enjoyed selling in the shop in France and often would bring a hunk home with me. I think as well, that this was the first time that I had seen the cheese on sale in the UK.</o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQcTfE1HVhGewNhbIDJi2TzB9EoyENcXzNH9gMLkOD8FNHuPRHQ21U6i4sueLfSpTLgN5Wt0qmT_SVBOv8JVJziL0qu1kv7jCmz2Rp2IdajaT8v6J-oTQCAxEbiLesBvq2KPgD8ebEOl0/s1600/1309_untitled_030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQcTfE1HVhGewNhbIDJi2TzB9EoyENcXzNH9gMLkOD8FNHuPRHQ21U6i4sueLfSpTLgN5Wt0qmT_SVBOv8JVJziL0qu1kv7jCmz2Rp2IdajaT8v6J-oTQCAxEbiLesBvq2KPgD8ebEOl0/s400/1309_untitled_030.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soft centred and pale - clearly more liquid just under the rind</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Taleggio is an northern Italian cow’s milk cheese, named
after the valley in Lombardy of the same name. It’s notable for its square
shape and wrinkled terracotta rind; its pale centre starts almost chalky but with
ageing softens and turns almost liquid under the rind. The rind, when really
pushed in age darkens, even taking on a brown/black colour in some areas.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The taste is somewhere between mild and strong depending on
whether you eat the rind, it’s kind of confusing on the palate. The rich creaminess
of the centre is cut through by the bitterness that the rind imparts, leaving
the mouth salivating and eager for more. When aged, the rind turns quite
granular, almost sandy and for many, will be left on the side of the plate,
although once grilled, becomes brilliantly crispy – ideal for cheese on toast
and pizzas.</div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGaKCg-zPhzHj97F3eVY-J_PPVlCplnUUlTVg31VWPxPHWKZal-OCu69aEESfTbmxUR7t9Ay1s1BETbWwOvVrqijPHTXWdADyFB32co2DloUbPis_tFLdjzVpw8TrDbztpC7bmFqlYnWM/s1600/1309_untitled_034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGaKCg-zPhzHj97F3eVY-J_PPVlCplnUUlTVg31VWPxPHWKZal-OCu69aEESfTbmxUR7t9Ay1s1BETbWwOvVrqijPHTXWdADyFB32co2DloUbPis_tFLdjzVpw8TrDbztpC7bmFqlYnWM/s400/1309_untitled_034.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rind was quite pale, showing relatively little development</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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So how does the Sainsbury’s Taleggio fare? </div>
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Actually it’s surprisingly good. I was concerned about how
long it had been cut, pre-wrapped and left in the fridge – looking at the range
of sell by dates they had, I’m guessing potentially 2 or 3 weeks – but it didn’t
taste too flat.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The cheese was ripe enough (it’s a good idea to pick the one
nearest the sell-by date if there really isn’t any other way to pick between
bits) but the rind really hadn’t developed and was rather anaemic looking. That
carried through into the flavour which I found to be a bit lacking, I missed
some of the more complex hay and meat notes that I was used to with our product
in France.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Crucially, did it make a good cheese on toast? Again,
definitely passable and made a nice change from cheddar.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1hprICMrKs4S9h8vsUZCUOy3uQvQCKoAJNM-CkEvS9A3uDGYuZw1fVquepXh5Vj8mf3NDV58O_xN-B9Reb2cIqQQBp9aDCzyAC0HdE3hxdbske-fMBws49zUDiCIdr3nbdPT41JM9YYM/s1600/1309_untitled_040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1hprICMrKs4S9h8vsUZCUOy3uQvQCKoAJNM-CkEvS9A3uDGYuZw1fVquepXh5Vj8mf3NDV58O_xN-B9Reb2cIqQQBp9aDCzyAC0HdE3hxdbske-fMBws49zUDiCIdr3nbdPT41JM9YYM/s640/1309_untitled_040.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Taleggio performed respectably under the grill</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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All things considered, I was pleasantly surprised, certainly a step in the right direction and a sensible starting point for those without access to cheese shops and markets.</div>
mattferozehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09718499384104348386noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377447226436567917.post-32698199966266367502013-09-13T12:45:00.000+02:002013-09-13T12:45:02.533+02:00On the radio<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s fair to say that things have been a little hectic over
the last couple of weeks. I’m pretty much unpacked and settled into London and
of course, the book is now published (I’ve seen it in shops and everything). So
I’m officially an author. Blimey.</div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf22r63gcQfJ58ruZ_Z53jHkVNimAzwjdgysczhEzlIZvP8rlHBRLytxZkm_iT93CMsl9I3ncu2uCuycuzJuZnwe7hyphenhyphen8k26byG1884WeI_msbFrksrA3aO3w1Q_-ftE3xGDFel69rERzw/s1600/radio+matt.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf22r63gcQfJ58ruZ_Z53jHkVNimAzwjdgysczhEzlIZvP8rlHBRLytxZkm_iT93CMsl9I3ncu2uCuycuzJuZnwe7hyphenhyphen8k26byG1884WeI_msbFrksrA3aO3w1Q_-ftE3xGDFel69rERzw/s400/radio+matt.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Live from London</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The publicity side of things has been a whole new world of
weird for me but has been good fun – lots of interviews, presentations and
signing of books. I actually spent most of yesterday in a BBC sound studio
recording for local radio shows across the country. It turned out that the next
person to use the booth I was in was the awesome Bill Bailey. There was just
enough time for a quick photo before I was forced out of the building by the
enormous entourage of some singer that I confess to never having heard of.</div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6xtagl3A7uHO1N3LJWcY-Qfloy1079z9lZWI0FSVlWyo8oMxj0-pHuXGWuDcKenfOCrp3CAzxYdwUZ1gqOM9OdnLSbWIp3JLYyuBtrgVEuvP6m_Zfyjnd_4d00ZY0mtRTryUs5yubkXU/s1600/Matt+and+Bill.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6xtagl3A7uHO1N3LJWcY-Qfloy1079z9lZWI0FSVlWyo8oMxj0-pHuXGWuDcKenfOCrp3CAzxYdwUZ1gqOM9OdnLSbWIp3JLYyuBtrgVEuvP6m_Zfyjnd_4d00ZY0mtRTryUs5yubkXU/s400/Matt+and+Bill.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hats off to the badgers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
So what to do to calm down after the 15 minutes of fame?
Fortunately there was a very fine hunk of Roquefort in the fridge that I’d
picked up from the Mons stall at Borough Market. Tasting that creamy, melt in
the mouth woolliness, cut with through with mildly metallic blue notes took me
right back to visiting Roquefort this summer, and reminded me that I have
several thousand photos that I really ought to start sorting through...</div>
mattferozehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09718499384104348386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377447226436567917.post-56426058060632992402013-08-28T19:26:00.001+02:002013-08-28T19:26:09.218+02:00My new bookDid I mention that I wrote a book?!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI40PmthKggt5WEaD4zMhbmeRPLjJeemY4fBuhxmnp53QkJVohYn6_9y6kueJJpPGz84xh4hqLsGpC9SxPL_vbEcOh5hW-TbXA8IWXdAqPDscNFAhiCHA4NPgxB38qUprx9rbToozhPuQ/s1600/P1130474.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI40PmthKggt5WEaD4zMhbmeRPLjJeemY4fBuhxmnp53QkJVohYn6_9y6kueJJpPGz84xh4hqLsGpC9SxPL_vbEcOh5hW-TbXA8IWXdAqPDscNFAhiCHA4NPgxB38qUprx9rbToozhPuQ/s400/P1130474.JPG" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An advance copy of my new book</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well here’s a photo of the advanced copy that I was recently sent by the nice people at <a href="http://www.mombooks.com/">Michael O’Mara books</a>. It’s amazing to see it finally in print.</div>
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You’ll be able to get your hands on a copy on the publication date (5<sup>th</sup> September) from the usual bookshops and on-line retailers. </div>
<br />mattferozehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09718499384104348386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377447226436567917.post-62554443277845541512013-08-28T19:07:00.002+02:002013-08-28T19:16:03.655+02:00SalersApologies all, a technical problem resulted in this post getting deleted. I have now reinstated it.<br />
<br />
Hi everyone. Apologies for the lack of posting recently, I’ve been pretty busy making cheese with some great producers. Internet access has been something of a sore point though and my brilliant plans of posting using my smart phone received a rather crushing blow recently (smartphones, as it turns out, don’t take well to heavy rain in the mountains).<br />
<br />
I thought that as a taster of what’s been going on, I would share this photo of perhaps my favourite scene to date in the cheese world – the milking of the Salers cow.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQRPriiwGlHpu1yfoIfbysxsSjl1ibiClvBF7e0Tq7xCLgpzinr2Pslp9-xbMV6A5ze5l5GttdP_zoL9qjHgb0vYM0gd_rbuYXV0Fj_hsb_oGAuk070QPmOp88d6LRIrtJ8XYmVi5j-6U/s1600/1307_untitled_080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="385" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQRPriiwGlHpu1yfoIfbysxsSjl1ibiClvBF7e0Tq7xCLgpzinr2Pslp9-xbMV6A5ze5l5GttdP_zoL9qjHgb0vYM0gd_rbuYXV0Fj_hsb_oGAuk070QPmOp88d6LRIrtJ8XYmVi5j-6U/s400/1307_untitled_080.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
There is no milking parlour, we’re out at high altitude in rich, rain-drenched pastures. The Salers cow provides tasty beef, but it was the the milk that this herd was churning out that we were after. It was exceptional and rich, with deep and complex grassy notes.<br />
<br />
The beautiful cows of the Salers breed have a tendency to hold onto their milk unless their calf is present - which is why her calf is in frame, tied to her front leg for the milking (one udder is left for the calf afterwards, leaving plenty of milk to supplement their diet). The cows get all the nutrients that they need from the vast expanses of pasture but they do like a bit of salt, so the farmer places a handful on the back of the calf, which the cow will then lick off - an act which calms the calf.<br />
<br />
This is a long winded process - the forty or so cows are free to roam in the milking enclosure and with the addition of an equivalent number of calfs and a bull, the milking could well be described as a kind of organised chaos.<br />
<br />
The cheese is awesome, what you’re looking for is “Salers Tradition” the “Tradition” is important, it’s a controlled term that ensures that you are eating a cheese made up in the mountains according to the traditional practises. It’s rich, buttery and heavily scented, with grassy, herby notes battling a strong dose of farmyard and an incredibly satisfying bitterness that entices you to take another bite. This is a ‘real cheese’, as real as they get – made how you would want cheese to be made. But a proper description will have to wait for another post – it’s time to get back to the farm...<br />
<br />mattferozehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09718499384104348386noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377447226436567917.post-84611242152897385282013-08-19T23:33:00.000+02:002013-08-19T23:33:27.476+02:00On age and cheese<div class="MsoNormal">
So in a previous blog post, I commented that ‘Comté and
Beaufort tend to reach their peaks of flavour and texture at around 15 – 18
months’. A reader asked why that was, given that much older Comté is available
and very good.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBDYPB3sBWAehYYzb7kcd9T2gAiVdElW6mTE8x9XqiYz-B0N9MHOq_IMlz29berXvMu3E7ZmSgOFGx3pfC-jrxwoJpp2gVJ5ZKlgSwphw1xNFFlqSyggJfbteB1u03ULjcIUfU4eySFho/s1600/Catalogue+photos-098.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBDYPB3sBWAehYYzb7kcd9T2gAiVdElW6mTE8x9XqiYz-B0N9MHOq_IMlz29berXvMu3E7ZmSgOFGx3pfC-jrxwoJpp2gVJ5ZKlgSwphw1xNFFlqSyggJfbteB1u03ULjcIUfU4eySFho/s400/Catalogue+photos-098.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening a Comté - one of the best parts<br />
of working in cheese</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I am not a specialist in ageing pressed, cooked cheeses such
as Comté, Beaufort and the Swiss Gruyeres, but I have been working around them
for a fair while now. In the shop I would open perhaps five or so a week with
varying ages, and would make sure to taste each and every one of them – partly
to check for faults and problems, partly to enable me to describe it to
customers, but mostly because the moment that the wheel is cut open is sacred.
