Anybody up for a Cheese Tasting?

[Sal_Ammoniac]

@DrMemory

I have a Raclette question I’ll toss out . I recently bought raclette cheese for the first time in my life. I had had proper raclette, as a teen and enjoyed it.
I don’t have a raclette iron (Heater thingy) so I used my fondue pot. Upon opening the package, I couldn’t help but noticing the distinct Funk coming from the cheese. Tasted a bit, and found it rather nasty. Now I’m torn, Can heating this stuff make it any more edible? I’m thinking not , but as I paid a moderate
price for a chunk, and I was hungry, I decided to at least give it a try. Melted the cheese, and lo-and-behold…it was edible. More or less what I remembered for taste. This was a French version of the cheese. and I gotta assume what I had before was Swiss ( as I was in Switzerland) . I’ll allow for differences in locale.

So, I guess the short version of the question is…Is it Suposed to taste like that?

Why did heating it help So much?

I’ve found a lot of cheeses are like this, in that the temperature they’re served at makes a huge difference in taste. Sometimes the difference between refrigerator-cold and room temperature is profound, particularly for softer cheeses – brie, camembert, robbiola, everything of that ilk.

[August_West]

@Qadgop the Mercotan

Cool. I regularly cruise thru Boltonville and St. Michael on the way to work. If the roads are bad, that is. When the roads are good, I take a more direct, but more rural route. That way I avoid the traffic jams of Boltonville. That and the sheep.

I think the old gas station in Boltonville had more charm. A seedy charm, but charm nonetheless.

Well next time you are heading down 144, throw a wave at the hill to the south when you see the signs for X XX. We’re just over the county line on the other side of the hill.

The new gas station is nice for us because it’s now possible for us to get a fresh baked pizza! Still can’t get one delivered, but it’s a short drive.

If you are going to do a cheese tasting at the Immigrant Room, fire me an email and maybe Mrs. West and I will tag along, we are always up for new food experiences.

[Qadgop_the_Mercotan]

@August West

Well next time you are heading down 144, throw a wave at the hill to the south when you see the signs for X XX. We’re just over the county line on the other side of the hill.

The new gas station is nice for us because it’s now possible for us to get a fresh baked pizza! Still can’t get one delivered, but it’s a short drive.

If you are going to do a cheese tasting at the Immigrant Room, fire me an email and maybe Mrs. West and I will tag along, we are always up for new food experiences.

You betcha! Which side of the road are you on? I’ll wave today.

Nice that the Boltonville gas station now carries a fine selection of Kewaskum Frozen Food sausage and other meats, in addition to an array of local cheeses.

[Snickers]

@garygnu

Tillamook has a 2-year aged white cheddar.

And it’s a good’un, too - that’s the one I’ve been able to find most readily at the grocery stores 'round these parts.

[August_West]

We’re the grey farmhouse and barn on the east side of Hwy XX. For some reason I thought you lived up by the U.P., don’t know where I got that impression. Good to know there are other Dopers about!

[Qadgop_the_Mercotan]

@August West

We’re the grey farmhouse and barn on the east side of Hwy XX. For some reason I thought you lived up by the U.P., don’t know where I got that impression. Good to know there are other Dopers about!

OK, then you’re just off XX, east side, just south of the county line, and visible from, but not on 28/144? I drove past there about 30 minutes ago!

[August_West]

Very close, but you can’t see us from 28/144. We’re hiding on the other side of the hill.

No fair egging my house now!

[Amazon_Floozy_Goddess]

We loves the cheese. Loves it!

The University where I work has a club called the Campus Crusade for Cheese. Their mission statement is to “Make the world more aware of the wonders of cheese”. I think they’re students-only, so I couldn’t join. Their last flyer I saw posted said the next tasting/meeting would feature Wensleydale with apricots. Yum.

[Elendil_s_Heir]

What, no love for… Wensleydale?

[Ponder_Stibbons]

Mmmmm … cheese …

Frankly, I’m in for most any cheese, as long as it isn’t named after a body part. I.e., head, toe, lung …

[metj]

I’d go. I live about 5 minutes from Kohler and I’ve always wanted to go to one of their foodie things, but never got around to it.

[Qadgop_the_Mercotan]

@metj

I’d go. I live about 5 minutes from Kohler and I’ve always wanted to go to one of their foodie things, but never got around to it.

OMG there’s another doper in my vicinity! I thought Ferret herder was the only one, and she moved to Chicago!

Anybody else within spitting distance of Kohler?

[misshannah]

Sadly, you can’t buy Zingerman’s cheeses (neither the ones they import exclusively, nor the ones they make at their Creamery) in stores here in WI (or anywhere else except their deli.) But you can mail order them!

[rjk]

@Snickers

Anyone want to recommend me an aged cheddar? I’m looking for something old, say 4-10 years, and preferably white (the yellow aged cheddars I’m able to get in my big box grocery stores here - aged 2 years only - I don’t really care for). Recommend me your favorites! Anyone try cave aged cheddars? Are they good?

The Market Street supermarket here in the DFW area carries ‘Old Quebec’ brand in their deli. It says it’s three years old, but the batch we’ve been getting is dated January 2001. It might not be the best I’ve had from a supermarket, but I can’t remember any better.

[Number]

Zingerman’s is the best.

It doesn’t appear to be available on their website, but if you have a chance to visit Ann Arbor see if they have any Saenkanter in stock. It is an exquisite aged gouda.

[Oslo_Ostragoth]

@August West

What bothers me is that I see that they have a wine list, but no beer available? Even a sommelier will tell you that cheese is a very tricky food to match with wine. Whereas many beers are a natural match.

Last weekend I supervised a 5 course dinner for about 70 people in which each course was matched with a beer and gave a presentation during the dinner explaining the history of beer, the brewing process, and matching beer with food. I would give an arm for the chance to match some of the world’s finest beers with some of the cheeses on that list.

Hell, do it for the benefit of the SDMB. Would make a great party theme.