The Saxelby Almanac

Animal Farm Butter

2011-12-19T17:23:00.004-05:00

Animal Farm Butter: Available Only at Saxelby Cheesemongers!
Diane St Clair, butter maker and farmer at Animal Farm in Orwell Vermont, has seven milking cows. One of them is named Keller, after the famed chef and owner of Per Se and The French Laundry.

This isn't a case of culinary star gazing from afar. Thomas Keller has a lot to do with Ms. St Clair and her diminutive herd of bovine companions. For years now, every ounce of butter made at Animal Farm is churned, molded, and shipped... straight to Mr. Keller's temples of gastronomy.

For an extremely limited time this holiday season, Animal Farm butter will be available at Saxelby Cheesemongers for all of you true butter fiends out there to savor! Order online at saxelbycheese.com, or call the shop at 212-228-8204 to place your pre-order.

Just what makes Animal Farm Butter better? Start with the fact that the butter is made from pure Jersey cream, which contains over 87% butterfat. Diane hand-skims the cream with a ladle instead of relying on a mechanical separator, which makes the process much more bicep-building and arduous, but also keeps the precious fat globules in pristine condition. After the cream has been separated, Ms. St Clair cultures it for 24 hours using her own buttermilk, creating a unique tangy flavor profile.

Next the cream is churned by hand until it turns into butter. Diane then drains the buttermilk (which we proudly stock in our dairy case and dole out liberally into our pancake and biscuit recipes!) and puts the block of butter up on a marble slab for kneading. The kneading and 'washing' of the butter takes another three hours or so. Diane works the butter over, washing it with water until she's sure that all the milk is out of it and the butter is perfect.

Since Animal Farm butter is practically NEVER available for retail sale, don't be afraid to stock up! The butter comes in 4 oz rolls (4 to a bag) and can be frozen and kept for months. If you don't want to freeze, the butter will last for a few weeks in your fridge. After all, we'll get it the day after it's churned, so fresher butter can't be had. Take advantage of this rare, once-a-year opportunity and indulge!

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Tune in to Cutting the Curd today from 4:30-5:00pm on the Heritage Radio Network, or download the show as a podcast and listen anytime!

Got questions for Cutting the Curd? Ideas for future shows? Tell us what you want to hear! Email us at info@heritageradionetwork.com!

________________________________________________________________

Gotta give a gift? Send the gift of cheese to someone you love!

Visit saxelbycheese.com for our full selection of cheesy packages, gift certificates, and more! We ship all across the country, so what are you waiting for?

________________________________________________________________

saxelbycheese.com
saxelbycheese.blogspot.com
Check out Saxelby Cheesemongers as featured in the New York Times!

2011-11-28T10:49:00.001-05:00

This Week at Saxelby Cheesemongers...
Cheese & Sake at Family Recipe,
Plus Cheese Sculptor Sarah Kaufmann on Cutting the Curd!

Cheese & sake. Fermented odd couple or match made in heaven?
We definitely believe the latter to be true!
Our first ever cheese & sake pairing prompted us to do a little bit
of research about this delicious quaffable tradition...
Here's a little sake trivia for your Monday morning
(hey, why the heck not?)

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There are over 80 varieties of rice used to make sake.

The process of making sake is more similar to brewing beer
than it is to making wine
(which makes it a great culinary companion for cheese!)

The first mention of sake in Japanese writing dates
back to the third century AD.

In 1907, the first ever government organized sake tasting
and competition was organized.

In Japanese, sake, or o-sake, refers to alcoholic beverages in general.
The Japanese call true sake 'Nihonshu'

Join us next Tuesday night, December 6th,
for a three course prix fixe menu featuring
cheese & sake pairings at Family Recipe,
a delicious new Japanese joint on the
Lower East Side.
For reservations ($60)
call Family Recipe at 212-529-3133
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Tune in to Cutting the Curd today from 4:30-5:00pm

on the Heritage Radio Network, or download the show

as a podcast and listen anytime!

Ever heard of a cheese sculptor? On today's episode of

Cutting the Curd, Sarah Kaufmann, 'The Cheese Lady'

will give us the skinny on what it takes to craft marvels

like alligators, aircraft carriers,

and effigies of Jay Leno from gigantic blocks of cheese!

Got questions for Cutting the Curd? Ideas for future shows?

Tell us what you want to hear!

Email us at info@heritageradionetwork.com!

________________________________________________________

Gotta give a gift? Send the gift of cheese to someone you love!

Visit saxelbycheese.com for our full selection of cheesy packages,

gift certificates, and more! We ship all across the country,

so what are you waiting for?

_____________________________________________________

saxelbycheese.com
saxelbycheese.blogspot.com
Check out Saxelby Cheesemongers as featured in the New York Times!

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Gobble-Gobble--A-Saxelby-Cheesemongers-Thanksgiving.html?soid=1101618150836&aid=TJ0MJIrz2fs

2011-11-14T16:11:00.000-05:00

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Gobble-Gobble--A-Saxelby-Cheesemongers-Thanksgiving.html?soid=1101618150836&aid=TJ0MJIrz2fs

2011-11-07T10:15:00.001-05:00

Peck Slip Pickle Festival This Sunday at New Amsterdam Market, Plus the State of Cheese in North Dakota!

Yesterday we all fell back (and hopefully slept in!) for the coming of shorter days and wintry weather. In anticipation of frosty days ahead, Saxelby Cheesemongers, like true cheese gladiators, have been relentlessly preparing for the onslaught of winter with the best chill-fighting weapon we know... No, it's not that fancy 'Heat Tech' clothing line from Uniqlo, it's a solution much more primeval: melted cheese.

Raclette: Keeping Folks Warm Since 1200 AD

This weekend at the New Amsterdam Market's Peck Slip Pickle Festival, you can be the first to sample the goodies from our brand-spanking-new Raclette machine! This little beauty (we like to refer to it as the 'Turbo Cheese Melter 2K11' or sometimes just 'TCM2K11' for short) will be cranking away, melting delicious Reading Raclette from Spring Brook Farm in Vermont. Together with some B&B's, classic tangy-sweet bread & butter pickles from Rick's Pick's, and bread from Orwasher's Bakery, this is a cold-busting nosh you'd be a fool to miss!

Peck Slip Pickle Festival

New Amsterdam Market

Sunday, November 13th 11-5pm

for directions and info, click here

The Peck Slip Pickle Festival will also feature artisan pickles from a slew of vendors, a home pickling contest, a lecture on Bialys (any self-respecting pickle's gastronomic dream date) and local beer! What's not to love?!

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Tune in to Cutting the Curd today from 4:30-5:00pm on the Heritage Radio Network, or download the show as a podcast and listen anytime!

Today we'll be talking about the 'State of Cheese' in North Dakota. Did you know that Theodore Roosevelt once said he owed his presidency to the time that he spent in North Dakota? Or that the town of Rugby, ND is the geographical center of North America? Tune in and learn about their burgeoning cheese industry and other fascinating ND trivia!

Got questions for Cutting the Curd? Ideas for future shows? Tell us what you want to hear! Email us at info@heritageradionetwork.com!

________________________________________________________________

Gotta give a gift? Send the gift of cheese to someone you love!

Visit saxelbycheese.com for our full selection of cheesy packages, gift certificates, and more! We ship all across the country, so what are you waiting for?

________________________________________________________________

saxelbycheese.com
saxelbycheese.blogspot.com
Check out Saxelby Cheesemongers as featured in the New York Times!

This email was sent to saxelbycheese@gmail.com by info@saxelbycheese.com |

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2011-10-31T10:10:00.011-04:00

Trick or Treat! New Tasty Confections at Saxelby Cheesemongers Plus Matt Lange, Dairy Consultant on Cutting the Curd

Happy Halloween cheese lovers! First of all, here's a super special Halloween treat courtesy of our good friend the internet. As spectacularly creepy as this photo is, we promise that no mongers will be wearing this today at the shop.

Now, we realize that this image may not be the most appetizing thing out there, but Saxelby Cheesemongers does have some brand-spankin' new sweet treats for you to try, just in time for Halloween! So go on, indulge your sweet tooth... 'tis the day for eating copious amounts of confections!

Liddabit Sweets Apple Cider Caramels

The gals at Liddabit Sweets have struck again! Their apple cider caramels are sweet and fruity with just a touch of spice. Grab these seasonal specials while the gettins' good!

Big Picture Farm Goat Caramels

These incredibly delicious goat caramels are made by hand in teeny tiny batches from the milk of Big Picture's five (count 'em! five) goats. Sweet, malty, musky, and amazing... If you're a fan of all things goat, get thee to Saxelby's for a handful or two!

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Tune in to Cutting the Curd today from 4:30 to 5:00 pm on the Heritage Radio Network, or download the show as a podcast and listen anytime!

Today on Cutting the Curd, we'll talk with Matt Lange, a young dynamo in the world of dairy consulting. Matt is the owner of Lange Dairy Development, a consulting firm for small dairy farms, as well as the development coordinator of North Carolina Dairy Advantage, one of the most innovative and progressive dairy outreach programs in the country.

Got questions for Cutting the Curd? Ideas for future shows? Tell us what you want to hear! Email us at info@heritageradionetwork.com!

________________________________________________________________

Gotta give a gift? Send the gift of cheese to someone you love!

Visit saxelbycheese.com for our full selection of cheesy packages, gift certificates, and more! We ship all across the country, so what are you waiting for?

________________________________________________________________

saxelbycheese.com
saxelbycheese.blogspot.com
Check out Saxelby Cheesemongers as featured in the New York Times!

This email was sent to anne@saxelbycheese.com by info@saxelbycheese.com |

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2011-10-24T09:37:00.009-04:00

How to Milk It, a Taste of Red Hook,
and What Dairy Has to Do With Occupy Wall Street...

Saxelby Cheesemongers will be out and about this week at a bunch of cheese-tastic events throughout town! Check out our calendar below and join us for some cheesy shenanigans...

Edible Brooklyn & the Brooklyn Brewery Present: How to Milk It...

Wednesday, October 26th, 8-10 pm

Brooklyn Brewery, 79 N. 11th Street

For tickets (just $5!!!) and more info, visit ediblebrooklyn.com

Beer and milk will collide at this Edible Brooklyn dairy fest! How to Milk It features three fantastic mini lectures including: a DIY butter-making demo from Mary Jo Romano of Organic Valley, a short course on affinage by Anne Saxelby featuring cheeses from the Cellars at Jasper Hill Farm, tips and tricks from chef-fromager Tia Keenan on how to make a killer cheese plate, and finding the perfect pairings.

Red Hook Initiative's Annual Taste of Red Hook

Thursday, October 27th, 6-9 pm

Kidd Yellin Gallery, 133 Imlay Street

For tickets and more info, visit rhicenter.org

Red Hook Initiative is a vital and vibrant community organization that believes that change truly comes from within. Their youth programs focus on education, health, employment and community development, creating positive experiences, and a dynamic model for social change. Join us for their annual fundraiser, a blowout event featuring tasty treats from Red Hook's amazing food community!

Participants include: Baked, Fort Defiance, Mile End, the Red Hook Lobster Pound, Red Hook Winery, Sixpoint Craft Ales, Steve's Key Lime Pies, Stumptown Coffee, and many more! Check the website for a full listing of participating companies.

Saxelby Cheesemongers at New Amsterdam Market

Sunday, October 30th, 11am-4pm

At the Old Fulton Fish Market (at South St. and Beekman)

For vendors, location, and more info visit newamsterdammarket.org

Saxelby Cheesemongers is back at New Amsterdam this Sunday! Stop by the market for an ever-changing menagerie of delicious local grub... Featured vendors at this Sunday's market include: Luke's Lobster, Z Food Farms (NJ's finest produce!) Orwasher's Bakery, La Newyorkina, King's County Jerky, and much more!

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Tune in to Cutting the Curd today from 4:30 to 5:00 pm on the Heritage Radio Network, or download the show as a podcast and listen anytime!

Today's show will address what the Occupy Wall Street Movement has to do with America's dairy farmers. Join us for a discussion with chef-fromager Tia Keenan, upstate NY dairy farmer Lorraine Lewandrowski, and Heather Squire, a cook at the Occupy Wall Street People's Kitchen. Our dairy farmers are part of the 99%! Learn how the consolidation of dairy farms and processing plants combined with lack of transparency at the federal milk pricing level have lead to desperate times in the dairy industry.

Read Tom Philpott's article 'Foodies, Get Thee to Occupy Wall Street' for a primer on the dirty details of America's big food business.

Got questions for Cutting the Curd? Ideas for future shows? Tell us what you want to hear! Email us at info@heritageradionetwork.com!

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Remember, October is American Cheese Month! Buy your American Cheese Passport to get 40% off your favorite cheeses!

Get your cheese month passport for a 40% discount on all your favorite American cheeses during the month of October. 31 days, 31 cheeses, 11 participating NYC cheese shops. Passports can be purchased at Saxelby Cheesemongers, or any other participating shop! For more information, check out cheesemonth.com

________________________________________________________________

Gotta give a gift? Send the gift of cheese to someone you love!

Visit saxelbycheese.com for our full selection of cheesy packages, gift certificates, and more! We ship all across the country, so what are you waiting for?

________________________________________________________________

saxelbycheese.com
saxelbycheese.blogspot.com
Check out Saxelby Cheesemongers as featured in the New York Times!

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2011-10-17T10:24:00.010-04:00

The Top Ten Things we Ate at Essex Market! (yes, we eat more than just cheese sandwiches... shocking, but true)
Lately at the newsstands, I've been seeing a bunch of big, splashy roundup issues of New York foodie-centric magazines laying out their favorite nosh-ables in the city. It's still one of the best kept secrets in town, but the vendors at the Essex Market have been slowly but surely upping the ante in the lunch game. These days, the market is practically busting at the seams with delicious bites! Here (in no particular order... it's too hard to decide!) are my top ten favorites...

Fish Sandwich at Rainbo's / Tra-La-La

This eclectic collection of comestibles features one of the best fish sandwiches in the city. A fillet of tilapia grilled, seasoned, topped with tartar sauce, and then stuck between two slices of whole wheat bread. It's one of the best deals on the Lower East Side, so splurge on one of their spectacular homemade muffins while you're at it!

Blisters on My Sisters at Shopsins

I already know I'm going to get in trouble for this, but I would be a liar if I didn't put Shopsins in my top ten... This vintage Shopsins dish is breakfast heaven in a skillet. Tortillas, beans, and other accoutrements you can choose, topped with hot, bubbling cheese and sunny side up eggs.

Chocolate Chip Cookie at Boubouki

Rona Economou is one of the best cooks I know, and choosing one item from her arsenal of delicious goodies was not easy. However, I am a midwestern girl at heart, raised in a family where Tollhouse cookies were like religion. Loosely translated: a good chocolate chip cookie pretty much sends me over the moon. Hers are made with a special Greek grape molasses to give them a subtly sweet kick.

Prosciutto and Parmigiano Sandwich at Heritage Meat Shop

This salty sweet sandwich will made you think you've died and gone to heaven. The Heritage Meat Shop crew takes American made proscuitto (usually Surryano ham from Edwards in Virginia or Col. Newsom's from Kentucky) shaves it paper-thin, layers it generously onto fresh bread, tops it with shavings of Parmigiano and then drizzles a bit of amazing olive oil on top.

Fruit Salad at Viva

This may sound silly, but seriously. The best, freshest (and cheapest!) fruit salad in the city can be found at the Essex Market. Viva makes theirs with a generous mix of melon, citrus, pineapple, and grapes, giving you the best of the fruity universe, for less than 2 bucks! Sound too good to be true?! come grab one for yourself and see.

Yuzu Sauerkraut at Ni Ni

The ever-changing array of Japanese delights at Ni Ni leaves me circling like a vulture, waiting to see what they're going to cook up next. Last week, I had their yuzu sauerkraut, a perfectly fermenty little salad that was equal parts bright, citrusy, and tangy. Anything you get here's going to be good, so check it out already!

Chicken Chipotle Taco at Brooklyn Taco

A fresh corn tortilla heaped high with shaved chicken seasoned with smokey chipotle definitely hits the spot at lunchtime. The offerings at Brooklyn Taco change daily, so even if this one's not on the menu when you go, you're bound to be delighted by something. And, BONUS! They also brew Blue Bottle coffee! I guess that's two things, but sometimes I just can't help myself...

Ploughman's Sandwich at Saxelby Cheesemongers

This might be considered cheating, but let's face it. I eat cheese every single, solitary day. To not list it among my favorites would omit the largest food group present in my diet

. Our Ploughman's consists of Shelburne 2 year old Cheddar, schmeared with Raisin Hater's Apple Chili Chutney... British pub fare gone sandwich-style!

Fresh Coconut at Batista

Move over Vita Coco! Who needs all that tetra-pak nonsense when you can have your very own coconut machete-d open before your very eyes! If you're feeling parched, head over to Batista and buy a fresh, young coconut. They'll even equip you with an extra-long straw and hack open the empty shell to help you get the coconut meat.

Chocolate Hazelnut Squares at Roni Sue's Chocolates

This was a tough one. Roni Sue's Chocolate Shop is so chock-full of tasty confections, picking just one was nigh impossible. But celebrated as she is for her bacon-laced treats, my favorite sometimes is the simple, humble, but solid little chocolate hazelnut square. It's a little burst of Nutella-esque goodness that delivers a perfect blast of afternoon energy.

____________________________________________________________

Remember, October is American Cheese Month! Buy your America

n Cheese Passport to get 40% off your favorite cheeses!

_______________________________________________________

Gotta give a gift?

Send the gift of cheese to someone you love!

Visit saxelbycheese.com for our full selection

of cheesy packages, gift certificates, and more!

We ship all across the country,

so what are you waiting for?

_____________________________________________________________

Tune in to Cutting the Curd Mondays from 4:30 to 5:00 pm

on the Heritage Radio Network,

or download the show as a podcast and listen anytime!

Got questions for Cutting the Curd?

Ideas for future shows?

Tell us what you want to hear!

Email us at info@heritageradionetwork.com!

__________________________________________________________________

www.saxelbycheese.com

2011-09-19T09:15:00.000-04:00

This Week at Saxelby Cheesemongers... Hello Fall Cheese & Goodbye Summer Cheese, Plus Urban Cheesemaking on Cutting the Curd!

The coming of fall each year is a time for us mongers to both celebrate and sniffle as we herald the arrival of rich autumnal cheeses, while summer cheeses we've grown fond of leave us until next year. This week's email is a rundown of what's on its way out and what's on its way in... Either way, get yourself down to the Essex Market for a taste!