This cheese has been looked after, caressed and cared for over many months and
I have the privilege of opening it and being the first to take advantage of
that labour of love. A newly opened wheel is hugely fragrant, but sadly that
fragrance disappears very quickly. You can recreate this effect to an extent by
taking a freshly cut piece of cheese and breaking it in two then quickly
smelling the break.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I found personally that it was the 15 – 18 month period that
was the most interesting, and most of the rest of the staff were in agreement
on that score - as were a large number of our clients when they tasted our
range of Comtés. Of course this is subjective however, and not everyone will
agree.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My personal experience of age and hard, cooked cheeses is
that over time two main things happen: the texture changes and flavour develops
(and of course the price increases). The texture will become less supple, drier
and crystals will begin to form (these aren’t salt crystals but rather the
amino acid Tyrosine). In terms of flavour, this will improve steadily, becoming
more and more interesting, but after about a year and a half I find that whilst
the concentration of flavour continues to increase, its complexity begins to
decrease. Heavily aged Comtés taste strong, but I find that I miss some of the
more subtle expression of the milk that you would find in a slightly younger
cheese. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Next time that you have the opportunity to try a younger
cheese followed by a mature one, check for yourself how the taste evolves in
your mouth and see if you agree with me.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
A final point to note is that age is not always the best
indicator of quality. Leaving a wheel of gruyere in a walk-in fridge for three
years without taking care of it isn’t going to result in the best ever
gastronomic experience...</div>
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mattferozehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09718499384104348386noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377447226436567917.post-53455539788132095362013-06-24T11:52:00.000+02:002013-06-24T11:52:27.272+02:00Handed in on time!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">So there it is – the completed manuscript for my first book, <i>The Cheese And I</i>. It's coming out in September and I'm so excited to see the finished product. </span><br />
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<div class="ii gt m13f72acf98574758 adP adO" id=":88" style="direction: ltr; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 15px; margin-top: 5px; padding-bottom: 5px; position: relative; z-index: 0;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I have to confess that I was a little disappointed that the whole book condensed into such a small file size that it would have fitted three times (with room to spare) onto a floppy disk. All those words!<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Anyway, now that’s in the trusty hands of the good people at Michael O'Mara books, I’ve begun touring France and checking out some of my favourite cheese producers. The reception can get a little sketchy in the mountains so apologies if I go off radar a bit. I’ll do my best to keep you posted on what I’m up to. I've got my camera with me and will be snapping away, so watch this space for more pictures and cheesy titbits.</span><br />
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mattferozehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09718499384104348386noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377447226436567917.post-54656328603150894532013-06-01T16:37:00.001+02:002013-06-01T16:39:52.636+02:00Leaving Lyon (sniff)<div class="MsoNormal">
These last 10 days have been emotional.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMiGtIHN8MvZFW_GXgv0uUEomz4164LefSuuhUVqcx03uaxkKlMSyJFL0XOGzVlm_ZBC0QiaOGKzTTzj8ebYgSbF2ijYVXLooDihAx1W4HQ8OFGWDZ9vt_S3SaH1SDpoWd7bQ8RTAf8_0/s1600/bookcover-5665.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMiGtIHN8MvZFW_GXgv0uUEomz4164LefSuuhUVqcx03uaxkKlMSyJFL0XOGzVlm_ZBC0QiaOGKzTTzj8ebYgSbF2ijYVXLooDihAx1W4HQ8OFGWDZ9vt_S3SaH1SDpoWd7bQ8RTAf8_0/s640/bookcover-5665.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Lyon, it’s been awesome - I'm going to miss you.</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
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I have now officially left the Lyon shop, nearly a year to
the day when I started, and handed over the keys to our Lyon flat. Our time in
Lyon is officially over.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s been a blast but it’s time to move on and so I'm back
for a short stay in London to finish up <a href="http://thecheeseandi.blogspot.fr/2013/04/more-exciting-news.html">the book</a> and finalise organising
my “summer of cheese”. I'm planning a tour around France visiting some of my
favourite producers and learning about what makes their cheese quite so special.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Lyon has been brilliant and I've met some fantastic people.
This post however, is a specific mention and thank you to my favourite cheese
shop team at <i>Fromagerie Mons – Etienne Boissy</i>,
who have all done so much to help me find my way in the cheese biz (and put up
with me when I was massively stressed in competition training). <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I've had a great time working with you and thanks for the send-off!</div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv6e2OCtZmLQ6osEOLpljdxyPt_NKRV1HqjcgJ3E7LlmVZDrjhAF6gVYQVtcPP711o2yAu_F_Kh_RRFQnAbPTMpUGDq_XLcRk5EJ5nxDidOOiAbZN4xM1KosGXw_IYFt2sS3OBpKvACK4/s1600/bookcover-075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv6e2OCtZmLQ6osEOLpljdxyPt_NKRV1HqjcgJ3E7LlmVZDrjhAF6gVYQVtcPP711o2yAu_F_Kh_RRFQnAbPTMpUGDq_XLcRk5EJ5nxDidOOiAbZN4xM1KosGXw_IYFt2sS3OBpKvACK4/s640/bookcover-075.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From left to right:<br />
Sabrina, Bénédicte, Etienne, Me, Victor and Severine</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
mattferozehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09718499384104348386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377447226436567917.post-11910187411487401382013-04-20T19:39:00.001+02:002013-04-20T19:39:50.845+02:00More exciting news<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ok, you
might have
noticed that I haven’t been blogging much recently - Sorry about
that, but I do
have an excuse though, so please bear with me.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am very
happy to
announce that my current distraction from blogging is that I'm writing a book -
also titled “The Cheese and I”. It’s being published by the
lovely folks at
<a href="http://www.mombooks.com/">Michael O’Mara Books</a> and is due for an Autumn release
this year. It’s
going to be fairly autobiographical, talking about how I went
from accountant
to (ahem, prize-winning) cheesemonger with lots of detail on the
people,
problems and cheeses that I've met along the way.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you’re
interested,
you might want to check out this <a href="http://www.thebookseller.com/news/cheesy-title-michael-omara.html">article from the bookseller</a> and don't worry, I certainly intend to
continue blogging so watch this space. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The
Bookseller picture
unfortunately only shows my face, and not the much more handsome
little fella
that I was holding at the time. Here it is in full.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw4xsJzD17qlryo_V4fDWZAys59NeF8efW6f6xNW9vrWj6OgjB2KAAsAA6j9tmRpp9sC0YRDgjqpKPEgRn33x7rcbwBTeNcTVgt7xeBIDFnInDi4SY1t8w4AMDWKgsSi0OL8F4LZ_aT3M/s1600/Catalogue+photos-1090630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw4xsJzD17qlryo_V4fDWZAys59NeF8efW6f6xNW9vrWj6OgjB2KAAsAA6j9tmRpp9sC0YRDgjqpKPEgRn33x7rcbwBTeNcTVgt7xeBIDFnInDi4SY1t8w4AMDWKgsSi0OL8F4LZ_aT3M/s400/Catalogue+photos-1090630.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and a goat</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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mattferozehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09718499384104348386noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377447226436567917.post-25720691577500464672013-03-23T12:39:00.000+01:002013-03-26T18:42:01.174+01:00Abondance<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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Continuing the theme
of presenting cheeses from my platter, I thought that Abondance deserved an introduction.
