Beautiful Blue Tasting

A few months ago, I taught a Dessert Wine Class with a Cheese Tasting. It was so much fun, and everyone was very interested in how to put together a cheese plate and conduct a tasting. So, I thought I would share this tasting sheet from one of my sister's parties.  This was the prelude to a delicious dinner. I love the inclusion of the sonnet! Doesn't the tasting look like fun? Feel free to borrow the sheet and conduct your own Beautiful Blue Tasting.

LA DéGUSTATION RECHERCHéE DES FROMAGES BLEUS

Sonnet To A Stilton Cheese
G.K. Chesterton

There … I got a Stilton cheese. I was so much moved by my memories that I wrote a sonnet to the cheese.

Stilton, thou shouldst be living at this hour
And so thou art. Nor losest grace thereby;
England has need of thee, and so have I—
She is a Fen. Far as the eye can scour,
League after grassy league from Lincoln tower
To Stilton in the fields, she is a Fen.
Yet this high cheese, by choice of fenland men,
Like a tall green volcano rose in power.
Plain living and long drinking are no more,
And pure religion reading “Household Worlds”,
And sturdy manhood sitting still all day
Shrink, like this cheese that crumbles to its core;
While my digestion, like the House of Lords,
The heaviest burdens on herself doth lay.

LA DéGUSTATION RECHERCHéE DES FROMAGES BLEUS

1. CRATER LAKE BLUE
Rogue Creamery, Central Point, Oregon, U.S.A.

Raw cow’s milk (Holsteins and Brown Swiss): cheese is called firm, moist, complex, robust, sweet: aged 3+ months: fromagerie opened by Italian immigrants in 1935.

NOTES:

2. POINT REYES ORIGIINAL BLUE
Farmstead Cheese, Point Reyes, Tomales Bay, California, U.S.A.

Raw cow’s milk (Holsteins): flavors in the cheese – sea salt and lemongrass – said to reflect California coastal fog and salty Pacific breezes: aged 6+ months: farm established by immigrant Italian dairymen, who began to make cheese in 1999.

NOTES:

3. MAYTAG BLUE
Maytag Dairy Farms, Newton, Iowa, U.S.A.

Raw cow’s milk (Holsteins): characterized by its moist crumbly texture and lemony finish: Cheese originated by two Iowa State Universitymicrobiologists in the 1930s, from 1941 until today cheese is made on Maytag farm by the Maytag family.

NOTES:

4. STILTON
Derbyshire, Leicestershire, or Nottinghamshire, England, U.K.

Pasteurized cow’s milk: eight dairies licensed to make Stilton cheese which has been granted the status of protected designation of origin by the EC: first made soon after 1730 by Cooper Thornhill, owner of the Bell Inn on the Great North Road in the village of Stilton: flavor called “honeyed” and “cheddary”: the British Cheese Board reported in 2005, that 75%of men and 85% of women experienced bizarre and vivid dreams after eating the cheese half an hour before going to sleep.

NOTES:

5. ROQUEFORT
Les Departments de Aveyron, Aude, Lozère, Gard, Hérault and Tarn, Mid Pyrenees, France

Raw ewe’s milk (Lacaune, Manech, and Basco-Bérnaise): seven Roquefort producers who are required by law to age their cheese in the caves of Mont Combalou in Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, and to cut, package, and refrigerate their cheese solely and completely in the commune of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, share the protected designation of origin “Roquefort”: after Comté, Roquefort is France’s second most popular cheese (18,830 tons made in 2005): Roquefort or something like it is mentioned in literature by Pliny the Elder in AD79: in 1411, Charles VI granted a monopoly for the ripening of the blue cheese to the people of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon: in 1925, the cheese received France’s first Appellation d’Origine Controlée.