Hello Fall Cheese and Other Delectable Dairy:

David Major of Vermont Shepherd with fresh sheep milk

Vermont Shepherd

Raw sheeps' milk. Vermont Shepherd, VT

Ah yes, this long awaited cheese has finally arrived! Each year come August, we start pestering the folks over at Vermont Shepherd about the release of their delicious sheeps' milk tomme. Last Thursday we got our first shipment of the year, and let me tell ya, these wheels are like giant pieces of sheeps' milk candy. Vermont Shepherd is a dense and toothsome cheese, with notes of hazelnuts and caramelized milk interwoven with sweet summer grass and tart citrusy flavors. Each batch comes with a note from the farm that tells us where the sheep were grazing when they made the batch of cheese.

Animal Farm Buttermilk

Pasteurized cows' milk. Animal Farm, VT

Diane St. Clair's diminutive herd of Jersey cows is back in action after a late summer respite, and man are we happy about it! Each summer, Diane takes a break from her butter (and buttermilk) making practice because as one can imagine, trying to make butter when it's 85 degrees out is pretty much a losing proposition... good for pouring on popcorn maybe, but not too great for anything else. For those of you who haven't tried it, her buttermilk is the real deal. Tart, tangy, and rich, perfect for baking (Diane swears by her buttermilk waffles) or drinking straight up.

See ya Next Year Summer Cheese

(i.e. get 'em while the gettin's good!):

Summer Snow

Pasteurized sheeps' milk. Woodcock Farm, VT

It seems like we just blinked our eyes and the whole summer flew by. Yes, it's already time to say goodbye to our beloved Summer Snow. If you haven't yet tried one of these bright and citrusy little camembert-style wheels of sheeps' milk goodness, don't delay! Get over to the shop right now and take one home before they're gone for the year. If soft and creamy cheese is your thing, you'll meet your match with these cheeses.

Ricotta Lana

Pasteurized sheeps' milk. Vermont Shepherd, VT

Sheep cheese is a fickle mistress, here today and gone tomorrow, and always in a super limited quantity. I guess I could take this analogy further, but I won't. Don't want to get too saucy too early on a Monday morning... One bite of this sheeps' milk ricotta and you'll be transported straight to a Sicilian nonna's kitchen, inhaling the vapors of delicious food being cooked with just a whiff of the barnyard outside. Evocative, rich, and delicious, this ricotta is sweet and milky with a touch of wooly, lanolin tang.

________________________________________________________________

Gotta give a gift? Send the gift of cheese to someone you love!

Visit saxelbycheese.com for our full selection of cheesy packages, gift certificates, and more! We ship all across the country, so what are you waiting for?

________________________________________________________________

Cheese on the Radio! Tune in to Cutting the Curd Mondays from 4:30 to 5:00 pm on the Heritage Radio Network, or download the show as a podcast and listen anytime!

This week's show is all about Urban Cheesemaking! Think making cheese in the city is impossible?? Well think again! We talk with Bill Oglethorpe of Kappacasein in London, who makes a variety of fresh and aged cheeses inside a railway arch in the up and coming Maltby Street Market, and Elena Santogade, a hobbyist cheesemaker in Brooklyn who hosts monthly mozzarella making classes. Check out her blog, Wannabemonger for more info!

Got questions for Cutting the Curd? Ideas for future shows? Tell us what you want to hear! Email us at info@heritageradionetwork.com!

saxelbycheese.com
saxelbycheese.blogspot.com
Check out Saxelby Cheesemongers as featured in the New York Times!

2011-09-16T09:27:00.001-04:00

This Week(end) at Saxelby Cheesemongers... Amazing Customer Plans to Circumnavigate Manhattan on Waterskis, Plus Cheesy Events Galore!

Bright and early Sunday morning, we'll be packing up our cheesy equipment for the Lower East Side Apple Day and the New Amsterdam Market. However, Mary Kocy, cheese lover extraordinaire, and an amazing member of our community, will be suiting up for one of the most fantastical feats we've ever heard of... A trip around the isle of Manhattan on waterskis, all to raise money for a good cause. Comparatively, yes, we are a bunch of wimps.

Mary Kocy's Sunday Morning Workout...

We thought Mary's feat was so outlandish, so incredible, and so darn fun, that we wanted to share it with you! Our customers are the most important (and most enjoyable) part of our business, and when somebody does something extraordinary, we want to spread the word. For the full report on Mary's maritime adventure, check out the NY Times Cityroom Blog.

So, what are your Sunday plans? Whether it's sleeping in, reading the paper, coming out to New Amsterdam Market or the LES Apple Day, or doing some crazy feat of strength, Saxelby Cheesemongers wishes you a wonderful weekend!

Here's what Saxelby Cheesemongers is up to this weekend...

The City Harvest Brooklyn Local

Saturday, September 17th from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm

Brooklyn Bridge Park Tobacco Warehouse

Support City Harvest and eat some delicious grub at the first ever Brooklyn Local! Over 75 local purveyors will set up shop in the historic Tobacco Warehouse for a day of noshing and special events. Tastings, book signings, and activities for kids are among the fun sessions planned for this fantastic event. Saxelby Cheesemongers will be there serving up mouthwatering cheese sandwiches, so stop by for lunch!

Lower East Side Apple Day

Sunday, September 18th from 11:00 am to 4:30 pm

Orchard Street between Broome and Grand

Did you know that the Lower East Side used to be home to an apple orchard owned by a Frenchman named Delancey? Well now you know! (Who said these emails couldn't be educational?!) This annual LES event features your favorite neighborhood shops and restaurants gathered on Orchard Street for a one-of-a-kind street food fest! Don't miss the apple pie eating contest, or our grilled cheese sandwiches with Shelburne Cheddar & Sweet Deliverance Apple Chili Chutney!

New Amsterdam Market

Sunday, September 18th from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm

Old Fulton Fish Market (South Street at Peck Slip)

Saxelby Cheesemongers is back at the New Amsterdam Market! If you haven't been down to the market this year, get thee to Peck Slip this Sunday! New Amsterdam has never been better. From prepared foods like lobster and shrimp rolls to incredible breads, meat, and produce, you can stay for lunch and get your weekly groceries all in one go! We'll be at the market once a month from now till December, so stay tuned for future dates...

________________________________________________________________

Gotta give a gift? Send the gift of cheese to someone you love!

Visit saxelbycheese.com for our full selection of cheesy packages, gift certificates, and more! We ship all across the country, so what are you waiting for?

________________________________________________________________

Cheese on the Radio! Tune in to Cutting the Curd Mondays from 4:30 to 5:00 pm on the Heritage Radio Network, or download the show as a podcast.

This week we talked with Paul Kindstedt, co-director of the Vermont Institute for Artisan Cheese and author of American Farmstead Cheese: A Practical Guide to Making and Selling Artisan Cheeses.

Got questions for Cutting the Curd? Ideas for future shows? Tell us what you want to hear! Email us at info@heritageradionetwork.com!

saxelbycheese.com
saxelbycheese.blogspot.com
Check out Saxelby Cheesemongers as featured in the New York Times!

Cheese Week(end)!

2011-09-12T10:01:00.001-04:00

This Week(end) at Saxelby Cheesemongers... LES Apple Day, The City Harvest Brooklyn Local, and first New Amsterdam Market of 2011

Nobody proclaimed it, but it seems that this weekend is the unofficial Saxelby Cheese-a-palooza of 2011. We're going to be all over town grilling sandwiches, slicing cheese, and performing other random feats of strength at some fantastic autumn events! Come on out and help us spread the curd...

And a special thanks to everyone who bought Vermont and New York cheeses at Saxelby Cheesemongers last week! Your purchases combined to help make a generous donation to the Red Cross for Hurricane Irene cleanup and rebuilding efforts. Our regional farms and neighbors thank you!

The City Harvest Brooklyn Local

Saturday, September 17th from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm

Brooklyn Bridge Park Tobacco Warehouse

Lower East Side Apple Day

Sunday, September 18th from 11:00 am to 4:30 pm

Orchard Street between Broome and Grand

New Amsterdam Market

Sunday, September 18th from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm

Old Fulton Fish Market (South Street at Peck Slip)

________________________________________________________________

Gotta give a gift? Send the gift of cheese to someone you love!

Visit saxelbycheese.com for our full selection of cheesy packages, gift certificates, and more! We ship all across the country, so what are you waiting for?

________________________________________________________________

Cheese on the Radio! Tune in to Cutting the Curd Mondays from 4:30 to 5:00 pm on the Heritage Radio Network, or download the show as a podcast.

Today we'll be talking with Paul Kindstedt, co-director of the Vermont Institute for Artisan Cheese and author of American Farmstead Cheese: A Practical Guide to Making and Selling Artisan Cheeses.

Got questions for Cutting the Curd? Ideas for future shows? Tell us what you want to hear! Email us at info@heritageradionetwork.com!

saxelbycheese.com
saxelbycheese.blogspot.com
Check out Saxelby Cheesemongers as featured in the New York Times!

This Week Only! Buy New York & Vermont Cheese and Help Rebuild Post-Irene!

2011-09-05T09:45:00.001-04:00

This Week at Saxelby Cheesemongers... Buy New York & Vermont Cheese and Help Rebuild Post-Irene!

In New York City, Hurricane Irene was billed to be a potentially catastrophic storm. In the end, for us it came and went without much fanfare. However, there are countless farms across New England that suffered tremendous losses, and are continuing to suffer as power is slowly restored, roads are slowly rebuilt, and stock is taken of the widespread damage that the storm left in its wake.

Saxelby Cheesemongers depends on the vitality and hard work of our regional farmers to provide our shop with some of the country's finest cheeses. Though many of our cheesemakers were spared from Irene's destructive path, some were hard hit. This week from Monday through Sunday, we invite you to help us give back to our upstate and Vermont neighbors by buying their cheese! Being a do-gooder has never been so delicious!!

This week only, from Monday, September 5th through Sunday, September 11th, Saxelby Cheesemongers will donate 50% of the profits from the sale of New York and Vermont Cheeses at our Essex Market shop to Hurricane Irene relief efforts spearheaded by the New York and Vermont Chapters of the Red Cross.

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Washington County Cheese Tour This Weekend!

Saturday September 10th and Sunday September 11th

11:00 am to 4:00 pm

A drive-yourself tour to five fabulous creameries... tour farms, taste cheese, meet local cheesemakers. Just four hours from New York City! For more info visit washingtoncountycheese.com

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Gotta give a gift? Send the gift of cheese to someone you love!

Visit saxelbycheese.com for our full selection of cheesy packages, gift certificates, and more! We ship all across the country, so what are you waiting for?

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Cheese on the Radio! Tune in to Cutting the Curd Mondays from 4:30 to 5:00 pm on the Heritage Radio Network, or download the show as a podcast.

Got questions for Cutting the Curd? Just send an email to info@heritageradionetwork.com!

saxelbycheese.com
saxelbycheese.blogspot.com
Check out Saxelby Cheesemongers as featured in the New York Times!

2011-08-30T10:11:00.004-04:00

This Week at Saxelby Cheesemongers... Labor Day Cheese, Washington County Cheese Tour, and a Cutting the Curd Correction
After last week's hurricane scare, it seems like an extra good time to get out there and celebrate the waning days of summer! This Labor Day weekend, spice up your picnic with a delicious cheese & pickle pack from Saxelby Cheesemongers. Going out of town? Want to surprise a friend or family member with a yummy, cheesy package? Saxelby Cheesemongers can ship to wherever you'll be!

Saxelby Cheesemongers & Rick's Picks Present: The Perfect Cheese & Pickle Picnic Platter
$55 plus shipping and handling
click here to send a box of cheesy goodness to someone you love today!

This Labor Day, we decided to take the corn off the cob and put it into a jar of that vibrant, delicious pickle relish known as Rick's Picks Handy Corn.
Each Cheese & Pickle selection comes with a jar of Rick's Picks Handy Corn, plus three half pound wedges of scrumptious fromage:

Spring Brook Tarentaise, a nutty raw cows' milk cheese from Spring Brook Farm, Dorset, a creamy and ever-so-slightly pungent raw cows' milk cheese from Consider Bardwell Farm, and Landaff, a tart and tangy raw cows' milk cheese from Landaff Creamery. This is a fermented dream team for the ages. Get it while the gettin's good!

**When placing your order, please let us know the date you'd like us to ship! Saxelby Cheesemongers ships Monday-Thursday with Fedex overnight delivery service.
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It's that time of year again... time to head on up to Washington County for their annual Cheese Tour! Visit five incredible creameries, taste cheese, and see other local arts and crafts on this fabulous, drive yourself tour. This once a year festival of fromage takes place September 10th and 11th from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. For more information, visit

washingtoncountycheese.com
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Cheese on the Radio! Tune in to Cutting the Curd Mondays from 4:30 to 5:00 on the Heritage Radio Network, or download the show as a podcast.

First off, an apology! Last week's synopsis of Cutting the Curd was woefully incorrect. We had the distinct pleasure of talking with Carlos Yescas, Mexican cheese advocate, consultant, and author of Lactography, a fascinating cheese blog. If you missed last week's episode, tune in here for a fascinating discussion.

This week on Cutting the Curd, we chatted with Brian Keyser, owner of Casellula Cheese and Wine Cafe, as well as the recently opened Elsewhere. Brian, along with Dimitri Saad, fromager in chief at Casellula talked to us about their incredible cheese program. Listen in and discover two of NY's most fabulous cheese-centric restaurants!

Got questions for Cutting the Curd? Just send us an email at info@heritageradionetwork.com!

saxelbycheese.com
Check out Saxelby Cheesemongers as featured in the New York Times!

2011-08-22T10:40:00.007-04:00

This Week at Saxelby Cheesemongers... Cheese & Pickle Picnic, Plus Local Cheese Celebs from Casellula on Cutting the Curd!
How is this possible? It's already time to start making Labor Day plans?? Well, I may not know where the heck I'm going, but I know what I'll be eating! This Labor Day, Saxelby Cheesemongers and Rick's Picks have dreamed up a little cheese & pickle picnic that's the perfect addition to any Labor Day celebration! Going away for the weekend? Want to send a loved one a little cheesy surprise? Why the heck not... Cheese and pickles make people happy darn it.

Saxelby Cheesemongers & Rick's Picks Present
The Perfect Cheese & Pickle Picnic Platter
$55 plus shipping and handling
click here to send a box of cheesy goodness to someone you love today!

Rick has been our pickled partner in crime for just about as long as we've been around. Cheese and pickles are one of mother nature's finest flavor combinations, and we're always excited to share our latest and greatest pairings!

This Labor Day, we decided to take the corn off the cob and put it into a jar of that vibrant, delicious pickle relish known as Rick's Handy Corn. This extremely dextrous and malleable condiment wants to make a splash all over your Labor Day menu: nachos, quesadillas, atop bratwurst and hot dogs... or simply munched alongside a wedge o' cheese.

Each Cheese & Pickle selection comes with a jar of Rick's Picks Handy Corn, plus three half pound wedges of scrumptious fromage:

Spring Brook Tarentaise, a nutty raw cows' milk cheese from Spring Brook Farm, Dorset, a creamy and ever-so-slightly pungent raw cows' milk cheese from Consider Bardwell Farm, and Landaff, a tart and tangy raw cows' milk cheese from Landaff Creamery. This is a fermented dream team for the ages. Get it while the gettin's good!

**When placing your order, please let us know the date you'd like us to ship! Saxelby Cheesemongers ships Monday-Thursday with Fedex overnight delivery service.

Cheese on the Radio! Tune in to Cutting the Curd tonight from 4:30 to 5:00 on the Heritage Radio Network, or download the show as a podcast.

Tonight on Cutting the Curd, we'll chat with Brian Keyser, otherwise known as the cheese baron of Hell's Kitchen. Brian is the owner of Casellula Cheese and Wine Cafe, as well as the recently opened Elsewhere. Joining Brian will be Dimitri Saad, fromager in chief and all-around cheesy guy. Listen in and discover two of NY's most fabulous cheese-centric restaurants!

Got questions for Cutting the Curd? Just send us an email at info@heritageradionetwork.com!

Check out Saxelby Cheesemongers as featured in the New York Times!

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2011-08-15T10:01:00.006-04:00

This Week at Saxelby Cheesemongers... The Lazy Lady Strikes Again, Calkins Creamery Farm Tour, and Radio for Burgeoning Cheese Makers!
Since we opened the shop back in 2006, we've been big fans of Lazy Lady Farm. One of Vermont's true cheese pioneers, Laini Fondiller has been deep in the curds and whey since the 1980's. An innocent by-the-seat-of-her-pants trip to France turned out to be the catalyst for a life long love affair with cheese. Over the course of her career as a cheesemaker, Laini has made more varieties of cheese than are made in some entire regions of France. Her impressive array of cheese is crafted from the milk of her tiny troupe of goats, and at times, from rich cows' milk sourced from neighboring Butterworks Farm. Stop in this week and try a few of our current favorites from one of America's most talented cheesemakers!

The Thin Red Line (pasteurized goats' milk)
It's fresh chevre meets chorizo with this unusually delicious goat cheese. Each small round has a thin layer of smoked paprika running through the center of the cheese, giving it a decidedly smokey, meaty flavor.

Sweet Emotions (pasteurized goats' milk and Jersey cream)
Steven Tyler would be proud. A sinfully sweet and delicious cheese made from a blend of goats' milk and Butterworks cream. These little discs of gooey cheese goodness are worthy of a rock ballad or two...

Valencay (pasteurized goats' milk)
A truncated pyramid of dense chalky goat curd that is dusted with vegetable ash and covered with a white, bloomy rind. A classic chevre named for the town in the Loire Valley that inspired it. Try it with your favorite local honey alongside for a decadent treat!

La Petite Tomme (pasteurized goats' milk)
An unctuous little round of goats' milk cheese that's creamy like a Camembert. Sweet milky flavors couple with mushroomy undertones to make for a fine mouthful of cheese. Pairs perfectly with a crisp summery white wine or light and citrusy beer.

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Looking for a little getaway this weekend? Head on out to Calkins Creamery in beautiful northeastern Pennsylvania this Saturday, August 20th for their last farm tour of the summer! The tour starts at 8 a.m. and cover Calkins Creamery, the Highland Farm milking barn and pastures, beehives, pigs and the caves at Calkins Creek Vineyard. We will conclude with a cheese pairing/sampling and brown bag lunch at the caves before returning back to the farm.