Particularly given this epic advert that has been up in most of the Lyon metro
stations recently.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Abondance is a pressed
and cooked raw cow’s milk cheese in the Savoie, a mountainous part of France
that houses some of the French Alps.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxdZBlsgdmPmbxOSqPE7RZVhkT2di63-z-5Oq__c8ZkA_Y0R7du3fFYBVkIPR8WdwwngkWXOehycrP6TlfS6c9hYrtCeqCZOcMv9z-Cu6fTWNTllTjALsXMQGZuJv7vr2c15eEipcYytQ/s1600/campagne2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxdZBlsgdmPmbxOSqPE7RZVhkT2di63-z-5Oq__c8ZkA_Y0R7du3fFYBVkIPR8WdwwngkWXOehycrP6TlfS6c9hYrtCeqCZOcMv9z-Cu6fTWNTllTjALsXMQGZuJv7vr2c15eEipcYytQ/s400/campagne2012.jpg" width="340" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"You're going to eat tradition" (with an implied "whether you like it or not")<br />
Check out the <a href="http://www.fromageabondance.fr/en/">official site</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The origins of the
cheese are tied to the work of the monks at the l’Abbaye d’Abondance who, from
the 14<sup>th</sup> century, created pastures in the Val de l’Abondance and
carefully selected a breed of cows, also known as Abondance. The goal of this
work was similar to that of most alpine cheese producers, essentially to find a
way of storing the richness of summer grasses and plants through the brutally
cold and desolate winter months. Cheese is a great medium for this,
particularly the harder, cooked cheeses which age gracefully allowing storage
for anything from months to years.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLNPUWecvgCfiKFUtyGoq4_riNufU0kEWUWCheSxIYBqVZ0GXAC0qfPfxVnzFI8HDpDUVts_w7e2yfxiJu4hEwyJetTsI0Qn75IXHevRX9iKPR0G88V0nev19CAFpDwUQAXme3PYfHIU8/s1600/Catalogue+photos-095.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLNPUWecvgCfiKFUtyGoq4_riNufU0kEWUWCheSxIYBqVZ0GXAC0qfPfxVnzFI8HDpDUVts_w7e2yfxiJu4hEwyJetTsI0Qn75IXHevRX9iKPR0G88V0nev19CAFpDwUQAXme3PYfHIU8/s400/Catalogue+photos-095.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abondance, a handsome beast</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Sorry, 'cooked'?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Just to clarify, when
I say that Abondance is a cooked cheese, I mean that once the curd has been
formed from the milk in a big vat (like a big jelly), it is cut into lots of
little cubes – this mixture of curd cubes and residual whey is then heated, to about 48<sup>o</sup>C
in the case of Abondance. This causes the curd cubes to tighten and shrink,
expelling more liquid. Generally speaking, the lower the moisture content, the longer
the cheese will age. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Abondance is
considered to be a semi-cooked cheese. Other cooked cheeses include the classic French examples of Comté and Beaufort, which are both cooked to around 53<sup>o</sup>C. As a
result, Comté and Beaufort tend to reach their peaks of flavour and texture at
around 15 – 18 months (although this can vary hugely) and Abondance can’t
really be taken much older than a year.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Personally I prefer this
cheese when it’s matured - the best part of a year old, such as the piece in these photos - but it is available as young as 3 or 4 months old where the rind will be
much paler and the pâte significantly less craggy looking.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN_mZoKGvlzWRwCBlZ9bQ6AnJSZtSjmgaJoBRe6oHmzXp-qZOmkDrHv_IsytwvxRIeTRCKucbgg9lqrcID5sBs3q8VuJKtNDz6gF6wHZBtIMrhu26_aZn57xBJQf-h7oWkbp0rLdQ4B00/s1600/Catalogue+photos-084.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN_mZoKGvlzWRwCBlZ9bQ6AnJSZtSjmgaJoBRe6oHmzXp-qZOmkDrHv_IsytwvxRIeTRCKucbgg9lqrcID5sBs3q8VuJKtNDz6gF6wHZBtIMrhu26_aZn57xBJQf-h7oWkbp0rLdQ4B00/s400/Catalogue+photos-084.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Well aged Abondance, showing off its fissured <span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">pâte</span><span style="font-size: small;">.</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
In this well-aged
piece, the pâte has dried and fissured but the flavour has also developed
significantly, imbuing the natural fruity, hazelnutty quality of the cheese with
strength, piquancy and a slight bitterness (which refreshes the palate). Watch
out though, with some examples of the cheese at this age, it can develop a very
strong stinging finish on the tongue. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This complex flavour,
coupled with a relatively soft pâte give a perfect cooking cheese, that is
ideally suited to the tops of gratins and the classic après ski fondue.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Another factor that
separates this cheese from the Beauforts and Comtés is the treatment of the
rind during aging, typically rubbing with water or a water and vinegar mix to
develop flavour characteristics commonly found in the soft, washed-rind cheeses
such as Epoisses and Langres (more on Langres coming soon to a computer screen near you). This is generally where that bitterness comes
from.<br />
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWBLgglg3-DhcFjh7EtqV1D6MP2XmgCHY4U53ZL71YJpFtowncAlJzT9bNHoYImUvorzbyGlA-1I7z7-BruJkVNu9X2UikDnkch3W2Wl8xebAsH5eDqvhd44a_JrbK2vs6HOmLJSbhhgw/s1600/Catalogue+photos-098.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWBLgglg3-DhcFjh7EtqV1D6MP2XmgCHY4U53ZL71YJpFtowncAlJzT9bNHoYImUvorzbyGlA-1I7z7-BruJkVNu9X2UikDnkch3W2Wl8xebAsH5eDqvhd44a_JrbK2vs6HOmLJSbhhgw/s400/Catalogue+photos-098.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dark brown rind can take on an almost red tinge when well matured</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="text-align: center;">The name Abondance,
and the methods through which it is produced have been protected under the
French AOC system (</span><span lang="FR" style="text-align: center;">Appellation d’Origine Contrôlé</span><span style="text-align: center;">) since 1990. If you can find it, you should
really be looking for the rarer Abondance Fermier, which is essentially
produced through the same process, but mechanisation is largely prohibited.</span></div>
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</div>
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<br />mattferozehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09718499384104348386noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377447226436567917.post-9545643873593951662013-03-17T00:20:00.001+01:002013-03-17T00:20:09.560+01:00Parmesan<span style="font-family: inherit;">Parmesan (as the
French call it), or to give it its full name Parmigiano-Reggiano DOP, was
another of the cheeses that I put on my competition platter. It’s a stunning
Italian cheese that I imagine almost everyone reading this will have come
across in some form or another.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxkBX8qVTxpOSLgsf_rT9QNS4vqx22PdvZ3QAq8oZvJYHL6uurgQJnAMygHHsL7cru5FZa5tVjEBHEkuZax8pbLzqua4IPbwoHf-nFYtBdjm6sgK-av3hAoHYoycUSSuZgYrUF1Af_SW4/s1600/Catalogue+photos-6939.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxkBX8qVTxpOSLgsf_rT9QNS4vqx22PdvZ3QAq8oZvJYHL6uurgQJnAMygHHsL7cru5FZa5tVjEBHEkuZax8pbLzqua4IPbwoHf-nFYtBdjm6sgK-av3hAoHYoycUSSuZgYrUF1Af_SW4/s400/Catalogue+photos-6939.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parmesan showing off its brittle texture</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In the UK, we tend to
use it almost as seasoning, grated onto pizza, or shaved over a salad. But
there’s more to it than that, this is a fascinating and unusual cheese that’s
well worth a more in-depth look. I could go into huge detail as to how it’s made
and aged etc. but there are already some pretty good resources on this on the
web, so I would invite you to have a look at these <a href="http://www.parmigianoreggiano.com/made/parmigiano_reggiano_cheese/default.aspx">videos</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">So, how should you buy
parmesan? As </span>I've<span style="font-family: inherit;"> said before, if you can possibly avoid it, you really </span><a href="http://thecheeseandi.blogspot.fr/2012/11/how-to-buy-cheese.html">shouldn't</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://thecheeseandi.blogspot.fr/2012/11/how-to-buy-cheese.html"> be buying cheese from a supermarket</a>. Try and find your nearest cheese shop, it is well worth the
effort to forge a lasting relationship with an expert, the rewards are greater
than Nectar points can ever be.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiizaP6wP4jrJMAS_WyJNGRCV2hGF-RB8ltS4lnYM3U8SpZlZBJYBId1QjTxPcO2Pabh2z4e8wFfvN-fN_KvOxkaRGjeX8lgdIEZQOIEySL2Q9EItHpeHUN-NfUlXha2iMzkQihFes-kxE/s1600/Catalogue+photos-6940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiizaP6wP4jrJMAS_WyJNGRCV2hGF-RB8ltS4lnYM3U8SpZlZBJYBId1QjTxPcO2Pabh2z4e8wFfvN-fN_KvOxkaRGjeX8lgdIEZQOIEySL2Q9EItHpeHUN-NfUlXha2iMzkQihFes-kxE/s400/Catalogue+photos-6940.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parmesan's marked rind</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">You should look for parmesan
in the biggest squarest lump that you can find/afford, it’ll last well in the
fridge but the issue, as always, is that a cut cheese dries out. The cheese,
for me at least, is always better when freshly cut, the texture will have a
crumbly, and is almost effervescent in the mouth; the flavour will be fresher
as well. That’s why the best parmesan you will ever taste is prised from the
centre of a wheel of parmesan opened just instants ago. It’s worth noting that
as soon as a cheese is cut, the wonderful flavour compounds that have been
building up over the years of affinage will be released in a short burst that’s
almost criminal to miss.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I included Parmesan on
my cheese platter because its taste and texture border on unique in the cheese
world and it deserves to be treated as a cheese in its own right, not just as a
dust on top of what might otherwise be a bland pasta dish. My recommendation is
that the next time you have cause to open a bottle of champagne, you buy a
reasonably well aged piece of Parmesan (around a couple of years old) that </span>hasn't<span style="font-family: inherit;"> been allowed to dry out too much and you prise it apart into small bite size
chunks at the last possible moment. Paired with the champagne, or a good dry
sparkling wine, it truly comes alive.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Any leftover chunks
(unlikely though they might be) go well in in a salad, and don’t forget that
the rind can be added to the mix to impart a soup or risotto with a richer savoury
flavour – just drop it in to the simmering stock.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I wanted to finish
