PastaWorks
Cheese Primers
From time to time we'll offer descriptions of some of our favorite cheeses.
Parmigiano Reggiano is formed into 80 lb. wheels, with "Parmigiano Reggiano" stamped on the rind. The number of the dairy and the month of production are also stamped on the rind. Production is strictly regulated by law: Reggiano is only made in about 1000 small dairies in the Zona Tipica-in the provinces of Parma, Modena, part of Reggio-Emilia, part of Bologna, and a small part of the Lombardy region's Mantua Province.
It is made from part skim milk and must be aged for 18 to 36 months. The methods of production and level of craftsmanship of Reggiano are unchanged through seven centuries. Because it is artisan made, no two wheels of Reggiano are the same, but all meet the minimum standards established by the Consortium (association of producers).
The flavor is fruity, intense, and concentrated. The texture is creamy and crackly on the tongue. The aroma is fragrant with hints of earth, hay, cream, and fruit. Seasonal variations in flavor are discernable; winter milk cheeses are often leaner in flavor profile while summer milk cheeses are more opulent in flavor reflecting the diversity in the grasses consumed by the cows. The characteristic crackly, crunchy texture is the result of the milk protein breakdown over time.
Typically grated over your favorite pasta dish, Parmigiano Reggiano is also wonderful by itself, especially as an after-dinner course.
Featured Cheeses
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Abbaye de BellocAbbaye de Bel'loc is still made in the traditional manner by Benedictine Monks at the abbey of Notre-Dame de Belloc. A French Pyrenees sheep's milk cheese, Abbaye has a fine, dense texture and is high in fat. The milk comes from the red-nosed Manech ewes (an old local breed) whose milk is brought into the monastery from neighboring farms. Abbaye de Belloc has a true Basque character, and it is believed that many centuries ago the monks from the Belloc Monastery first taught the Basque shepherds how to make cheese. Proper care in the right maturing conditions will accentuate the rich, caramelized flavors that make this cheese so addictive.
$26 per pound
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BethmaleProduced in the village of the same name, Bethmale, also sometimes known as Tomme de Couserans, is the best known of the traditional cow's milk cheeses from the Pyrénées.
The texture of Bethmale is semisoft, supple and yielding, and cheeses are covered with a dense beige rind. The interior paste varies from ivory-white through to buttery-yellow depending on the season, and is dotted with small holes and slits. Aromas are pleasantly pungent, smelling of damp cellar and earth. Flavors are mild, very rich, milky and buttery with notes of grass, wood and mushrooms. $21 per lb
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Buenalba with RosemaryFrom Castilla Vieja, Leon, Buenalba com Romero is a raw milk sheep cheese infued with rosemary. Savory, tangy flavors that match well with Olympic Provisions chorizo and a glass of Rioja.
$22 per lb
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Cabra al RomeroJust arrives, this raw milk goat cheese from Toledo is made with vegetable rennet. The curds are mixed with red wine prior to pressing, giving the finished cheese a great violet hued color.
$21 per lb
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Cabra con PimentonFrom the plain where it doesn't really rain, and where the windmills now are wind turbines adding energy to Spain's electrical grid, Cabra con Pimenton is a raw goat milk cheese flavored and colored with Spanish paprika (pimenton). Medium sharp. Pair with a glass of Txakoli for a late afternoon, early evening snack.
$20 per lb
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Edel de CleronFor Vacherin lovers, l'Edel de Cleron is the next best thing. Produced in the same part of Eastern France, the French-Comte. Edel de Cleron is a luscious cow's milk cheese, wrapped with a strip of spruce bark around their perimeter to support the cheese, which is runny when ripe.
L'Edel de Cleron, sometimes called faux Vacherin, is a made with pasteurized cow's milk, and has a Camembert-like bloomy rind when young. As it ripens, some tan molds may colonize the surface. The surface should give with gentle pressure, and it has a characteristic earthy, mushroomy aroma. $21 per lb
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Keen's CheddarThe Keen family have been making cheese
at Moorhayes Farm, Wincanton in Somerset since 1898 when the family first moved there. George and Stephen Keen’s great aunt Jane was thir first cheesemaker before cheesemaking passed down the family to their mother Dorothy. Today George makes cheese with his son James while Stephen and son Nick look after the herd. ‘We make just one variety, but we do it really well,’ says Stephen Keen. ‘All the milk comes from our own herd of 250 Friesians, so we can make sure they are well fed and cared for. When customers buy our cheese they know it is made by hand with individual care and matured for at least ten months on wooden shelves before it goes into the stores.’ Smooth and firm textured with long, complex, rich, nutty flavours and a tangy bite at the end. $22 per pound
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Le MarechalLe Marechal is a raw cow's milk cheese produced in small batches in the town of Corcelles-aux-Payernes, Switzerland. Aged for 5 months, at the beginning of the third month the cheese is rubbed with Herbes de Provence (a blend of thyme, oregano and other country herbs) giving it a beautiful appearance and spicy flavor. The texture of this farmhouse cheese is that of a Gruyere-style cheese, firm and dense. Its exceptional flavor is herbaceous and nutty with great depth.
$20 per pound
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Queso LenoraFrom the San Francisco Chronicle's description of this newly arrived Spanish cheese: "Named for León, its home region in Northern Spain, Leonora is a new goat cheese from a small farmstead producer who is just beginning to export to the United States....Made with pasteurized milk from the cheesemaker's own herd, the roughly 4-pound Leonora resembles a large flattened log, or brick, with slightly flared sides. The natural rind exhibits plentiful white and gray mold, producing a coat that looks like the bark of a birch tree."
$22 per lb
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Stichelton BlueStichelton is one of very few unpasteurised English blue cheeses. It is made by Joe Schneider using organic, unpasteurised cows milk from Collingthwaite Farm on the Welbeck Estate.
Flavors are cool and buttery with underlying nutty toasty notes. There is a spicy element from the blue mould but alongside that is a long lasting savouriness and caramel- like sweetness. The layers of flavours expand and develop in your mouth as you eat and last long after swallowing. $27 per pound
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ZamoranoNutty, tangy, sharp but balanced, Zamorano, from Castilla-Leon in north central Spain is perfect with appetizers and a glass of tempranillo based Ribera del Duero or Toro.
$17 per lb.
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