I went to Cheese-lover's Heaven Today

[JavaMaven1]

As a field trip for my Garde Manger class from school, we had a little tour of The Cheese Store in Beverly Hills (yes, that Beverly Hills. Gawd, I hate driving in that part of town--but that's another rant). This place was incredible... but if your idea of high-quality cheese is buying Kraft American Singles instead of the store brand, this would not be your kind of place.

There were cheeses from around the world... everything from the fresh, soft white cheeses (Brie & Camembert), to semi-softs (Gouda), to bleu cheeses (Cabrales, Roquefort, Gorgonzola), to hard cheeses (Pecorino, Parmesan). They had your choice of cow, goat, or sheep's milk cheeses... and I am a new fan of goat's milk cheese. We tasted about 20 different cheeses--till I thought I was gonna burst.

What did I learn today?

1. Raw milk cheeses are illegal in the US (makes sense, but that was something I didn't know), so the raw milk cheeses I did have today (yes, this place sells them... shhhh! don't tell!) they market as "farm fresh"

2. For pairing cheese and wines... an easy way to pair them is choose a cheese and wine from the same region.

3. There is a white Stilton on the market, made with candied lemon peel--it's almost like eating a lemon cheesecake with a hint of Stilton.

4. I'm not afraid to eat mold! Dammit, I'm a garbage disposal. I'll eat just about anything.

5. The truffled cheeses are pretty damn good, even if they run $40-50 a pound.

6. For Brie lovers: if you can get your hands on Brie de Meaux (another "farm fresh" cheese), it is like nothing you can get here Stateside. It's very, very yummy. I took home a 1/4 lb. and a bottle of wine for a Saturday indulgence.

If you're interested, they are on the net: http://www.cheesestorebh.com

[waterj2]

I'll bet they completely overlooked any cheeses that come in a can, right? Mmmmm... cheese in a can...

[Narile]

Java....sometimes I hate you.

I hope you enjoyed the tastes, I'm not one for the blue's (Except in dressings) and sharp tasting cheeses, but I love good smooth cheeses.

[Myron Van Horowitzski]

Mmmmmmmmmm...coagulation of bovine lactation fluid.

A cheese by any other name is still exquisite. Saga Blue is my favorite.

[Dark Lord Davidson]

Cheese is my most favoritest food in the world.

Muenster and Monterey Jack.

Mmmm..cheese...

[dropzone]

I miss Liederkranz and will never forgive Kraft for letting become extinct. There's GOTTA be a lump in somebody's grandma's fridge so they can get it going again!