with a brief aside on opening and cutting a wheel of Parmesan. The whole cheese
is a bit of a beast, weighing in at around 40kg and it tends to have quite an
oily rind making it difficult to manoeuvre. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9dzaafKtGs4tS_QWeZms43cHwCvOQ9foWJwmSldp6xd_fUUzZ1hfcmJ_n-Lgw6nqFcv0qFNJeIFA2cIByjCEkn0YqgvA8GHLU1cipNIWK5BBVWnmGhku7O9bQEWasZL1fOQT7O8t2HsU/s1600/Catalogue+photos-084.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9dzaafKtGs4tS_QWeZms43cHwCvOQ9foWJwmSldp6xd_fUUzZ1hfcmJ_n-Lgw6nqFcv0qFNJeIFA2cIByjCEkn0YqgvA8GHLU1cipNIWK5BBVWnmGhku7O9bQEWasZL1fOQT7O8t2HsU/s400/Catalogue+photos-084.jpg" width="295" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My boss Etienne having opened a Parmesan the <br />
traditional way with his Parmesan knives</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Traditionally it’s opened with a
set of specialist knives with flat 10 cm long blades, inserting and wiggling to
find the natural weaknesses in the cheeses, this splits the cheese leaving a very
uneven surface, giving a great idea of how the curds hold together to form the
finished cheese. This opening method is considered to respect the texture of
the cheese. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
In the Mons caves and shop however, we do it
differently. We use a very long, extra thick cheese wire to cut the cheese
neatly in half, the benefit being a much lower surface area to lose humidity </span></span>and flavour, with the
advantage that it is easier to wrap closely once cut to further reduce
undesired loss of water. Pulling a thick cheese wire through a block of solid
cheese is no easy business and requires both muscle and technique - it took me
a while to get the hang of it.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s with a certain
nerdy pride that I framed the badge of the Italian affineur from the first
Parmesan that I managed to open myself. It’s now sitting on the mantelpiece.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje2scnRRZblGcr4MlVRZSBTGVG1Jh5idIbopB8Q3kiT5vwm-oFrNkxOr4jdntCOu2rcnJ8mJsCRR7Ak8z5ZhMxEGJ91FeJvQiMFbqcZPvLA7hOr-bf0cMHcvv_2MxgmfxWq75hIIdRupQ/s1600/Catalogue+photos-092.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje2scnRRZblGcr4MlVRZSBTGVG1Jh5idIbopB8Q3kiT5vwm-oFrNkxOr4jdntCOu2rcnJ8mJsCRR7Ak8z5ZhMxEGJ91FeJvQiMFbqcZPvLA7hOr-bf0cMHcvv_2MxgmfxWq75hIIdRupQ/s400/Catalogue+photos-092.jpg" width="308" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parmesan trophy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
mattferozehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09718499384104348386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377447226436567917.post-64077599647739536452013-02-17T18:09:00.004+01:002013-02-17T18:10:18.297+01:00TartifletteA while ago now I held a cheese evening celebrating <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B4i-hyFQAKQdUHN6ODNCWjVFS3M/edit?usp=sharing">winter cheeses</a> (see the 'Events' tab for more on these). The purpose of the
evening was to show off the cheeses that are at their seasonal best in the
colder months and a few ways to make cheese a more central element in a meal,
rather than just a quick (and all too often over-looked) course between main
and dessert.<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9g3Wk5PPA6GJApT7ih8-i3T9MB96G8RfX9JkNDSJOoqSB6vrReaNr2Oe4lWsGqQ5-EJK8h-_0P0gYHSlTSnc-meF1MskPGETZIRKacIKFv-2Mv1cTFplIF6MeFkI02qeh9hCgicoN28M/s1600/IMG_7398.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9g3Wk5PPA6GJApT7ih8-i3T9MB96G8RfX9JkNDSJOoqSB6vrReaNr2Oe4lWsGqQ5-EJK8h-_0P0gYHSlTSnc-meF1MskPGETZIRKacIKFv-2Mv1cTFplIF6MeFkI02qeh9hCgicoN28M/s400/IMG_7398.jpg" width="318" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Individual Tartiflettes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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As part of the
evening, I decided to serve my interpretation of Tartiflette, a well-loved
French dish that marries hot gooey cheese with potatoes to create the food
equivalent of a snug woollen jumper and slippers. Perfect for when all is cold,
wet and miserable outside, or you’ve done sufficient exercise to merit such a
calorific treat. Although one could easily believe that this après-ski staple
has all the hall-marks of a French family classic, the recipe was actually created
in the 1980s by the ‘Syndicat Interprofessionnel du Reblochon’ as a means to
sell more of the key cheesy ingredient, Reblochon. </div>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Reblochon is a small
flat creamy cheese from Savoie protected with AOP status. Its rind is washed
during the ageing process to create a more complex flavour and develop its beautiful
orange rind. The cheese came into existence as a rent dodge for farmers renting
land in the region. The farmer would halt the milking process before the cow’s
udders were empty so as to pay rent on a smaller quantity of milk (rent would
have been proportional to the milk obtained). Later the farmer would use the
rest of the milk to make a small cheese. Brilliantly, “reblocher” is the verb
for this process.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDdtupdKZ_NxnJdwtTq-NaN-wFd4wcwGz2OqANs9HRWh4X2BseObQcrERQkrMt6cGaYQBNAMrYHEmibNtbgr6nr5FuWTqsdqtLepGGqYZlXGpvWeZQXixHsEOILlYUuhsAzBhv0nzZIRg/s1600/IMG_7379.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDdtupdKZ_NxnJdwtTq-NaN-wFd4wcwGz2OqANs9HRWh4X2BseObQcrERQkrMt6cGaYQBNAMrYHEmibNtbgr6nr5FuWTqsdqtLepGGqYZlXGpvWeZQXixHsEOILlYUuhsAzBhv0nzZIRg/s400/IMG_7379.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Browning the onions in the tasty bacon fat</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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In essence, tartiflette is potatoes drenched in a creamy lardon, onion and wine sauce, with Reblochon
added to the mix and layered on top. The whole thing is left in the oven or
grill to melt and brown the cheese.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Everyone has their own
favourite way of preparing this meal. I asked my fellow cheese professionals at
the shop for their recipe, they all had their own way of doing it, and they all
thought that theirs was the best….<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Most of the recipes
out there involve presentation in a large sharing dish. Sharing like this is no
bad thing, but I wanted to go for something a bit more formal in presentation, so
I created this version of the recipe for individual servings in ramekins.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1gu6CTxlEowViC5pERN9eq7GA-N8OYjYnXHnC6Oq1bghmpWqKFYMS1govRNsOvZOQsL3upVm1d47z-AEnsqP8qfs-R2alOLgLG2p6CNl2VygwIlkGGQ1iF5Ndsxj20RMNrLZmAGM-8Ps/s1600/IMG_7383.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1gu6CTxlEowViC5pERN9eq7GA-N8OYjYnXHnC6Oq1bghmpWqKFYMS1govRNsOvZOQsL3upVm1d47z-AEnsqP8qfs-R2alOLgLG2p6CNl2VygwIlkGGQ1iF5Ndsxj20RMNrLZmAGM-8Ps/s400/IMG_7383.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready for some wine and cream...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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One thing that I ought
to point out is that the photos here are of a practice run in which I used
Reblochon. On the evening, I replaced the Reblochon with Abbaye de Tamié
instead which is a rather similar, monk-made cheese that has a much more robust
(and fairly pungent) flavour – it’s an amazing cheese and if you’re a fan of
Reblochon, well worth looking up.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When you’re making
this you may find that you have sauce left over, in which case, grab some bread
and mop that savoury goodness up immediately. If you have sliced potatoes left
over, you can pan fry them for brilliant sauté potatoes.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFDpBEChoD4RErT4yZYWzESY4mTuUBsLsDty3_EzBmseXU2iUcB-Xgtzr5KczYddE-qtDzzUlMRSpguhnd6Pr5A9ADayPQWTVW9TbxBJYpt-QrC7rIpuolH5ii3_kau6zNRhqgzxEJLeI/s1600/IMG_7381.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFDpBEChoD4RErT4yZYWzESY4mTuUBsLsDty3_EzBmseXU2iUcB-Xgtzr5KczYddE-qtDzzUlMRSpguhnd6Pr5A9ADayPQWTVW9TbxBJYpt-QrC7rIpuolH5ii3_kau6zNRhqgzxEJLeI/s400/IMG_7381.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reblochon disk shortly to be cut in two</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Individual
Tartiflettes (serves 4)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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4 Ramekins<o:p></o:p></div>
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1 clove of garlic<o:p></o:p></div>
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2 onions, finely sliced<o:p></o:p></div>
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200g smoked lardons
(or streaky bacon)<o:p></o:p></div>
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750g waxy potatoes
(skins left on) <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A good bottle of white
wine, slightly sweet and not too acidic. Preferably Vin de Savoie<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
100ml of cream<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Half a Reblochon or
Abbaye de Tamié<o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
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</div>
<ol>
<li>Pre-heat the oven to
180<sup>o</sup>C.</li>
<li>Get the potatoes on to
steam (or boil) early - they need to be pretty much cooked through when you put
the dish together so it makes sense to get them going ASAP.</li>
<li>Slowly heat smoked
lardons (or streaky bacon cut into small pieces) in a dry pan to render out the
fat, cook until starting to crisp and then add the sliced onion.</li>
<li>Soften the onion over
a low heat until it tastes sweet and has started to brown. Take your time and
don’t rush or you’ll end up with a nasty burnt onion taste. This stage is going
to take up to 15 minutes with a bit of occasional stirring. If the pan is too
dry, feel free to add some butter.</li>
<li>Once the onions are
sweet and brown and very tasty, pour a decent sized glass of wine into the pan
and stir, cooking off the alcohol, then add the cream and turn the heat right
down.</li>
<li>Take your cheese and
use a biscuit cutter to cut neat circles out of it and then cut each of these
in half to leave disks with rind on one side. Roughly chop the rest of the
cheese and stir it through the now rich and sticky sauce. Test the sauce for
seasoning and acidity - you may need to add more wine if it tastes a bit flat.</li>
<li>The potatoes should be
just about cooked by now, and if they aren’t it isn’t the end of the world as
they’re going to get some oven time. Drain them and let them cool a little, then
slice them into ~4 mm disks.</li>
<li>You’re now ready to
prepare the tartiflette! Kick things off by rubbing your ramekins with a garlic
clove that has been cut in half.</li>
<li>Now start layering.