NOTES:

Everyday with Marcus and Lisa

I've been sending out information about my appearances on Everyday with Marcus and Lisa, but thought I would include a couple of pictures so you can see the beautiful set.  From the producers to the directors to the friendly and helpful talent coordinator to the excellent camera crew and production assistants, the staff is wonderful! And show hosts Marcus and Lisa are down to earth, genuinely likable people who would make great next door neighbors. I enjoy listening to their interesting and entertaining monologue as I prepare the food for my segment. I am planning on posting my episodes to the website, so you can them here as well. Check out the pictures: I'm in the kitchen preparing Pine Nut and Pecorino Chicken, and with my fellow guest, author Kathy Pride. You can learn all about Kathy at www.KathyPride.com. You can check out Everyday with Marcus and Lisa at http://www.familynet.com/site/c.rwL5KhNXLtH/b.3833637/k.94E1/EveryDay_with_Marcus__Lisa.htm

Kitchen Tools

After reading my blog on the julienne grater, a friend sent me her favorites! Tina is a talented food stylist in Kansas City, you may have seen her work in the Hallmark magazine recently. Here is her first pick - I think you will you enjoy reading what helps her in the kitchen!

1. Russell Hobbs Hand Blender

Pros: This tool has changed my life in the kitchen. It’s versatile, easy to use and cleans up in moments. If I did not have such nostalgia for many of my older kitchen tools, this would replace the majority of them. Since receiving it as a wedding gift in 2005, it is the only thing I puree sauces and soups with. I use it to whip up cream for 2 person desserts or mix up an afternoon orange Julius. My mini Cuisinart is collecting dust in the back of appliance row because the Chopper Container makes pesto and salsa lickity split.

The appliance itself has a good weight and feels solid in your hand. All the mixing mechanisms are metal and are simple construction. The Russell Hobbs blender does not require hours of instruction reading to figure out because all the attachments go on basically the same way – put the attachment in the Electronic Control hole and twist until you hear and feel a reassuring click. The top is equipped with a timer, which lets you keep a watchful eye on the journey from soft to stiff peaks.

You plug it in and puree in the pot. It purees smoothly and evenly with little splashing so you and your walls are safe. Common sense safety says to wait until things have cooled slightly to puree, but if you’ve got a deep stockpot with 3 inches of separation between the food and top of the pot, why bother.

It’s fun to use. I think it’s similar to getting to use a robotic arm in a lab.

It’s the easiest clean up…ever.

Cons: It does not grind cement or anything that is not soft. This is my second Russell Hobbs hand blender. I blew out the first ones motor while trying to hurry some carrots that were on their way to becoming curried. Russell Hobbs said no with smoke and a sad sound. William Sonoma immediately replaced it and I have respected its motor size and functions since. If Bambi could not gently nibble the veggies in your pot – keep cooking or dust off the Cuisinart.

It’s not good for large portions of food – if you are making refried beans for a crowd, get out the big commercial wand. This guy will fizzle. It does have an automatic shut down after 90 seconds to prevent overheating, but I’ve never pureed or chopped consistently for that long so it has not been an issue for me. I would not use the Russell Hobbs in a commercial kitchen.

This brand has become difficult to find and it’s expensive – around $100.

What's Your Favorite Kitchen Tool?

I just finished reading an article in one of my favorite cooking magazines about essential kitchen tools. It was filled with chinois, mandolins and other items used often in the professional kitchen. But, when fixing a fast and fresh dinner at home, I don't often employ them. So, I thought I'd blog about some of my favorite new gadgets that help me produce professional results quickly. We all know that freshly sliced, chopped, grated and julienned vegetables taste better than the ones available pre-prepared in the store. So, when you do have time, it's a big flavor boost to your food to do the work yourself. At our house, we love carrot and other vegetables julienned in our salads. So, the Julienne Grater is one of my kitchen must haves. Have you used one? It's wonderful. It will allow you to easily make those beautiful little "matchstick" pieces of vegetable that you see in food photography and on TV. They cook quickly and each individual julienne looks the same. The first time I saw one was a couple of summers ago while on a chefs trip to France. While we were there, we ate at a wonderful 3 star restaurant. (Ooh la la!)  Attached to the restaurant was a gift shop run by the chef's mother. As I was running my hands along all the wares, I picked up a grater with a funny looking attachment. It was a Julienne Grater, she told me in heavily accented english. It will make beautiful julienne with no effort. I was intrigued, and because I love julienned vegetables, and hate having to make them, I took it to the cash register, and paid about $25 for it. Wowza. (I got lots of ribbing from the other chefs!) But it was worth it. I brought it home and voila-beautiful julienne. But you don't have to pay that for one - there are several different brands out there for just about $8-$10.  Treat yourself to a new julienne grater and discover all the different uses for it! Here's a quick recipe to try with your new grater gizmo: Cashew Carrot Brown Rice Pilaf Saute 1 julienned large carrot and 2 thinly sliced shallots in 2 TB of butter, over medium high heat for about 5 minutes or until shallot is wilted. Stir in 1/2 cup golden raisins, 1 1/2 cup brown rice, 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper and cook for 2 minutes more. Add 3 cups low salt-lowfat chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover pan and simmer for about 20 -25 minutes or until rice is done. Stir in 1/2 cup cashews and 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves. Taste for salt and pepper and serve.

