Tag Archives: cheese

Cheese, Events, Food & Drink
Leave a comment

Fall Flavors at the Cheese Counter

So you guys, it’s official – summer is finally over. And I, for one, am THRILLED. Don’t get me wrong – I love me some 4th of July fireworks, grilled meats, and summer-only cheeses paired with some gorgeous tomatoes or cucumbers. Those are all lovely things. Add in some chilled rose, and I’m a pretty darn happy camper.

All that being said, I decidedly do not love the hot, sticky, sweaty, mosquito-y weather that DC calls summertime. Holy moly. Don’t get me wrong, I really do love living here, but this little swamp-town known as our nation’s capitol is pretty darn unbearable from June until about halfway through October. Woof.

aotc-lamuse

But it’s over! It’s finally over! And with the weather graciously subsiding, not only are wardrobes changing – oh hey there sweaters, scarves, and boots! – but tastebuds are starting to change as well. When the temperature starts dropping and leaves start falling, bigger, bolder flavors that are just too darn much in the oppressive heat suddenly seem incredibly appealing.

Which leads me to one of my all-time favorite cheeses: aged gouda. For me, fall means it’s time for some butterscotchy, nutty, salty/sweet aged gouda. And no one does aged gouda better than L’Amuse.

lamuse-signature-cows-holstein

Let me back up for a moment – what is gouda? Strictly speaking, gouda is a cow’s milk cheese made with washed curds that traditionally hails from the Netherlands. Actually, the name “Gouda” comes from a town of the same name where the cheese was originally traded. This is about as specific as gouda gets, though. The name itself is not protected, so when you see the word “gouda” on a package, it can mean many different things. It can come from different places, be aged for varying degrees of time, be made from different milks – all things that lead to very different flavor profiles and/or textures.

So how do you know if the gouda you’re buying is the right one for you? How do you know you’re not going to end up with plastic wrapped, pre-sliced, rubbery cheese that tastes like fake smoke? My answer is the same one I pretty much give in any cheesy situation: talk to your cheesemonger. It’s our job to find the best cheeses around and then pair you with the right one.

Now, some of you may be asking yourselves – but how do we find these delicious cheeses? Well, in the case of the gouda that I carry, the answer is simple: I turn to Essex St. Cheese Co. For those of you who read my blog post about feta way back in July, that name will sound familiar – this team of fantastic importers provides the Via Umbria counter with their fabulous feta, as well as manchego, and gouda. To refresh you guys on what Essex St. does, I turn to my previous post: “Rather than importing many different types of cheese, Essex finds the best of the best and brings in only a handful of cheeses, with each type only having one producer. Their bar is extremely high.”

age-cheeses-at-warmer-temperatures

Not only is this high bar met, but I dare say that it’s exceeded by the goudas coming out of L’Amuse Fromagerie in Santpoort-Noord. L’Amuse is owned and operated by master-cheesemonger and affineur Betty Koster – I had the privilege of meeting Betty during CMI and not only is she amazing at what she does, but she can also only be described as thoroughly warm and decidedly delightful.

But back to the cheese – for their Signature Gouda, the L’Amuse team hand-selects cheeses from the Cono cheesemaking plant in the northern Netherlands, and then ages them to perfection over the course of 2 years. Instead of aging them at cooler temperatures, as is done with most traditionally aged goudas, Betty keeps them at mid-temperature in order to develop fully rounded flavors. And oh man, what flavors develop! Butterscotch, caramel, toasted hazelnuts, and cream are all ensconced in this dense yet velvety paste.

In case you hadn’t already guessed it, L’Amuse Signature Gouda will be Via Umbria’s November cheese of the month, and I couldn’t be more excited! Please join us for our monthly Cheese Party next Wednesday, November 2nd, to not only taste this unbelievable cheese, but to also learn about it from Essex St. educational director, the wonderful and talented Rachel Juhl! It’s going to be a fantastic evening that you don’t want to miss.

Alice Bergen Phillips
Alice Bergen Phillips

Bigger and bolder flavors suitable for fall Read more

So you guys, it's official - summer is finally over. And I, for one, am THRILLED. Don't get me wrong - I ...

Cheese, Food & Drink
Leave a comment

The Tale of Two Accidents

Alice and her Dad

Early last spring, my dad and I attempted to go spring skiing out in Deep Creek, Maryland. Rainy and foggy with lots of slush and mud, we were not entirely successful in our sporting endeavors. It got to the point where one day we looked up at the slopes, and decided to go to the movies instead. Let me tell you, you know the conditions are really bad when the best option is to watch a sappy, poorly written sports movie in an empty theater with sticky floors and the distinctive aroma of old popcorn clinging to the walls.

Even though the weekend itself didn’t exactly go according to plan, it was far from a bust. First of all, I got to hang out with my dad (hi Dad!), which was, as always, a great time. And secondly, I stumbled upon FireFly Farms.

We were on our way out of town when we decided to stop and get some snacks for the road. Driving through the small town of Accident, the FireFly Farms Creamery and Market sign caught my eye. I’d heard the name bantered about by various mongers in DC, and knew that they made goat cheeses. And, well, you guys know me – I’ll jump at any chance to try some new cheeses, so we stopped.