For tickets and more information, visit calkinscreamery.com
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Cheese on the Radio! Tune in to Cutting the Curd tonight from 4:30 to 5:00 on the Heritage Radio Network, or download the show as a podcast.

Tonight on Cutting the Curd, we'll chat with Adam Spannaus of Locust Grove Farm in Tennessee to see what it takes to become a cheesemaker. Adam left his culinary career in New York City for a life of ewes, curds, & whey, and never looked back! If you've been dreaming of making cheese some day, listen in and get the skinny!

Got questions for Cutting the Curd? Just send us an email at info@heritageradionetwork.com!

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saxelbycheese.blogspot.com
Check out Saxelby Cheesemongers as featured in the New York Times!

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Cheesemongers Without Borders: A Visit to Vermont Farms and the American Cheese Society Conference in Montreal

2011-08-08T09:34:00.003-04:00

I apologize for last week's lack of an email, but I was up to my elbows in sheep curd making cheese at Bonnieview Farm! In a nod to the French and their excellent summer vacation policy (the month of August is pretty much a wash for the general population) I hit the road and headed to Vermont and then on to Montreal, home to this year's American Cheese Society Conference, for some cheesy good times. Read up to get the highlights of this voyage du fromage, and be sure to check out our photo album!

It all started in the Champlain Valley with a visit to Twig Farm, where a backyard barbeque surprisingly morphed into a game of high stakes wiffle ball. The goats were looking on a bit quizzically, but opted out of the game as hooves weren't exactly built to swing a bat. From Twig, it was over to the Northeast Kingdom for a day of cheese making with Neil Urie at Bonnieview Farm. The supply of sheep milk is already starting to dwindle for the year, but we got in a batch of Mossend Blue, which you'll be able to taste for yourselves in a few short months!

My next stop was a visit to Lazy Lady Farm to chat with Laini Fondiller, who's been cheesing it up since the 1980's making some of Vermont's finest fromage du chevre. I stood by in the creamery while Laini expertly salted the day's cheeses, and chatted about everything from how to build a solid herd of milking goats to those Mangalista pigs she's been hearing so much about. I then made my way back west for a visit with Dawn Boucher of Green Mountain Blue Cheese. Their fourth generation farm is home to over 100 beautiful Holsteins, a thriving cheese making business, and coming soon, a sunflower oil press!

After almost accidentally driving into Canada (a recurring theme on my trip), I made my way back down to Jasper Hill Farm to check out the seemingly endless flurry of new projects happening there. Work has begun on their 'Green Machine,' a device that will take the leftover whey and other waste products from the farm and use them to heat water for the dairy as well as disseminate nutrient-rich water into their pastures. They're making new cheeses (come by the shop for a taste of Harbison, a soft gooey cheese that is Vacherin Mont d'Or meets camembert) perfecting their ripening techniques in the Cellars, and hard at work getting a cheese making facility up and running at the Food Venture Center in the neighboring town of Hardwick.

After all those farm visits, it was finally time to (intentionally) drive to Canada for the annual American Cheese Society Conference in Montreal! Crossing through customs before or after an errand such as this one is one of the more amusing parts of the whole trip. Inevitably the official, whose job it is to be tough and scary, has to do his or her best to stifle a laugh when you tell them that your reason for entering the country is a cheese conference.

The American Cheese Society is a three day cheese-a-palooza (thanks Sasha!) where cheese laypeople as well as people in the cheese business can attend seminars, cheese tastings, and go out to sample the local cuisine of whatever town we happen to be invading. Montreal was fertile territory for feasting, as evidenced by our visit to Au Pied du Cochon, where we ate poutine topped with fois gras and a whole pig's head with a lobster coming out of it. Yikes. Just thinking of the number of calories consumed over the course of the trip is a bit terrifying.

But they say the brain is mostly made of fat, right?! I maintain that we were just fueling our cerebral systems for all of the learning yet to come... This year I learned about the history of cheese making in monasteries, how communities of microbes on cheese rinds interact with one another, saw a video by Sister Noella Marcellino (aka the cheese nun and one of my personal heroes!) of a cheese mite munching fungi on the rind of a cheese, and what the FDA thinks of raw milk cheeses. Whew! So now it's back to the grind... or the rinds, I should say... Stay tuned next Monday for more cheesy news!

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Cheese on the Radio! Tune in to Cutting the Curd tonight from 4:30 to 5:00 on the Heritage Radio Network, or download the show as a podcast.

Tonight on Cutting the Curd, we'll be talking with Sue Sturman, the force of nature behind the American Cheese Society's first certification exam for cheese professionals. Sommeliers have the chance to prove they're up to snuff, and soon enough, cheesemongers will have the same opportunity! Listen in & learn!

Got questions for Cutting the Curd? Just send us an email at info@heritageradionetwork.com!

2011-07-25T08:37:00.003-04:00

As Kenny Loggins would say, the heat is on! For the time being anyways... At Saxelby Cheesemongers we're trying to find ways to beat the heat. And while the number one antidote seems to be spending inordinate amounts of time in the walk-in fridge, this week's email is dedicated to more practical tips for overheated cheese lovers. Contrary to popular belief, summertime is the perfect time to eat cheese! In the dog days of summer, nothing beats a simple salad, a crusty baguette, and a nice wedge of cheese for dinner.

We've also got some new cheeses on the block that are the perfect thing for whipping up simple, but delicious summery dishes. Read up and see what's new in the case at Saxelby Cheesemongers!

Raw Sheeps' Milk Feta
Bonnieview Farm, VT
Now that summer is here, we can welcome back all those aged sheep cheeses we love so well! Bonnieview Farm makes one heck of a sheeps' milk feta... it's creamy, salty, and just the right amount of sheepy. For those feta connoisseurs out there, this one's a gem! Try it crumbled in a watermelon salad (this recipe is pretty basic, but try adding mint, olives, or pickled red onions!) It also makes a mean Greek salad.

Georgic (aka quark or farmers' cheese)
Calkins Creamery, PA
From Eastern Europe to the kitchens of French peasants from times gone by to American pioneers, just about everyone throughout history has relished some version of fresh farmers' cheese! It's the cheese that goes by a thousand names: farmers' cheese, quark, pot cheese, just to name a few. And while all those variations have their own specific taste, tang, and texture, they're part of a vast family of fresh cheeses that are largely forgotten and under-utilized today. Georgic is our new Quark-style cheese from Calkins Creamery in Pennsylvania, and has turned out to be a veritable culinary chameleon. Try it for breakfast schmeared on toast with honey or preserves, eat it straight up with fresh seasonal fruit on top for breakfast or dessert, use it as a bed for a salad of roasted veggies, or bake it into a cheesecake (experiment with this versatile recipe from Melissa Clark) for a divine treat!

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Last weekend, Saxelby Cheesemongers hit up the Vermont Cheesemakers' Festival for our second Day A-Whey trip of the season! Check out our photos of chedddar-making with Nat Bacon of Shelburne Farms, and other general shenanigans in and around Burlington!

Shelburne Farms is an incredible place indeed. Built in the mid-1800's by the Vanderbilt family, the farm is now a sanctuary and sustainable agriculture beacon for Vermonters and visitors alike. Their childrens' programs, farmstead cheese making operation, beautiful inn and restaurant, and miles of gorgeous walking trails make it one of the most breathtaking places in the state.

Click here to see our Day A-Whey photo album & learn more about the cheddar making process!

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Cheese on the Radio! Tune in to Cutting the Curd tonight from 4:30 to 5:00 on the Heritage Radio Network, or download the show as a podcast.

Tonight on Cutting the Curd, we'll be honing in on the 'State of Cheese' in West Virginia! We'll chat with Penny Sagawa of Spring Gap Mountain Creamery and Terry Clapp of TLC Farm Goat Dairy to see what it takes to make cheese in the Appalachian Mountains. John Denver was right, this place really goes seem like heaven...

Got questions for Cutting the Curd? Just send us an email at info@heritageradionetwork.com!

Saxelby Cheesemongers Named Small Business of the Year!

2011-07-18T09:07:00.002-04:00

It was a hot and schweaty day at Gracie Mansion.... Not the place you'd usually see us cheesemongers hanging out... But last Tuesday was a very special day indeed! Saxelby Cheesemongers was named 'Small Business of the Year' for the Borough of Manhattan at this year's Neighborhood Achievement Awards. Read all about it in this week's dairy dispatch!

Mayor Bloomberg, Commissioner of Small Business Rob Walsh, and Sponsors at the Ceremony.

The Small Business of the Year award honors an entrepreneur who has contributed to the vitality of their neighborhood and its commerce. Saxelby Cheesemongers was recognized for the positive contribution it has made to the Essex Street Market over the past five years. Since opening for business in the Essex Market, we've been delighted to see changes large and small re-shape one of New York City's most important public markets. From the opening of new shops like Roni-Sue's Chocolates, Pain d'Avignon, and Boubouki, to physical improvements made to the market itself (new floor, new paint job, flowers and foliage outside) to extended hours of business (8-7 Monday-Friday and 10-6 on Sundays) the market has never been better! We couldn't be more proud to be a part of the Essex Market, and know that although we've seen some tremendous enhancements, we still have a lot of work left to do!

As the recipient of this year's award, we think it's only fitting to let the Mayor's office know that the progress and positive change they've just commended Saxelby Cheesemongers for is in danger of being destroyed by the city's SPURA redevelopment plans. We urge Mayor Bloomberg and his staff to join the conversation about the future of the Essex Market. We believe with all our hearts that this neighborhood institution is one for the ages! Stay tuned for more information to see how you can help us continue the fight to save the Essex Street Market.

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This Saturday July 23rd from 3:00 to 5:00, come on down to Saxelby Cheesemongers for a demo and tasting with Hot Bread Kitchen, makers of delicious breads from around the world! We'll be grilling up quesadillas with Hot Bread Kitchen's famous homemade 100% corn tortillas. If you've never tried 'em, here's your chance! You'll never look at a tortilla the same way, we promise...

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Cheese on the Radio! Tune in to Cutting the Curd tonight from 4:30 to 5:00 on the Heritage Radio Network, or download the show as a podcast.

Tonight on Cutting the Curd, we'll be talking cheese in the state of Maryland with Holly Foster from Chapel's County Creamery and Matt Cedro, cheese maker at Firefly Farms. How did Holly go from one cow to a full-fledged creamery? How did Matt Cedro transition from chef to cheesemaker? Listen in and find out!

saxelbycheese.com
saxelbycheese.blogspot.com
Cutting the Curd, a dairy-centric radio show on Heritage Radio Network

A Written Smorgasbord: Saturday Tasting at Essex Market, Cheesy Field Trip, A Cheesemonger Invitational Recap, and Art History on Cutting the Curd!

2011-07-11T08:39:00.001-04:00

This is one impressive smorgasbord

This Monday morning, cheese friends, represents a Saxelby Cheese smorgasbord. We took a week off for 4th of July and now just look at us... positively busting at the seams with events, news, and tales of cheese heroism. So as the saying goes, when in Sweden (or when reading an email referencing Swedish cuisine), try a little bit of everything. We'll try our best to keep the info bite-sized, thereby preventing you from having that too-full, food coma type of feeling at the end of this missive. Cause nobody likes that.

First and foremost! This Saturday (July 16th) at the Essex Market, come on by for a book signing and tasting with Kelly Geary, author of Tart & Sweet, the go-to guide for home pickling, preserve-making, and canning. Think you don't got what it takes to make delicious preserves? Think again!! In this simple book, Kelly leads you through all the hows and whys of the process, enabling you to become a canning pro. She also makes all of our jams and chutneys that we use for our ploughmans' sandwiches, so you know you love her already. Check out the Saxelby Cheesemongers Event Calendar for this and other cheesy events!

Moving on through our tantalizing buffet, our next stop is the Vermont Cheesemakers' Festival! Tickets to the festival are sold out, but Saxelby Cheesemongers can get you in! We still have space on our Day A-Whey trip to the Festival the weekend of July 23-24th. On this whirlwind weekend trip, we'll visit Shelburne Farms, spend some time making cheddar with cheese maker Nat Bacon, dine farm to table in Burlington, and attend the third annual Vermont Cheesemakers' Festival. To purchase tickets, or for more info, visit saxelbycheese.com!

The sundae bar, dessert portion of our smorgasbord brings us back in time to the second annual Cheesemonger Invitational, held last Friday night at Larkin, a cold storage warehouse in Long Island City. As usual, I was humbled and blown away by all of the awesome people I share a profession with. This was my first year competing, and while I had some pre-competition jitters, they were immediately erased by the sight of my 40-odd other mongerly brethren, running around like goof balls and cheering each other on.

Over the course of the evening we blew through three rounds of cheesemonger feats of strength: blind taste testing, exact quarter pound cutting, and cheese plate composing. The competition was fierce, the crowd was rowdy, and the cheese plates were downright delicious! This year's winner was Steve Jones of Steve's Cheese in Portland, followed by Poul Price of Consider Bardwell Farm in second place, followed by yours truly. Hats off to Adam Moskowitz, organizer and crazy man behind the invitational, for a fantastic event!! I'm already starting my hard core training regiment for next year...

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Cheese on the Radio! Tune in tonight from 4:30 to 5:00 on the Heritage Radio Network, or download the show as a podcast.

Tonight on Cutting the Curd, we'll be discussing the role of cheese and dairy in Dutch still life painting. We'll interview Julie Hochstrasser, Associate Professor of Art History at the University of Iowa and expert on 17th century Dutch Painting to discover the hidden meaning behind the objects and foods in Dutch still lives. We know cheese has culture, but with this episode of Cutting the Curd, we're taking it to a whole different level!

saxelbycheese.com
saxelbycheese.blogspot.com
Cutting the Curd, a dairy-centric radio show on Heritage Radio Network

Community Board Meeting Tonight! Plus 'Cheese in Media' on the Radio

2011-06-27T08:56:00.000-04:00

What's the best way to spend a hot Monday night? Probably not in the confines of a Community Board meeting, yet that's where I'll be this evening, running my mouth off about why the city should step in and save the Essex Street Market.

Thanks to all of you who showed up to last month's meeting! They're a bit long, I know, but it makes a HUGE difference. If you're free this evening, and want to testify as to why you want to save the Essex Street Market, come on down and give your two cents. You can help us save this historic LES institution! To testify, just show up 10 minutes before the meeting begins to register your name.

Community Board 3 Meeting
Monday, June 27th at 6:30 pm
University Settlement, Speyer Hall
184 Eldridge Street (between Rivington and Delancey)

Stay tuned next week for details about the meeting. I will do my best to keep everyone up to date on the issue!

Also, if you haven't signed the petition to save Essex Market, you can still do so by logging on to savetheessexstreetmarket.org The goal of 2,000 signatures was reached! Thank you! But we still need as many signatures as we can get. Please forward this to your friends and get them on board!
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Cheese on the Radio! Tune in tonight from 4:30 to 5:00 on the Heritage Radio Network, or download the show as a podcast.

Tonight on Cutting the Curd, we'll be chatting about Cheese and Media. Be sure to listen in and learn about how cheese is infiltrating the myriad of media out there in the world. Our first guest is Christine Hyatt of Cheese Chick TV, a unique site full of hand-crafted video pieces sharing the stories of the people 'behind the rind' as it were. Later in the show we'll be talking with Will Fertman of Culture Magazine. How does a print magazine all about cheese survive in this day and age?! Listen in and find out!

saxelbycheese.com
saxelbycheese.blogspot.com
Cutting the Curd, a dairy-centric radio show on Heritage Radio Network

Cheesemongers Throw Down on the Radio and a Sweet Cheese and Chutney Tasting

2011-06-20T08:54:00.002-04:00

2nd Annual Cheesemonger Invitational 2011! Hear all about it on Cutting the Curd TODAY from 4:30 to 5:00

Due to the fact that it's summer, and due to the fact that the NFL is still on strike (that's still happening, right?!) Saxelby Cheesemongers is here to satisfy all your lusting for super competitive, feats of strength-doing, sporting events.

That's right friends... Tonight, on Cutting the Curd, we will be showcasing a preview of the toughest cheesemongering competition under the sun, the 2nd Annual Cheesemonger Invitational.

We'll be talking with Adam Moskowitz, organizer and rabble-rouser behind said competition about all the trials and toils he's got planned for the 40-plus mongers vying for the title of Cheesemonger of the Year. And, in an effort to do some training and get into top mongering shape, Anne of Saxelby
Cheesemongers and Brooke Little of Formaggio Essex will go toe-to-toe (hopefully not in any super-strenuous categories such as weight-lifting or sprinting) to test our pre-competition mettle.

How can you get a piece of the action? Listen to Cutting the Curd on the Heritage Radio Network tonight from 4:30 to 5:00!! Email your questions and suggestions for feats of strength for Brooke and myself to undertake to info@heritageradionetwork.com.

Or, for the extremely hard core, you can buy tickets to this year's Cheesemonger Invitational, to be held Friday, July 8th at a super-secret location in Long Island City.

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Tart and Sweet Book Party and Tasting!
Saturday June 25th from 3:00 to 5:00 pm
Saxelby Cheesemongers at Essex Market

This Saturday, June 25th at the Essex Market, stop by the shop between 3:00 and 5:00 pm for a 'meet the author' book party and cheese & chutney tasting with Kelly Geary of Sweet Deliverance!

Kelly's new book 'Tart and Sweet' just hit the book shop shelves and is filled to the gills with mouthwatering recipes for all things pickled and preserved. How's about some 'Raisin Haters' Apple Chili Chutney or Blueberry Lemon Verbena Jam?? Kelly's delicious creations will be on hand for the noshing, and we'll have plenty of cheese to go along with it!

For more info, check out sweetdeliverancenyc.com

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There's still time to sign up for our fantastic Day A-Whey to the Vermont Cheesemaker's Festival! Sign up today for an unforgettable weekend of making, eating, and just plain old loving cheese!

A Day A-Whey to Shelburne Farm & the Vermont Cheese Makers Festival
July 23rd- July 24th 2011
For tickets ($325 for singles and $500 for doubles*) & more info visit takingrootus.com

*Please note that the ticket price does NOT include airfare to/from Vermont or Saturday night's dinner. Ticket price includes hotel, ground transportation in Vermont, cheese making at Shelburne Farm, all other meals, and tickets to the Cheese Makers Festival.

