299705 Sun Jan 23 05:05:32 -0800 2005 52 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1661959 Hello hounds, I love cheese...almost any cheese. While I've fancied all the wonderful imported stuff we have access to in the US, alas, my wallet cannot support such an ongoing habit. Lately, I've noticed some domestic cheeses coming to the forefront--winning awards, being served at top restaurants, etc. Not only would I like to support these domestic cheesemakers (or is there a fancier term?), but I'm hoping their cheeses will be more affordable since it's closer to home. So...what are your favorite domestic cheeses/makers? I haven't sampled enough to declare a favorite, but recently tried Cypress Grove's Humboldt Fog Chevre (see link) based in Arcata, CA and was pretty impressed. Well-ripened w/ a ribbon of charcoal-colored ash between the snow-white chevre (see pic). Tasted like a cross btwn. chevre and bleu cheese. YUM! Say your cheese and make me smile :-) Link: http://www.cypressgrovechevre.com/abtcheese.htm Image: http://www.rurou.org/cheese/images/humbolt_fog_sm.jpg Sun Jan 23 05:05:32 -0800 2005 0 Carb Lover 1 1661961 Great Hill Blue blue cheese (MA) (creamy, mellow blue) Coach Farm camembert (NY) (_very_ sheepy) Capri Farm chevre (Hubbardston, MA) (super creamy, mild, lightly tart) Cabot 2 year aged cheddar (VT) (super nutty, very crumbly) Gratfon Village 2 year aged cheddar (VT, available through Zingerman's online, and elsewhere) (crumbly, tangy, rich) Granville Country Store cheddars (MA) (super creamy cheddar, very different texture from other cheddars, a little oilier when cooked) VT Butter & Cheese Co. entire product line: Cultured Butter Quark, Creme Fraiche, Mascarpone, chevre in logs and tubs with flavorings (I like the kalamata olive-- their log chevre is drier, goatier, and more mineraly than some logs) Anything from Cowgirl Creamery. There is a not so frequently updated multi-poster cheese blog called The Cheese Diaries that has links to many domestic cheese producers. http://www.cheesediaries.com/ Also, the Formaggio Kitchen in Boston, http://formaggiokitchen.com/kitchen/asp/home.asp, has a nice listing of American cheeses, and their selection process and products are the highest quality. Link: http://www.cheesediaries.com/ Sun Jan 23 07:29:42 -0800 2005 1661959 0 emdb 1 1661962 Rogue River Blue, made by the Rogue Creamery in Medford (Central Point, actually), Oregon is being touted as the "world's best blue" based on a number of international awards in the last few years. I'll be more inclined to believe that when they've been around for as long as, say, Roquefort, but there's no doubt it's one fantastic cheese. Available in very limited amounts, I was able to score some on a visit there this past summer. Much more readily available, and also very good, is their Crater Lake Blue. Link: http://www.roguegoldcheese.com Sun Jan 23 10:30:18 -0800 2005 1661959 0 FlyFish 1 1661963 There is a listing today in the NYT of some restaurants in NYC with domestic cheeses on their cheese lists... Sun Jan 23 10:57:01 -0800 2005 1661959 0 Nina W. 1 1661964 Capri "Blue Cow" from Hubbardston, MA and now that I'm losing my memory, I'm sure hounds will remind me of the name of that fabulous goat cheese from CA with a Morbier-style line of ash. Sun Jan 23 10:57:38 -0800 2005 1661959 0 Limster 2 1661967 Would that be both short-term and long-term memory, Limster? I imagine you're thinking of the Humboldt Fog described in Carb Lover's post and shown in the picture . . . (vbg) Sun Jan 23 12:39:32 -0800 2005 1661964 0 Melanie Wong 3 1661984 Definitely both. :) Sun Jan 23 16:48:27 -0800 2005 1661967 0 Limster 1 1661966 Mmmmm, artisinal cheese. Also try Midnight Moon from Cypress Grove. Pleasant Ridge Reserve from Upton (?) dairies in Wisconsin. Red Hawk and Mt. Tam from Cow Girl Creamery in Marin, CA. Dry Jack from Ig Vella in Sonoma, CA (both extra dry and mezzo seco) Winchester Gouda (extra dry) from Southern California. Camambert from the Marin French Cheese Company in Petaluma, CA. Sun Jan 23 12:26:17 -0800 2005 1661959 0 sku 2 1661987 I'll second the Cowgirl Creamery -- particularly the Red Hawk. We stumbled on it in San Francisco last summer (recommended by someone my mother struck up a conversation with on the Sausalito Ferry) and it was delicious. Sun Jan 23 17:30:57 -0800 2005 1661966 0 Caitlin Wheeler 3 1662026 Think it