Join us every week at Zabar's Cheese Department on Thursdays at 3 PM and 5 PM for weekly cheese tastings and lessons in four new cheeses.
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When something is perfect the best thing to do, is to stop and enjoy it. That is how we feel about the cheeses we have selected for our cheese plate of the week. They are perfect and we want to make sure that you do not miss them. The brie is soft and creamy yet full of flavor that cries out for a crusty piece of bread. Pont l'Evêque is stronger than the brie but not overpowering. The balance of flavors and creamy texture make this cheese a must for any cheese plate this weekend. As the sheep and goat cheese season winds down while the animals are having babies, the Istara is a great example of an aged sheep’s milk cheese that is wonderfully nutty. A customer favorite for a reason! And then comes Piave, a newer cheese from Italy that holds up to the hype and is as versatile as it is wonderful. The pineapple sweetness is the perfect balance for the salty, dry texture that dissolves on the tongue. We love these cheeses and think that you will too! Best of all they are all economically friendly and perfect for any cheese plate.
Chatelain Brie
Produced in the Les Vosges Mountain region of France, this brie has a fuller flavor than the traditional bries found in the United States. Smooth and buttery when young, as it ripens this cheese develops a strong, mushroomy yet creamy flavor reminiscent of a young camembert. Made from pasteurized cow's milk and perfect for any cheese plate.
Pont l'Evêque
A classic French cow's milk cheese made since the 12th century; it got its name in the 17th century and its AOC (name-protected) designation in 1976, and today, it is still one of the most popular cheeses in France. Its cross-hatched, brine-washed, white rind smells pleasantly pungent and earthy. The rind is where the flavors are the strongest, but the semi-soft, loose-textured paste's pungency is not offensive; rather, it's more garlicky and aromatic. Pasteurized; from Normandy.
Istara
The name-protected class of aged sheep's milk tommes - Ossau-Iraty-Brebis-Pyrenees - from France's Basque region has many imposters (some quite good), but this one is authentic. One of the world's most delicious and indescribable cheeses. Its flavor is smack in the middle of the intersection between nutty, sweet, toasty, savory, saline, tangy, and butterfatty - none overpowers the others. The texture is semi-firm, smooth, and it melts in your mouth. A truly amazing cheese. Pasteurized; from Aquitaine.
Piave
This is one of our favorite Italian table cheeses, and if you've tried it, you know why! This cheese is made from two milkings and aged to produce dramatically different cheeses. The one we have now is aged for over a year, creating a smooth, firm, straw-yellow paste that has a zingy, almondy sweetness - imagine "young Parmigiano-Reggiano" - and the finish is a burst of pineapple-citrus. Wow! Savor the naturally occurring, crunchy amino-acid "flavor crystals" in the paste. From Italy's Veneto region, made of pasteurized cow's milk.
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