Goats at Firefly Creamery

After tasting through a bunch of their gorgeous, goat’s milk cheeses, I settled on my favorite: Mountain Top Bleu. Made in the Valencay style, these beautiful, surface ripened pyramids are a perfect gateway blue – mild and creamy with just a hint of funk. The piece that I got that day was just the way I like my soft cheeses to be – ripe, oozy, and full of flavor. During the two and a half hours it took us to drive back to DC, we easily devoured the entire thing.

I’ve learned a few things since that inaugural visit to FireFly. Firstly, although Mountain Top Bleu is one of FireFly’s original three cheeses, it was initially made by accident. It came into being when a bloomy-rinded cheese was cross contaminated by a nearby blue. Instead of throwing the contaminated batch away, the cheesemakers created this beautiful hybrid. And it’s a great thing that they did: Mountain Top Bleu is the most awarded cheese in the FireFly repertoire. With twenty individual honors to its name, including a bronze medal at the American Cheese Society conference this past summer and multiple World Cheese awards, this cheese is certainly no mistake. Saveur Magazine even named it as one of the top 50 cheeses in the nation.

Mountain Top Bleu

I was also impressed to learn about FireFly’s commitment to sustainability, both with regards to the farmers that they partner with and to the environment. FireFly is a small cheesemaking operation on the Allegheny Plateau region of Maryland, and they use milk from six goat farms within a 30 mile radius of their shop. By working closely with these farmers, and implementing a mutually beneficial contract, Firefly assures that the farmers are committed to “humane animal husbandry and restrict the use of antibiotics, hormones, and animal feeds that have been treated with chemical or synthetic fertilizers”, while also paying them a fair price for their milk that doesn’t penalize producers for “under-production” in winter months, nor “over-production” in summer months.

Additionally, FireFly is very conscious of their energy consumption. Instead of using energy-hungry machines, they’re committed to handcrafting and wrapping each of their cheeses. Furthermore, as of the summer of 2015, one third of the energy used by FireFly comes from their newly installed solar panels.

It is my great pleasure to announce that not only will Mountain Top Bleu be Via Umbria’s October Cheese of the Month, but that FireFly Farms founders Mike Koch and Pablo Solanet will be joining us for our monthly Cheese Party! Please join us on Wednesday, October 5th to eat, drink, and learn all about this wonderful local cheese and these awesome cheesemakers!

Alice Bergen Phillips
Alice Bergen Phillips

A visit to FireFly Farms Creamery in Maryland Read more

Early last spring, my dad and I attempted to go spring skiing out in Deep Creek, Maryland. Rainy and foggy with lots ...

Cheese, Food & Drink
Leave a comment

From Across the Pond to your Neighborhood

“Wow! Look at all this cheese! I can’t believe you have so many different kinds of Itali…Wait a minute…This isn’t all Italian cheese! I thought Via Umbria was an Italian store! What’s going on here!?”

This happens at my counter a lot. Like, every week. Well, really more like every other day. And I understand the confusion–Via Umbria is, as the name would suggest, an Italian store filled with unique, delicious, and beautiful Italian things. So what’s the deal with the cheese counter?

While it is true that Italians make some supremely excellent cheese, my little counter has been given a bit more freedom and has a wider reaching focus than solely Italian curds. Our goal is to give a platform to unique, artisanal, handcrafted cheeses from all over the world, giving our customers a chance to explore myriad delicious products that they may not have regular access to or even have heard of before.

In this spirit, I’m pleased to announce that Via Umbria will be delving into the wide world of British cheeses this fall by teaming up with famed London cheese emporium, affineur, and exporter, Neal’s Yard Dairy.

dav
dav

I’m thrilled about this partnership for a few reasons. Firstly, and most selfishly, British cheeses tug at my childhood-memory heartstrings. For much of my young life, I spent summers in the English countryside on my grandparents farm, where I ate lots and lots and lots of locally made cheese. I spent many happy hours learning how to milk goats, collect eggs, feed pigs–happy hours that were fueled by delicious farmhouse cheese. Even when I was back home in Chicago, my mum packed many cheese and chutney sandwiches in my school lunches (yup, kids at school totally thought I was weird), and we always had Stilton and port at Christmas. All of that to say, I have a very dear place in my heart for the lovely British cheeses from my childhood, and I’m looking forward to sharing them with my customers.

Secondly, I’m thrilled to be able to give British cheeses the audience that they deserve. When most Americans think of European cheese, they think of cheeses like French Brie, Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano, or Spanish Manchego–the UK, unfortunately, very rarely comes into the picture. To be honest, this is a bit bizarre–one of the most beloved cheeses in this country, Cheddar, originally comes from the UK. Be that as it may, British cheeses remain relatively unknown the US.

Part of that has to do with the fact that in Britain, cheese was traditionally part of a workman’s diet, not something for the rich and influential. Because of this lower status, local cheeses weren’t given the same importance as many of their continental counterparts. For a long time, these cheeses weren’t seen as significant enough to protect or maintain. Thus, with the global rise of factorization and mass production of cheese, traditional British farmstead cheeses were largely pushed aside to make way for cheaper, less flavorful, grocery-store friendly options.

