Past Newsletters

March 2007

Europe's Finest — 3 Cheeses; An Unlimited Number of Ways to Enjoy!

Our tri-country selection of featured cheeses this month offers you an opportunity to taste three very different styles of cheese. St. Marcellin, from the master cheese makers of southeastern France, has no rind and is creamy, soft, and rustic. Raclette has a brushed rind, is a bit more firm than St. Marcellin, and has a fruity flavor that intensifies when melted (more on melting this cheese later). This is a cheese that one can find being made with pride and prowess in both France and Switzerland (our featured version is Swiss). To round out the Eurpoean trio, we bring you another French beauty: Livarot. Fans of this cheese, and we are sure you will become one, relish its heady aroma and its full rich flavor. With these three delectable cheeses at your behest, we suppose you should get started on that cheese tray, shouldn't you?

St. Marcellin: Historical Fact or a Royally Tall Tale?

As the story goes, in autumn of 1445, while on a hunting trip, a bear of tremendous proportions attacked Prince Louis and his entourage. It must have been a big one indeed, as the group feared for their lives, despite their numbers and numerous firearms. They were out hunting weren't they? Fortunately, two loggers heard their cries and came to the rescue of Prince Louis and his party. After the harrowing incident, and the demise of their attacker, Prince Louis broke bread with the loggers, who, during their meal, introduced him to St. Marcellin cheese.

Perhaps it was the trauma of his experience, or the excitement in retelling such a good tale, but Prince Louis never forgot this remarkable, hard to find cheese, nor did he ever tire of eating it! When the Prince returned to Paris to be crowned King Louis XI, he brought St. Marcellin cheese makers to Paris, and as a result, this cheese has been enjoyed by members of French society for more than 500 years.

St. Marcellin, a small, round cheese produced only in the Southeastern region of Dauphine was originally made using goat's milk. These days however, most is crafted with cow's milk. True to its rustic legend, St. Marcellin is most often found wrapped in chestnut or grape leaves, which turn from fresh green to a dark brown as the cheese ripens. St. Marcellin has rather delicate flavors. The version we've chosen for you has been dipped in wine or eau-de-vie (a colorless Brandy distilled from fruit juice), has a beige crust with blue mold, a soft, beige, creamy interior, and an intensely nutty and fruity flavor. When ripe, it is quite runny (not to mention irresistible) with a slightly yeasty taste.

Tasting Notes: This cheese from the Dauphine Region of southeastern France can be found in many stages of affinage, or maturity, ranging from the fresh to the very ripe. Like many cheeses, as St. Marcellin matures, the flavor becomes more pronounced, yet still remains overall mild, slightly acidic and salty, with some nutty flourishes. As this cheese comes from the Rhone-Alpes region of France, one might expect it to partner nicely with any Rhone red wine, and one would be right. Temperature can have a big impact on the flavor and overall character of cheese—we suggest you enjoy this cheese at a temperature where the interior clings to the knife.

Raclette: A Traditional Meal or a Cheese?

It's both actually… Even though the French may have lent their language in naming this cheese, it is widely believed Raclette originated in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. Folklore has it that at the end of the 19th century, in the chill of Fall, as the wine harvest was drawing to a close, grape gatherers sat down to enjoy a loaf of brown bread, some cheese, and a bottle of wine. One of the men stabbed a piece of cheese with a large buck knife, and approached the crackling fire to warm himself while he ate. His skewered cheese began to melt and run with a crisp, golden texture, which he then scraped off of his knife and onto his bread. He found the taste had become especially intense and flavorful as a result of his impromptu, accidental 'preparation'. In fact, it was so extraordinary he invited his friends to have a taste, who promptly agreed that the flavor was divine. They each heated and scraped their cheese, flaking it upon boiled potatoes, pickled onions, and gherkins, all made absolutely scrumptious with the melted cheese. Thereafter, this sort of meal became traditional for Alpine farmers and shepherds.

Specific cheeses were developed for this style of melting, scraping and serving, the most popular of which carries the name Raclette. So what does Raclette mean exactly? Well, not surprisingly, it is derived from the French word "racler" which means "to scrape off." Not just a name for the cheese, it's also the term used to describe the traditional Swiss dish, prepared essentially as described above. These days, however, larger sections of cheese are typically used. Sometimes preparations are more rustic and closer in nature to the original, campfire version described above; a large wheel of cheese is cut in half so that the cut edge may be melted in front of a fire. Nowadays machines are available which hold the cheese in place, while an electrical element melts the surface. Either way you melt it, the end result of Raclette preparation is the same: the cheese is scraped onto other foods, such as potatoes boiled in their skins and served with pickles. Of course, there are many variations of this dish, but the principle remains the same.
Not only is the wonderful flavor of Raclette perfect for this melted cheese style of dining, the texture and consistency is perfect for this method; it melts uniformly, without forming a greasy layer, and holds together without becoming completely liquid.

