In the realm of the cheese store, triple creams seem to be the most sought after gems. The lush, silky texture of the cheese and the milky, slightly tangy taste seems to bedazzle people into forgetting all other cheese varieties. Who needs contrasting
At the close of 2014 I made a New Year’s resolution. I have to say I have never been a fan of the idea before, as I find people always seem to be trying to do commit to things that they don’t want to do. I decided that I would try to commit
When we think of Swiss cheeses, we certainly think of alpine style cheeses and traditional names come to mind easily. Emmenthal, Gruyere and Appenzeller are all staples in our winter fondue and on top of a tasty gratin. However there are a lot of newer
When I have been lucky enough to go to France in the past, one of the first things I look for in cheese stores is Saint-Marcellin. This is a delicate, rather fragile cheese and we only receive it periodically in Canada, so buying it at the source is a
First off let’s discuss sheep’s milk. Delicious and rich, cheese made from sheep’s milk can be mild and fruity, aged and sharp and even a little bit gamey and salty sometimes. French, Basque and Spanish sheep’s milk cheese tend
When it comes to cheese I’m a bit of a purist. I love traditional cheese from their traditional homes. There is nothing like a taste of Beaufort to imagine the alpine meadows in the mountains of the Savoie. Enjoying the grassy, earthy taste of St
I know some people; let’s call them “wine people”. When they travel it’s to “the Napa Valley” not California, and it’s to Burgundy and Alsace, not just France. They visit wineries, winemakers and wine bars.
I’ve been selling cheese as part, or all of my livelihood since the early 90’s. Food trends and eating habits have changed a lot since then, and so has the world of cheese. Exciting new cheeses are developed in places you might never have
Before the spring is here in full force, and our thoughts turn to lighter flavours, there is still some time to enjoy a nibble of blue cheese with the last drips of your wine from dinner. Something about the winter weather seems less dreary when you have
This is sort of a funny cheese for me to write about. I don't usually advertise it, but goat cheese is not my favourite. It's a very sad situation for a cheese lady to be in. I want to love them, and I try them often, but some goat cheeses really don't
Roquefort is probably the best known and the possibly the most misunderstood of blue cheeses from France. We all know the name, but do we know to what precise specifications this AOC gem is made? Roquefort is made from fresh sheep's milk, taken from
Pecorino is the Italian word for sheep's milk cheese. As you can imagine the style varies greatly depending on terrain and feed for the sheep, cheese making techniques and aging. There are hundreds of pecorinos made in Italy and it is truly amazing how
14 Arpents is one of my current favourites in the ever expanding world of Canadian cheeses. Fromagerie Médard makes all of its cheeses on site, at their dairy farm located along the shores of Lac-St-Jean. The farm has been in the family for