Enter: Neal’s Yard Dairy. Started in the early 1980’s as a small cheese shop in London, Neal’s Yard Dairy has become, quite simply, the preeminent champion of British cheese. Neal’s Yard searches out farmers and cheesemakers, working with them to not only preserve traditional British cheeses – what they call “territorials” – but to improve the cheeses quality, age them to perfection, and expand global awareness of these cheeses. Simply put, they find (and/or help create) the best tasting cheeses that the UK has to offer, and then give them a global stage. They go out and visit each of the farmers that they work with, about 40 in total, on a regular basis in order to both taste their cheeses and to select the best cheeses to mature and sell. Farmhouse cheeses like Cheshire, Caerphilly, Lincolnshire Poacher, and Shropshire, to name just a few, now have a global presence in the world because of the efforts of Neal’s Yard Dairy. What they’ve been able to do for British cheese has been absolutely remarkable.

Our first shipment from London should be arriving in just a few weeks, so please come by and taste some delicious British cheese with me at the Via Umbria cheese counter! It’s a fantastic way to explore the world and get to know some some new and exciting cheeses!”

A new partnership with Neal's Yard Dairy Read more

"Wow! Look at all this cheese! I can't believe you have so many different kinds of Itali...Wait a minute...This isn't all Italian ...

Cheese, Food & Drink
Leave a comment

Feta: A Love Story

Most people who eat cheese have had some sort of interaction with feta or, more accurately, feta-style cheese. They think of it as the salty yet bland crumbles that sit unnoticed on top of iceberg lettuce, or the saline blocks that adorn many a badly made pasta salad. I used to be one of these people. As a self-proclaimed salt-fiend, I didn’t mind feta, but it certainly wasn’t interesting and didn’t even crack the top 50 in terms of cheeses I liked and cared about.

Fresh Feta Cheese

And then, at the ripe old age of 20, I spent a summer in Greece, and a whole new world opened up. A world that contained copious amounts of delicious, savory, complex, versatile feta.

I was volunteering on a Skyrian pony farm on the Greek island of Corfu for the summer with my sister (and yes, I know how ridiculous that sounds). While we weren’t getting paid for our hours of manure-shoveling and pony-grooming, we did have our room and board covered. This gave us access to some of the freshest and most amazing food I’ve ever tasted, including homemade feta. Every week, a lady who lived down the hill from our little pony enclave would bring a giant ceramic basin filled with brine and a large, white block of homemade feta. I had eaten feta-esque substances before, but never anything with this much zest and character. We would cut hunks of feta off of that block and eat them for lunch with cucumbers and tomatoes from the garden, and homemade bread. It was absolute heaven.

Coming back to the US was a rude awakening for my new found love of feta. Where did the squeaky, briney, zesty, puckery cheese that I had grown so fond of go? Why were people settling for such inferior imitations? Up until 2002, the name “feta” could mean anything – anyone could use it for any cheese, regardless of milk type, origin, or production method. This lead to a lot of really, epically boring cheese bearing the name “feta”.

Luckily for the cheese world, in 2002 feta became a protected designation of origin (PDO) cheese. This means that only cheeses that are made from sheep’s milk, or a mixture of sheep and goat’s milk, and have been produced in a certain way from specific parts of Greece may be called “feta”. This makes it much easier for consumers to tell the difference between real feta and inferior imposters.

Cheese Maker

Not all fetas are created equal, however, even within the PDO designation. I’ve hesitated bringing the cheese to the Via Umbria counter for fear of choosing one that turned out to be bland or boring.

As good fortune would have it, however, I was lucky enough to meet the team at Essex St. Cheese. Rather than importing many different types of cheese, Essex finds the best of the best and brings in only a handful of cheeses, with each type only having one producer. Their bar is extremely high, and I was so excited to find out that they were importing a particularly fantastic feta from the island of Lesbos. This PDO cheese, made by third generation cheesemakers, M. Tastanis, is made entirely from sheep’s milk that has been collected from local shepherds. The salt used to salt both the cheese and the brine comes exclusively from the Kalloni salt flats, giving this feta a taste that can truly only be found in Lesbos. Additionally, the cheese makers stay as close to tradition as possible, which means that the process of making this feta is essentially the same as it was in Homer’s time. Tasting it brought me right back to that summer in Corfu – bright and fresh, with flavors of fresh yogurt, cream, and the ocean.

I’m beyond thrilled to announce that this feta from M. Tastanis in Lesbos, Greece is going to be our August Cheese of the Month! It’s a spectacular way to explore a true taste of tradition and place, and also a beautiful compliment to late summer’s bounty of fresh produce. Come taste it at our monthly cheese party on August 3rd and learn all about how gorgeous feta can truly be.

Alice Bergen Phillips
Alice Bergen Phillips

Transport yourself to Greece with this cheese Read more

Most people who eat cheese have had some sort of interaction with feta or, more accurately, feta-style cheese. They think of it ...

