Vol 2 No 11

Featured Cheeses

A Taste of European Living

C&H Club patrons are in for a Continental treat with this month's featured cheeses. Born out of Old World style traditions, our selections from Switzerland, Italy and Spain have been carefully crafted using the exacting discipline of artisans, bringing you the rich, bold tastes of the European cheese palette. We know you'll thoroughly savor this new world of flavors as you indulge your family and friends. And from our family to yours - bueno consumo!

Raclette
The Exclusive Swiss Cheese

Raclette is a smooth, select cheese that originates from the canton of Valais in Switzerland. Raclette has in the past tended to be only enjoyed by the residents and tourists of Switzerland and France, but now is a favorite of mountain resorts the world over. The Raclette we bring you is an artisanal cheese that is firm and pressed with a natural rind. The paste is usually smooth but may have small holes. It has a slightly spicy, but not overpowering, flavor. Its fat content is 45%. Maturation takes at least two months, but the cheese is available all year round.

It is believed that Raclette began on the hillsides of the Valais region at the end of the 19th century, in the chill of fall when the wine harvest was coming to an end. Grape gatherers took from their sacks a small loaf of brown bread, some cheese, and a bottle of wine.

The traditional Swiss dish, also known as Raclette, involves cutting the cheese in half and melting the cut edge in front of a fire. Nowadays, machines are available which hold the cheese in place, while an electrical element melts the surface. The cheese can then be scraped onto potatoes boiled in their skins and served with pickles. Of course, there are many variations of this dish, but the principle remains the same. We've included some of these recipes for you to try yourself.

The texture and consistency of raclette when melted lends itself marvelously to this dish. It has a tendency to melt uniformly, without forming a greasy layer, and holds together without becoming completely liquid. The name of this meal made of melted cheese actually comes from the French word "racler" meaning "to scrape." Folklore has it that one of the men stabbed a piece of cheese with a large buck knife, and approached a crackling fire made from vine branches to warm himself while he ate. As the cheese made contact with the fire, it started to melt and run with a crisp, golden texture. As he slowly scraped the melting cheese, the others tasted this novelty. It was indeed excellent. And there begins a custom from Switzerland enjoyed on many a snowy mountain top today.

Fulvi Rustico Black Pepper
Formaggio Fantastico di Italia

The Italians are masters at making cheese and this selection is no exception. Rustico Black Pepper (pronounced roo-stee-ko) is a semi-soft sheep's milk cheese from the countryside of Rome. This premium cheese is exclusively produced by the Fulvi family of Italy, who has been making cheese for over 30 years. Beginning in a small establishment in the Italian province of Viterbo just outside of Rome, a few years later the company expanded, uniting the dedication and care of traditional Italian cheesemaking with present day technology to produce an extraordinarily flavorful cheese.

This savory Italian specialty is enhanced by the peppers rather than overwhelmed by it. The 30 day curing time in cellars results in a creamy texture with a mild, balanced flavor finishing with the reserved sting of the peperoncino (pepper.) The milk used in producing this cheese is from the Sicilian or Sopravissana sheep, which is richer in fat and protein and is carefully selected from small producers with no extra additives or hormones. The Fulvi family uses only fresh milk to make the cheese while many of the larger cooperatives might use milk that has been stored in refrigerated vats for a few days. This helps produce a more flavorful cheese.

Along with the richer taste of sheeps' milk, there are also nutritional benefits to be obtained from this cheese. Sheeps' milk cheese breaks down into smaller molecules in the body thus allowing for better digestion. Because it is a more flavorful cheese, lesser quantities are needed to satisfy the palate. Many lactose intolerant people find that they can enjoy sheeps' milk cheeses without repercussions to their health. This sheeps' milk cheeses have anywhere from 32-34% fat.

Tetilla
The Creamy Dream of Spain

The word "tetilla", which means nipple, clearly defines the traditional shape our 3rd selection, that is, a flattened pear-shaped cone with a small nipple on the top. This is the most distinctive cheese from Galicia, a region in northwestern Spain. A predominantly farming culture, Galicia has the highest production of cow's milk in Spain. In each corner of the region, one can find cheese-makers producing Galician Tetilla cheese. Easily recognized by its shape and smooth, yellow straw-colored rind, the soft paste of this cheese, thick and smooth with few air pockets, is very creamy on the palate. The flavor is very clean and mellow. It's buttery, but not salty, and melts easily in the mouth. Traditionally, the milk used in the production of this cheese is from the rubia gallega cow breed. This breed produces a small amount of milk, but of superior quality, lending a texture to the Tetilla close to that of pressed paste. The milk used is whole and usually is the combination of milks obtained in two consecutive milkings. It is an aged cheese, from soft to semi-cured.

A cheese that can be eaten any time during the day, it is also suitable for cooking, especially as stuffing and in recipes calling for coating as it melts easily with heat. Try it tucked inside a baked potato or a frankfurter. It's wonderful to spread over plain bread and over raisin bread. The creamy, soft and mild-flavored taste of the cheese combines perfectly with Pale Cream, a slightly sweet wine that subtly recovers the delicate flavor of the Tetilla.