won some kind of award last year. Mon Jan 24 14:46:20 -0800 2005 1661987 0 vidia 4 1662030 Red Hawk won the American Cheese Society Best in Show award a couple of years ago. Mon Jan 24 15:04:54 -0800 2005 1662026 0 sku 2 1662038 Thanks for the recs. I did try Cowgirl's Mt. Tam from their Ferry Bldg. store recently and wasn't impressed. Tried "aging" it a bit at home, but didn't find it much more appealing. Maybe I'll give the Red Hawk a try... Mon Jan 24 15:55:39 -0800 2005 1661966 0 Carb Lover 3 1662047 Red Hawk is definitely their best. Mon Jan 24 17:17:53 -0800 2005 1662038 0 nja 2 1662100 Has anyone mentioned Purple Haze from Cypress Grove? it's a chevre coated w/ lavendar and fennel pollen. love the stuff. Tue Jan 25 08:40:33 -0800 2005 1661966 0 danna 1 1661969 Vermont Shepherd aged sheep's milk cheese. Sun Jan 23 13:21:27 -0800 2005 1661959 0 GG Mora 2 1662006 I agree! The raw milk sheep cheese from Vermont Shepherd is outstanding. Link: http://www.vermontshepherd.com/ Mon Jan 24 11:20:26 -0800 2005 1661969 0 Matt 1 1661971 Rouge et Noir makes a cheese called "Breakfast Cheese" that is similar to reblechon. It's really delicious, but you have to make sure you get a ripe one (or give it time to ripen after you buy it), as they are sometimes sold too young. Link: http://www.marinfrenchcheese.com/cheese.html Image: http://www.marinfrenchcheese.com/graphics/breakfast.gif Sun Jan 23 13:53:37 -0800 2005 1661959 0 DanaB 2 1662039 Thanks for the rec. The ripening issue seems to be a big factor in cheese enjoyment. Curious how you ripen your cheeses at home in a way that will only enhance and not diminish the cheese's characteristics? Assume you let it sit out of the fridge, but how do you store it, for how long, etc.? Does the method vary across cheeses? Feel free to state the obvious since I'm truly clueless in this area. Thanks. Mon Jan 24 16:04:04 -0800 2005 1661971 0 Carb Lover 1 1661973 I'm happy to say I've had most of the cheeses mentioned! I have to add my raves for the Rogue River Blue -- it's available seasonally (in the winter) in the Bay Area, and I bought some twice to take to gatherings over the holidays. Both times everyone raved and I didn't get any leftovers. It's not cheap though -- it's more expensive than European blues. For that matter, most American cheeses aren't really cheaper than their European counterparts. One exception would be the Rouge et Noir cheeses a couple of people mentioned, which although not fabulous are quite decent and a good value for "everyday" cheese. I don't care much for their Brie, but the Camembert, breakfast and "schloss" cheeses are good. Fiscalini Farmhouse Cheese also make some good, reasonably priced cheeses (in particular their San Joaquin Gold). Link: http://www.fiscalinicheese.com/ Sun Jan 23 14:16:39 -0800 2005 1661959 0 Ruth Lafler 2 1661985 I agree about Fiscalini - there cheddars are very good. Sun Jan 23 16:50:54 -0800 2005 1661973 0 badseed 2 1662020 The Fiscalini 30 month bandage wrapped cheddar is outstanding- my favorite of their cheeses. Mon Jan 24 13:35:02 -0800 2005 1661973 0 Tom Hall 2 1662040 I'm impressed that you've sampled most of the aforementioned cheeses. I haven't even heard of most of them, so I'm really a newbie. Yeah, had a feeling that the really good American stuff is comparable in price to imports. Well, at least I know what's out there now... Know this belongs on the SF board, but what Bay Area cheese store (bonus if it's in the South Bay), in your opinion, has a wide selection of good American cheeses for me to try and get a fair price at? Thanks! Mon Jan 24 16:17:59 -0800 2005 1661973 0 Carb Lover 3 1662048 Cowgirl in the Ferry Building really does have the best selection, although their markup is very high. The Cheeseboard in Berkeley is increasing their domestic line. Mon Jan 24 17:20:14 -0800 2005 1662040 0 nja 3 1662051 Since I posted, people have added a lot I haven't tried! Some of the more upscale grocery chains have good cheese selections. In the South Bay I'd check Draeger's, Cosentino's and Mollie Stone's. I think the best way to learn more about cheese is to find a good cheesemonger and develop a relationship -- mine knows my tastes now and his recommendations are always spot-on. Another interesting way to expand your cheese knowledge is to experiment with similar cheeses made from different kinds of milk. I find that sheep's milk in