Cheese, Events, Food & Drink
Leave a comment

The Cheesemonger Invitational

As some of you may remember, I wrote a post a few weeks ago about competing in the Cheesemonger Invitational (CMI) – a cheesemonger competition held twice a year, once in New York and once in San Francisco. Well, this summer’s CMI has come and gone, and I only have one thing to say about it – it was a truly incredible, inspirational, and humbling experience that I feel so lucky to have been a part of. It was fascinating, terrifying, and I absolutely loved it.

Preparing to Plate Cheese

Okay, I lied. I have way more than one thing to say about it. Let me set the stage for you: Fifty of the curd-nerdiest cheesemongers from all over the country – from Vermont to Louisiana, New Mexico to Chicago – converged upon the Larkin Cold Storage facility in Long Island City, Queens. There were people from myriad backgrounds – some who had been working in cheese for 10 or 15 years, and some who had been in the game for only a few weeks. Some work at really well known, long-standing places like Murray’s in New York, DiBruno Brothers in Philadelphia, and Neal’s Yard Dairy in London, and others work at much smaller, newer counters. Many people had competed before, and a few of us hadn’t. Regardless of our differences, the camaraderie felt between all of us was amazing – everyone there loved their job and couldn’t wait to geek out with a bunch of other passionate people who spoke their language.

The first day was an education day where we spent 8 hours in small groups talking to cheese producers – farmers, cheese makers, affineurs, importers, and everybody in between. There were people from Neal’s Yard Dairy, Jasper Hill Farm, Vermont Creamery, as well as the producers of the Manchego, Gruyere, Comte, Cravero Parmigiano-Reggiano, and many of the Swiss cheeses that Via Umbria has at our counter. There was a lot of discussion about tradition and culture, but also a ton of hard science – chemistry and biology talk about various bacterias, microbial processes, and the like. It was really incredible access to people who are generally pretty inaccessible. By the end of the day, all of our brains were full enough to burst.

The second day, Saturday, was the competition – nine preliminary challenges, followed by five final challenges for the top six competitors. Everyone was extremely nervous – I got to Larkin a full half an hour early, thinking that I would beat the crowd and settle in, but found that about half of the competitors had had the same idea. As on edge as we all were, however, the feeling in the room was nothing but supportive. For me, this was the best part of the whole event – everyone was there to cheer on their peers and help each other out. For example, the edible flowers that I brought for the Perfect Plate Challenge got soaked in ice water the night before competition, which rendered them completely useless. Another cheesemonger heard about my plight and gave me a whole bunch of extra flowers that she had brought for herself so that I could complete my plate.

The first nine challenges were hard. Really, really, REALLY hard. There was a written test, blind taste test, aroma test, cutting perfect 1/4lb pieces, wrapping in paper, wrapping in plastic, salesmanship, perfect beverage, perfect plating, and perfect bite. It was exhausting and exhilarating, and by the time the crowd of about a thousand got let in for the party and to watch the finals, I was sure that the hard part of my day was over. I was sure that I would be standing in the crowd with my mom, watching the finals. I grabbed a beer and started to relax.

CMI Finalists

Then they called my name.

I made the finals.

I had not prepared for this.

Sure, I had looked over the handout they’d given us of what the finals would entail, but I had decided to focus on the challenges I knew I was going to have to perform rather than the ones I probably wouldn’t be required to do. All I can say is that it seemed like a solid strategy at the time.

So, I winged it – I got up on stage and had discuss my favorite cheese, come up with a cheese pairing on the fly when given a random accompaniment, talk about a cheese that epitomizes a randomly assigned country or region, cut as many perfect 1/4lbs of cheese as possible off of a large wheel in 60 seconds, and wrap as many small, soft cheeses in paper as possible in 60 seconds. It was exhausting, but I have to say, by the time it was all over, my cheeks ached from how much I was laughing and smiling. It was a blast.

I ended up getting 6th place, which is an unbelievable honor. To be listed under the words “Summer 2016 Champions” on the CMI website literally gives me goosebumps. And to be the first cheesemonger from DC to ever make the finals is just icing on the cake.

You better believe I’ll be back next year.

Alice Bergen Phillips
Alice Bergen Phillips

CMI: A Retrospective on the Cheesiest Weekend Read more

As some of you may remember, I wrote a post a few weeks ago about competing in the Cheesemonger Invitational (CMI) - ...

Cheese, Food & Drink
Leave a comment

‘Tis the Season for Some Cheesin’

Many of my customers are shocked to find out that cheese is seasonal. Yep, you read that right – cheese is a seasonal food product. “But Alice,” you might be asking yourself, “how can that be? Cheese is not like a fruit or vegetable that pops up out of the earth or suddenly materializes on a branch – how can cheese ever be “out of season”?”

4baec731-c78f-40bf-8759-600cb1579890

The seasonality of cheese depends on two main components. The first factor is the lactation period of the animal who is providing you with the delicious milk for your cheese. Different types of animals give milk for varying amounts of time after breeding – for sheep, it’s eight months, goats clock in at about eleven months, and cows have a lactation period of about 13 months. Since animals tend to breed at the same time during the year (as opposed to farmers being able to stagger their animals breeding cycles throughout the year), this means that for a few months out of the year, cheesemakers working with goats or sheep have no fresh milk with which to make cheese.