Guests will be responsible for booking their own airfare. The recommended flights are as follows:

Saturday, July 23rd:
Jet Blue flight #56 (departs JFK 9:30am arrives Burlington 10:42am)

Sunday, July 24th:
Jet Blue flight #59 (departs Burlington 7:20pm arrives JFK 8:44pm)

saxelbycheese.com
saxelbycheese.blogspot.com
Cutting the Curd, a dairy-centric radio show on Heritage Radio Network

Smoked Beer & Cheese, The 'State of Cheese' in Rhode Island, and A Day A-Whey to the VT Cheese Makers Festival

2011-06-13T09:08:00.000-04:00

Click Here to Make a Reservation!

While dining at Beer Table a few weeks back, I stumbled across a beer so perfectly delicious and summery, it stopped me dead in my tracks. For a second. Luckily my thirst brought me back to my senses rather quickly, and I ordered another one, reveling in the unusual and crazy flavor sensation bubbling and squeaking in that glass. What is this magical summer beer, you ask? It's called Hopfenstark Boson de Higgs (of course!) and tastes like bacon and lemonade in a glass.

This inimitable beverage got the wheels turning about a summery smoked beer and cheese dinner extravaganza, which Justin, Beer Table's beloved owner quickly agreed to. And guess what? It's tonight! Yes, there's a light at the end of this gray Monday tunnel, and it's on 7th Avenue between 14th and 15th streets. Join us for five courses of smokey, cheesy, savory, mouth-watering fare and get your 'I know about Smoked Beer' patch, alla Girl Scouts. There are just a few seats remaining, so make haste!

If you can't make it to tonight's celebration, I'm telling you... smoked beer and cheese equals summer. Seek out a smokey beer, whack off a chunk of your favorite cheese, bring it out to a park (without attracting the attention of the cops) and voila! Instant, fire-less barbeque. There's just something about that deep, rich smokey flavor and cheese that makes magic. Don't be surprised if a small army of ants march onto your picnic blanket and arrange themselves in the shape of a heart, or if birds swoop low over your provisions and burst out into song...
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In other cheesy news, today is Monday, and you know what that means... Cutting the Curd broadcasts live on the Heritage Radio Network! Tune in from 4:30 to 5:00 pm on heritageradionetwork.com to get the skinny on the 'State of Cheese' in Rhode Island! The Ocean State is churning out some great cheese, and we're gonna learn all about it. Email us your questions at info@heritageradionetwork.com!

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And don't forget, our Day A-Whey to the Vermont Cheesemaker's Festival is filling up fast! Sign up today for an unforgettable weekend of making, eating, and just plain old loving cheese!

Saxelby Cheesemongers & Taking Root Present:
A Day A-Whey to Shelburne Farm & the Vermont Cheese Makers Festival
July 23rd- July 24th 2011

For tickets ($325 for singles and $500 for doubles*) & more info visit takingrootus.com

**Please note that the ticket price does NOT include airfare to/from Vermont or Saturday night's dinner. Ticket price includes hotel, ground transportation in Vermont, cheese making at Shelburne Farm, all other meals, and tickets to the Cheese Makers Festival.

Guests will be responsible for booking their own airfare. The recommended flights are as follows:

Saturday, July 23rd:
Jet Blue flight #56 (departs JFK 9:30am arrives Burlington 10:42am)

Sunday, July 24th:
Jet Blue flight #59 (departs Burlington 7:20pm arrives JFK 8:44pm)

saxelbycheese.com
saxelbycheese.blogspot.com
Cutting the Curd, a dairy-centric radio show on Heritage Radio Network

Day A-Whey: Vermont Cheese Makers Festival!

2011-06-07T09:23:00.000-04:00

Summer is here, and our thoughts have turned Vermont-ward for our second Day A-Whey trip of the season! We'll be headed to the shores of Lake Champlain for a visit to Shelburne Farm and the Vermont Cheese Maker's Festival. For those of you out there with fond memories of sleep-away camp, or those of you (like me) who never went to sleep-away camp but thought it must be SUPER fun, this is the trip for you!

A Day A-Whey: Shelburne Farm and the Vermont Cheese Makers Festival
July 23rd- July 24th 2011
For tickets and more info visit takingrootus.com

For this Day A-Whey adventure Saxelby Cheesemongers and Taking Root, a new sustainable agri-tourism venture, have planned a fabulous, cheese-filled weekend trip to that land of Green Mountains. We'll visit Shelburne Farm, help them make a batch of award-winning cheddar, have a delectable farm to table dinner in Burlington, and attend the Third Annual Vermont Cheese Maker's Festival!!

Our Day A-Whey begins on Saturday, July 23rd. We'll fly from JFK to Burlington, and head straight to Shelburne Farm for a picnic lunch and an afternoon of cheese making! Shelburne Farm is hands down one of the most gorgeous farms in the country. Built in the mid-1800's on the shores of Lake Champlain, the rolling green pastures, patches of forest, and opulent barns will leave you pinching yourself. Nat Bacon, one of Shelburne's master cheese makers, will show us how to cut the curd (and press it too!) as we craft a batch of their delicious Vermont cheddar.

All that cheese making will no doubt leave us a bit peckish! We'll take our leave from our apprenticeship and head to Burlington to check into our hotel and proceed to dinner at Farm Table. After dinner if weather permits we'll take a stroll around town and soak up the glory of a high summer evening in Vermont.

Sunday morning, we'll be treated to a hearty breakfast before heading back to Shelburne Farm for the main event: The Third Annual Vermont Cheese Maker's Festival! Meet the cheese makers, and sample over 100 different varieties of artisan cheese alongside Vermont-made beers, wines, ciders, and other specialty foods. In addition to all the noshing, there will be home cheese making demos, and seminars on all things fermented, from Vermont-made charcuterie to wine and beer.

We'll jet back to New York on Sunday night after a fun-filled weekend crash course in cheese!

For tickets ($325 for individuals and $500 for doubles**) and more information, visit takingrootus.com or email leah@takingrootus.com. Tickets for this event are extremely limited, so please book right away!

**Please note that the ticket price does NOT include airfare to/from Vermont or Saturday night's dinner. Ticket price includes hotel, ground transportation in Vermont, cheese making at Shelburne Farm, all other meals, and tickets to the Cheese Makers Festival.

Guests will be responsible for booking their own airfare. The recommended flights are as follows:

Saturday, July 23rd:
Jet Blue flight #56 (departs JFK 9:30am arrives Burlington 10:42am)

Sunday, July 24th:
Jet Blue flight #59 (departs Burlington 7:20pm arrives JFK 8:44pm)

Here's to a fantastic Day A-Whey to the Vermont Cheese Makers Festival! Till next week, eat cheese and be merry!

Save the Essex Market! Community Board Meeting this Wednesday!

2011-05-22T17:37:00.001-04:00

The word is out! Since our last email about the possible demolition and relocation of the Essex Market, there has been an outpouring of support from the community to save this Lower East Side institution. Thanks to all of you who signed the online petition, talked with your neighbors, and came by the shop to let us know you're with us in this fight.

Even the New York Times has taken notice... Check out this article published in the NY/Metro section last Sunday!

If you didn't get a chance to sign the petition to save Essex Market, please take a minute to sign and help us reach our goal of 2,000 signatures. We're at 1,640 signatures now, and know we can reach our goal with your help!

If you already signed, please take a minute to forward this message along to friends and family who love the market! Every person counts.

There is also an important Community Board Meeting about the Essex Market this Wednesday, May 25th. We'll be there with bells on, and encourage anyone who wants to see the Essex Market preserved to come and give the city an earful! Public comment is welcome, and much needed. Get there early to make sure your questions and comments get on the docket!

Community Board 3 Meeting: Essex Market and the SPURA Project
Wednesday, May 25th 6:30 pm
University Settlement Community Center
189 Allen Street (between Houston and Stanton)

If you've never been to a community board meeting, don't fear! It's a little slice o' New York life that is not to be missed... Just think of it as an anthropological experience.

Thanks again to everyone for your support! Together we can save the Essex Market!

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In radio-land this week, we'll be talking the 'State of Cheese' in Alaska! Making cheese in the arctic is no easy task as it turns out... We'll talk with former Alaskan cheesemakers Matt and Rhonda Shaul of Cranberry Ridge Farm, and Bob Gerlach, state veterinarian of Alaska to see what's doing way up there in the world of dairy. Tune in to Cutting the Curd every Monday at from 4:30 to 5:00 on the Heritage Radio Network.

saxelbycheese.com
saxelbycheese.blogspot.com
Cutting the Curd, a dairy-centric radio show on Heritage Radio Network

The Maine Event...

2011-05-16T08:16:00.001-04:00

When most people think of delicious food from Maine, they tend to gaze seaward and envision giant be-clawed crustaceans steamed and served with butter, or mixed with mayo and piled high atop a fluffy, sweet hot dog bun. We cheesemongers, being more of the landlubber variety, would like to take this opportunity to point out that there's also some incredible fare being made just a wee bit inland, namely delicious mixed milk cheeses from Seal Cove Farm. Read all about 'em here, and listen in to Cutting the Curd this afternoon at 4:30 pm when we chat with Seal Cove's very own Barbara Brooks to talk about the 'State of Cheese' in Maine!

Pearls, little goat & cows' milk crottin-shaped cheeses, are Barbara's pride and joy, and unlike their maritime cohorts, are ripe and ready for the munching just a few weeks after they're made. These diminutive cheeses are shipped fresh from the farm to our cheese cave in Brooklyn, where we raise 'em up to be the gooey, musky, wrinkle-rinded wheels you see when you come to visit the shop. They're the perfect thing for a picnic... just add a baguette, a bottle of rosé, and (why the heck not?!) a couple of oysters for good measure.

Chevrotin are Seal Cove Farm's semi-firm rounds of goat & cows' milk curd, aged for over 2 months and lightly washed with brine to give the rind a tawny patina. These totally unique cheeses have a drier, more crumbly texture, and have a goaty-sweet, mineral, and slightly yeasty flavor. Cut off a chunk to snack on as is, or grate atop roasted asparagus or your favorite salad for a nice little kick!

If you find yourself on the Upper West Side, both of theses cheeses are also available at our new cheese counter at Épicerie Boulud, located just across the street from Lincoln Center on 64th and Broadway. Stop on by for a taste of Seal Cove cheese and some of their fabulous house-made charcuterie!

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Wanna know more about Seal Cove Farm and the cheese scene in Maine? Tune in TODAY to Cutting the Curd on the Heritage Radio Network! From 4:30 to 5:00 we'll be broadcasting live from Roberta's in Bushwick, Brooklyn with cheese maker Barbara Brooks of Seal Cove Farm in Maine. Call the studio at 718-497-2128 or email us at info@heritageradionetwork.com with your cheesy queries!

saxelbycheese.com
saxelbycheese.blogspot.com
Cutting the Curd, a dairy-centric radio show on Heritage Radio Network
Visit us at Épicerie Boulud now open at 64th and Broadway

Saxelby Cheesemongers on the Upper West Side? It's True at Épicerie Boulud!

2011-05-09T10:08:00.002-04:00

Saxelby Cheesemongers on the Upper West Side?!? With the opening of Épicerie Boulud, the newest addition to Daniel Boulud's coterie of gastronomic hot spots, it's the honest to goodness truth!

Épicerie Boulud is officially open for business, and it's about time you hightailed it over there for a taste of some of New York City's finest edibles! The selection at the Épicerie is well-tailored, but in true Boulud fashion, is practically busting at the seams with decadent deliciousness. Take your pick of house made charcuterie, farmstead cheese, freshly baked bread and pastries, and a wide-ranging menu of salads and sandwiches from lobster rolls to old fashioned hot dogs plucked off hot rollers and topped with steaming sauerkraut.

For Épicerie Boulud, Saxelby Cheesemongers put together a selection of about thirty of our favorite American and French cheeses for you to sample and savor. The selection will change four times per year to reflect the seasonal nature of farmstead cheese making, and to showcase the cheeses when they're at their absolute best.

You'll find plenty of our house favorites like Ascutney Mountain, Timberdoodle, and Bayley Hazen Blue as well as brand-spankin' new cheeses like Slyboro, a raw goats' milk cheese washed in hard cider from Consider Bardwell Farm. For the French side of things, we're incredibly proud to be working hand in hand with master affineur Hervé Mons to ferry the finest cheeses directly from his caves in Auvergne to the corner of 64th and Broadway.

Now, I know what you're all thinking... Saxelby Cheesemongers? French cheeses? What the?! So I'd like to take this opportunity to set the record straight. First of all Daniel Boulud is obviously French. And while the foundation of all his cuisine lies in the quality of the foods he's working with (regardless of their geographic provenance), there's still something to be said for loving the motherland. After our first conversations about the Épicerie, even though Chef Boulud loved our selection of American cheeses, something was still (rightfully so) tugging at his heart strings...

Enter Hervé Mons. I have always considered Hervé to be a mentor of mine in the cheese world. In 2005, just before opening Saxelby Cheesemongers, I spent three months working with a few of his chevre producers in the Loire Valley, and learning the art of affinage in his cheese caves just west of Lyon. Hervé works tirelessly to source and mature his cheeses so that when they finally arrive on your cheese plate, they are so evocative, so unctuous, and so transforming that you very well may swear you had a transcendent experience. And although he's got over 50 years more experience than our little outfit, I'd like to think that at Saxelby Cheesemongers, we're striving to do the same thing with our American cheese cohorts.

It seemed a natural thing to collaborate on a project like the Épicerie. Saxelby Cheesemongers and La Maison Mons share a common passion to promote and uphold the craft of true artisan cheese making. The locales of the farms might be different, but the rigor and artistry of creating delicious cheese is something we've both dedicated our lives, and our businesses to. But don't take our word for it... come on up to Épicerie Boulud and let your taste buds be the judge!

Épicerie Boulud
1900 Broadway at the corner of 64th St.
Open daily from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm

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And don't forget to tune in TODAY to Cutting the Curd on the Heritage Radio Network! From 4:30 to 5:00 we'll be broadcasting live from Roberta's in Bushwick, Brooklyn with cheese maker Jeremy Stevenson of Spring Brook Farm in Vermont. Call the studio at 718-497-2128 or email us at info@heritageradionetwork.com with your cheesy queries!

saxelbycheese.com
saxelbycheese.blogspot.com
Cutting the Curd, a dairy-centric radio show on Heritage Radio Network

Saxelby Cheesemongers Turns Five!

2011-05-02T08:09:00.001-04:00

I remember May 5th 2006 like it was yesterday. After a night of not much sleep, I woke up, donned my newly made t-shirt that boasted 'Monger' across the chest, and rode my bike over to the Essex Market. Now, I don't know what other business owners feel like when they're opening up a new place, but I recall feeling a bit the same as I did when I used to clean out my parents' house each summer to have our annual garage sale. I'd push the electric garage door opener, tidy my ridiculous collection of wares on the tables, and hope to god people would show up.

And show up they did! The only difference was that instead of haggling with senior citizens and townies over the price of a beanie baby, or a strange old salad bowl, I was tasting, talking, cutting and wrapping cheese! It was that day and still is pretty much my favorite thing to do on the planet. That first day of business was exhausting yet exhilarating, filled with friends, family, accordion music by Walter, the owner of Main Squeeze on Essex Street, and curious neighborhoodies, wondering what took the place of the former bombed out dumpling shop on the southern end of the market, and why the air was suddenly perfumed with the pungent aroma of cheese.

The past five years have been absolutely incredible, and we want to celebrate with you, everyone who came to the little garage sale cum cheese shop and filled it up with your energy, let us ogle your new babies, suggested new products or farms for us to buy from, brought our cheese to your special occasions, and generally made the shop come alive. You make coming to work each day an absolute joy, and it is to you we owe thanks!

From today until Sunday stop by the shop and participate in our fifth anniversary raffle! Every purchase counts as a ticket.

We'll be raffling off a whole host of delightfully cheesy things: A personalized Day A-Whey trip for two, a 'Best of Saxelby Cheese' gift box chock full o' goodies from the shop, two tickets to the Vermont Cheesemakers Festival, Saxelby Cheesemongers tote bags, and gift certificates to the store.

And on Thursday May 5th, our anniversary proper, we'll be feasting on irreverent cake from Rainbo's and generally making merry. Come on by and help us celebrate five fantastic years!

Three cheers to you, the cheese lovers and cheese makers who make this all possible. Here's to another five years... and then some! Hip hip, hooray!

saxelbycheese.com
saxelbycheese.blogspot.com
Cutting the Curd, a dairy-centric radio show on Heritage Radio Network

Save the Essex Street Market!

2011-04-25T10:31:00.000-04:00

For over 70 years, the Essex Street Market has been feeding the Lower East Side. This dynamic market has evolved with the neighborhood over the years, representing the ever-changing demographics of one of New York's most vibrant quarters. Now, because of the SPURA redevelopment project, that could all change.

SPURA stands for the Seward Park Urban Renewal Area, and is primarily comprised of a string of empty lots on the south side of Delancey Street between Essex Street and the Williamsburg Bridge. These lots were cleared for development in 1965. For over 40 years, the fate of this land has been hotly contested by city planners and neighborhood residents, with no solution found.

Recently, the community board (CB3) approved a set of guidelines to move the redevelopment process forward. The redevelopment zone now includes all city-owned property in the area, including the Essex Street Market. In their guidelines, the city proposed demolishing the current Essex Market and moving it to a 'superior location.' If the Essex Street Market were to move, it would not only lose its historic context, it would lose the soul and spirit of the place, an intangible but real thing created by merchants and customers over the past seven decades. We need your help and support to save the Essex Market!

Built by mayor Fiorello LaGuardia in 1940, the Essex Market was originally intended to get pushcart vendors off the street. The Lower East Side was always a neighborhood of immigrants, a veritable patchwork quilt of different cultures and nationalities all struggling to make a life for their families. To walk the streets in the early 1900's was to navigate dense arteries of commerce, with merchants setting up shop in pushcarts selling everything from clothing to fresh meat and produce.

The city decided to build a series of indoor markets for these merchants to do business. These markets were built all over the city, but there was a large concentration on the Lower East Side. Their goal was twofold: to give these merchants an opportunity to do business in a proper market with more amenities, and to clear crowded city streets to allow traffic to pass. Of all these markets, only three remain today: Essex Street, La Marqueta in Harlem, and the Moore Street Market in Bushwick, Brooklyn.

These markets are historic places that deserve to be saved. They hearken back to a time when the city built public markets to uphold communities, when the market was considered not just a place to buy food, but a community space to gather and exchange news.

For the vendors these markets also represent an opportunity to start and build a small business, which is a very egalitarian thing indeed, especially in a city like New York.