particular has a distinctly different texture than cow's milk (which may or may not be a plus for you). Oh, and speaking of sheep's milk: one delicious (but not cheap!) cheese I don't think anyone has mentioned yet is the Nancy's Hudson Valley Camembert from the Old Chatham Sheepherding Company. They make several camemberts, but I think wedges cut from the larger wheel of the Nancy's are by far the best -- so creamy and luscious I just want to swoon! Link: http://www.blacksheepcheese.com/index.html Mon Jan 24 18:28:01 -0800 2005 1662040 0 Ruth Lafler 2 1662064 ditto on the Rogue river blue. I found it at Whole Foods Sacramento and it was the same price as the French roquefort. Mon Jan 24 20:07:28 -0800 2005 1661973 0 Marilayne 1 1661976 Andante Cheeses with musical terms for names. It does sing. Especially the Figaro which is wrapped in fig leaves. It has the most amazing smell and taste. The Cypress Grove cheese you mentioned is one of my favorites. Way up on the top cheeses on my list. I'm not a fan of a Morbier-style cheeses with that line of ash. I'm so glad the Cheeseboard lets you sample, because I was hooked on the first taste. It looked so good too, that's why I asked about it. Link: http://www.andantedairy.com/products.htm Image: http://www.andantedairy.com/figaro.jpg Sun Jan 23 15:00:51 -0800 2005 1661959 0 Krys Stanley 1 1661979 I believe that there was an article in the Wall Street Journal a couple of months ago rating domestic cheeses vs. imports. The domestics won. Yet, the prices of the good ones are no less than the imported. In fact, I have found when buying cheese at Artisanal, sometimes the somewhat local cheeses are more expensive. Besides Artisanal, I have also had the cheese at Nolita house. They were good and perfectly aged. Sun Jan 23 15:38:22 -0800 2005 1661959 0 Nancy S. 2 1661996 Nothing against American cheeses, but that statement - "the domestics won" - really makes me wonder what they were comparing with what. Too bad I don't have a WSJ subscription... Sun Jan 23 19:51:40 -0800 2005 1661979 0 Sir Gawain 3 1662027 Are you sure these are US cheeses with descriptive names such as 'Nocturne Pianoforte Cadenza', 'Mélange Rondo Metronome', 'Adagio Acapella Figaro', 'Triple Creme', 'Minuet Picolo Largo''GranCanaria' 'Cypressa' Come on, atleast give them some American names such as yipee kaiyay, or yeehaaa. Sir Gawain, where exactly did you come across "the domestics won" ? Probably its like the World series but only with US teams. Must try some of these USA cheeses. Its whet my taste buds. Mon Jan 24 14:50:10 -0800 2005 1661996 0 Amin (London Foodie) 4 1662045 Let me reproduce Nancy S.'s post in its entirety for you: >>I believe that there was an article in the Wall Street Journal a couple of months ago rating domestic cheeses vs. imports. The domestics won. Yet, the prices of the good ones are no less than the imported. In fact, I have found when buying cheese at Artisanal, sometimes the somewhat local cheeses are more expensive. Besides Artisanal, I have also had the cheese at Nolita house. They were good and perfectly aged.<< I agree on the names! High time these ambitious US cheesemakers showed some enthusiasm for the American language and quit borrowing from the French and Italian already. Mon Jan 24 16:47:32 -0800 2005 1662027 0 Sir Gawain 5 1662094 Thank you Sir G. Your last para leads me to think that perhaps I shall start a fresh thread in this regard shortly, as it is upsetting to us Brit's that these guy's can blatantly suffix the word ''American'' after qualifying a product such as cheddar, brie, rocquefort, etc. In Europe you cannot call a product Champagne if it has not been directly produced in that part of France, nor does parma ham coming from Parma in Italy retain its identity if it has been sliced in Scotland. Similarly devonshire cream, cheddar or Leicestershire cheese are products from the specific areas in the UK. Tue Jan 25 01:27:48 -0800 2005 1662045 0 Amin (London Foodie) 4 1662061 An explanation of some of the cheese names. Link: http://www.andantedairy.com/approach.htm Mon Jan 24 19:40:01 -0800 2005 1662027 0 wally 2 1662155 I would bet anything that the judges were American. I have had lots of wonderful cheese that was domestic but the truly amazing cheese all came from grass fed animals, and raw milk. After centuries of experience, European cheese makers craft their cheese exactly the way that they want it to taste. Great cheeses are made anywhere that a person with a passion is involved. Tue Jan 25 20:14:05 -0800 2005 1661979 0 Just Larry 1 1661986 Here's a link to the American Cheese Society's Competition page where you can download a pdf (Acrobat) file of the winners of their prestigious annual competition. Lots of good American cheeses here! Link: http://www.cheesesociety.