3a8ab3cf-c0a5-4fe3-beb2-2c0bd03670d8

The second component has to do with how long the cheese itself ages for. For fresh cheeses like chevre and sheep or goat’s milk ricotta (which require no aging time), this means that they are only made when fresh milk is available – usually March through about October. For cheeses that do require aging, seasonality plays a part as well, but you need to factor in the aging time to figure out when that particular cheese’s season starts and ends. For example, if you have a goats milk cheese that’s aged for three months, it’s going to stop being available at the end of the milking season plus three months. For cheeses that are aged for a much longer time, the seasonality isn’t as much of a factor and are available more or less year round.

e8695002-0d5f-473c-aa36-a806f7a86f16

There’s another seasonal factor in cheesemaking that has less to do with milk availability and more to do with the quality of milk produced – what type of food is available to the animals during their milking season? As we all know, we are what we eat, and there are few instances where this is as obvious as with milk. The difference between milk from an animal who has been eating lush, fresh grass and herbs during the spring and summer, and an animal who has had dried, uniform fodder during the winter is night and day. The flavor of that summer milk showcases the terroir of the region – particular combinations of wildflowers, grasses, herbs, and other greenery that the animals consume all become apparent in the milk. This nutritious summertime feed also has a positive effect on the milk’s protein and butterfat content. As such, certain farmers will only make cheese using spring and summer milk and forgo cheesemaking with inferior winter milk.

Whew! So what does all of that mean for Via Umbria’s cheese counter? Well, we’ve got a seasonal treat to showcase for our next Cheese of the Month – delicious, fresh sheep’s milk cheeses from Landmark Creamery in Wisconsin. These little one ounce buttons, named Petit Nuage, or “Little Cloud” en francais, are only made April – September, when the sheep are being milked and are munching on delicious spring and summer Wisconsin grass. Bright and citrusy with clean flavor and a distinct, sheepy tang, these little wonders are gorgeous summer treat that are great paired with heirloom tomatoes and olive oil for a simple salad, topped with fresh or grilled stone fruits like peaches or nectarines, or simply smeared on a baguette and enjoyed on their own.

Don’t miss out on this gorgeous cheese – sign up for our Cheese of the Month Club and get a half pound of Petit Nuage to enjoy during July. Swing by our next meeting, Wednesday, July 6th, and to taste and learn all about your new favorite summer cheese!

Alice Bergen Phillips
Alice Bergen Phillips

The seasonal factors in cheesemaking Read more

Many of my customers are shocked to find out that cheese is seasonal. Yep, you read that right - cheese is a ...

Events, Food & Drink
Leave a comment

The Cheesemonger Invitational

At the end of June, a very special event will be taking place at a cold storage facility in Long Island City, right across the river from Manhattan. If some of you are thinking about some kind of clandestine meeting of big-shot mob bosses, well, you’re not far off. Well, except that instead of the actual mafia, it’s the cheese mafia. And instead of cold-blooded killers, the attendees will be competitive cheesemongers. And it’s not clandestine at all…Okay. So it’s nothing like a secret mafia meeting. It is, in fact, The Cheesemonger Invitational, and yours truly will be one of the competitors.

That’s right, folks–there are indeed competitive cheesemonger competitions, and the cream of the crop is CMI. Held twice a year (once in New York and once in San Francisco), CMI is the ultimate cheesemonger test. Amongst the fourteen (!!) total challenges, the competitors are tested on their cheesemaking and affinage knowledge, their ability to cut cheese to weight, wrap cheese in both plastic and cheese paper, their salesmanship and charisma, ability to pair various cheeses with both beverages and accompaniments, and plating skills. It’s a cheesemonger marathon–a true test of skill and knowledge for those who make their living selling cheese.

While it’s true that CMI is a competition, it is first and foremost about creating a sense of community amongst mongers from far and wide. As they state, “Our mission is to inspire cheesemongers. Selling cheese is a profession that spans centuries. Great cheese does not exist without great cheesemongers…. This profession requires an unwavering commitment to practical skills, as well as, a never ending desire to learn more about history and science. The Cheesemonger Invitational is that rare opportunity for amazing cheesemongers to be celebrated by their community.”

In the spirit of celebration and adding to the mongers knowledge, CMI also offers mongers a chance to learn from the best, in addition to the competition. Cheesemakers, distributors, affineurs, and other accomplished cheesemongers teach classes and provide guidance for the competitors during an education day before the competition takes place. It’s a great opportunity to learn and hone the cheesemonger craft.

I’m excited to be a part of this amazing event, and even more honored to be a part of the cheese community. I can’t wait to come back and regale you all with my stories. If anyone is interested in heading to New York and cheering me on, CMI is open to the public, so buy your tickets soon! More information can be found on their website.

Wish me luck!

 

Alice Bergen Phillips
Alice Bergen Phillips

At the end of June, a very special event will be taking place at a cold storage facility in Long Island City, ...

Events, Food & Drink, Tastes of Italy
Leave a comment

For the Curd Herd: An All-New Cheese Club!