Begin with a spoonful of the sauce then add a layer of potatoes, repeat until
the ramekin is nearly full with a sauce layer on top. Now add your disk of
cheese and place the ramekins in the oven for 20 minutes or so. The filling will
still be hot so it’s just a question of melting and browning the cheese. Keep
checking to make sure that the top isn’t burning though.</li>
<li>Serve to your guests
(or eat them all yourself).</li>
</ol>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjInVFImq1V1igx9HUop4EOZYzYeO5Qg-QIqUieXY9IEf7gxX99Yoa-W_qvE149vTTgQDfeFOe6x9BXc3HVA3Lrw4mKsWn4EGiogqMflAD6_jVD0TLGVXrAb5EEXsxuxS6IBrnMJ3nKDI4/s1600/IMG_7387.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjInVFImq1V1igx9HUop4EOZYzYeO5Qg-QIqUieXY9IEf7gxX99Yoa-W_qvE149vTTgQDfeFOe6x9BXc3HVA3Lrw4mKsWn4EGiogqMflAD6_jVD0TLGVXrAb5EEXsxuxS6IBrnMJ3nKDI4/s200/IMG_7387.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzaS4BcSfwwvuq4F7hZgPXEKBVriW-CU4SfsWemF5cRH9I9oKD-G7AQdd_F0nLdOF9F8hF3M_FYlu6E0qc6cVQJilQv6V3Fp0L6o6gdQVplrrcG4moJ5lu9kmeyDLlLUNT-qIWSKo0Rfo/s1600/IMG_7386.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzaS4BcSfwwvuq4F7hZgPXEKBVriW-CU4SfsWemF5cRH9I9oKD-G7AQdd_F0nLdOF9F8hF3M_FYlu6E0qc6cVQJilQv6V3Fp0L6o6gdQVplrrcG4moJ5lu9kmeyDLlLUNT-qIWSKo0Rfo/s200/IMG_7386.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<o:p></o:p>mattferozehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09718499384104348386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377447226436567917.post-13175133722772465592013-02-13T22:49:00.000+01:002013-02-13T22:49:50.980+01:00Rigotte de Condrieu<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Over the next few blog posts I'd like to share a bit more about some of the cheeses that were used on my platter in the <a href="http://thecheeseandi.blogspot.fr/2013/02/the-competition.html">competition</a>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As we're reliably informed / desperately hoping, spring is around the corner, and the peak goat's cheese season is starting in earnest. With that in mind, let's start this series of posts with the small but mighty Rigotte de Condrieu. As with all cheeses, there
is effectively too much to say about this cheese to fit it into a little blog
post, so I’ll just give you a taster…<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDYMdX3jYQPoLmqTriaf0losajaf2WoWfrfzFRaixgblEDJl9BrS8ChaCHd9g5hfM5Js1bsGnIzqVNP-ZwJ_XFdx8-9otXdlGx8YccibSxzg97qvCI9sVJq0X0paThoviIhFaT9MzUAzs/s1600/1302_rigotte_010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDYMdX3jYQPoLmqTriaf0losajaf2WoWfrfzFRaixgblEDJl9BrS8ChaCHd9g5hfM5Js1bsGnIzqVNP-ZwJ_XFdx8-9otXdlGx8YccibSxzg97qvCI9sVJq0X0paThoviIhFaT9MzUAzs/s400/1302_rigotte_010.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rigotte de Condrieu</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s a small hockey puck of a
cheese, made with raw goat’s milk and weighing in at a minimum of 30g. The milk
has to come from certain breeds of goat that trace their lineage back to the Massif
Centrale and the cheese must be made on the slopes of the <span lang="FR">Massif
du Pilat just south of Lyon - A fairly desolate and remote area which can trace
its goat’s cheese making back to the 18th century.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="FR"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The word “Rigotte”, as
far as I can tell, is a derivation of “rigol” or “rigot”, which were words used
to describe small streams running off of the Massif and potentially through
Condrieu, a former principle market in the region. Like so many other examples (Stilton
being a classic one), the cheese takes its name after the market in which it is
sold, rather than the area in which it was made.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The rigotte has an
ivory coloured rind that can become blue with greater age. In the early stages
of its life it has a melt (slowly) in the mouth texture which hardens to become
really quite brittle (like the ones in the photos).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Its taste is
uncompromisingly goaty, with hints of hazelnut, and, when young, a slight
acidic tang. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ5KM6w-0Xkq6ski7PtLDOi-9IjDdxpzaEovD9fkUP_J7_TJ83GuiQMliqUvMlhPoQ5bQX3UiD2oZGCCZg038LO8fZSEtQ9wRd2Oq4PMGITpawjR1gaF5soo7de0ZXODEvUL754C0pRWo/s1600/1302_rigotte_004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ5KM6w-0Xkq6ski7PtLDOi-9IjDdxpzaEovD9fkUP_J7_TJ83GuiQMliqUvMlhPoQ5bQX3UiD2oZGCCZg038LO8fZSEtQ9wRd2Oq4PMGITpawjR1gaF5soo7de0ZXODEvUL754C0pRWo/s400/1302_rigotte_004.jpg" width="281" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hockey puck shape, perfect for<br />warming through and adding to salads</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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This is a cheese that
goes well warmed through slightly in a salad, or when aged and fairly dry in
texture, is excellent as an aperitif. An obvious wine match would be a
Condrieu, but essentially, something white and slightly oaked, and neither too
dry nor too acidic will be great.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As a brief aside, it’s
worth noting that the Rigotte de Condrieu occupies a rather unusual position of
being recognised under the French Appellation d'Origine Controlee (AOC) system
but not the European Appellation d’Origine Protégée (AOP). The reasoning is
that in the eyes of Europe the Rigotte has yet to prove that its qualities and
characteristics derive essentially from its geographic environment. They’re currently
working on proving that link pretty hard I believe. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The various systems of
geographic protection (AOP and AOC etc…) are wonderfully interesting and
bureaucratic, and really deserve space of their own to describe. I'll go into more detail about this and try to decode some of the complexities in a future post. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW8K6EHvezBdVqme0c_HOmFJjq3Vc3pDiH1z6FqUPaYg6BB-8wVPTHpf55PT8_F2n3qfLEtC0AOibKgkV_ZwHZdZ3UidwZq5MT7k6jry2bHE_X38Rs8pOawqCRgT4NFDr1J-oj6wgmdgo/s1600/1302_rigotte_011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW8K6EHvezBdVqme0c_HOmFJjq3Vc3pDiH1z6FqUPaYg6BB-8wVPTHpf55PT8_F2n3qfLEtC0AOibKgkV_ZwHZdZ3UidwZq5MT7k6jry2bHE_X38Rs8pOawqCRgT4NFDr1J-oj6wgmdgo/s400/1302_rigotte_011.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The brittle texture of an aged Rigotte,,,</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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mattferozehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09718499384104348386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377447226436567917.post-63461853448938951382013-02-08T16:59:00.000+01:002013-02-08T16:59:55.967+01:00More cheese carving<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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I<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">’m hoping to get a
new post out this weekend. In the meantime, here's a picture of a
piece of Mimolette that I carved a couple of weeks ago. I’ve been doing a bit
more of this recently for work events…</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW0ikgMA-GbjbkiCt57kRdQskfZcMtb2LAPJxDNrilygkfByvYSvt7Rkm3oaBmC0EqZc9kVXjPQD6x4HkO9HDMH2K7X0vN729cUBRDIh2mR76oYXNN5pJ-F2eOJf_Lp1qDmKj1cf9wk34/s1600/1301_untitled_039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW0ikgMA-GbjbkiCt57kRdQskfZcMtb2LAPJxDNrilygkfByvYSvt7Rkm3oaBmC0EqZc9kVXjPQD6x4HkO9HDMH2K7X0vN729cUBRDIh2mR76oYXNN5pJ-F2eOJf_Lp1qDmKj1cf9wk34/s640/1301_untitled_039.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carved Mimolette</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
mattferozehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09718499384104348386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377447226436567917.post-40978327132177870362013-02-05T21:52:00.002+01:002013-02-05T21:52:37.892+01:00The competition<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
So.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Err…<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What can I say? It’s
been an interesting 10 days for us out here in Lyon…<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I think now it seems
clear that the competition organisers probably aren't going to ring me up to say
that it’s all been an unfortunate mistake and that they want their trophy back.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3pClOJnHr8YFr_YPIIliypMi-CJqcIiOJDVo9n1btO8RdFLiVnBkgvV94KRPEM4Ekc3wOm6mW_rtXENWCZpgB3Xt_-xHQTDhA1lfElRnvp__xRgHsSyMHSRxYN6c5KiKpPwnOm-F-L1A/s1600/1301_Sirha+2013_024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3pClOJnHr8YFr_YPIIliypMi-CJqcIiOJDVo9n1btO8RdFLiVnBkgvV94KRPEM4Ekc3wOm6mW_rtXENWCZpgB3Xt_-xHQTDhA1lfElRnvp__xRgHsSyMHSRxYN6c5KiKpPwnOm-F-L1A/s400/1301_Sirha+2013_024.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Putting together the cheeses</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Looking back on the