Since 1940, the Essex Market has seen many different stages of life. The 1940's through the 1960's were booming years. The Lower East Side was a thriving shopping district, known for good value and good products. The 1948 film 'The Naked City' depicts the Essex Market in its heyday, with throngs of people clamoring to buy fruits, live poultry and live fish from market vendors. In the 1970's the advent of the supermarket drew shoppers away from the Essex Market, but the vendors persevered through the hard times and continued to do business.

In the past 10 years, the Essex Market has undergone yet another change, with new vendors moving in alongside the old, proving again that the market evolves with the neighborhood. The vendors may change, but the market is still a bastion of community, full of vibrant unique small businesses serving the needs of a diverse clientele... just as Mayor LaGuardia intended it to be.

What can you do to help save the Essex Street Market? Please sign the online petition, or attend the next community board meeting on May 25th at the University Settlement on Eldridge Street to speak your mind. With your support, we can preserve a New York institution, one that I am extremely proud to be a part of!

saxelbycheese.com
saxelbycheese.blogspot.com
Cutting the Curd, a dairy-centric radio show on Heritage Radio Network

Burrata is Back!

2011-04-18T08:11:00.002-04:00

At long last, winter seems to have subsided enough for us to safely tuck our long underwear away for another year. Don't quote me on it, but on this mild and lovely Monday morning, it seems like it might actually be true!

So what does that mean in seasonal cheese speak? Burrata, that's what! We've been holding out for what seems like forever, waiting for the steady glow of springtime (as opposed to the occasional flicker) to bring back one of our favorite warm weather cheeses... Burrata may have been invented in Italy, but America (or Philadelphia to be more specific) is closing the gap fast with rich, creamy, freshly made burrata delivered to Saxelby Cheesemongers each and every week.

Made from stretched mozzarella curd that is formed into a pouch, then filled with ricotta and pure panna (Italian for cream) before being closed up and bound with fresh leeks, burrata is just the thing to top your table this spring and summer. At home with pretty much any flavor out there, don't be afraid to mix things up and try out some accompaniments that tickle your fancy... honey, truffles, ramps, pesto, figs, asparagus, peas, tomatoes, cured meats, tapenade, freshly cut herbs, or just plain old olive oil, salt & pepper will all do the trick quite nicely. I'll take a freshly made burrata over long underwear any day...

A Day A-Whey: Peconic Pearls
Saturday May 7th, 8:30 am to 7:00 pm

There are still a few seats left on our Day A-Whey trip to Bedell Cellars and Peconic Land Trust. Don't miss this chance to sip some fine wine, sample local oysters, and of course, munch on farmstead cheese! For tickets visit saxelbycheese.com

Cheese on the Radio!

Cutting the Curd, Anne Saxelby's dairy-centric radio show is broadcast live on the Heritage Radio Network from 4:30 to 5:00 pm on Monday afternoons! Tune in live at heritageradionetwork.com, or download as a podcast to get a line on the cheesiest news around. Got questions? Send an email to info@heritageradionetwork.com, or call the studio at 718-497-2128.

Oysters and Cheese!

2011-04-04T11:38:00.000-04:00

Oysters and cheese... Two of our favorite things featured in two fantastic events! Saxelby Cheesemongers is shucking our way seaward at this Sunday's New Amsterdam Market Oyster Saloon, and getting ready for our first Day A-Whey trip of the year out to the North Fork of Long Island!

That's right...it's the email everyone's been waiting for! Spring is in the air, and it's time for our first Day A-Whey trip of the season! Saxelby Cheesemongers is teaming up with Taking Root to bring you a briny, cheese-filled trip out to Long Island's North Fork. We'll sip some fine wine at Bedell Cellars Winery, enjoy a lavish picnic lunch featuring local goat cheese from Catapano Dairy, and pay a visit to Noank Aquaculture Cooperative at Peconic Land Trust's Shellfisher Preserve to learn about (and taste!) delicious Long Island oysters! Sit back, relax, and let us do the driving! All you have to bring is your appetite...

A Day A-Whey: Peconic Pearls!

Daytrip to Bedell Cellars Winery and Noank Aquaculture Cooperative

Saturday, May 7th 8:30 am to 7:00 pm

For tickets ($125) and information visit saxelbycheese.com

Our trip will depart from the historic Essex Market on a chartered coach. The first stop on our Day A-Whey will be Bedell Cellars Winery, a 30-year-old sustainably farmed and family owned estate vineyard and winery. Guests will have the chance to take in the scenery and taste a variety of wines from the vineyard, accompanied by a picnic lunch including cheeses from Long Island's very own Catapano Dairy and an array of other goodies from Sullivan St. Bakery bread to Greenmarket salads.

After lunch, the Day A-Whey continues with a stop at Noank Aquaculture Cooperative at Peconic Land Trust's Shellfisher Preserve. Working to conserve Long Island's working farms and natural landscape, the Cooperative uses their facilities for shellfish aquaculture research and education. Farmer, Karen Rivara will give us a tour and teach us about aquaculture and the importance of oyster conservation in the area. After the tour, we'll sample some oysters, pearls of the North Fork, along with some refreshing locally brewed beer!

Last but not least, if weather permits, we'll visit the historic Horton Point Lighthouse to take a stroll and breathe the salty sea air. We'll head on back to the city by 7:00 pm, well fed, well rested, and ready for summer!

Ticket price is $125. Please note that ticket price includes transportation, picnic lunch, and all tasting/farm tour fees. $10 of the ticket price will be a charitable contribution to the Peconic Pearls program.

For tickets and information visit saxelbycheese.com

Grilled Cheese and Oysters!

New Amsterdam Market Oyster Saloon

Saturday April 9th 5:00 to 10:00 pm

Old Fulton Fish Market at Beekman Street

It's been a while, but Saxelby Cheesemongers is busting out our fire-breathing dragon of a grill to cook up some tasty, toasty cheese sandwiches! Show your support for one of New York's finest markets and help kick off the 2011 season!

Cheese on the Radio!

Cutting the Curd, Anne Saxelby's dairy-centric radio show has changed days, and is now broadcast live on the Heritage Radio Network from 4:30 to 5:00 pm on Monday afternoons! Tune in live at heritageradionetwork.com, or download as a podcast to get a line on the cheesiest news around. Today's show will investigate the State of Cheese in North Carolina with the folks at Chapel Hill Creamery. Email your questions to info@heritageradionetwork.com, or call the studio at 718-497-2128.

'Till next week, eat cheese and be merry!

saxelbycheese.com
saxelbycheese.blogspot.com
Cutting the Curd, a dairy-centric radio show on Heritage Radio Network

Help a Goat Out!

2011-04-01T11:21:00.001-04:00

The weather may be gloomy out there, but tomorrow, Saturday April 2nd, Saxelby Cheesemongers and Earl's Beer and Cheese are makin' some sunshine! Come on out tomorrow to help us support Ardith Mae Farm, a fantastic farmstead cheese operation in northeastern Pennsylvania. Farmers Todd and Shereen Wilcox lost one of their barns during the last big snow of the season, and you can help!

Ardith Mae Girls in the Pasture

On Saturday April 2nd, Saxelby Cheesemongers will donate 10% of retail sales to Ardith Mae Farm! Help Ardith Mae get back on their feet and build a new barn! The more cheese lovers that come to the shop, the more moo-lah we'll send to Todd and Shereen! You know you've been looking for an excuse to stock up... here's your chance to get your cheese on and do some major good!

And for you uptowners, head on over to Earl's Beer and Cheese for an Ardith Mae benefit brunch tomorrow! From 11:00 am to 1:00 pm, your brunching means barn building! Suggested donation is $50, and all proceeds will be donated to Ardith Mae. Who knew drinking mimosas and eating cheese could be so dang productive?!

You know what they say... Karma is a boomerang. Give it a good toss!!

saxelbycheese.com
saxelbycheese.blogspot.com
Cutting the Curd, a dairy-centric radio show on Heritage Radio Network

To the Moon! No Space Suit Necessary...

2011-03-28T09:37:00.000-04:00

They say that the simple things in life are the best things in life. I'm not quite sure who 'they' are, but they certainly know what they're talking about! This week, Saxelby's pays homage to Salvatore Brooklyn yet again. We know and love their incredible ricotta, but they've delved into olive oil territory, and it's a whole new ballgame...

As if their cheese wasn't decadent enough, the Salvatore girls headed to Sicily in search of the perfect olive oil, and came back with a ringer! Salvatore Brooklyn's Sicilian Co-op Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the best thing since sliced bread. Or maybe the best thing to pour on top of sliced bread... you be the judge. The oil is lightly peppery, grassy, and has some lingering floral and fruity aromas. Made with respect using traditional old-world methods, this olive oil is the real deal. Stop by the shop for a drizzle... we're always happy to share a taste!

And for those of you who've never tried Salvatore Brooklyn ricotta, please, push yourself away from the computer immediately and come down to the shop to try some. It will send you straight to the moon... no space suit necessary. After tasting this thick, rich, milky and lemony cheese, Martha Stewart herself declared that it was her favorite ricotta. Salvatore makes both a plain and a smoked version of their signature fromage, and depending on the day, my favorite oscillates between the two. The plain is pure, sweet, milky goodness, while the smokey is a rich, toasted affair that lends heft and sweetness to just about any dish. Take a schmear o' ricotta and drizzle with oil for a moment of devine inspiration!

Last but not least... Cutting the Curd, the most daring cheese program on internet radio (or more probably the only cheese program on internet radio) has changed days! Now you can tune in every Monday afternoon from 4:30 to 5:00 pm on the Heritage Radio Network to get the latest and greatest in cheesy news. Call the studio with questions or comments at 718-497-2128, or send us an email at info@heritageradionetwork.com! Today we'll be talking the 'State of Cheese' in Minnesota with Jeff Jirik of Faribault Dairy and Benjamin Roberts, owner of France 44 Cheese Shop. Watch out Wisconsin, your neighbor to the west is cooking up some fine fromage!

'Till next week, eat cheese and be merry!

Cheese and Maple Syrup... Or, Lionel Richie, Eat Your Heart Out...

2011-03-21T10:19:00.001-04:00

Cheese and maple syrup. What to some may seem an unlikely marriage is in fact one of mother nature's most ingenious combinations. I happened to be up in Vermont over the weekend, where the sugar making season has just gotten underway and have returned incurably smitten with all things laced or laden with maple syrup.

For those of you who've never experienced sugaring, it is quite a thing to see. Forests still coated in a thick blanket of snow slowly but surely come back to life, sap pulsing through the trees, a sign of springtime coming. Sap runs for only a few weeks a year, when nighttime temperatures fall to below freezing and the days are warm. Sugar makers trudge out to the sugarhouse to hustle wood into the boiler, where giant pans boil the sap down until it's reduced to the amber hued syrup we know and love. Neighbors come out to help each other sugar, meals are cooked in maple sap inside the sugar house, beers are drunk, stories are told, and a good time is had by all. After the harshness of winter, it seems an unfathomable gift.

There must be a million incredible recipes out there, but here are three simple and delicious ways to munch maple syrup with your favorite fromage. We like Deep Mountain Maple Syrup from the town of West Glover, Vermont. Check them out at the Union Square Greenmarket!

Baked Hartwell with Maple Syrup and Walnuts:
This is a simple, but delightful thing dreamed up by Marisa Mauro, owner of Ploughgate Creamery, and also a resident of West Glover!

Ingredients:
1 wheel Hartwell cheese (if you can't find Hartwell, substitute a soft brie-like cheese)
1 generous pour of maple syrup
Chopped walnuts (optional)
Sliced bread (baguette or raisin nut breads are both great)

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Place cheese in a ramekin of the appropriate size
3. Douse in maple syrup to your liking
4. Sprinkle with chopped nuts
5. Bake until gooey and delicious (5 to 10 minutes)
6. Dip bread and enjoy!

Yogurt with Maple Syrup:
This is not revolutionary, I know. But when the yogurt in question happens to be thick, rich, and delightful like our Three Corner Field Farm sheeps' milk yogurt or Beltane Farm goats' milk yogurt, it's a whole new ballgame. Serve as dessert at your next dinner party and instant dairy gratification shall be yours. Just think... there is nothing more low maintenance or delicious. Your chef-ing status will immediately rise in the eyes of your friends and family, and you won't stress about some fickle pastry misbehaving in the oven!

Ricotta Pancakes with Maple Syrup:
Again, probably not the first time you've heard of this one, but I can't think of many better ways to make cheese and maple syrup sing to one another... If you thought Lionel Richie and Diana Ross scored with 'Endless Love', just wait till you try these on for size!

Ingredients:

4 large eggs, separated

2 cups ricotta cheese (we've got Salvatore Bklyn and Alleva Ricotta!)

2/3 cup Evans Farm crème fraiche

1 1/3 cups all purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 cups whole milk

Melted butter

Maple syrup

1. Whisk yolks, ricotta and creme fraiche in large bowl
2. Whisk flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in another large bowl
3. Add flour mixture to yolk mixture and stir until combined
4. Stir in milk
5. Using electric mixer, beat whites in another large bowl on medium speed until soft peaks form. Fold beaten whites into batter.
6. Heat griddle or large skillet over medium heat. Brush with butter. Working in batches, spoon 2 tablespoons batter onto griddle for each pancake.
7. Cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Serve with maple syrup!

'Till next week... eat cheese with maple syrup and be merry!

March Madness...on the Court and in the Barn!

2011-03-15T09:15:00.000-04:00

Why is this email arriving on a Tuesday, you might ask? Well, as of yesterday morning, my colleague Ariel and I were up to our ears in kids! No we weren't taking a day off from the shop to babysit, we were visiting Beltane Farm in Connecticut, where kid goats are running amok in what amounts to the earliest harbinger of spring. What does that mean for you? Besides the fun-filled photos below, it means the tastiest fresh chèvre and goat yogurt in town, waiting for you at Saxelby Cheesemongers!

Paul feeding a newborn Saanen kid. Click on this photo to see more images from Beltane Farm!

Beltane Farm was started in 2002 by Paul Trubey in the tiny town of Lebanon, CT. A lifelong lover of goats, he was urged toward cheesemaking by Liz McAlister from neighboring Cato Corner Farm. He slowly but surely grew his herd, taking the word 'farmstead' to the max, milking the goats, making incredible cheese, and selling it at farmers' markets across the state.

Paul, an ex-social worker, is the consummate farmer, showing each of his animals the utmost in love and respect. Beltane Farm is comprised of a true menagerie of animal personalities, which I'm sure puts the social worker in Paul to work on the daily! First off there are the goats, a herd of about twenty ladies with personalities as distinct as snowflakes. There's Limerick, the oldest goat in the herd (born on St. Patrick's Day of course!), Flash, who gave Paul a love tap about as gentle as an NFL linebacker would as we walked through the pen, and Veronica, who was allowed to walk about the farm wherever she pleased. Then there's everybody else: Nestor and Geronimo, the farm's two donkeys, Asa and Miss Betsy Bigelow, new arrivals of the bovine variety, a coterie of cats and chickens, and two loyal dogs, Maggie the collie and Duncan, a geriatric Jack Russell terrier who has his own chair at the dinner table.

Two years ago, due to the success of his business, and the need for a workday shorter than 24 hours, Paul partnered with nearby Reynolds Farm to help him raise and milk his troupe of La Mancha, Alpine, and Oberhaasli goats. The Reynolds hadn't had any animals on their farm since the late 1980's, when the family's cow dairy succumbed to the perennial volatility of the commodity milk market. Now the farm, located about eight miles from Beltane, oversees the milk production of close to 100 does. That milk is carted back to Beltane Farm where it is turned into cheese. The milk of the other twenty-odd goats that live at Beltane full-time is bottled and sold directly to customers that come to visit the farm.

So stop on by the shop for the cheesemongers' version of March Madness... pure, delicious goat goodness from Beltane Farm!

'Till next week, eat cheese and be merry!

saxelbycheese.com
saxelbycheese.blogspot.com
Cutting the Curd, a dairy-centric radio show on Heritage Radio Network

The State of Cheese: Massachusetts

2011-03-07T09:13:00.001-05:00

For a while now, I've been doing a series called 'The State of Cheese' on Cutting the Curd, my cheese-centric Sunday radio show on the Heritage Radio Network. This series aims to cover all 50 states, chatting with cheese makers, store owners, and other dairy-loving folk to see what's doing in the world of curds and whey where they live! This week week we caught up with some cheese makers in Massachusetts to talk dairy from colonial times to the present day.

Today Massachusetts is home to over twenty artisan cheese makers, making everything from fresh Portuguese cheeses to bold and robust blues. Perhaps the first thing that put Massachusetts on the cheese map was the 'Cheshire Mammoth Cheese,' a giant tomme gifted to president Thomas Jefferson in 1802. This 1200 pound cheese was the fruit of the labor of the tiny town of Cheshire, where the local pastor called on his congregation to pool all of their cows' milk together to make the four-foot-wide wheel. Somewhat later in time, 1978 to be exact, Ricki and Robert Carroll of Ashfield Massachusetts helped spark the new wave of artisan cheese making in the United States with the opening of their New England Cheese Making Supply Company. Ricki Carroll's book 'Home Cheese Making' has inspired countless caseophiles, both amateur and professional, and has helped them turn out innumerable rounds of tasty cheese.

My two victims, er-um, I mean interviewees, on this week's show were Barbara Hanley of Shy Brothers Farm and Susan Sellew of Rawson Brook Farm. These two women from completely different backgrounds, telling completely different stories, are responsible for a few of the fine cheeses that make up the fabric of Massachusetts' cheese scape today.

Barbara Hanley came to the world of cheese making as a second career, taking interest in a local agriculture commission in Westport, Mass after she and her husband moved there. An energetic and business-savvy woman, Barbara convinced the Shy Brothers, two pairs of fraternal twins and third generation dairy farmers, to try their hand at cheese making to save their family farm. Hannahbelles, their signature cheese, is a riff on a classic, thimble-sized cheese from the Burgundy region of France. They're currently working with more local farmers to make the transition to value added dairy.

Susan Sellew came home to the Berkshires as a homesteader back in the late 1970's. She left her then-home in upstate New York, realizing that the region where she grew up had a stronger contingent of food-lovers, and was the perfect place to start her dairy. She felled the trees to make her barn, cleared land for pasture, and started making fresh goats' milk cheese. A firm believer in the mantra 'bigger is not always better' Susan's Monterey Chevre can be found only at select local grocers and restaurants, as she has no desire to grow her herd of 45 milkers.

Tune in to Cutting the Curd every Sunday from 2:00 to 2:30 pm on the Heritage Radio Network, or download as a podcast to listen at your leisure!