Yes, you read that right. Via Umbria is thrilled to report that we’re starting our own Cheese of the Month Club! Here’s the deal: every month, members will be able to pick up half a pound of one of our beautiful cheeses, selected by me, your friendly neighborhood cheesemonger! The cheeses will vary based on season and what is tasting particularly delicious at the moment. We’ll kick off every new month with a tasting event–an evening at the store when you can pick up your new cheese, taste it, learn about how to pair it with beverages and condiments, and ask any questions you may have. It’s a great way to expand your cheesy horizons and try something new and exciting!
The First Cut

Since we’re an Italian store, we decided to kick off this exciting new venture with Parmigiano-Reggiano, the “King of Cheeses.” A classic for a reason, this delicious giant is renowned the world over for its nutty, sour, fruity character. Not to be confused with generic, dusty “Parmesan”, real Parmigiano-Reggiano is, by Italian law, only produced in a handful of provinces in Italy: Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, and Mantua.

Made with partially skimmed raw cow’s milk, the Parmigiano-Reggiano curds are initially packed into 100lb wheels and loaded into stainless steel molds so that they can take on their wheel shape. (Fun fact: the whey that’s siphoned off from the curds during this step is traditionally fed to pigs used for Prosciutto di Parma.) After a few days, the molds are removed and the name “PARMIGIANO-REGGIANO” along with the the plant’s number and the date are printed onto the outside of the cheese. This is an easy way to spot a real wheel of Parmigiano-Reggiano–only the real thing will have its name emblazoned on the outside of the wheel. After spending a few weeks in a brine bath to absorb salt, the cheese is then allowed to age for a minimum of 12 months, and a maximum of 36. After being checked for quality and passing inspection, these cheeses make their way to cheese fans around the world.

IMG_9738

People have been enjoying Parmigiano-Reggiano since at least the 13th century, and with good reason–it is one of the most versatile cheeses on the planet. It can be grated over pastas, shaved over salads, stirred into soups or risottos, or just cut into chunks and eaten as is. While most people think of this as a rock hard cheese, when it’s first opened and unoxidized, the interior of the wheel, or “heart”, is very soft and full of moisture. It’s only after being exposed to air that the cheese dehydrates and becomes drier and less flavorful. It’s for this reason that we always recommend buying a large chunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano as opposed to pre-grated or sliced–the less surface area that’s exposed to air, the more moisture your cheese will retain and the less flavor you will lose.

You’ll have a chance to taste the heart of the Parmigiano-Reggiano when we open our newest wheel at our kick-off Cheese of the Month Club event on Wednesday, June 1st. We’ll taste, talk, drink, and generally get to know all about our inaugural cheese. You can find more information about the Cheese of the Month Club here. Can’t wait to see everyone there!

Alice Bergen Phillips
Alice Bergen Phillips

An all-new cheese club at Via Umbria! Read more

Yes, you read that right. Via Umbria is thrilled to report that we're starting our own Cheese of the Month Club! Here's ...

Adventure, Culture, Experience Italy, Food & Drink, Tastes of Italy
Leave a comment

Travel Tips

When traveling overseas in unfamiliar places, it’s easy to seek out familiar foods rather than trying something new or unknown. This is quite a crime in Italy, a country with a distinctive culinary reputation that shines through in a wide rage of traditional dishes, cooking styles, and local ingredients. This varies from region to region, so before traveling to Italy, it’s a good idea to find out what foods are unique to the area you’re planning to stay in. Luckily for you, we have some insider knowledge from Marco Palermi, Umbrian travel expert, on what to eat while staying in Umbria:

Food is very important in Italy, and in Umbria, pork is king–both cured and fresh are fantastic, but the real treat is sliced porchetta from the porchetta trucks parked all over town. The best porchetta comes from Costano (they have a porchetta festival in mid August), but if you find the truck parked out front of the Conad Grocery store in Cannara, you won’t be disappointed.

Porchetta Truck

Most of what we eat depends on the season. In December you will see a lot of fennel, cabbage, onions, and tomatoes. Wild asparagus is abundant in spring, and mushrooms in the fall. What you will eat depends on when you are here as much as where you go. For us, seasons, traditions, and religion are often an excuse to eat–which is why you will see things like torta di pasqua (traditional easter bread), fried strufoli or frappe with honey during Carnival, and goose in August for the feast of the harvest. However, there are Umbrian delights that are always great year round.

Shopping for Seasonal Produce

Torta al testo is a staple to Umbrian gastronomy that cannot be missed. It’s a sandwich made of flat unleavened bread that is flame-cooked, and filled with the most delicious Umbrian flavors. You cannot go wrong pairing these with an Umbrian beer. And of course, after a great lunch, you must try gelato. The gelato around Cannara is all very good, but Bar Gennaro is the place to go.

Gelato

One town to know about (and visit before you leave Umbria) is Norcia. Its very well-known for its pork products (prosciutto, sausages, salamis) and also for its winter black truffles. The town is about an hour and a half drive from Canarra, but if that’s too far away for you, head to Santa Maria degli Angeli and visit Casa Norcia, a restaurant known for serving delicious meals and typical produce from the Sibillini mountains.

Another excellent experience is to visit a rosticceria, which is a kind of grocery store that has ready-to-eat meals, but unlike any ready-to-eat meal you’ve had before! It can be anything from lasagne to roast chicken, and it’s a very traditional Sunday activity. Good rosticcerias near la Fattoria del Gelso are Cucina’a in Foligno or Falaschi Gastronomia in bastia Umbra.