day, I remember feeling really un-prepared - Like when I got into the shop’s
van with my cheeses safely in the back and realising that I had no idea how to
turn the hand brake off. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I imagine is often
the case for this kind of event, there was a fair amount of milling around to
help ramp up the nervousness. The competitors were split into two groups as we couldn't all work at the same time. I was lucky to be randomly selected as one
of the first group as I think that the waiting (2 hours in a separate room with
no access to the outside world) would have really put me on edge.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I won’t mention the
subsequent issues in un-loading my cheese and driving the van into a crash
barrier (at least it was a movable one and there was no visible damage – sorry
Etienne…).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The order of the event
was as follows:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li>Presentation of 3 cheeses
(chosen at random from the 10 that we were all required to bring) to the jury
for marking on taste and affinage</li>
<li>Writing a fact sheet
for each of these 3 cheeses</li>
<li>Creating a cheese
platter including the 10 required cheeses and at least 15 of our own choice</li>
<li>A test to cut and wrap
cheeses to a series of specific weights without scales</li>
<li>A blind tasting exercise
with 3 unknown cheeses to identify</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The competition flew
by and it was surprisingly easy to ignore the crowd in front and to focus on
the tasks in hand. What was harder though was ignoring the video cameras which
were busy zooming in on our work. I
wasted a good few minutes hoping that they would leave me alone so that I could
get on with my platter…<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUzTgbCJUGwFIugjCACIXwM0HMAMhPrc594i2_nZNCw_18R9MqS1Vi5Xmj51Ka3lDpuE0TG8IIE7u2WC7ZPjFigoYhFpxpTjm_X1GSFfFmMIAXXc7M2ikh0RzrmKg7KPFXVo3uXm1eimg/s1600/1301_Sirha+2013_016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUzTgbCJUGwFIugjCACIXwM0HMAMhPrc594i2_nZNCw_18R9MqS1Vi5Xmj51Ka3lDpuE0TG8IIE7u2WC7ZPjFigoYhFpxpTjm_X1GSFfFmMIAXXc7M2ikh0RzrmKg7KPFXVo3uXm1eimg/s400/1301_Sirha+2013_016.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In my box, waiting for the fun to start</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don’t have the
breakdown of my score across the various challenges as yet (when I do, maybe
I’ll go into a bit more detail on this) but there were bits that felt like they
went well and others less so. In the ’less so’ camp were the written and oral
elements in which my lack of frenchness proved to be a disadvantage. I just
really couldn't write as quickly as I would have liked to and my words got
caught up when trying to explain why I had picked certain cheeses.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The platter itself
took 45 minutes to complete, but I had run through it enough times in practice
to know that I could get it done on time, and crucially, where I needed to be
at 10 minute intervals. I didn't get everything quite right, but then those
that know me will say that I'm always over critical of my work.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The blind tasting was
ok, as was the cutting to weight – well, I say that but as I don’t have the
marks, I've no idea how I actually did…<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As for the prize
giving, by that point, I was pretty tired and not really listening to the speeches. I'd sort of convinced myself that I wasn't going to place, and when they announced my name my jaw practically hit the floor… <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBJTJlqBTMUvQucV3rqgXCEIqdoHpjjDMnL2bkFDNC6JqMjSSj025z4Ky1hnN4gc7DNv7oK6zWAMqENqh9OvanFXhC4Qsvpl-H89bTEOgYBk-cCZxkAHFuZ5fj0LExx7xtDYeZDokWuoE/s1600/Matt+concours-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBJTJlqBTMUvQucV3rqgXCEIqdoHpjjDMnL2bkFDNC6JqMjSSj025z4Ky1hnN4gc7DNv7oK6zWAMqENqh9OvanFXhC4Qsvpl-H89bTEOgYBk-cCZxkAHFuZ5fj0LExx7xtDYeZDokWuoE/s400/Matt+concours-3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anxiously waiting</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve said it before,
but I’ll keep saying it: I'm massively grateful for all the help and support I’ve
received in the run up to this competition, particularly with the Mons organisation
and the shop. It’s also been great to hear from all of you who've made contact
with me.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ll be sure to write
more soon!<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhen1DC4UGNAqLF5cKY25zS20ZfHek5-4FCRaBbz9Vq8oQEjE5s3fHxXAB1WVDPkz7L3mZqobGJfjIkNkKO3m8dtar0QvqJbb4_CDPIUcKl2VCFAHZwL-6V2BHPZ0iU9Zjy7QJGlAYFg2c/s1600/1301_Sirha+2013_096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhen1DC4UGNAqLF5cKY25zS20ZfHek5-4FCRaBbz9Vq8oQEjE5s3fHxXAB1WVDPkz7L3mZqobGJfjIkNkKO3m8dtar0QvqJbb4_CDPIUcKl2VCFAHZwL-6V2BHPZ0iU9Zjy7QJGlAYFg2c/s400/1301_Sirha+2013_096.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coming to terms with the win with my boss Etienne Boissy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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mattferozehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09718499384104348386noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377447226436567917.post-18382585194977069902013-01-29T17:52:00.001+01:002013-01-29T17:52:31.221+01:00Concours National des Fromagers - the result!The Concours National des Fromagers took place on Sunday. I'm still struggling to believe what I'm about to write, but the articles in the press and the warm congratulations I'm being sent from lots of quarters is slowly helping it to sink in....<br />
<br />
I finished in 1st place, and am now the Champion des Fromagers de France 2013!<br />
<br />
I'm thrilled to bits with the result, and very grateful for the training and assistance I received from my employers and the support I got from the other contestants. It was a tough contest, and there were some fabulous entries and really stiff competition.<br />
<br />
I'm sorry to leave you hanging for the gory details, and promise to post a blow-by-blow account of the competition and what went down as soon as I've got some time.<br />
<br />
For now though, here are some pictures from the competition, and a link to an article published in the UK press which gives some more information about me and about the competition.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrQ_OnR0izOkgB23qgX1EXoCF66ZP7m9hALz6xv-nAydADgvjhHE00dE_uj2huoDtB7xPDVrThaL6XKa-0z8XjOJD6sGIDZiQmiBTGFn_VeLFoz6pCvxvZyzJQLQHbgYM3YwpWEcQPkmY/s1600/Matt+cheese+photos-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrQ_OnR0izOkgB23qgX1EXoCF66ZP7m9hALz6xv-nAydADgvjhHE00dE_uj2huoDtB7xPDVrThaL6XKa-0z8XjOJD6sGIDZiQmiBTGFn_VeLFoz6pCvxvZyzJQLQHbgYM3YwpWEcQPkmY/s1600/Matt+cheese+photos-1.jpg" height="475" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My winning cheese platter, featuring 25 cheeses from France, Britain and Italy.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH06GvhUV8ljjyJyAgw-giafvo5sqL0Wx8UeuslF8kccsr2nXvI1dCNh_9gnQ2SlM6PSVAusS2QkQqij6eCe9CEnm0q9S1Pn3Rfw0QUA9XZGp6w9fSJ4jhjcOp8LnwN_8byPj6Ckw0vqE/s1600/Matt+cheese+photos-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH06GvhUV8ljjyJyAgw-giafvo5sqL0Wx8UeuslF8kccsr2nXvI1dCNh_9gnQ2SlM6PSVAusS2QkQqij6eCe9CEnm0q9S1Pn3Rfw0QUA9XZGp6w9fSJ4jhjcOp8LnwN_8byPj6Ckw0vqE/s1600/Matt+cheese+photos-2.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me with Hervé Mons (l) and Etienne Boissy (r) – both Meilleurs Ouvriers de France – just after the result was announced, and looking a bit shellshocked!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/news/how-an-englishman-proved-to-be-the-big-cheese-when-it-comes-to-fromage-8470606.html">Here's an article in The Independent about the competition.</a><br />
<br />
I've learned an awful lot in the run up to this competition and am looking forward to sharing some of it on these pages over the coming weeks.<br />
<br />
Watch this space …<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />mattferozehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09718499384104348386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377447226436567917.post-53387336218617806422012-12-08T00:01:00.002+01:002012-12-08T00:01:11.975+01:00Cheese carving<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I mentioned in my
last post that I'll be taking part in a cheese competition in January next year.