The Making of Cheese

The art of cheesemaking has been around so long that even Egyptian hieroglyphics depict workmen making cheese. In old times, the whey was consumed immediately, the curd salted and/or dried to preserve it. The Roman Legion was instrumental in disseminating the art of cheesemaking throughout Europe and England. During the Middle Ages, this art of was improved greatly in the monasteries and the estates of Europe. The monks became great artisans with cheese and it is to them we owe many of the classic varieties of cheese today. During the Renaissance period there was a drop in the popularity of cheese, being considered unhealthy. In the nineteenth century it regained favor. This was also the period that saw the beginning of the move from farm to factory production.

The Basic Principles

The fundamental principle involved in making an all-natural cheese is to curdle the milk so that it forms into curds and whey. As anyone has experienced, milk un-refrigerated for a time will curdle quite naturally. The milk sours and forms into an acid curd. The least sophisticated cheeses are the fresh, uncured varieties. Cottage cheese is a typical one. Cheeses like this are made by warming the milk and letting it stand, treating it with a lactic starter to help its development, then cutting and draining the whey from the cheese. The cheese is then salted and can then be eaten fresh. This is the most basic form of cheese.

Acidification

Generally speaking, cheesemaking starts with a process known as acidification. It's the lowering of the pH (increasing acid content) of the milk, making it more acidic. This process is performed by bacteria. Bacteria feed on the lactose in milk and produce lactic acid as a waste product. Over time, increasing amounts of lactic acid will lower the pH of the milk. Acid is essential ingredient to the production of good cheese. If there is too much acid in the milk the cheese will be crumbly. Conversely, if not enough acid is present the curd will be pasty.

Rennet

After the acidification process, coagulation begins. Coagulation is the process of converting milk into curds and whey. As the pH of the milk changes, the structural nature of the milk proteins change, leading to curd formation. Basically, the milk proteins form a curd that entraps fat and water. Although acid alone is capable of causing coagulation, the most common method is enzyme coagulation. The enzymes used to coagulate milk come from a number of sources: animal or lab synthesized. The traditional source of enzyme is rennet. Rennet is a preparation made from the lining of the fourth stomach of calves. Maybe not a very delightful thought but essential in the coagulation process.

Cutting and Pressing the Curd

After the curd is set by the coagulation process, it is cut. This step is usually accompanied by heating the curd. Cutting the curd allows whey to escape, while heating increases the rate at which the curd contracts and squeezes out the whey. The whole purpose of this stage of the process is to make a hard curd. The term hard curd is a relative one; the cheese at this stage is still very pliable. The difference between a soft curd and a hard curd is the amount of water remaining in the curd. Hard curds have very little water left in them. Once they have sufficiently hardened, salting and shaping begins. Salt is added for flavor and to inhibit the growth of undesirable microbes. Large curds are formed as smaller curds are pressed together. This will often involve the use of a cheese press.

Ripening

The shaped cheese is allowed to age for various periods of time. During this time, the bacteria that continue to grow in the cheese changes its chemical composition, resulting in taste and texture changes in the cheese. The type of bacteria active at this stage in the cheesemaking process and the length of time the cheese is aged determine the type and quality of cheese being made. Many surface ripened cheeses have their surfaces smeared with a bacterial broth. With others the bacteria is in the atmosphere of the curing chambers. These cheeses are classed as washed rind varieties as they must be washed regularly during their ripening period (longer than for Camembert or Brie) to prevent their interiors drying out. The washings also help promote an even bacterial growth across the surfaces of the cheeses. As this washing can be done with liquids as diverse as salt water and brandy, it also plays a part in the final flavor of the cheese.

Rinds

Cheese rinds are actually formed during the ripening process, many quite naturally. Some are created artificially. Rinds may be brushed, washed, oiled, treated with a covering of paraffin wax or not touched at all. Traditional cheddars are wrapped with a cotton bandage. The rind's basic purpose is to protect the interior of the cheese and allow it to ripen harmoniously. Its presence thus affects the final flavor of the cheese. Salting plays an important role in rind formation as well. Heavily salted cheeses develop thick, tough outer rinds. Many Swiss cheeses are of this type. Cheddar, another natural rind cheese, is less salted than the Swiss varieties, and consequently has a much thinner rind.

Jude's Serving Suggestions

Raclette is an incredible cheese that is perfect for grilling and broiling. Try these delicious suggestions!

Raclette with Potatoes: Boil potatoes until they are tender. Cut into thick slices and put them on a sturdy, fireproof serving plate. Top with Raclette and broil until melted. It's wonderful served with pickles, cornichons, cocktail onions, or other preferred condiments.

White Fish or Meat: Top broil the fish fillets, sliced ham, chicken, or turkey with thin slices of Raclette. Broil until melted.

With Eggs: Toss in small cubes of Raclette with scrambled eggs or omelets. Put thin slices on top of fried or poached eggs.

With Vegetables: Place thinly sliced Raclette on top of very hot steamed or sautéed cauliflower, celery, carrots, peppers, eggplant, or other favorite vegetables - it will melt beautifully. You can also place briefly under the broiler.

With Apples: Top thickly sliced unpeeled apples with Raclette. Broil until melted for a sumptuous cheese and fruit snack.

Croute au Fromage: Stack Raclette, a thin slice of tomato, and chopped garlic or onion on French or sourdough bread. Place under the broiler until melted, golden, and crisp. Serve with a condiment tray of pickles, cornichons, cocktail pickles, and mustard.