And no trip to Italy would be complete without sampling the cheeses available. From the Pecorino of Norcia to the Mozarella of Coliforito, there is no shortage of cheese to tempt your palate. Check out the nearby cheese stores in Santa Maria Degli Angelia, Brufani and Broccatelli, and try fresh creamy mascarpone, soft burrata caciotta, and wonderfully sharp pecorino.

Cheese and Meat Plate

There is no way to capture all the delicious foods available in Umbria, but starting here should give you a wonderful start to a true foodie experience.

Eat your way through the green heart of Italy Read more

When traveling overseas in unfamiliar places, it's easy to seek out familiar foods rather than trying something new or unknown. This is ...

Dinner Parties, Entertain, Events, Food & Drink, On the Table, Tastes of Italy, Wine
Leave a comment

Fifty Pounds of Cheese

On Wednesday March 30, passport in hand, our intrepid MELTers traveled through the raclette rivers and fondue forests to visit each of our five amazing cheese stations. First stop? The accompaniments table! A veritable cornucopia of mouthwatering treats from homemade pretzel bites to Gordy’s pickles, to a selection of our favorite charcuterie, this table featured something special for everyone (and every cheese).

Passport to Cheese

Choosing Accompaniments

Next, our fearless cheese fiends found sanctuary in a down-home Midwestern favorite: Wisconsin Cheese Curds. These ooey-gooey, deep fried pieces of heaven were an instant classic–especially when paired with Chef Johanna’s homemade marinara! Don’t just take our word for it though, stop by Spritz O’Clock soon to taste these mini marvels for yourself.

Wisconsin Cheese Curds

Further into the cafe, our daring patrons were treated to the dazzling spectacle (and mouthwatering aroma) of raclette being melted to order. When paired with Gordy’s Pickles and starchy potatoes, this station was a #MELTy indulgence beyond compare. For those of you looking to recreate this moment at home, stop by and pick up a Partyclette machine from our cheesemonger and be the host with the most at your next dinner party.

Enjoying Plates of Raclette

Before following the scent of cheesy goodness upstairs, our noshing nomads made a quick stop in the wine room for a triumphant taste of American Pub cheese. This beer based bite of bliss paired perfectly with the Port City Porter and Chef Johanna’s homemade pretzel bites. Pretzels, porter, and pub cheese? What more could a party provide?!

Dipping into American Fondue

The answer to that question lay waiting for patrons upstairs in our laboratorio where Chiara was serving an Italian Fonduta over perfectly toasted baguette. This truffle infused #MELTy masterpiece was clearly a crowd favorite, as it was the first to disappear. Fortunately, Federico came to the rescue and delighted our dauntless diners with handmade cheese ravioli. For those who missed it, he will be hosting an encore pasta performance in the Cafe every day at lunchtime.

Italian Fonduta Station

Last, but certainly not least, our gallant and engorged guests found themselves faced with a meal of mountainous proportions…or at least flavors. The Alpine Fondue station, featuring smooth, garlicky, Swiss flavors had everyone yodeling for more.

Bill at the Alpine Fondue Station

We would like to say a special Thank You to all of our courageous cheese connoisseurs for making this event such a success. We went through fifty pounds of cheese, but our cheese counter is still stocked! For those of you who weren’t able to attend (or want to relive the night), we have a special treat: visit our cheese counter and take home a fondue kit, specially curated by in-house Cheesemonger Alice Bergen Phillips and make a little #MELTed magic of your own.

Mini Fondue Kits

A MELT Retrospective Read more

On Wednesday March 30, passport in hand, our intrepid MELTers traveled through the raclette rivers and fondue forests to visit each of ...

Dinner Parties, Entertain, Events, Food & Drink, On the Table, Wine
Leave a comment

Just Fondue It

Here at Via Umbria, we’re more than fond of fondue. Cheese is amazing any way you slice it, but something inexplicably delicious happens when you add a little melt to the mix. On March 30th, we will be throwing a Fondue Fest to celebrate all things melty and cheesy. Here’s a taste of what we’re serving up!

FONDUE. Named Switzerland’s national dish, this delicious way of eating melted cheese has been adopted by much of the world. “Fondu,” the past participle of the French verb “fondre,” means melted. To keep fondue true to its name, a candle must be placed beneath the fondue pot to ensure the cheese remains in liquid form. Long forks are then used to dip bread or vegetables into the pot. Simple, cheesy, and amazing! Our party will take a look at three different sorts of fondue: the Alpine classic, made with Swiss cheese and white wine; Fonduta, an Italian-style fondue made with Fontina and truffles; and American pub cheese, a beer-and-cheese combo traditionally served with soft pretzels.

 

A candle keeps classic fondue at the perfect consistency.
A candle keeps classic fondue at the perfect consistency.

RACLETTE. Another Swiss cheesy treat. Raclette is one of my absolute favorite ways to consume melted cheese. Derived from the french word racler, meaning “to scrape”, Raclette is both the name of the cheese itself and the dish it’s used for. Traditionally, half a wheel of Raclette is heated in front of a fire, and then the melted part of the wheel is scraped off over boiled or roasted potatoes. In lieu of an actual fire, we’ll be using a Raclette machine to melt our amazing Swiss Raclette over potatoes (or potato chips, if you prefer a bit more crunch).