The main focus of the event will be the creation of an elaborate cheese platter
– a seriously elaborate cheese platter.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">As part of my
preparation, myself and a few others from the Mons family took a day long
cheese carving course with the scarily talented <a href="http://www.saveur-exotique.com/">William Hermer</a>
– ‘Champion de France de Sculpture sur fruits & Légumes 2012’ no less…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Here is some
photographic evidence of what we got up to:</span></div>
<br />
We carved a large amount of soap, mainly because it's cheaper than cheese and easy to learn on. This rose was the most credible thing that I managed.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXqgnaboecy53f-rxgDBkWhWMd1AG3HcT8QB3YwNEgC55uzcku9pFJ_XUf8pu8JTTQCBpE62i6fZIkOiIAf1j9_sGVnMKZLq3SD21PI9m3MrWTpnpkmZTS7sRgnGoguPbAGSo6JR7uvmw/s1600/Soap+rose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXqgnaboecy53f-rxgDBkWhWMd1AG3HcT8QB3YwNEgC55uzcku9pFJ_XUf8pu8JTTQCBpE62i6fZIkOiIAf1j9_sGVnMKZLq3SD21PI9m3MrWTpnpkmZTS7sRgnGoguPbAGSo6JR7uvmw/s400/Soap+rose.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soap Rose </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As the carnage below indicates, attaining even this basic level took a fair amount of practice.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiohi0KUVvmi16pT_S57qteR6vj1lHGr4wmj7SArPC_8jW_lTCDoCQeXaJi5ES8rv4urOQ3rFAW31q1sdi9F34LZMeqVJ9pnTWh9YEBbi2twVkK5pZ5w2jq3BHyGJd-xixthzKHrVplOrc/s1600/soap+mess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiohi0KUVvmi16pT_S57qteR6vj1lHGr4wmj7SArPC_8jW_lTCDoCQeXaJi5ES8rv4urOQ3rFAW31q1sdi9F34LZMeqVJ9pnTWh9YEBbi2twVkK5pZ5w2jq3BHyGJd-xixthzKHrVplOrc/s400/soap+mess.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soap carnage</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Having got to grips with the soap, I moved onto real cheese, in this example, Mimolette<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_1rIt_wC189u2qbNKHzQUutPKHKjx-YTuPiq9EUDcuaaM0OH9aRGqsb_dm3MTp_I1yH8qa0GyIdTBw8cXVc_XAbixwL1sG9aTCBO98flVCFxSiOUXstTaYRJTDwMgEyeJikOWSC8YTig/s1600/mimolette.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_1rIt_wC189u2qbNKHzQUutPKHKjx-YTuPiq9EUDcuaaM0OH9aRGqsb_dm3MTp_I1yH8qa0GyIdTBw8cXVc_XAbixwL1sG9aTCBO98flVCFxSiOUXstTaYRJTDwMgEyeJikOWSC8YTig/s400/mimolette.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Once I'd cleaned up the edges and put it on display in the shop, someone liked<br />
it enough to pay money for it - I was pretty chuffed!
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I also practised in the rind of a Tomme des bauges<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXXgoHDFk4pc_9EWj0wy-30vW7K1mO4zhkQqeR5RapBUqs2qLPMz5V-i09FT_LWetXObYHjh_Eur49aFIUsSxLsc-wzCxvVpVYB4QCquC9YN74aDcNu82MBd3gWTZ-4GzqNEUDCEJiFM0/s1600/tomme+des+bauges.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXXgoHDFk4pc_9EWj0wy-30vW7K1mO4zhkQqeR5RapBUqs2qLPMz5V-i09FT_LWetXObYHjh_Eur49aFIUsSxLsc-wzCxvVpVYB4QCquC9YN74aDcNu82MBd3gWTZ-4GzqNEUDCEJiFM0/s400/tomme+des+bauges.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rose in the rind of a Tomme des bauges</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And while I was doing this, some of the others in the group put together this bad boy - from bottom to top: Vully, Mimolette, Fourme de Montbrison, Tete de moine and Rigotte de condrieu.<br /><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Uu2chZ75FG9wX6fg_AWoUvjxovo18pTyH96Y4-fdZOYR4bLNyugajCcmx1QYXTOU4FnAH7uSGzBqvM2Bn4PJVxWgaZrQb5tIc7apZuil-6IystI_MHkNk1dn8uMIaUeAbI1OIJojFk0/s1600/tower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Uu2chZ75FG9wX6fg_AWoUvjxovo18pTyH96Y4-fdZOYR4bLNyugajCcmx1QYXTOU4FnAH7uSGzBqvM2Bn4PJVxWgaZrQb5tIc7apZuil-6IystI_MHkNk1dn8uMIaUeAbI1OIJojFk0/s400/tower.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sculpted tower of cheese</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So now I'm just trying to practise from time to time to keep my hand in, here's more Mimolette that I had a go on at home.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpJM3wVEuDdf9VPljaSQSaleT-g64sBYHyjDShnx5ZDtCtR-e_u76rhTyg1p5UjVxw-kHJf0yhu0VmtwLmDmHlHjbBqlmoXSyt5n_g33c764ae4o0JWkJjv3erNTpALrvgPm8S0CsfQvY/s1600/mimolette+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpJM3wVEuDdf9VPljaSQSaleT-g64sBYHyjDShnx5ZDtCtR-e_u76rhTyg1p5UjVxw-kHJf0yhu0VmtwLmDmHlHjbBqlmoXSyt5n_g33c764ae4o0JWkJjv3erNTpALrvgPm8S0CsfQvY/s400/mimolette+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More Mimolette...</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
More pictures will be posted in the run up to the competion, and of course, if you have the burning desire to see a particular image carved clumsily into a piece of cheese, please let me know and I'll see what I can do...<br />
<br />mattferozehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09718499384104348386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377447226436567917.post-59916235734911186422012-12-05T11:34:00.000+01:002012-12-05T11:34:55.574+01:00Exciting news<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So I've got some exciting news, I have just had confirmation of my place in
the 2013 Concours National des
Fromagers (roughly translates as 'national cheese monger competition'). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">On the 27th of January 2013 I will
be pitting my cheese mongery skills against 15 other candidates who like me are
working in the French cheese selling biz. This is a fairly big event and it's
great to be able to be a part of it. Obviously a large amount of preparation is
called for, so expect blog posts on some of the things that I learn along the
way...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">À bientôt…</span><br />
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<![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span>mattferozehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09718499384104348386noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377447226436567917.post-13165725036808685292012-11-26T22:31:00.000+01:002012-11-26T22:31:13.083+01:00So can I eat the rind on that one?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">'Can I eat the rind on that one?' is the one
of the questions that I'm asked the most frequently. Well, it's one of the
questions that I'm asked the most frequently by our non-French clientele - our
French customers have grown up around these sorts of cheeses and tend to know
instinctively how this works.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">As a general rule, the answer is yes – with a
couple of exceptions. You are unlikely to come across cheeses where the rind looks
edible but isn’t, and where this is the case, I think it’s pretty likely that
you would be told about it. So actually, I think that a better question would
be - 'will I enjoy eating the rind on that one?' - and the answer to that one
(he says, shirking responsibility), is down to you personally.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">My approach is relatively simple, I try some
of the rind of every cheese that I eat, then I can be sure as to whether or not
I want to eat any more of it. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">So why would we want to eat the rind? The
obvious reason is that as a customer, we have paid for it and therefore are
reluctant to let it go to waste if there’s any enjoyment or nutritional value to
be had from it.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The more important reason is that the rind is
incredibly significant to a cheese, and to your experience of that cheese; it's
where most of the action (or, err, magic) happens. This is the boundary between
the cheese and the rest of the world, crucially, the boundary between the
cheese and the atmosphere/environment of the ageing cave. The rind is where the
flora and fauna work their best, due mainly to the presence of oxygen (which of
course is largely absent in a solid block of curd). It’s the result of these
chemical and biological processes that provides a significant source of the
cheese’s more complex and interesting flavours.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Next time you eat some cheese, make a point
of trying some of the cheese from just below the rind and comparing it to the
cheese from the centre. The differences are usually quite noticeable.</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn3-JGxmTm1loe6Or6-VgOJiFfJZmSFdfT7zGo1tg29eOFU_BLCWxIveXscSlUikBSDvFBur1FtMnNxAFsrDxC_LbKQPfR64SIQub1NxMV8-rAS2hiwe1F3X_PkJT9lnQue3toRrUls6Y/s1600/bicaillou.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn3-JGxmTm1loe6Or6-VgOJiFfJZmSFdfT7zGo1tg29eOFU_BLCWxIveXscSlUikBSDvFBur1FtMnNxAFsrDxC_LbKQPfR64SIQub1NxMV8-rAS2hiwe1F3X_PkJT9lnQue3toRrUls6Y/s400/bicaillou.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bi-caillou goat's milk cheese from Limousin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This photo of a bi-caillou (goat’s milk
cheese from Limousin) is a good example of the ripening process, the part of
the cheese just under the rind has turned creamy whilst the centre remains
relatively untouched and not dissimilar from the freshly made cheese. This is
because the action takes place at the rind. In fact, given time, and the right
conditions, the whole cheese could go creamy, although this wouldn’t be a great
result as it would be impossible to sell – imagine a tasty puddle on your
cheese plate.</span>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">So how do you decide whether or not to eat
the rind when there isn’t a cheesemonger there to help you? I’ve written down
some simple guidelines based on cheese types, these should serve in almost all
cases. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Goat cheeses</b>, fresh or aged (such as the bi-caillou
above) – the rind is integral and lovingly cared for - it should be eaten, even
(or I would be tempted to say ‘especially’) if it has started to grow
interesting blue moulds.</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiouUNU_Sp1fYK8TgM8gyCcgx-MpLGmrc7rClruGTF_Imvs2O53JQl0yBkHsW7h4FaWu_rEaNJ20EQ9bjzECvw1-w1Fy5f2PoesNCnvIP0eoaevQfE_xRZU-qHq0YSar8KNkZ_r8sAows/s1600/IMG_6900.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiouUNU_Sp1fYK8TgM8gyCcgx-MpLGmrc7rClruGTF_Imvs2O53JQl0yBkHsW7h4FaWu_rEaNJ20EQ9bjzECvw1-w1Fy5f2PoesNCnvIP0eoaevQfE_xRZU-qHq0YSar8KNkZ_r8sAows/s400/IMG_6900.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Langres is a cow's milk cheese from Champagne, it's orange rind <br />