'Till next week, eat cheese and be merry!

saxelbycheese.com
saxelbycheese.blogspot.com
Cutting the Curd, a dairy-centric radio show on Heritage Radio Network

A Cure for the Winter Doldrums

2011-02-28T08:49:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year again. The cheese doldrums. What are the cheese doldrums you ask? They're that late winter block of weeks when spring fever is on the verge but hasn't quite broken yet. On the farm, it's the time just before lambing, kidding, or calving, where there's a quiet yet somewhat cranky sense of kinetic energy pulsing through every barn. In the cheese case, it's the time when cheese diversity reaches its nadir, especially in the goat and sheep departments.

Luckily for us, there's a nascent trend in American farmstead cheese making meant to quell the doldrums a bit, providing us with a dose of goat and sheep cheese even in the sloppiest, longest, grayest final dregs of winter: mixed milk cheeses. Many of our goat and sheep cheese producers used to exhaust the stock of their caves mid-winter, leaving us longing for their aged cheeses until the following summer. More and more we're seeing a range of mixed milk cheeses issuing forth from farms across the northeast as a tasty and resourceful way to stretch that supply of caprine and ovine cheese all the way till spring.

This practice, so far as I can tell, is uniquely American. In Europe, most cheeses (especially AOC cheeses) are governed by a strict set of rules denoting where and how they must be produced. American cheese makers however, are bound by no such tradition. Our domestic cheese landscape is extremely fertile territory right now, rife with innovation and expermentation. In a move of collective conscience, many goat and sheep cheese makers decided, hey, why not make a cheese that can bridge the gap till springtime? Not only are these cheeses incredibly delicious, they are crucial to the farms' financial success as well. Whereas before they would have no cheese to sell for months on end, now there's a steady supply of mixed milk goodness waiting in the cave.

Here's the short list of mixed milk cheeses that we're loving right now. Stop by the shop for a taste! It might just cure your late winter blues...

Seal Cove Chevrotin (Seal Cove Farm. Raw goat and cows' milk, ME)
A tangy, crumbly, yeasty cheese that smacks of goats and yogurt. The wheels are cave aged for 6 months, during which time they develop an impressive reddish-orange sunset colored rind. The flavor of the goats' milk is tempered by the addition of mellow butterfatty cows' milk, but the cheese retains a bright, lactic bite.

Fuzzy Wheel (Twig Farm. Raw goat and cows' milk, VT)
What from the outside looks like a toadstool or hairy stone of some sort is in fact an amazing and delicious mixed milk cheese! Made in the late fall and early winter at Twig Farm, Fuzzy wheel gets its name from the gray mold that makes up its rind. The paste is smooth and creamy, with creme-fraiche notes from the cows' milk and musky, junipery flavors from the goats.

Queso del Invierno (Vermont Shepherd. Raw sheep and cows' milk, VT)
This rustic wheel is a sharp and lanolin-laced mix from the cave of David Major. Queso del Invierno (literally translated 'winter cheese') tastes like one part cheddar, one part pecorino, leaving a fruity and nutty finish on the palate. Towards the rind, some rustic cocoa flavors can be found for the intrepid nibbler!

'Till next week, eat cheese and be merry!

saxelbycheese.com
saxelbycheese.blogspot.com
'Cutting the Curd' a dairy-centric radio show on Heritage Radio Network

The Toughest Tasting in the East...

2011-02-21T09:08:00.001-05:00

What's your poison? If you believe what they say in the movies, then this was a common refrain in saloons across the United States back in the day. And if the answer is whiskey, well then step right up! This Sunday, Saxelby Cheesemongers and L'Ecole, the restaurant of the French Culinary Institute, are taking you from the saloon to the salon to tussle with the wily world of whiskey and cheese. Think cheese isn't tough enough to stand up to one of America's greatest spirits? Think again. So come one, come all, to this cheese tastin', whiskey drinkin', yarn spinnin' Sunday Salon.

Sunday Salon: Whiskey & Cheese
Sunday February 27th, 4:00 to 6:00 pm
L'Ecole (the restaurant of the French Culinary Institute)
for reservations ($60) and information, call 212-219-3300, or email msmith@frenchculinary.com

Join Anne Saxelby and Ethan Kelley for discussion and degustation of two of this country's finest food traditions. Eh hem, that is if you consider whiskey a food. Kelley, formerly of the Brandy Library, will shed some light on the history and lore behind some of America's finest distilleries, old and new. Saxelby Cheesemongers is busting out some of our invernal favorites... hard-hitting cheeses that can go toe to toe with rough & tumble beverages. If you like the strong stuff, this tasting's for you! How about a little Michter's American Whiskey with aged and nutty Pleasant Ridge Reserve? Or Death's Door Corn Whiskey with a little Shaker Blue? Join us and see what happens when fermented mash meets curds and whey.

'Till next week, eat cheese, drink whiskey and be merry!

saxelbycheese.com
saxelbycheese.blogspot.com
Cutting the Curd, a dairy-centric radio show on Heritage Radio Network

We Heart Jasper Hill

2011-02-14T06:58:00.001-05:00

We heart Jasper Hill Farm. I'm pretty sure that fact is well known (and shared by all of our cheesy colleagues) but on this most romantic of days, it seemed appropriate to pen a little love letter to of our favorite farms. Not only are we bringing back two of their fabulous cheeses that have been on hiatus, but the Jasper Hill folks are coming to town, and we want you to meet them! So come on, share the love. Stop by Saxelby Cheesemongers for a wedge of Jasper Hill cheese or join us next Wednesday night for a beer and cheese tasting at Beer Table!

Constant Bliss and Winnimere. These swoon-worthy cheeses have been hiding out in the cellars for a while, but man are we happy to have them back! Stop by the shop to try the new incarnation of Constant Bliss, now made from pasteurized milk and aged to perfection for just a few weeks. Tart and milky with a mushroomy twang, it's the stuff dreams are made of. And if that news wasn't mouth watering enough... our first batch of Winnimere of the season just arrived! Everything about this gooey puddle o' cheese is uber-local. Winnimere takes its name from a corner of Caspian Lake, just a stone's throw away from Jasper Hill Farm. The pungent wheels are bound in a spruce bark girdle harvested from the farm's land, and washed with a special batch of beer from neighboring Hill Farmstead Brewery. Brewer Shaun Hill crafts this beer using ambient molds from the Cellars, the caves where the cheeses are aged, ensuring that the cheese is steeped in local microflora. Its meaty, smokey, pine needly paste will knock your socks off!

Cabot Clothbound Cheddar-stravaganza at Beer Table!
Wednesday, Februrary 23rd 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
For reservations and information, visit beertable.com or call 718-965-1196

Next Wednesday eve, join Zoe Brickley and Anne Saxelby for a beer and cheese tasting featuring the Cellars at Jasper Hill's finest fare. We'll taste three vintages of Cabot Clothbound Cheddar, showing that the proof is in the pudding (or in the cheese!) when it comes to affinage. Other Cellars favorites like Landaff, Winnimere, and Oma will be paired with craft brews for a decadent night of beer and cheese!

'Till next week, eat Jasper Hill cheese and be merry!

saxelbycheese.com
saxelbycheese.blogspot.com
Cutting the Curd, a dairy-centric radio show on Heritage Radio Network

What's More Romantic Than Cheese?

2011-02-07T09:10:00.001-05:00

What could be more romantic than cheese? We've searched far and wide, and found that although roses and chocolate have cornered the market on cupid's favorite holiday, the true cheeseheads out there reserve a special place in their hearts for a big old wedge of the good stuff. So this year mix it up for your sweetheart... get your hands on a box full of tasty treats from Saxelby Cheesemongers. It's got the makings of a super romantic dinner party, or a delicious nosh for any loved one on your Valentine's list!

A Saxelby Cheesemongers Valentine | $39 (plus shipping)
Place your order online at saxelbycheese.com
Orders can be shipped via Fedex, or picked up at the shop for no additional charge

Our idea of a good Valentine begins with a nice chunk of cheese! And what could be finer than Cabot Clothbound Cheddar, the cheese dubbed as having nearly narcotic properties by certain devout fans? To add a little sweet and spice to our savory beginnings, Saxelby Cheesemongers teamed up with two of our favorite local culinary craftspeople, Sweet Deliverance NYC and Liddabit Sweets. Sweet Deliverance cooked up a spicy-sweet Orange Cranberry Chili Chutney, a perfect mate for sharp, crumbly cheddar. Liddabit Sweets knocked us out with a one-two (three-four!) punch of Homemade Heart Jellies, flavored with Meyer Lemon, Pink Guava, Black Currant, and Blood Orange. Each order includes not one, but TWO packages of Heart Jellies. Hey, just 'cause you're in love doesn't mean you have to share dessert! Pair 'em with cheese, or eat 'em straight up... Either way you'll be tickled pink.

For orders to be shipped in time for Valentine's Day, the last day to order is Wednesday, February 9th! All orders will be shipped using Fedex's overnight delivery service.

Orders can be picked up at Essex Market any old day... Valentine's Day included! Just write a note in the comments box when checking out to let us know when you'll be coming by.

Want to include a gift note? No problem! Just write it into the 'comments' area of the order form (and make it as mushy as you please... we cheesemongers don't judge!)

Saxelby Cheesemongers wishes you and yours a sweet and savory Valentine's Day!

Butterfat as Remedy, Plus the State of Cheese in Illinois!

2011-01-31T10:10:00.001-05:00

With all the snow and cold this winter, we here at Saxelby Cheesemongers have been conducting some serious research projects to determine remedies for the winter blues, cabin fever, and a whole host of other cold-related maladies. It seems, through much taste-testing and trial-and-error, that butterfat is a supremely effective treatment for all things induced by the season. So come on, throw those snow boots on and come down to the Essex Market for a little winter therapy. It's cheaper than the shrink, and will leave you sated too!

The following three cheeses have fought their way through our battery of butterfatty tests and emerged victorious in the category 'Cheeses Most Likely to Be Considered Mood Altering' by our not-so-scientific panel of mongers.

Constant Bliss
Pasteurized cows' milk. Jasper Hill Farm, VT
That's right! After a long hiatus, everyone's favorite marshmallow-shaped cheese is back! Bliss' arrival on the counter came just in time for the harshest part of winter, and is a remedy endorsed by the denizens of Vermont's northeast kingdom, where the mercury has dropped to 25 degrees below zero this year. Yikes! If they say it works, it's gotta be true.

Rush Creek Reserve
Raw cows' milk. Uplands Cheese, WI
The much-coveted, eat-it-with-a-spoon, bark-girdled round from Uplands is here! Don't miss your chance to hunker down with a wheel of this sublime cheese whose flavors tapdance between buttery, earthy, vegetal, and good old fashioned barnyard. Our advice: call your two closest friends, buy a baguette, roast some taters, and dinner is served!

Noble Road
Raw cows' milk. Calkins Creamery, PA
Noble is an understatement. This gooey, pudding-like, decadent wheel of goodness from Calkins Creamery is astronomically delicious! This sculpture in curd is ripe and ready to take center stage on your cheese plate... Just grab your favorite bottle of wine or beer and you're ready to go. Noble Road's delicate snow-white rind encases a riot of flavor, ranging from cultured cream to truffles. If this doesn't cure what ails ya, we don't know what will!

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Don't miss this week's episode of Cutting the Curd, where we discuss the 'State of Cheese' in Illinois! I was joined by Martin Johnson, Chicago native and founder of NYC's popular 'Joy of Cheese' tasting series, and Leslie Cooperband of Prairie Fruits Farm in Champaign-Urbana. We dug deep, chatting about everything from prairie soil history and science to cheese and beer pairings in Williamsburg and beyond!

'Till next week, love the butterfat!

saxelbycheese.com
saxelbycheese.blogspot.com
Cutting the Curd, a dairy-centric radio show on Heritage Radio Network

If Mother Nature Were a Bartender...

2011-01-24T10:32:00.001-05:00

Milk. Our first food. If mother nature were a bartender (and if babies went to bars) she'd be serving up a specialty cocktail for each and every one of us mammals on the planet. Fun milk fact: cow, goat, and human milk all have about 4% fat, whereas that of a fin whale has up to 42% fat! Milk is an inexhaustible subject; even the science community has only gotten to the tip of the iceberg. But in quick Monday morning fashion, I'm going to try to give you the five minute version of milk and crazy humanity's history with it.

All of us humans are reared on milk. It's not only our first food, but it's the way we get our first immunity, as well as countless other nutrients when we're just little helpless things. Harold McGee, in his fantastic book, 'On Food and Cooking' also points out that milk gives our brains a chance to develop to a size that wouldn't be possible inside the womb, one of our most unique traits as humans.

Nobody knows quite when man first decided to try and get in on the act and use the milk of other animals. But some enterprising guy or gal got it into their over-sized cranium that they could harvest the milk of other animals and use it for food. Dairying was invented in the arid plains where modern day Iran is located, a place where semi-nomadic people thrived back around 10,000 BC. It all began with goats and sheep, as cows were too huge and scary to try and subdue into having humans manhandle their nether regions.

Dairying turned out to be pretty dang practical, as a dairy goat or sheep provided a family with sustenance for the better part of a year, whereas an animal killed for meat was obviously a one time deal. Dairy animals are also ruminants, meaning that through their fancy, fermenting, four-chambered stomachs, they could convert grass (something not digestible by humans) into milk, a tasty and multifaceted end product!

For most of human history, foods made from milk were mostly fermented. This was due to the fact that in the hot desert, it was nigh impossible to keep the milk cool and fresh, and also that most humans lose their ability to digest fluid milk after being weaned themselves. It was a genetic mutation in northern European peoples that allowed them to consume fresh fluid milk into adulthood, a legacy that many of us share to this day!

From Scandanavia to India, milk has played a vital role in countless rites, rituals, and religions throughout the ages. Kosher law prohibits the consumption of meat and dairy in the same meal. Not only was this a good precautionary health measure in ancient times, it also rationed the amount of rich foods being consumed in the same meal. In a Hindu creation myth, it is stated that the world began as a primoridial sea of milk, from which a great many gifts of the world were churned. When Job speaks to God in the Bible, he asks, 'Hast thou not poured me out as milk, and curdled me like cheese?' At the risk of being called too dairy-centric, I'd venture to say that milk seems to be the balm that unites us all.

Tune in to this week's episode of Cutting the Curd for more tantalizing dairy facts and history!

'Till next week, drink your milk, eat cheese, and be merry!

saxelbycheese.com
saxelbycheese.blogspot.com
Cutting the Curd, a dairy-centric radio show on Heritage Radio Network

At Last! REAL Buttermilk from Animal Farm!

2011-01-10T08:23:00.002-05:00

At last.... So goes the opening line of the famous tune sung by Etta James. She may have been singing about true love, but we're tempted to rewrite the lyrics and replace the word 'love' with 'buttermilk'. That's right, at last we've found a source for the real deal, honest to goodness buttermilk. And we can't wait for you to try it!

Back in the day, real buttermilk was simply the liquid left over from making butter. The cream would be churned, the butter would be worked over and pressed, and in the course of all that manhandling (or womanhandling, I should say...), the liquid trapped inside would be squeezed out. Voila buttermilk! Unlike the buttermilk we encounter at the supermarket, which is thick and almost yogurt-esque, real buttermilk is thin to the point of drinkable, refreshing, and tangy.

Saxelby Cheesemongers' new stash o' buttermilk comes from Animal Farm, located in Orwell, Vermont. Diane St Clair, butter maven to some of the country's finest restaurants, has agreed to supply us with her limited run, seasonal buttermilk for all of our winter baking needs. She makes butter the old-fashioned way, culturing the milk from her herd of 8 Jersey cows, and allowing the cream to rise naturally in order to keep all those precious fat globules intact. She then skims off the cream by hand, and dutifully churns it into rich, grassy butter. All of that protein-rich liquid pressed out of the butter is bottled and sent to Saxelby Cheesemongers, where it awaits your culinary innovation! Check out the recipe below for Diane's personal recommendation, buttermilk waffles...

Ms. St Clair runs her farm a bit differently than most of the cheesemakers we work with. Usually, a dairy farmer will plan for calving, the season where all of the babies are born, to happen in the springtime. That way, the cows are out grazing on grass all season long, turning that green energy into milk. However, hot, humid Vermont summers are not ideal conditions for a butter maker, so Diane chose to flip that schedule around to better suit her farm's needs. In the summertime, she makes hay, enough to feed her herd throughout the winter, and then milks and makes butter all winter long. Cows' milk tends to be richer and fattier during the winter months anyways due to their diet of primo hay and a touch of grain, which makes for a superior product!

Buttermilk Waffles (from the Cook's Illustrated Cookbook)

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 large egg, separated
7/8 cup buttermilk
2 tabs unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1. Heat waffle iron. Whisk dry ingredients together in a bow. Whisk the egg yolk with buttermilk and melted butter.

2. Beat the egg white until it holds a peak

3. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry while mixing with a rubber spatula. Towards the end of the mixing, use a folding motion to incorporate. Folk in the egg white to the batter.

4. Spread appropriate amount onto the waffle iron. Cook until golden brown. Serve with Vermont maple syrup (makes everything more delicious!)
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We've also got a brand-spankin' new episode of Cutting the Curd for your to sink your teeth into. For our first episode of 2011, the 'State of Cheese' series chugs along to Ohio, where we talk with Abbe Turner of Lucky Penny Farm. Lucky Penny is a both a farm and creamery located in Northeastern Ohio. Cheesemaker Abbe Turner turns the milk of her own goats as well as the milk of two other goat dairies into delicious cheese, all in a repurposed Labor Union hall in the city of Kent. Tune in and see what's doing in dairy the great state of Ohio!

Spontaneous Fermentation! Beer & Cheese at DBGB

2011-01-04T10:07:00.001-05:00

Beer Geeks and Curd Nerds* unite! Next Tuesday night at DBGB Kitchen and Bar, Saxelby Cheesemongers will be teaming up with beer sommelier Hayley Jensen to bring you a knockout tasting of beers from Brasserie Cantillon as well as a vertical cheddar tasting featuring Vermont's finest, Cabot Clothbound. Come on out for a two-fer of the Lower East Side's tastiest establishments!

DBGB's Tuesday Tastings
Tuesday, January 11th from 5:00 to 7:00 pm
$25 per person, no reservations required
For more info call 212-933-5300

Spontaneous fermentation indeed! That's what you get when you throw a beer sommelier and a cheesemonger in a room and get 'em to do a little brainstorming. Hayley Jensen, DBGB's mastermind of all things malted, will be pouring a selection of beers from Brasserie Cantillon, one of Belgium's finest producers of lambics. On offer will be two Gueze, a Rose de Gambrinus, a Grand Cru, and a Faro, a sweetened Gueze that is a rarity due to the fact that it cannot be bottled. These tart, refreshing, and oftentimes fruity beers are the perfect foil to a good wedge of fromage!