BMWs as far as the eye can see!

We headed down towards Warm Springs, Georgia this past weekend for a fun drive with the Peachtree Chapter of the BMW Club. About thirty of us had waxed, polished and detailed our babies before we met at AllSpeed Autoworks in Peachtree City. Allspeed was a great starting point, with a showroom full of cars to drool over like a vintage Road Runner in neon green and lots of sexy coupes and convertibles, (more my speed!). After a quick briefing on the route by organizer Peter Waldeck, (yes, there is a connection, he's my brother-in-law), the group headed out and stopped on the side of the road for pictures and to admire each other's rides. Then we were off on twisty turn- y and obscure back roads. I don't often get a real glimpse of rural Georgia, so this was a treat to ride through the scenic tiny towns and mile after mile of rolling hills and small farms. Our destination, Warm Springs, is famous because of Roosevelt's Little White House. Before lunch, we strolled the sidewalks and checked out a couple of charming and quirky downtown spots. Don't miss the motorcycle museum. The name is a misnomer - there is much more than just motorcycles inside. For $5 you'll see everything from Marilyn Monroe memorabilia to Houdini's handcuffs! We took advantage of a tip on a popular local barbeque joint, Mac's Bar-B-Que. And we weren't disappointed. The juicy pork sandwich, tangy coleslaw and beans with brown sugar fueled us up for the quick interstate drive back to the city.

Salad ON Pizza

Here's a fun take on the tried and true salad and pizza combo. Our local Mellow Mushroom has a "Caesar Salad Pizza". Warm crusty pizza dough right from the oven, topped with a fresh and crispy Chicken Caesar Salad. Can it get much better? Pair it with a Micro Brew and dinner is served!

What's Your Comfort Food?

Some days, it just has to be curry. And not just any curry - Thai curry in all it's guises. Even in the warmest of summer,  the round rich taste of coconut milk sustains me like nothing else can. Although I am hooked on my local "Thai Diner" restaurant, a friend and I tried "Top Spice" in Smyrna the other day for lunch. Hiding out next to the Post Office and a gi-normous Toys are Us it was difficult to find. But I am glad we did! The cool dark interior was packed at lunch time with many asian patrons and lots of local office workers. The service was efficient and extremely pleasant. We followed an excellent piquant coconut chicken soup with perennial favorite Chicken Masaman and Beef with Broccoli in Red Curry. Did you know that Masaman is the Thai word for Muslim? This curry was probably brought to Thailand with traders. And, it's interesting to note that it is very close to a Portuguese Goan curry, since Masaman curries are not extremely spicy, but more sweet and sour. The Thai red curry paste is made from hot chile peppers, lemon grass and chili paste among other ingredients. Just because it's hot outside, doesn't mean spicy food can't cool you down. Grab a friend and find discover your favorite Thai curry comfort spot! Top Spice has several restaurants in Atlanta including Midtown and Toco Hills - Check out Top Spice in Smyrna at 2997 Cobb Pwky, Ste 200, Atlanta GA.