results from washing with
Marc de Bourgogne or Marc de Champagne</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Soft washed rind cheeses </b>(such as the langres
above) – someone has gone to a lot of effort to create that wonderful, sticky,
smelly rind, washing it maybe twice or three times a week (usually with the locally produced alcohol) so you should really
at least try it. If it isn’t to your taste though, cut it off and enjoy the
rest of the cheese which should have been mildly flavoured by the activity on
the rind.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Soft natural rind cheeses</b> (think Brie and
Camembert) – the soft white velvety moulds have covering these cheeses have been
nurtured with your benefit in mind, they are there to be eaten and for the most
part are very mild.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Uncooked, pressed cheese</b>s (Cheddar and tomme
de savoie) and <b>blue cheeses</b> (such as Stilton and Roquefort) – this is where it
gets a bit more complicated. If the cheese is covered in a cheese cloth, don’t
eat the cloth. If the rind is hard, dry and has the appearance of rock, try it
by all means, but you probably aren’t going to love it (make sure that you eat
all the good bits just below the rind though). If the rind is soft and pliable
and has no obviously unnatural coating, give it a go and see if you like it.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Cooked, pressed cheeses </b>(Comté and Beaufort)
- These cheeses tend to be the ones that are aged for a long period of time (potentially
several years). To prevent certain types of damage to the cheeses over time (such as undesirable moulds
and cheese mite) these cheeses are often waxed (typically using a polymer based
substance). If the rind has a shiny texture to it, I would avoid eating it
myself. In fact, I would just generally not bother with the rind of these cheeses, they tend to be rather unpleasant texturally and often don't have great flavour. It should be said though that we do from time-to-time get customers who absolutely love the rind of a comté...</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In the pictures below you can see Mimolette,
a cheese where affineurs will actually encourage cheese mites (to give it that
rusty cannon ball look), and a close-up of a Beaufort d’Alpage where you can see
a thin wax layer, designed to keep the mites at bay. More on cheese mites in a
later post…</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNeofyjJ06fXLJ2ExrPLhA6HMohxnLNGmtspv0fe2FUNqlgdXbLHs_VBvIjYiFH5Wsg3G2JNB8lQ5dstwpF2O9t6KXm9S-stn84ooZSz7gWQvcHNp_C91mm89L2P8QUFGXsXikpfMUpmc/s1600/mimolette.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNeofyjJ06fXLJ2ExrPLhA6HMohxnLNGmtspv0fe2FUNqlgdXbLHs_VBvIjYiFH5Wsg3G2JNB8lQ5dstwpF2O9t6KXm9S-stn84ooZSz7gWQvcHNp_C91mm89L2P8QUFGXsXikpfMUpmc/s400/mimolette.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mimolette is a cow's milk cheese from the north of France.<br />
Its cratered rind is evidence of cheese mite</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNxSn3wqJFEUyoDUOpfPg73bvpvjIQJEb2jItCRUeaLzBu-iq1ignjtAmG471VwdwCSWcWQUSUaV8CKcy6M5w1X_VQ1PeI4V9yG45Bqrnu9j0f3eZh6uE3O8kJsREULw-Xo5jLKzLFBJs/s1600/Beaufort+rind.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNxSn3wqJFEUyoDUOpfPg73bvpvjIQJEb2jItCRUeaLzBu-iq1ignjtAmG471VwdwCSWcWQUSUaV8CKcy6M5w1X_VQ1PeI4V9yG45Bqrnu9j0f3eZh6uE3O8kJsREULw-Xo5jLKzLFBJs/s400/Beaufort+rind.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have enlarged a section of the rind of this Beaufort to demonstrate the <br />
thin layer of wax that has been applied</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A final note: One of the reasons I’ve seen cited
for avoiding eating the rinds of cheeses that are not commonly eaten is hygiene
- essentially, that the cheesemonger/affineur might treat cheeses differently
if he knows that the client won't be eating the rind. When I first heard this I
was rather dismissive as hygiene is a massively important consideration and not
something that we would mess around with. Then I thought, hang on a minute,
with the larger wheels of cheese such as comté and beaufort (which weigh in at
around 40 kg each) they really do get wheeled around on the floor a bit particularly
when it comes to cutting them open. Our floors are pretty clean, but still, I
would understand why you might want to avoid the outside edges of one of these large wheels of
cheese.</span>mattferozehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09718499384104348386noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377447226436567917.post-46909311664211475052012-11-12T22:01:00.002+01:002012-11-12T22:01:59.748+01:00How to buy cheeseI am well aware, from personal experience,<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> that buying cheese from a
cheesemonger can sometimes be intimidating </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">(in a similar way to buying meat from a butcher and fish from a fishmonger)</span>, particularly if you happen to be battling across a language
barrier. The process becomes even more concerning if you have a limited
budget and are worried that you might accidentally end up blowing your whole
pay packet on a chunk of overly expensive cheese. </span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Wouldn't it just be
easier if things were all pre-cut and neatly wrapped with a price on so that
you could just pick them up and put them in your shopping basket, avoiding all
potential for awkward conversations with professionals? Well, yes obviously,
but you already know<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://thecheeseandi.blogspot.fr/2012/10/so-what-is-proper-cheese-and-why-cant-i.html">why you shouldn’tbe buying cheese from a supermarket</a></span>.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwJnEU5E9cjnX8uhGq27XaaukMKH08BeejYCiwsjAceb9AtmG2zbFmer8kzoWrlH_2g0aST2_N90P__6tU7pfavF_tOkaSKXT97HoNPcfbsqMpAeG3_07UIKLpG0AvWLpEqKGse_OvFV8/s1600/neuchatel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwJnEU5E9cjnX8uhGq27XaaukMKH08BeejYCiwsjAceb9AtmG2zbFmer8kzoWrlH_2g0aST2_N90P__6tU7pfavF_tOkaSKXT97HoNPcfbsqMpAeG3_07UIKLpG0AvWLpEqKGse_OvFV8/s400/neuchatel.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me during a brief visit to help out at another cheese shop</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I’m not in a position
to help you out with the French butcher or fishmonger, but having some
experience in selling cheese, I reckon that I can provide some pointers to ease
the process when visiting the cheesemonger.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Les Halles de Lyon
(aka Halles Paul Bocuse) is not only the key weekly shopping location for the
wealthier Lyonnais, it’s also a significant stop on the gastronomic tourist
trail. This mélange of clientele brings a correspondingly diverse mix of needs
and budgets, and a large part of the cheesemonger’s job is to separate these out.
It’s a real knack (and I confess that I don’t get this right every time) to be
able to give a client what they want, particularly when they struggle to articulate
it (or articulate something different entirely. Ultimately that’s the goal
though, if people leave with the thing they wanted, at the price they expected,
they’re a whole lot more likely to come back.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">This is just a guess,
but I would hazard that as a reader of this blog, you are not one of our
clients who breezes through the weekly cheese run every week with confidence
and an ‘I’ve seen it all before’ glaze over their eyes. When one of these
clients walks in, and asks for a slice of Comté, I know that I can hold the
knife across the cheese and they will tell me when the slice looks big enough. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> I’m going to be honest
here, this is very convenient for us particularly when we’re in a rush - if we
indicate the size of a slice of cheese and you agree to it, we don’t have to
worry about how much it might weigh (or cost), as you‘ve already agreed to buy
it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">But there is no shame
in not being able to judge the value of a slice of Beaufort by eye, and if you
aren’t confident in this, then it’s not in either of our interests for you to
try. If we give you too little, we’ve lost out on the sale and you might not
have as much cheese as you’d wanted. If we give you too much, you might feel
stung and never come back again – which is the result that I worry about most.
I’ve seen people wince when I’ve told them the price of a slice of cheese they
asked for, and although I do my best to say that I can cut something smaller, I’m
rarely taken up on it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">So, I’ve talked this
over a bit with my colleagues at the shop and basically my advice to you as
someone looking to buy cheese is this:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Let us know what you’re concerned about upfront
and then we can make sure that you get what you’re after. Make us responsible for meeting your requirements.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">For example, if you
have a limited budget, tell the cheese monger that you have, for example, 10€
that you want to spend on local cheeses to make a cheese board. Then you’ll
know that you won’t be paying more than that. We can find the right selection
at the right price.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">If you need to travel
with your cheese, ask us which ones travel well, rather than trying to guess. That way you don't risk limiting your choices more than you need to, or ruining your best clothes with cheese goo from that over-ripe slice of brie.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">If you’re having a
fondue, tell us the style that you’re after and how many guests, then we can
help you select the most suitable cheeses and make sure that you have enough to
go around.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">As I said above, we
want you to leave happy with great cheese at the right price (and come back). We
have no interest in you leaving with a bad taste in your mouth, quite the
contrary in fact!</span></div>
mattferozehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09718499384104348386noreply@blogger.com1