To complement the Cantillon selection, Saxelby Cheesemongers has assembled a vertical tasting of cheddars. We'll begin with cheddar curds, primordial form of cheddar and lifeblood to midwestern folk and Quebecois alike... We'll then proceed to three different vintages of Cabot Clothbound Cheddar. Cabot Clothbound is made from the milk of a single herd of cows in Peacham, Vermont, and aged to perfection in the Cellars at Jasper Hill Farm. You'll taste how flavor develops in this complex cheddar, changing from a tart, bracing, vegetal flavor to something rich, brothy, sweet & savory... think chicken stock meets buttercrunch. In the best possible way.

'Till next week, three cheers for fermentation!

saxelbycheese.com
saxelbycheese.blogspot.com
Cutting the Curd, a dairy-centric radio show on Heritage Radio Network

*I blatantly stole that term from the cheese blog Curd Nerds, whom we love dearly. Check them out at curdnerds.com

The Art of Cheese: In the Gallery or by Mail...

2010-12-06T13:35:00.004-05:00

I've always said that cheese is edible art. As an art student, I would trawl the city's myriad galleries and inevitably stumble upon shows that consisted of nothing more than a pile of crumpled up newspapers, or a single crouton on a pedestal in the middle of the room, or worse: an empty gallery that was supposed to mean something. So I got out of the art world and found cheese. Finally! It was an edible art form that any normal person could 'get'. No instruction manual required... just tastebuds and a willingness to try.

The Milk is the Medium
Opening Saturday, Dec. 11th
4:00 to 6:30pm
Cuchifritos art gallery/project space
Next to Saxelby Cheese in Essex Market

This Saturday at the Essex Market, we've got the absolute best of both worlds! Saxelby Cheesemongers is proud to announce 'The Milk is the Medium', an art show celebrating the paintings and cheese of Blue Ledge Farm. Greg Bernhardt and Hannah Sessions are the tour de force behind Blue Ledge. The pair met while studying art in Italy, hatched a plan to return stateside and make cheese, and never looked back! Their art reflects their daily lives on the farm, and ruminates on the many connections between art and agriculture. Come by the market this Saturday to meet Hannah and Greg, view their farm and cheese-inspired artworks, and feast on their delicious goat cheese. For more information and a proper press release, visit Cuchifritos, Essex Market's own art gallery!

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Now it's starting to be that time... That holiday-induced, brow-furrowing, 'what the heck am I going to get for so-and-so this year?!' kind of time. Well if that special so-and-so happens to like cheese, we've got a few tricks up our sleeve that could be just what you've been searching for.

This week only, order a Holiday Cheesemongers' Choice selection from Saxelby Cheesemongers and save 15%! Just enter the coupon code 'Holiday' and we'll take care of the rest.

Saxelby's Small Holiday Cheesemongers' Choice selection features three hearty half-pound wedges of our favorite fromage: Cabot Clothbound Cheddar, a nutty, grassy, butterscotchy cheese matured in the Cellars at Jasper Hill Farm, Grayson, a gooey, pungent, beefy stinker of a cheese from Meadow Creek Dairy, and Ben Nevis, a delicious, oddly-shaped, sheeps' milk cheese from Bonnieview Farm reminiscent of nutty Italian pecorino.

For the serious cheese hound in your life, we've got the Large Holiday Cheesemongers' Choice. Your lucky cheese lover will receive five luscious, butterfatty hunks of farmstead cheese: Cabot Clothbound Cheddar, Grayson, and Ben Nevis as mentioned above, plus Bayley Hazen Blue, a rich and fudgy blue from Jasper Hill Farm, and Sozzled Pearl, a button of cow & goats' milk cheese wrapped in Bourbon-soaked grape leaves from Seal Cove Farm.

Place your order online at saxelbycheese.com. Be sure to tell us when you'd like your package to be shipped! Just make a note in the comments field when checking out (you can write gift notes there too!) Please note that the last day to ship for delivery by Christmas is Tuesday, December 21st. The last day to ship for delivery by New Years is Tuesday, December 28th.

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In our neverending quest to be cheesy, we've recorded a new episode of 'Cutting the Curd' for your listening & leisure! Our 'State of Cheese' series takes us to Louisiana for a conversation with Richard Sutton, owner of the St. James Cheese Company. Learn about creole cream cheese, where Queen Elizabeth buys her cheese, and why the French didn't necessarily import their cheese traditions to the bayou.

'Till next week, eat cheese, stay warm, and be merry!

The Cure for the Common Cheese Ball

2010-11-29T11:05:00.003-05:00

The cure for the common cheese ball*... This holiday season, it's what the doctor, the cheese lover, and the hostess all ordered! Let Saxelby Cheesemongers make your holiday festivities cheesier and easier with our beautiful, bountiful cheese platters. Whether you've got 10 guests or 100, we're here to take the stress out of your life and replace it with a hearty helping of farmstead cheese, crusty bread, and tasty accoutrements. Our advice?! Just sit back, relax, and let us cut the cheese...

To order a platter for your holiday shindig, call Saxelby Cheesemongers at 212-228-8204.

Platters include a selection of four mouth-watering cheeses. Add dried fruits and nuts and/or Sullivan St Bakery bread for a more substantial nosh!

Just give us 24 hours notice, and we'll have a drool-worthy cheese platter waiting in the wings. Pick up at the shop, or have it delivered for an additional charge.

(*guaranteed to work miracles at holiday office parties, showers of all shapes and sizes, cocktail parties, board meetings, or just about any other occasion you can dream up...)

10 people:
$50 cheese
$55 cheese & bread or dried fruit & nuts
$65 cheese, bread, dried fruit & nuts

15-20 people:
$85 cheese
$95 cheese & bread or dried fruit & nuts
$115 cheese, bread, dried fruit & nuts

25-35 people:
$145 cheese
$160 cheese & bread or dried fruit & nuts
$195 cheese, bread, dried fruit & nuts

40-50 people:
$210 cheese
$235 cheese & bread or dried fruit & nuts
$285 cheese, bread, dried fruit & nuts
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Now for cheese on the (internet) radio waves! On Cutting the Curd, our 'State of Cheese' series has reached its 10th state. Listen in and learn about cheese & dairy in the great state of Utah with Steve Rosenberg of Liberty Heights Fresh, Salt Lake City's original and finest gourmet/artisan/sustainable food shop! Listen live every Sunday from 2:00 to 2:30 pm, or download or podcast past episodes at heritageradionetwork.com

'Till next week, eat cheese & be merry!

What goes better with Turkey than ...?

2010-11-15T11:40:00.009-05:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year! And while Saxelby Cheesemongers acknowledges that Thanksgiving may be the most awesome holiday ever, we also know that all that cooking can be downright stressful. Between orchestrating the musical chairs of dishes in and out of too-tiny ovens, making sure the turkey gets basted when it should, and mastering the art of channel surfing from the Macy's parade to football and back again, there's a lot to keep track of.

That's why we've come up with a foolproof solution for all of your Thanksgiving needs. That's right, you guessed it, cheese! While chaos and mayhem reign in the kitchen, cheese can be your happy place. It doesn't talk back, it doesn't drink too much eggnog and start mouthing off to other family members, it just sits there quietly on the table, getting more ripe and tasty as the day goes on. It's content to be appetizer, dessert, or midnight snack, and in our humble opinion, goes pretty darn well with turkey.

This Thanksgiving, Saxelby Cheesemongers wants to say thanks to all our our friends and fellow cheeseheads! Just type in the code 'Thanks' when placing your order online, and get 15% off any Thanksgiving cheese selection.

*Please note that all Thanksgiving orders will ship on Monday, November 22nd for delivery on Tuesday, November 23rd.

Small Thanksgiving Selection:
$49 plus shipping and handling
features three half-pound wedges of cheese

Our small turkey day selection features three delectable cheeses: Caspian, a creamy cows' milk cheese made exclusively for Saxelby Cheesemongers by Jasper Hill Farm (each wheel is wrapped in grape leaves soaked with Eden Ice Cider, a local sweet cider made from heriloom varieties of apples) Coomersdale, a bright and nutty sheeps' milk cheese from Bonnieview Farm, and Twig Wheel, a succulent mixed milk stinker (goat & cows' milk) washed with hard cider from Twig Farm.

Large Thanksgiving Selection:
$79 plus shipping and handling
features five half-pound wedges of cheese

For seriously hungry cheese hounds, we've corralled five of our tastiest turkey day cheeses: You'll get hearty chunks of Caspian, Coomersdale, and Twig Wheel, plus Spring Brook Tarentaise, a rich, caramelly, & sharp cows' milk cheese from Spring Brook Farm, & Bayley Hazen Blue, Jasper Hill Farm's signature thick and fudgy Stilton-esque blue.

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Tea and Cheese Tasting with Saxelby Cheesemongers and In Pursuit of Tea
Tuesday, November 16th, 7:00 to 9:00 pm
33 Crosby Street
For reservations ($35) and more information, visit inpursuitoftea.com
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And last but not least, check out this week's episode of Cutting the Curd for the 'State of Cheese' in Sweet Home Alabama! Listen in and learn how Alyce Birchenough and Doug Wolbert of Sweet Home Farm made a go of it with 12 Guernsey cows way before farmstead cheese was on anyone's radar.

'Till next week, gobble gobble (cheese!)

Meet the Cheesemaker TODAY! Plus cheese throwdowns & the 'State of Cheese' in New Hampshire

2010-11-08T10:28:00.005-05:00

It's Monday. It's cold. What's a cheese lover to do? How about playing hooky this afternoon to come by Saxelby Cheesemongers for a special 'Meet the Cheesemaker' tasting with Michael Lee of Twig Farm? If you've ever swooned for Twig Wheel, drooled at the sight of Goat Tomme, or written odes to Square Cheese (and I'm hoping that's not just me...) Here's your chance to meet the man behind the mold! We won't tell your boss. And if he does find out somehow, here are some sample excuses:

1. It's an educational experience... or This was R & D for (insert project name here)
2. My calcium and protein levels were too low for me to work effectively...
3. I was hypnotized by the email...when I came to, I was at the cheese shop...
4. I'm still confused about the time change... I left the office when?

Meet the Cheesemaker at Saxelby Cheesemongers:
Michael Lee of Twig Farm
TODAY! Monday November 8th
2:30 to 4:00 pm

Twig Farm, located in Cornwall Vermont, is one of the finest producers of farmstead cheese in the whole country! Find out what makes their cheeses so fine, and how Michael got into this cheesy game in the first place.

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Now, we know you've all been to plenty of wine and cheese pairings... But how about a cheese and wine throwdown?? Join us next Monday, November 15th as Saxelby Cheesemongers and September Wines take on Formaggio Essex and Discovery Wines for a gustatory brawl for the ages! Attendees will judge six rounds of hard-hitting deliciousness and cast their ballots to decide who the winner will be! You've never seen a tasting like this...

Cheese and Wine Throwdown:
Saxelby Cheesemongers & Septembers Wine vs Formaggio Essex & Discovery Wines
Monday, November 15th 8:00pm
Underground (LES) venue will be disclosed upon ticket purchase
For tickets ($60 per person) email bittersweetsoursalt@gmail.com

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This week on Cutting the Curd our 'State of Cheese' series continues with a conversation with Doug Erb of Landaff Creamery! Listen in to see how Doug and his wife Debby got into the cheese game, and to see what the chances are for the New Hampshire state motto to be changed to 'Eat Cheese or Die'.
Listen online by clicking the link above, or download the episode as a podcast to take with you wherever! If you have questions or comments on the show, email us at info@heritageradionetwork.com

'Till next week, stay cheesy!

Essex Market to Open Sundays, Lopate & Locavores

2010-11-01T12:10:00.002-04:00

This week, Saxelby Cheesemongers is chock full of cheesy tidbits for you to munch on. From Sundays at Essex Market to Leonard Lopate and the Locavores, read on to see what's new in the world of American farmstead fromage.

First things first. After much lobbying and petitioning and conversing with the neighborhood, the Essex Street Market will be open on Sundays from 10 am to 6 pm starting this Sunday, November 7th! And this isn't just a holiday stunt... we'll be open on Sundays from here on out to help you get your groceries any day of the week you please! Thanks to all of you who took time to sign our petition to make this happen. We're super excited to continue to make the market a fantastic neighborhood food destination. Come on by this Sunday to shop and show your support!

Next Monday, November 8th, Saxelby Cheesemongers will be hanging with WNYC's Leonard Lopate for a special series 'Lopate and Locavores!' Join us at the Greene Space for an evening of agri + culture... or how fermentation and cheese make the world go round. Anne Saxelby, Michael Lee of Twig Farm, and Keith McNally will discuss the connections cheese makes between rural and urban, farm and restaurant, and person to person. This is sure to be a fiddle playin', goat ricotta makin', good conversatin' night! 'Lopate and Locavores' is a three part series, so check 'em all out to get your fill of farming, greens, chickens, and cheese!

Need something cheesy to podcast?? Tune in to Cutting the Curd on the Heritage Radio Network! For our special Halloween episode, Anne Saxelby and Shanna Pacifico of Back Forty (and some other surprise guests!) talk scary cheese on the scariest day of the year. Hear about terrifying cheese mishaps, creepy crawlies that make cheese delicious, and Kraft American Singles, aka 'cheese analog' Yikes! If you've got cheesy horror stories of your own to share, tweet 'em on in to the HRN Twitter feed.

'Til next week, stay cheesy!

Cheese & Chutney Anonymous

2010-10-26T15:34:00.003-04:00

This week, our litany of love for all things picklish leaps towards chutney, that harmonious sweet & savoy condiment popularized across the pond. Sweet Deliverance NYC and Saxelby Cheesemongers have teamed up yet again to bring you a never before seen cheese & chutney match made in heaven... Order one for someone you love and spice up their fridge, or come on down to the New Amsterdam Market this Sunday for one of our famous Ploughman's Sandwiches!

Ploughman's Lunch Selection
3 Cheeses & Sweet Deliverance 'Raisin Haters Apple Chili Chutney'
$55 plus shipping
To place your order, visit saxelbycheese.com

At Saxelby Cheesemongers, we love our cheese & chutney. In honor of fall, and all the delicious apples spilling forth from farmers' market stalls, we got in cahoots with Sweet Deliverance NYC to cook up an exclusive batch of Raisin Haters Apple Chili Chutney. One scoop of this fruity, fermenty delight atop a wedge of thick and creamy cheese, and you've got yourself a new addiction. We chose a trio of fantastic farmy cheeses to complement this spicy, sweet & savory chutney: Noble Road, a truffle-y buttercream bomb of gooey goodness from Calkins Creamery, Landaff, a tart and earthy cows' milk cheese from Landaff Creamery, and Square Cheese, a quadrangular, junipery, malty, caramelized goats' milk cheese from Twig Farm.

If you're already hooked (or looking for trouble!), our first official meeting of C&CA (Cheese & Chutney Anonymous) will be held this Sunday, October 31st at the New Amsterdam Market. That's right folks... Ploughman's Sandwiches are back! We'll be slathering 'Raisin Haters' chutney on Sullivan Street bread and laying down a cheesy foundation of Landaff for the munching. Don't miss out on this singularly autumnal treat!

Saxelby Cheesemongers' Ploughman's Sandwiches at New Amsterdam Market
Sunday, October 31st 11:00 am to 4:00 pm
For directions and vendor information visit newamsterdampublic.org

'Till next week, eat your cheese & chutney!

Pickin' a Peck of Cheese Lovers

2010-10-18T09:47:00.002-04:00

If they say spring has sprung, can we say fall has fallen? It's what many people call the most wonderful time of the year in New York, and this Sunday, we'll be in the thick of it. That's right folks... there's no cheesier day trip than Saxelby Cheesemongers' Day A-Whey. We'll visit an award-winning creamery, be treated to a glorious picnic lunch, and pick a peck of apples, all before sundown! Did we mention we'd do the driving? Not sure what to do this weekend? Get on the cheesemobile and come along on our Day A-Whey!

A Day A-Whey to Sprout Creek Farm and Terhune Orchard
Sunday, October 24th 8:30 am to 7:00 pm
For tickets ($95) and more information, visit saxelbycheese.com

Our first stop is Sprout Creek Farm, makers of delicious farmstead goat and cows' milk cheeses. Cheese maker Colin McGrath will lead our group on a special behind-the-scenes tour of the creamery and cheese caves, showing us how cheese is made, and what it takes to ripen it to perfection.

After the tour, we'll gather in the cozy barn for a big old picnic lunch and cheese tasting featuring everything from the mild to the downright stinky. This farm trip is BYO, so bring a bottle of wine or beer to create your own cheese pairings!

After lunch, we'll head over to Terhune Orchard for some apple picking and fall sunshine. Terhune boasts one of the finest selections of apples in all of New York... Empires, Galas, Winesaps, Romes and Honeycrisps are just a few of the fruits on the apple menu! Pick a peck and bake a pie (topped with some Sprout Creek cheese!) or just munch till your heart's content.

Don't miss out on the last Day A-Whey of the season. It's bound to be cheese-tastic!

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For cheese-waves on the radio, check out this week's episode of Cutting the Curd on the Heritage Radio Network. Our 'State of Cheese' series continues with Aubrey Thomason of Zingerman's Creamery in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Listen in as we chew the fat and get the skinny on the world of cheese in the Great Lakes!

'Till next week, stay cheesy...

saxelbycheese.com
saxelbycheese.blogspot.com
Cutting the Curd, a dairy-centric radio show on the Heritage Radio Network

Hotties & Hot Cheese ... Pickle Day is Here!

2010-10-11T12:31:00.002-04:00

Small-town cheese from New Hampshire moves to big city. Before long, it finds itself swept off it's feet, melted between two toasty pieces of focaccia, doing the culinary equivalent of dirty dancing with Hotties, Sriracha spiced pickles from Rick's Picks. Look out Baby/Frances/Jennifer Gray, there's a new tag team in town!

Lower East Side 10th Annual Pickle Day
Sunday, October 17th, 11:00 am to 4:30 pm
(Note! Saxelby's will be grilling from 11:00 to 1:00, so come early!)
Essex Street between Broome and Delancey

That's right folks. The wait is over. New York's own 10th annual Pickle Day is going down this Sunday, October 17th, and you'd be a boob to miss it! Saxelby Cheesemongers and Rick's Picks are teaming up once again to give you the latest and greatest grilled cheese and pickle sandwich on the face of the planet. Hightail it down to Pickle Day for a toasted treat!

