Past Newsletters
Vol 3 No 11
A Taste of European LivingYou are in for a Continental treat with this month's featured cheeses. Born out of Old World style traditions, our selections from France, 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. As the seasons begin to blend their magical spirit we wish you a festive Thanksgiving!
A company that is based on creativity
FROMAGER D'AFFINOIS by Fromager Gilloteau
Your first of three distinct selections from the Cheese of the Month Club is the French selection Fromager D'Affinois. In 1983, the first of Jean-Claude Guilloteau's cheeses was born and given the name of Pavé d'Affinois. Success came quickly: with a balance of constant work and research combined with a happy intuition that gave rise to a product that was completely suited to new consumer wishes, away from conventional marketing strategies.
Guilloteau's cheese comes from an area entitled Pelussin, which is located in the Loire, in the regional natural reserve of Pilat (30 minutes south of Vienna).
The company was truly built around this creativity of its first success, the Pavé d'Affinois. The product was novel, was like no other, and had a pleasing original taste and unusual shape. Pavé d'Affinois soon made a name for itself. Today it is a household name for 87% of French people and is one of the most highly appreciated brands of cheese.
The cheese that satiates your palate today is the direct result of what is known as ultra filtration techniques. These techniques produce an even textured, consistent quality and outstanding blend of nutritional characteristics within each cheese product. Jean-Claude Guilloteau and the INRA (National Agronomy Research Agency developed the filtration technique. This agency deals with field-crop production and soil management.
Cheese with an Attitude
Your second selection this month will spice up those cool fall evenings as you prepare your senses for the Pecorino Pepato. Pecorino is the name given to all Italian cheeses made from sheep's milk. Pecorino Pepato is a variety spiced with peppercorns. Pecorino Romano is the name given to cheeses from the Rome area; Pecorino Sardo is from Sardinia, Pecorino Siciliano from Sicily. These cheeses are generally aged up to a year, and develop a brittle, hard texture and a yellowish rind.
Most Pecorinos are oily cheeses because sheep's milk contains very high amounts of butterfat' one of the reasons this cheese is so delicious. So when Pecorino comes to room temperature don't be surprised if you see beads of oil on the cheese, these are 'butterfat tears' that weep naturally from the cheese, and they indicate that it's the perfect temperature for eating. Pecorino is usually eaten as a table cheese but will occasionally be shaved on top of fresh beans (perfect for summer salads) or lightly sautéed greens. Try it instead of Parmigiano on your next bowl of pasta. Its flavor is dense and the peppercorn sensation will bring new dynamics to your next meal. This selection should be served with a full-bodied red wine.
A tidbit on sheep's milk cheeses
Sheep's milk cheeses break down into smaller molecules in the body that is much easier to digest. Many lactose intolerant people find that they can enjoy sheep's milk cheeses without repercussions to their health. Sweet cowland! Bring on the cheese!
Cheese is a living, breathing organism. Imported cheese is often sealed in plastic when it travels to the U.S. to help prevent mold growth, but mold should be expected when dealing with natural cheese. Just cut it off and eat your cheese.
If you purchase a cheese wrapped in plastic, unwrap it immediately and let it breathe for several hours. A packaged cheese, especially a vacuum-sealed one, has been in a 'coma,' and it needs to breathe fresh air in order to return to it natural state.
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.
Viva Spanish Cheeses!
Wherever you go in Spain, from the vast, barren plains of Extramadura to the majestic beauty of the Sierra Nevada, you will find wonderful cheeses. At the last count, there were more than 600; many owing their idiosyncratic nature to the newest varieties of indigenous sheep, cows and goats that had developed over the centuries.
In 1988, aware this marvelous heritage could easily be lost as a new agent generation of Spaniards turned its back on the tradition and moved to the cities, the government initiated an ambitious survey. Can you imagine Spain without cheese, that's like baseball without bats! The government's aim was to catalogue every cheese made in Spain. Much of the survey had been carried out on horseback or on foot, in order to reach artisan cheese makers in the isolated, mountain regions whose cheeses had been made for centuries, but were unknown in the wider world to. I hope that more than one individual did the survey because that would sure be a long yet pleasurable door-to-door cheese journey.
Recipes were compared, and a grand total of 81 distinct varieties of cheese were identified. A national quality control system, denominacion de origen (D0) was introduced. This organization regulates where a specific cheese must be made, which breed of animal must supply the milk, exactly how the cheese must be made and what size it must conform to. It also details any distinguishing characteristics. Similar to the systems that exist in France and Italy, it protects producers and consumers from inferior or foreign, copies, as only those cheeses that meet the criteria may carry the official stamp on the rind.
Discovering this astonishing Bounty can be a wonderful mission for the cheese lover. Better keep Jenny Craig's phone number handy though if you are serious about this notion!
The Spanish are warm and welcoming. The food is fascinating and enjoying it amounts to a celebration of life. Upon savoring your selection from Spain this month you can almost smell the slices of air-dried Serrano ham, the marinated red peppers and fresh anchovies. Add a glass of Merlot - heaven!
How to cut cheese?
The way a cheese is cut depends largely on its shape and size. The most important thing to keep in mind when cutting a cheese is to divide cheese so that everybody has an equal share of the inside and outside.
- Round cheeses are to be cut in wedges, like a cake.
- Cheese bought in slices should be cut lengthwise rather than across.
- Tall truckles are easier to serve if sliced horizontally.
Recipes
Spaghetti with Artichokes, Braised Garlic and Pecorino Pepato
6 jumbo artichokes
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
12 cloves garlic, peeled and whole
6 ounces sweet vermouth
1 pound spaghetti
2 bunches Italian parsley, finely chopped to yield 1/2 cup
1/2 cup pecorino pepato (peppered sheep's milk cheese)
Trim the artichokes down to the heart, stem and most delicate leaves. Quarter and remove the choke and pace in acidulated water.
In a 12 to 14-inch sauté pan, heat oil and garlic over medium heat and cook until garlic is light golden brown. Add artichokes and sweet vermouth and cook until artichokes are tender, about 10 to 12 minutes.
Cook spaghetti according to package instructions and drain well. Toss into pan with artichokes. Add parsley and toss well. Pour into heated bowl, shave with pecorino cheese and serve.
Yield: 4 servings
Difficulty: Easy