 

Raclette has an inviting, aromatic scent. Like Gruyère, it does not separate when melted.
Raclette has an inviting, aromatic scent. Like Gruyère, it does not separate when melted.

FRIED WISCONSIN CHEESE CURDS. Hailing from the midwest, this dish is near and dear to my heart. Cheese curds are the first form that any cheese takes. See, in order to make cheese, milk must be separated into curds (the solid part of the milk) and whey (the liquid part). After that, most cheese curds are formed and aged to create different styles of cheese. But you can also eat the curds themselves! They taste fresh and feel squeaky under tooth. You can also take those fresh curds, dip them in batter, and fry them into decadent melty nuggets. This, in my opinion, is where cheese curds reach their full potential.

These golden cheese curds are little fried bits of heaven.
These golden cheese curds are little fried bits of heaven.

When it comes to these fabulous varieties melted cheese, you simply can’t go wrong. At MELT: A Fondue Fest, we’ll have a different dipping station dedicated to each style, complete with accompaniments and wine or beer pairings. It’ll be the cheesy evening you’ve always dreamed of!

MELT: A Fondue Fest on Wednesday, March 30th at 7:00.

Tickets will be $35 in advance and  $45 at the door. Purchase your ticket before Saturday March 26 and you’ll be entered to win a prize in our #MELTsweeps:
Third Prize: Via Umbria’s limited edition Just Fondue It t-shirt;
Second Prize: A fondue pot to craft cheese creations (and maybe even host your own cheese party!);
First Prize: A custom cheese board;
Grand Prize: A complimentary wedge of cheese each month for a year!

See you there!

 

Alice Bergen Phillips
Alice Bergen Phillips

A fondue party to celebrate all things cheesy Read more

Here at Via Umbria, we're more than fond of fondue. Cheese is amazing any way you slice it, but something inexplicably delicious happens when ...

Experience Italy, Food & Drink, On the Table, Tastes of Italy
Leave a comment

Fine Cheese and the Art of Affinage

One of the most exciting parts of being a cheesemonger is getting to know our cheese producers: the people whose love, care, and mastery create the decadent wheels that you see in our case. We stock the counter at Via Umbria with gorgeous cheeses from small farms, creameries, and affineurs that your average shopper won’t see at the supermarket. Meeting and developing relationships with these cheese artisans is one of the best parts of my job.

On a recent snowy morning, I had the privilege to visit Crown Finish Caves, a small-batch cheese producer located in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. The formerly industrial New York neighborhood is filled with empty turn-of-the-century factories like the one that houses Crown Finish Caves. Their old, brick building appears unremarkable at first sight, but a surprise lies in what’s buried underneath: long, damp tunnels.

 

A low, cavernous Crown Finish cellar.
A low, cavernous Crown Finish cellar.

 

When owners Benton Brown and Susan Boyle discovered these underground caverns, they scrapped their plan to convert the building into office space and turned their attention to producing cheese. Far-flung from the farm, the urban locale of Crown Finish posed unique challenges, namely procuring access to large quantities of milk. However, the climate of the tunnels that Brown and Boyle had unwittingly acquired proved perfect for affinage, the subtle art of aging cheese.

Affinage is what makes blue cheese blue, stinky cheese pungent, and gives brie and camembert their fuzzy white exteriors. It’s a large part of what makes every cheese distinctive. Brown, an artist with no former affinage experience, threw himself into mastering the tricks of the trade. He became well-versed on the subjects of temperature, humidity, and time requirements for aging different cheeses. He learned to recognize desirable and undesirable mold, and perfected the finer points of cleaning, brushing, washing, turning…all factors that go into creating a beautiful, unique cheese.

 

Say cheese ... and cheese ... and cheese ...
Say cheese … and cheese … and cheese …

 

Hanging out in a chill atmosphere.
Hanging out in a chill atmosphere.

Young cheeses, primarily from Northeastern farms, make their way to the caves year round. Currently, the Crown Finish caves hold about 11,000 pounds of cheese, and plans to expand and diversify production are in the works. There are, of course, a few favorite staples like Tubby, an alpine-style cow’s milk cheese from Spring Brook Farm in Reading, VT, and Reverie, an Italian toma-style cheese from Parish Hill Farm in Westminster West, VT. Ever the innovator, Brown loves to try out new techniques and create custom cheeses for clients. While I was there, he showed me a few experiments involving duck fat washes and wagyu beef tallow coatings–not exactly your typical cheese treatments.

Stop by our counter and sample the wonders of Crown Finish Caves, from the fruity, complex Suffolk Punch to the silky, toasted sesame-infused Gatekeeper. I was deeply impressed with the care and creativity that goes into crafting Crown Finish cheeses, and I’m sure you will be too.

 

Alice Bergen Phillips
Alice Bergen Phillips

Get to know the cheese at Via Umbria Read more

One of the most exciting parts of being a cheesemonger is getting to know our cheese producers: the people whose love, care, ...