Here at Zabar’s we do not believe you need a special event in order to eat cheese. In fact, with over 600 cheeses to choose from, if we wait for an excuse to eat cheese we would never get to try all of our cheeses. So some days we just select a couple of cheeses that are new or our favorites or just sound good and we grab a baguette and off we go for a wonderful, simple meal. In fact this no new idea for the Europeans who have included cheese into their diet every day for hundreds of years and although a special cheese at a special event can be a wonderful thing, it can be just as much fun to have a great cheese on a Tuesday night in front of the T.V. So just because we feel like it and just because we like cheese every day of the year, we thought we would share a couple of our favorites that are good whenever and wherever you feel the need for cheese.
Bianchina is the Italian version of a fresh goats’ milk cheese. Soft, spreadable and bright white, it is tangy, full of citrus and absolutely refreshing. Perfect for breakfast with toast, lunch on a salad and dinner with olives. Mont des Cats is a classic cheese made by the Monks in France who make cheese as a means of substance and financial support. They eat this cheese every day and once you taste it you will see why. Delightfully creamy yet firm, nutty, sweet and slightly earthy, it is the prefect snack. La Serena is a sheep’s milk cheese that makes sure you know it but in a nice way. Strong, fruity, earthy and intense this Spanish original will have you dreaming of more. Auricchio Provolone with satisfy any craving you may have for something sharp and salty. An Italian classic that gets stronger with age. By the time it hits our counters, it bears no resemblance to the deli provolone we grew up with.
Bianchina
Some Italian cheeses made in the Piedmonts are curiously similar to their French counterparts, although I am sure if you ask an Italian cheesemaker, the answer you'll get is: no, French cheeses are copies of Italian cheeses. OK. This lovely little goat round is young, soft, and a little flaky. It's tangy, mild, and tastes slightly of damp hay. Very nice. Pasteurized, made in the Alta Langa.
Mont des Cats
Those Trappist monks, they've given us so many delightful washed-rind cheeses. Here's another one: mild, milky-sweet, and floral, with dominant notes of hazelnuts. Made using the same recipe as Port-Salut, it has the same pleasant, semi-soft texture, with a scattering of tiny eyes. In Flanders, the tradition is to have it for breakfast accompanied by a cup of coffee. We say it works well for dessert, too.
La Serena
A relatively recent arrival to the US, this unusual Spanish cheese was barely available even 5 years ago. Instead of animal rennet, macerated thistle flowers are used as the coagulant, giving the cheese a notable floral intensity on top of gamy, sour, fruity flavors, balanced salinity, and a lingering sour/creamy finish. The oozing, voluptuous paste gets softer as it ages - again, a result of thistle rennet. Raw Merino sheep milk; made in Spain's Extremadura region. DOP.
Auricchio Provolone
If you remember rope-bound cheeses hanging from the rafters in your neighborhood Italian grocers (or if you’ve been to Zabar’s cheese counter), then you are familiar with this traditional Italian cheese. Produced exclusively from full-fat cow’s milk coming from neighboring farms in Pieve, it is a treat for the senses. Beautiful, smooth paste, pale yellow in color. It smells slightly pungent, and its flavor is robust, nutty, and piquant. If all you’ve had is sliced provolone from the deli counter, you are in for a pleasant surprise! Serve with fruit, vegetables, charcuterie, and pickles.
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