What makes this grilled cheese magic? We've decided to unveil our not-so-top-secret recipe to get your tastebuds humming... (I've had... the time of my life...)

Ingredients:
1 piece of olive-oily focaccia
2 oz Landaff (raw cows' milk cheese from Landaff Creamery, NH)
Handful of 'Hotties' Rick's Picks Sriracha spiced pickles

Preparation: (easy as pie!)
Slice bread
Place 2 hearty hunks of Landaff in between slices
Slice Hotties in half to make 'em a bit skinnier
Liberally garnish Landaff with Hotties
Smush bread back together
Grill till gooey and enjoy!

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And, as if cheese and pickles weren't enough fun... Saxelby Cheesemongers is planning the cheesy getaway of the year. Tickets are going fast for our Day A-Whey trip to Sprout Creek Farm... Get yours today!

A Day A-Whey to Sprout Creek Farm and Terhune Orchard
Sunday, October 24th 8:30 am to 7:30 pm
Trip begins and ends at Saxelby Cheesemongers
For tickets ($95) and more information visit saxelbycheese.com

Sometimes everybody needs A Day A-Whey... Join Saxelby Cheesemongers on an autumnal romp upstate to visit Sprout Creek Farm and Terhune Orchard. See how delicious farmstead cheese is made, enjoy a gourmet Greenmarket picnic lunch, and pick a peck of apples! We've taken care of all the details, so you don't have to worry about a thing. Sit back, relax, and let us do the driving! All you have to bring is your appetite.

This is our last Day A-Whey of the year, so don't miss out!

Spring Brook Farm at Beer Table This Monday!

2010-10-07T22:01:00.003-04:00

At Saxelby Cheesemongers, we're always looking out for our next opportunity to eat delicious cheese... Fortunately for us, this fall has been rife with opportunities to do just that! This Monday, join us with cheese maker Jeremy Stephenson of Spring Brook Farm at Beer Table for a tasting and talk on their fabulous farmstead fromage.

Spring Brook Farm Cheese Tasting at Beer Table
Monday, October 11th 7:00 pm
For tickets ($35) and more information, visit beertable.com

Spring Brook Farm is one of Vermont's finest farmstead cheeseries, crafting Alpine-style cheeses reminiscent of European greats like Beaufort and Gruyere. Nothing says fall to this monger like a hearty old wedge of sweet, aged cows' milk cheese! This special tasting will feature 4 cheese and beer pairings, as well as a tasty, stinky signature dish of potatoes and Spring Brook Raclette! (of course, also served with beer) We'll do a vertical tasting through three different age profiles of Spring Brook Tarentaise to see how the flavor changes throughout the aging process. We'll also sample their brand new Raclette-style cheese in the raw and out o' the oven, melted over Greenmarket potatoes!

Don't miss this chance to meet one of Vermont's best cheesemakers, right here in your own backyard! 'Till next Monday, may many a wonderful cheese cross your path!

2010-10-07T21:57:00.002-04:00

Oh So Many Days A-Whey!

2010-10-04T10:28:00.002-04:00

There's nothing like a cold, rainy Monday morning to make a monger dream of greener pastures. That's right cheese fans, fall is officially here... and at Saxelby Cheesemongers, that means finding ways to get out of the city, get some fresh air, and of course, eat more cheese! Throw in some incredible fall foliage, a hearty picnic lunch, some apple picking, and call it a day... A Day A-Whey, that is! This week, Saxelby Cheesemongers is pleased to offer a double-whammy of Days A-Whey... Read on cheese lovers, and join us on a cheesy jaunt out of town!

A Day A-Whey to Sprout Creek Farm and Terhune Orchard
Sunday, October 24th 8:30 am to 7:30 pm
Trip begins and ends at Saxelby Cheesemongers
For tickets ($95) and more information visit saxelbycheese.com

The first stop on our Day A-Whey adventure is Sprout Creek Farm, where we'll see first hand how fine farmstead cheese is made. Sprout Creek Farm was founded by nuns in the late 1980s as a place for children to reconnect with nature and learn about agriculture. After almost 30 years of agri-education, Sprout Creek has come to be one of the premier creameries in the country. Colin McGrath, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of the Arts, is the talented young cheese maker behind Sprout Creek's award-winning cheeses. Colin will lead a tour of the creamery, showing how he transforms rich milk into delicious cheese! Margo Morris will then lead us on a ramble of the multi-faceted farm, showing off the goats, cows, pigs, sheep, ducks and chickens that make up the day to day rhythm of Sprout Creek.

After the farm tour, daytrippers will be treated to a bountiful picnic lunch, served in Sprout Creek's cozy, historic barn. Salads, fruits, and cider from New York City's own Greenmarket will be laid out for noshing alongside a sampling of charcuterie, freshly cut chunks of Sprout Creek cheese and a selection of fresh breads from the Sullivan Street Bakery.

Once everyone's had their fill of delicious farmstead fromage, the coach will make a stop at Terhune Orchard for an afternoon of apple picking in the sunshine. Terhune Orchard boasts an amazing array of apple varieties. Daytrippers can pick a peck of Empire, Gala, Golden Delicious and Cameos to munch alongside their cheeses. The chartered coach will return to the Essex Street Market by 7:00 pm, full of happy, sated daytrippers.
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Columbus Day Weekend Alert!

We've got just a few tickets left for our very special Day A-Whey trip to Twin Maple Farm, located in the idyllic Hudson Valley! No Columbus Day weekend plans?! No worries! We've got a pig roast and a cheese party in the works! Click on the link below for more tickets and more information:

A Day A-Whey to Twin Maple Farm
Sunday, October 10th 8:30 am to 7:00 pm
Trip begins and ends at Saxelby Cheesemongers (120 Essex Street)
For tickets ($95) and more information visit saxelbycheese.com

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Cheese on the Radio!

Tune in to this week's episode of Cutting the Curd, where I continue the 'State of Cheese' series with Kenny Mattingly of Kenny's Farmhouse Cheese in Austin, Kentucky. See what's doing curds-and-whey-wise in the Bluegrass state!

'Till next week, eat cheese and be merry!

The Dreaded Cheese Nubs...

2010-09-28T08:14:00.001-04:00

We've all been there. You go to the market, buy some cheese with the best of intentions, eat some of it, and then.... (insert suspenseful horror film music for effect).... you wrap it up, it gets moved to a dark lonely corner of your refrigerator, and the next time you see it, it's a sad, desiccated little shell of its former self.

This week, Saxelby Cheesemongers is here to tell you that this tragedy need not be the end of your unintentionally fridge-cured cheeses! Even this monger has been known to accumulate a bevy of odds and ends that can be transformed from their ugly-duckling selves to beautiful, delicious swans. Ok, maybe that wasn't quite right. No one is going to be eating any swans here, but we will give you some tips, tricks, and recipes for salvaging those cheese nubs!

First and foremost, there's mac and cheese. I mean, it's a perennial favorite, but when the weather starts to get a bit crispier, that smell of bubbling browning cheese in the oven is just something else all together! This recipe was inspired by two customers, Dave and Jen, who are masters of cheese-nub-utilization.

Cheese Nub Mac & Cheese

Stuff you'll need:

Cheese Nubs (the more the merrier)
Butter
Milk or cream
Pasta
Bread Crumbs (optional, but awesome)

1. Preheat the oven to 350.

2. Cook the pasta until al dente or mushy, whatever you like.

3. Gather up all your cheese nubs and grate them, cut them up, or mash them into a bowl of random cheese goodness. All parts of the cheese are welcome! However, if you have some especially gnarly rinds, you might want to trim those off.

4. Butter a ceramic baking dish, and fill with one layer of pasta.

5. Liberally sprinkle (think tinkerbell with combat boots on) your cheesy mixture atop the pasta, and douse with a splash of milk or cream.

6. Put another layer of pasta atop the first, and repeat the heavy duty cheese sprinkling and cream pouring.

7. To top it all off, put a final layer of cheese on top. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top of that, and strategically place various pats of butter on the crumbs for extra browning effect. (hey, nobody said this was going to be light!)

8. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until the cheese is browned and bubbling, and the bread crumbs have become toasty and wonderful.

This mac & cheese is of course best served right away. But it's also pretty dang good the next day as a chilled slice o' cheesy pasta pie!

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To continue on that theme, our next recipe is a cheesy sauce that's just the thing for pasta, roasted veggies, gratin-ish dishes, or if you've got blue cheese in your nub collection, a nice juicy steak!

Cheese Sauce For Just About Anything

Stuff you'll need:

Cheese nubs
Butter
Garlic
Milk or Cream

1. Cook the garlic in butter until nice and soft.

2. Crumble, cut, or grate your cheese nubs into the smallest pieces you can muster.

3. Toss the cheese in the pot, add between 1/2 cup and 1 cup of milk or cream (or a mixture of the two!) and stir.

4. Continue to stir as it cooks down to thick, cheesy deliciousness, anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes. You may want to add more cheese or more milk as time goes by depending on the consistency you want.

5. Pour it over just about anything and watch the gastronomic sparks fly! (no digestion puns intended here...)

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This Sunday, October 3rd, is chock-a-block full of cheesy events that we'd love for you to join in on! Visit Saxelby Cheesemongers at the New Amsterdam Market where we'll be EVERY SUNDAY from 11am to 4 pm, or come on out to Roberta's Pizza from 4 to 7 pm for a tasting of cheese, wine, and wood-fired breads in the garden! For reservations, just click on the link above.

'Till next week, cook up those cheese nubs, and be merry!

saxelbycheese.com
Cutting the Curd, a dairy-centric radio show on Heritage Radio Network

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The State of New Amsterdam... and New York Too!

2010-09-20T12:43:00.005-04:00

They say that old New York was once New Amsterdam... I'm pretty sure I've quoted that 'They Might Be Giants' song before, but it never seems to lose it's luster! It seems especially potent this Monday morning, because just yesterday Saxelby Cheesemongers spanned New York and New Amsterdam in a single bound!

The day began at New Amsterdam Market, where from now 'till the end of December, we'll be holding down the cheese fort each and every week! Yesterday we debuted two new cheeses, a Raclette-style cheese from Spring Brook Farm in Vermont and Noble Road, a creamy raw cows' milk cheese from Calkins Creamery in Pennsylvania. We plan to feature new and special cheeses at the market all season long, so come visit us each and every Sunday down at the Fulton Fish Market to get your fix!

Saxelby Cheesemongers at the New Amsterdam Market
Sundays from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm
In front of the Old Fulton Fish Market (corner of South St. and Peck Slip)

On the New York front, this week on Cutting the Curd, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Dean Sparks, co-founder of Empire Organics, which produces a dazzling array of local dairy products including milk, cheese, yogurt, and ice cream. We talked about the state of dairy in New York from the perspective of an entrepreneur who's making a huge difference in the lives of local dairymen. One of the opening lines on the Empire Organics website reads:

'Today, pretty much everyone understands that organic is just plain better. So why should you choose nymilk? Well, lots of organic milk comes from faraway places. Big deal? We think so!'

Listen in to this week's episode and hear about how Dean went from a dream to save local dairy farms to a 30 farm strong network of producers who are paid 3 times as much, that's right 3 times!, as the commodity market would pay them. It's this kind of thinking that can put New York right back up there on the map as a leading local dairy state. Look for the NYcheese label at Saxelby Cheesemongers soon! In the next few weeks, we'll be carrying some of their scrumptious fromage.

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However, if you're feeling a little peckish right now, don't forget your cheese & chutney! Order a ploughman's lunch selection and have your cheese delivered right to your front door!

Ploughman's Lunch Selection
Three Cheeses & a 9 oz jar of Sweet Deliverance Spicy Green Tomato Chutney
$55 plus shipping
To place your order, visit saxelbycheese.com

The ploughman's lunch is a revered repast in pubs and taverns all across England... We discovered it on a trip across the pond this summer and thought, why not bring this cheesy institution stateside? Each 'Ploughman's Lunch' selection contains a jar of Sweet Deliverance Spicy Green Tomato Chutney and three half-pound wedges of mouth watering fromage: Kunik, a buttery and decadent triple-creme cheese from Nettle Meadow Farm, Shelburne Farm's sharp, oniony, fruity two-year Cheddar, and Jasper Hill Farm's luscious, fudgy Bayley Hazen Blue. Not just for lunch, this selection of cheesy goodness is great fare for dinner parties, tailgates, picnics, and any other dairy-centric snacking occasion you can dream up!

'Till next week, eat cheese and be merry!

In a Pickle, and Loving Every Minute!

2010-09-14T16:39:00.008-04:00

We're in a pickle, and happy as heck about it! A few weeks back, we introduced our Ploughman's Sandwich, a happy marriage of cheddar and chutney wedged between two chunks of ciabatta. It's been such a bit hit, we've decided to send it out on the road! Now you can order a Ploughman's Lunch cheese & chutney selection from saxelbycheese.com, and we'll send lunch straight to your front door!

Ploughman's Lunch Selection
Three Cheeses & a 9 oz jar of Sweet Deliverance Spicy Green Tomato Chutney
$55 plus shipping
To place your order, visit saxelbycheese.com

The ploughman's lunch is a revered repast in pubs and taverns all across England... We discovered it on a trip across the pond this summer and thought, why not bring this cheesy institution stateside? The traditional ploughman's lunch features a couple of hearty chunks of farmstead cheese paired with a sweet & savory chutney. Saxelby Cheesemongers has teamed up with preserves & pickles guru Kelly Geary of Sweet Deliverance NYC to bring you the finest cheese & chutney selection in town.

Each 'Ploughman's Lunch' selection contains a jar of Sweet Deliverance Spicy Green Tomato Chutney and three half-pound wedges of mouth watering fromage: Kunik, a buttery and decadent triple-creme cheese from Nettle Meadow Farm, Shelburne Farm's sharp, oniony, fruity two-year Cheddar, and Jasper Hill Farm's luscious, fudgy Bayley Hazen Blue. Not just for lunch, this selection of cheesy goodness is great fare for dinner parties, tailgates, picnics, and any other dairy-centric snacking occasion you can dream up!

Beer and Cheese Throwdown, Part Three!
Monday, September 20th 8:00 pm
Super Secret Location TBA

Anyone looking for a gastronomic rumble (and we're not talking indigestion here) should get in on the action for the third clash of the cheese and beer titans: Saxelby Cheesemongers and Bierkraft vs Formaggio Essex and Spuyten Duyvil. We've got a score to settle, and we need your help!

This tasting features three rounds of hard-hitting deliciousness, featuring a total of six cheese and beer pairings that are sure to leave your head spinning with delight! Participants vote for their favorite pairings, and at the end of the night, a winning team is declared. Come on out and show your love for Saxelby's next Monday night! It's like Monday Night Football, only way tastier.

For tickets ($60) email bittersweetsoursalt@gmail.com

Our Day A-Whey to Washington County was a cheese-tastic weekend filled with local food, farms, cheese, and old-fashioned fun. We've updated our flickr page with plenty of delicious photos for your viewing delight!

Saxelby Cheesemongers will be back at New Amsterdam Market this Sunday, and every Sunday from now until New Year's! Come on down to the old Fulton Fish Market and sample our cheesy wares. Good flavors and good feelings abound!

'Till next week, eat cheese and be merry!

Last Call for Cheese Adventures, and a Visit to Bonnieview Farm

2010-09-08T14:02:00.005-04:00

Labor Day weekend has passed us by, but here at Saxelby Cheesemongers, we're kicking off the fall season in typical cheesy style! Join us this weekend for our biggest and best Day A-Whey trip of the year! We'll visit five cheese makers, get some R&R at a beautiful and historic B&B, and attend a local 'farm to fork' harvest festival dinner. We're almost full up, so call us to reserve your spot today!

A Day A-Whey to Washington County
Visit 5 Local Cheesemakers, Annual Harvest Festival and Dinner,
& Overnight Stay at the Rice Mansion Inn
Saturday, September 11th to Sunday, September 12th

Where else can you visit five cheesemakers, feast on the bounty of locally grown food, and get some R&R at one of New York's most historic inns? This weekend, Saxelby Cheesemongers is hitting the road again for a dairy-licious journey to Washington County, New York! This is a deluxe Day A-Whey if ever we saw one; we'll visit 5 farms in 2 days, hit up a Harvest festival and dinner, stay at a gorgeous historic inn, and whisk you back to the city by Sunday evening. Sit back, relax, and let us do the driving. All you have to bring is your love of cheese!

Saturday Itinerary: Depart from Saxelby Cheesmongers in our cheese-mobile. Arrival at Rice Mansion Inn, followed by catered picnic lunch. Farm tours at Argyle Cheese Farmer, Homestead Artisans, and Sweet Spring Farm. Attend the Salem Harvest Festival and Local 'Farm to Fork' dinner. Overnight stay at the historic Rice Mansion Inn.

Sunday Itinerary: Farm tours and cheese tastings at Three Corner Field Farm and Consider Bardwell Farm. Picnic lunch at Consider Bardwell Farm. Return to NYC by 6:30 pm.

Single Rate $300
Double Rate $250
Groups of 3-4 $225

Ticket price includes transportation, hotel room, all meals, entrance to the Harvest Festival and dinner, and farm tours.

To make a reservation, call Saxelby Cheesemongers at 212-228-8204. Reservations for this Day A-Whey are extremely limited, so reserve today!

Another harbinger of fall is the arrival of fabulous sheeps' milk cheeses from Bonnieview Farm! Bonnieview is tucked away up north in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom, atop a hill looking out to the White Mountains. It's truly one of the loveliest farms this monger has ever laid eyes on. Bonnieview was settled by the Urie family in the late 1800's, and cheesemaker Neil Urie is the fourth generation to work the land. He was able to buy the farm from his uncle a ways back, slowly replaced his cows with a flock of sheep, and began to make an array of delectable aged cheeses. We're proud to show off these unique and delicious Vermonters!

Coomersdale is a small wheel of semi-firm, sheepy, barnyardy goodness. Its flavor lies somewhere between an aged Pecorino and a lively, fruity young Manchego. A great nosh for just about any occasion!

If you ran across a wheel of Ben Nevis, a cheese aptly named for Scotland's tallest mountain, you might mistake it for a stone. Its rind is mottled beige and purple and green, giving it an earthy and rustic cheese camouflage. Once cracked open however, it reveals its bright, tart, lemon-zesty interior. I guess that old adage don't judge a book by its cover applies to cheese too!