Jul 26th 2012
What Is Annatto? How Does It Relate to Cheese?
Red Leicester and Annatto Seeds
Mimolette. Red Leicester. Shropshire Blue. What do these three cheeses have in common? They are all orange and they are all colored with annatto. Annatto is a somewhat
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Sep 28th 2011
The Origins of Gorgonzola: Dolce and Piccante
Gorgonzola Dolce (front) and Gorgonzola Piccante (rear)
Lombardy is a region in the northernmost part of Italy, sitting on the country's Alpine border with Switzerland. The terrain is varied, rangin
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Jul 14th 2011
Vermouth de Chambéry: Dolin's Rouge, Blanc and Dry
Summer is the perfect time to acquaint yourself with the newest addition to our little family of wines from the Savoie: Dolin Vermouths.
Dolin has been making vermouth in Chambéry, France since 1821.
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May 12th 2011
Washed-Rind Cheeses (aka 'The Stinkers')
While studying to be a pastry chef, I started working as a cheesemonger. In a restaurant, the pastry chef is sometimes given the responsibility of overseeing the cheese plate. While the chef might b
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Apr 8th 2011
A Salt Tasting: How Do They Stack Up? (Part II)
In my first installment on the subject of salt, I touched on why this mineral is an important component of our diet and why it has played such a critical role in human history. Now, with access to sa
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Feb 24th 2011
The Gouda the Dutch Eat: Boerenkaas
My first introduction to Gouda was the industrial variety that the Dutch ship all over the world: beige-ish, wrapped in red paraffin and fairly pliant. Traveling in Greece when I was sixteen, we bou
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