The Cheese Lady - Cheese from around the world

The Cheese Lady
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Letter #2-2010

OPEN
TUES - FRI 10 - 6
SAT 9 - 4
CLOSED SUNDAYS & MONDAYS

William is sprouting a mouthful of teeth
and both he and Elle have been helping out
at The Cheese Lady shop a little more this month.
We figured that while business was slower
we could do double duty, sometimes.

Let me remind you that I am not in my 30's anymore
and I am remembering why people have their children
at younger ages. I am tired! But it has been fun.

___________

Last weekend John and I went to Chicago.
We wanted to see Nate and Kelly,
their new place (which is spectacular),
the new Chicago French Market
(at the train station at Randolph and Clinton),
and the Gift Show at the Merchandise Mart.
The kids are great , the French Market is going to be cool
and we found some great stuff at the Mart.

My first sales rep job was in the early to middle 80's
for some guys who worked out of the Merchandise Mart.
It was a foreign concept to me but I was in Chicago
when Crate and Barrel opened their new corporate offices
and I remember the caviar, the strawberries
and being totally out of my league.
I hadn't been there since.

COMING SOON
Watch for Salts from around the world.
Wine glasses I love, with an etched pour line.
A Michigan platter, including The Cheese Lady.
And a few other new surprises.

__________________

CHEESE CHEESE CHEESE
We certainly have it!!!

Cave Aged Cheeses Cave

Spending almost a year in a dank cave is generally not to be recommended.
However, it is doing just this that makes
Emmi's Emmentaler and Le Gruyère so special.

Experts agree: fine cheese is like a fine wine.
Only careful storage in precisely controlled conditions
enables it to develop to gourmet perfection.
KALTBACH Emmentaler by Emmi is identifiable not only by its unique taste,
however, but also by its appearance:

The black-brown patina is the natural product of a process
involving long ageing and painstaking care in the mineralised air of the Emmi sandstone cave.

The thinner the rind, the better the cheese. The Emmi master cheesemakers devote a great deal of time to this detail. Sometimes 'tears of joy' (water droplets or white crystals) form in the holes in the cheese – a true sign of the highest quality and the guarantee of a tasty, succulent cheese

KALTBACH Le Gruyère - maturity you can taste
Gruyère, the public’s favourite among the Swiss hard cheeses, needs no lengthy introduction.
Nevertheless a pleasant surprise awaits anyone who tries the full-flavoured
but smooth raw-milk classic once it has been aged in the cave for an extended period.
But because the KALTBACH Le Gruyère requires a greater amount of care,
its rind does not turn black-brown like that of the KALTBACH Emmentaler.
How to recognise the KALTBACH Le Gruyère:

Note the rustic natural rind.

And above all: although it is a hard cheese, the cave-aged Gruyère has an exquisitely tender consistency. The cheese melts in your mouth straightaway – and unfolds its characteristic rich, spicy flavour on the palate, caressing it with a lingering aftertaste that has no hint of sharpness or saltiness.

Peel potato and grate coarse.
Press potato between several thickness of paper towel to remove any excess moisture.
In an 8-inch non-stick skillet heat oil over moderately high heat until hot
but not smoking and add half grated potato, spreading and tamping down with a spatula.
Reduce heat to moderate and sprinkle Gruyère over potato.
Spread remaining potato on top, tamping down with a spatula,
and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 10 minutes on each side.
Season potato with salt and pepper and cut into 6 wedges.