The traditional meal is served by boiling potatoes and arranging thick slices topped with Raclette on a serving plate that can be used in a broiler. When the cheese is melted, serve with pickles, cornichons (pickled gherkin cucumbers), cocktail onions, artichoke hearts, slices of tomatoes and avocados, olive spreads and the like. We have discovered many other ways to enjoy this cheese. Here's a few you may want to try.

• Try cooked fish fillets, sliced ham, chicken, or turkey topped with thin slices of Raclette and broiled until melted.
• Substitute French or Sourdough bread for the potatoes.
• Place thinly sliced Raclette on top of steamed or sautéed broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, peppers, eggplant, mushrooms, or any vegetable favorite, and place briefly under the broiler.
• Top thick slices of unpeeled apples and pears with Raclette and broil.
• Add small cubes of Raclette to scrambled eggs or omelets, or thin slices on top of fried or poached eggs.

Tasting Notes: The Raclette we have sent you is an artisanal cheese that is firm and pressed with a natural rind. The pate is typically smooth but may have small holes. You'll find that this cheese has a slightly spicy, but not overpowering flavor that intensifies when melted. Its fat content is 45%, enough to aid in melting, but not so high as to turn greasy under the influence of heat.

Gruyere: Flavor-Full, Smooth & Sweet

Gruyere, is in fact many cheeses! Young and aged Gruyere, mountain Gruyere, summer and winter Gruyere, Gruyere from small village cheesemakers and from large commercial dairies. Depending upon season, source and age, the flavor and texture of each cheese are significantly altered. The rind is paramount in creating texture and flavor.

The basic recipe for Gruyere begins with about 130 gallons of fresh milk. The milk is poured into a large vat. The starter is added, and then the rennet. The milk is left to coagulate, which results in the milk looking like a big bowl of milky-jello, known as curd. The curd is cut into ½ inch pieces, before the cooking stage. As the curd is gently stirred, the temperature is raised by a few degrees every 2 minutes, until it reaches about 113°F. Then the temperature is raised by a few degrees every minute until it reaches 131°F.

At this point, the curd lies in a mass at the bottom of the vat. Cheesecloth is slid under the curd and the corners are tied and attached to a hook. The curd, wrapped in the cheesecloth, is lifted out and drained of whey. Then the wrapped curd is placed in a large wooden mold, which looks like a huge "spring-form" cake pan, and left to settle for up to 2 days. During that time it is turned and pressed frequently, and then rubbed with salt or immersed in a brine bath for a few hours. Salting is necessary for the flavor of the cheese and to create essential molds on the rind. The rind on gruyere style cheeses (as with all cheese) is paramount in creating the texture and flavor of the cheese.

Then as is the way with most European cheese-making, the cheese is handed over to an affineur (aging facility) that is responsible for the maturing of the cheese. During the maturing process each cheese is turned, rubbed and lovingly taken care of until it is sold (anywhere from 8-24 months).
Gruyere is good for cooking. It melts well — best done over low heat. Bu Gruyere is also excellent for just eating. It pares nicely with apples and pears.

Tasting Notes: Gruyere is typically aged for well over a year and gives Alpine Antique cheese an exceptionally full flavor. It's got an incredible nose, and a dry texture, yet it s creamy on the tongue. Often one can taste hints of fruit and nuts and smell is delicate fruity aroma.

Experts all agree that the best wine paring for all three of these European cheese are red wines. What better way to ensure that you have the finest wines to go with your world-renowned cheeses that to have them shipped right to your door each month by Monthly Clubs. We offer internationally recognized wines — both reds and whites — chosen for its excellence, just as our cheeses are. For more information about our wine clubs (and our other offerings), check out www.monthlyclubs.com.

Culture Corner
Cheese	Pronunciation	Recommended Wine/Beer
St. Marcellin	SAN-mar-sell-AN	Rhone Reds
Raclette	Rack-LETT	Fruity red wines. When served with German cuisine, a German Schwarzbier (meaning "black beer") is excellent.
Gruyere	gree-AIR	Gruyere is good with both red and white wines