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=5 Sun Jan 23 16:51:20 -0800 2005 1661959 0 Nancy Berry 1 1662002 First encountered this Wisconsin made cheese in Chicago and have found them in DC. I've loved every one I tried. Link: http://carrvalleycheese.com/ Mon Jan 24 09:42:47 -0800 2005 1661959 0 AimeeP 2 1662024 Carr Valley's Gran Canaria is excellent, probably why it took best in show last year at the ACS. Other Wisconsin cheeses are: For aged cheddar Hooks Cheese Company is tops, I think the seven year is the best value you'll find in an aged cheddar. Their blue cheese is a well priced everyday blue cheese. For Italian style cheeses Farmer Johns in Spring Green is the place to order from. Mon Jan 24 14:10:53 -0800 2005 1662002 0 muD 1 1662008 A favorite in the Pacific Northwest is Cougar Gold, developed and made by the Ag Dept. at Washington State University. It's unique in that it comes in a can, where it is aged. Somewhat kin to cheddar, It's quite tasty and versatile. Cost is $15 for a 30 oz can. Link: http://www.wsu.edu/creamery/cougarcheese/1flavors.html Image: http://www.wsu.edu/creamery/newcreameryimages/images/homepage/Cyber-TealDD7_05.jpg Mon Jan 24 11:35:09 -0800 2005 1661959 0 Sharuf 2 1662021 Cougar Gold is great! Saveur wrote it up years ago and it always kind of stuck with me. Last year I bought a couple of cans after hearing it was indeed good from a Pacific Northwesterner. The taste, I thought, was a bit like a cross between parmesean and cheddar, but it is it's own cheese. Mon Jan 24 13:40:03 -0800 2005 1662008 0 Devon 2 1662043 Thanks for the rec. Any cheese that's made by an academic dept. at a univ. def. gets my interest...hmmm...makes me wonder what other tasty products are coming out of college labs, fields, and kitchens. Mon Jan 24 16:24:25 -0800 2005 1662008 0 Carb Lover 3 1662085 I haven't eaten it myself, but I've read that Clemson University makes very good cheese, and serves terrific milkshakes in their Dairy Science building. Mon Jan 24 22:01:25 -0800 2005 1662043 0 Zorra 1 1662023 Just tried a new one yesterday: Jasper Hill's “Constant Bliss”, a raw cow's-milk cheese aged just 60 days. Beige bloomy rind, creamy texture with a smooth taste and a slightly fungal finish. Although it is Vemont made, it is available from Cowgirl Creamery. Jasper Hill also makes a blue, which I haven't tried yet. Mon Jan 24 13:50:47 -0800 2005 1661959 0 GG Mora 1 1662044 Some of the cheeses that I have liked and where they are produced: Maytag Blue - Maytag, IA Brewster Cheddar - Brewster, OH Bandon Cheeses - Bandon, OR The University of Wisconsin creamery also produces some very nice cheeses. Each year, we select a route between Chicago and the Twin Cities to try the various rural creameries to try to find some of the better cheeses around. Mon Jan 24 16:44:09 -0800 2005 1661959 0 jlawrence01 2 1662063 Sadly, they closed the Bandon cheese factory a few years ago. The brand was purchased by the Tillamook Creamery, and production was moved to Tillamook, OR. They recently got into trouble because they moved production again to Wisconsin, but still called it an Oregon product--I haven't heard anything about that for a few months. I like Bandon/Tillamook OK, but I wouldn't compare them to Cowgirl Creamery. Then again, I prefer stinky French cheeses to cheddars and monterey jacks. Mon Jan 24 20:00:05 -0800 2005 1662044 0 Nettie 3 1662089 I liked some of the Bandon cheeses a lot - although I could only taste perhaps ten of them - and at that time, they were independent from Tillamook. The Tillamook cheeses I tasted I did not care for. Mon Jan 24 23:01:16 -0800 2005 1662063 0 jlawrence01 2 1662113 A small correction. Maytag Blue is produced in Newton Ia. Right on I-80 about 30 miles east of Des Moines. An interesting side note. The guy that started Maytag Cheese also owns Anchor Brewery in San Fransico. Talk about good taste. Tue Jan 25 10:39:41 -0800 2005 1662044 0 Bobfrmia 1 1662049 In addition to enjoying many of