Il Nocciolo
Cheese of the Month
Il Nocciolo
Upon looking for a new cheese in our local cheese case, the cheese monger suggested I try Il Nocciolo, from Caseificio dell’Alta Langa. This super soft, small square package is a new offering in our store, a combination of creamy cow, sheep, and goat cheese from Italy, specifically the northern Piedmont region.
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Piave
Cheese of the Month
Piave
I found Piave last month as Trader Joe’s cheese of the month. It’s a hard cow’s milk cheese from the Veneto region in Northern Italy, near the Piave River. The milk is not only from the area surrounding Piave, but the cheese is also made and aged in the same area.
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While this cheese is likened to Parmigiano-Reggiano, and gets similar crystalline salty bits and crunch, I did find the flavor different. The cheese is not quite as firm as Parmigiano, making it easier to cube without completely crumbling. It’s still hard, just not quite as hard as Parmigiano. I found the flavor a bit more earthy and bitter. While it has a nutty taste like Parmigiano it’s more of a walnut taste, then say a toasted hazelnut. It’s has a hint of bitterness mixed with earthy grass.
This cheese pairs well with fuller bodied reds such as Zinfandel and Sangiovese. While best shaved as a topping on salads or grated into pasta, you can also cube it for a table cheese.
A year ago on The Daily Morsel
Two years ago on The Daily Morsel
Kilaree Cheddar Cheese
Cheese of the Month - Kilaree Irish Cheddar
I’ve purchased this cheese often in the past year. (more…)
Ski Queen Gjetost Cheese
Cheese of the Month
Ski Queen Gjetost Cheese
I first heard of brunost cheese (brown cheese) in the April 2012 addition of Bon Appetit magazine in an article by the BA Foodist, where Andrew Knowlton listed some of his pantry staple ingredients. That very same morning I read the article, standing in front of the cheese section in Whole Foods, the bright red Ski Queen packaging I saw in the magazine photograph caught my eye. I love living in an area where just about any food is available.
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Hollandse Creamy Gouda
Cheese of the Month – Gouda Hollandse Creme Uniekaas
This Gouda is pale ochre in color and has quite a creamy mouth feel. There is definitely a pronounced nuttiness and a bit of a tang on the backside, so it holds up well when combined with other strong flavors. (more…)