the cheeses here, I have to tell you about one that I haven't seen mentioned. Juniper Grove's Buche (a goat cheese log from Oregon) is the best goat cheese I've had in America. It's available at Cowgirl and the Berkeley Cheeseboard. Link: http://www.cowgirlcreamery.com/show/xmlsite/xml-standard.xml/xsl-cheese.xsl/start_id-fccndckjdajopijnhioehfhgjmfjlngnkjpmcfcd Mon Jan 24 17:34:42 -0800 2005 1661959 0 nja 1 1662130 Hounds, your domestic cheese knowledge and recs are much appreciated! These American artisan cheese producers make me very patriotic and proud, which is more than I can say for our govt. right now. I am very excited about the cheesy adventures that await... Follow-up question: Since adequate ripening seems to be a big factor in cheeese enjoyment and I've encountered some cheeses at the market that aren't aged enough, what is your method for home aging? In addition, what is the best way to store cheese to retain its integrity and maximize its lifespan? Pointers to resources that provide a good overview would be great. Thanks and happy grazing! Tue Jan 25 15:02:12 -0800 2005 1661959 0 Carb Lover 2 1662312 I haven't read all of the thread but if you haven't already purchased any of the Laura Werlin books on new american cheese you might want to consider. Very thoughtful. Home aging, in real terms, is almost impossible. You would need a dedicated aging room, which is cooler than your home and warmer than your fridge. Cheeses age at different humidities and temps., some require turning, some require mists of salt or liqour, etc. (I do know some people who store their cheese in their wine fridge. In fact, we have an experimental salami curing in ours.) The only way to buy properly aged cheese is to know your cheesemonger. If you don't have access to top rate cheesemonger, you need to learn about the cheese yourself so that you can determine its range. Many cheeses, of course, are pleasant at different points in their life span but often there is that perfect point. In the US, it is so hard to import certain raw milk cheeses (the best of course) that I find they are often overaged and stinking of ammonia. Thu Jan 27 14:16:14 -0800 2005 1662130 0 JudiAU 3 1662326 Thanks, Judi. Looked up Werlin's books on Amazon and will likely order "The All American Cheese and Wine Book" (linked below) since I want to learn more about cheese-wine pairing while I'm at it. Her older book was published in 2000. Your response made me excited about getting to know my cheeses, suppliers, etc. I want to learn to identify and savor cheese at its peak. Would love it if they did a "Sideways"-like movie w/ cheese. Link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1584791241/ref=pd_bxgy_text_1/104-6148686-4824721?v=glance&s=books&st=* Thu Jan 27 17:11:06 -0800 2005 1662312 0 Carb Lover 4 1662384 They should set the movie at Neal's Yard Dairy in London. All of the employees are fresh-faced, handsome, and wild about cheese. They've always struck me as interesting folks. Fri Jan 28 15:44:07 -0800 2005 1662326 0 JudiAU 4 1662411 Another excellent book is __The Cheese Course__ by SF Bay Area journalist and author Janet Fletcher. Here's a link to info: Link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0811825418/cellartours-20/002-0992308-5868807?dev-t=D2GY6TNN1YN2TQ%26camp=2025%26link_code=sp1 Image: http://www.cellartastings.com/cache_images/0811825418.01.MZZZZZZZ.jpg Sat Jan 29 14:03:00 -0800 2005 1662326 0 Nancy Berry 1 1662418 This USA cheese discussion was really good. Thanks to all the posters. For those who don't want to read through the entire thread to get the gleanings, the Friday Chownews listed the cheese recommendations, with links to mail order web sites, and some highlights of posters' comments. (Chownews is about more then region-specific chow. Every issue has a generous digest of the week's General Topics discussions.) Link: http://chowhound.safeshopper.com/23/cat23.htm?933 Sat Jan 29 15:25:07 -0800 2005 1661959 0 Val Ann C 1 1662426 The humbolt fog chevre is one of the finest cheeses I've ever tasted. However, it clocks in at about 27 bucks a pound. My everyday cheeses, which keep the whole family happy without breaking the bank are cabot extra sharp vermont chedder, coach chevre (both domestic), and a vintage gruyere (imported). The gruyere has a really deep savory nutty flavor. Sun Jan 30 21:36:25 -0800 2005 1661959 0 FoonFan