Loquitur Posted January 19, 2013 Report Share Posted January 19, 2013 Anybody here love cheese/charcuterie? My husband gave me the most incredible Christmas gift this year which is the cheese club and the meat club from from Murray's Cheese in NYC, a world class shop. I will get a shipment once a month for a year of cheese and charcuterie, the first of which recently arrived consisting of the imported French cheeses Brebirousse D'Argental, Bargkass and Petit Billy and a week later, the charcuterie consisting of Duck Breast Prosciutto and Wild Boar Salami. The Murray clubs are pricey but sooo worth it in my mind considering you have top experts making choices for the club members and shipping to your home. Everything I have received has been sublime, not to mention unavailable in my local shops. But the Brebirousse D'Argental cheese is truly to die for so if you get a chance to pick it up, don't hesitate!! Susan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThreeDJ16 Posted January 20, 2013 Report Share Posted January 20, 2013 Re: Murray's Cheese Shop My wife and I also love cheese. Will have to check out that shop, always looking for new things. We have been using iGourmet.com for years (no such luck to have a gourmet cheese store around here). iGourmet has always sent us top notch cheese, packaged practically bullet proof and arrive in perfect condition even during our Georgia summers. Their staff is always friendly and take care of us anytime the need arises. And they carry practically anything gourmet you can wish. These are my absolute minimum cheese that must be in my fridge (along with two or three Havarti flavors): http://www.igourmet.com/shoppe/Parmigiano-Reggiano-Stravecchio-(3-Year-Aged-Top-Grade).asp?cat=Cheese+by+Country&subcat=Italy&cf=usp_ListProducts_Sel&cprod= http://www.igourmet.com/shoppe/Beemster-Classic-Extra-Aged-Gouda.asp?cat=&subcat=&cf=usp_ListProducts_Sel&cprod= http://www.igourmet.com/shoppe/Beemster-X.O.-Extra-DOUBLE-Aged-Gouda.asp?cat=Cheese+by+Country&subcat=Holland&cf=usp_ListProducts_Sel&cprod= http://www.igourmet.com/shoppe/Butterkase.asp Now, if someone on this forum would just point me to a link for an actual German storefront that does international orders via the internet, I would be ecstatic! Only place I can ever find to sell German food (and it is in US) ingredients is a very shady place called something like Germandeli.crap. That jerk sold me several out of date products and refused to resend proper dated products. Said I would have to order again as he wasn't paying for the shipping even after admiting to the dates being expired. So needless to say GermanDeli.crap is on my sh!tlist. germandeli.sux, germandeli.Sheisse! Sorry for the additional rant and thread stealing. Just looked at Murray's and it looks fantastic. http://www.murrayscheese.com/ -=J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loquitur Posted January 20, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2013 Re: Murray's Cheese Shop I sure hope Murray's sends me some aged gouda, like you buy from igourmet.com, soon!! A catering shop in my small village used to carry one - I don't remember the brand but it was a deep golden color and would crumble no matter how carefully you tried to slice it. It's unbelievable how different this cheese was from what they sell in a supermarket as "Gouda". But they sold the business at least 5 years ago and the new owner's eliminated the cheese section. My husband and I really loved that cheese and we haven't had it since. Thanks for posting the igourmet site. Lots of good looking stuff there and your experience is all the credibility we need to order from them. Do you or your wife ever cook with the cheese? I normally don't but just last night was looking to use up a good sized piece of Gorgonzola Dolce - about 5 oz. I looked around for recipes and finally decided on the following: Steep a sprig of rosemary in simmering heavy cream until reduced by 1/3. Take off the heat, remove the rosemary and melt the cheese in the cream, whisking the whole time. Season to taste. Pour over cooked gnocchi in a buttered casserole dish. Top with a mixture of panko and grated pecorino romano, moistened with melted butter. Bake, uncovered, for a half hour at 375. Best served as a side dish - its absolutely wonderful but rich, rich, rich!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThreeDJ16 Posted January 20, 2013 Report Share Posted January 20, 2013 Re: Murray's Cheese Shop My wife would love that dish. Pretty much anything with good cheese and pasta and I have her attention (this works for my bribe system). On occasion, we (I...since she doesn't cook) try making the most decadent mac-n-cheese possible with what's on hand. I have the feeling that some Nueske's bacon will be in the next rendition of craziest mac-n-cheese, as I still cannot contain myself about that bacon. It's like I want everyone to know how good it is, but it is so good I don't want to share it with anyone....the bacon conundrum. But we really don't cook with cheese enough....need to experiment more. Usually it is more a wine and cheese snack for us. But once you have had a pasta or zucchini with the Parmigiano Reggiano Stravecchio (3yr), you can never go back (be warned....it is that good). Also buy a good grater as it will mangle a lesser quality one. The Zyliss brand has held up very well for me and I abuse it a lot. As for the aged Gouda, personally the 18 month (extra aged) and 26 month (double aged) are perfect. It will break some, but not crumble. But what we love is it has these tiny crystals throughout bursting with flavor. And while it is a hard cheese, it still taste creamy. But sounds like the Gouda you describe above maybe the triple aged. The flavor is more intense, but it looses some the creamy texture and crumbles more. You also loose more cheese closer to the rind (too hard for snacking) the more it ages. But that is the stuff we melt and drizzle. We also like to let the cheese warm up to room temp for snacking. It is amazing just how much that changes the flavor, especially on softer cheeses like Havarti or Butterkase. But then again, I don't believe in chilling any wines either (unless your trying to save it overnight....hahaha....like I would ever leave a partial bottle). -=J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loquitur Posted January 22, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2013 Re: Murray's Cheese Shop I started a wish list at igourmet and have the Parmigiano Reggiano Stravecchio at the top. My "go to" grating cheese is Locatelli Pecorino Romano which I can buy at the local small grocery store. It's pretty good. I use lots of it so I grate 8 oz at a time in the Cuisinart with the fine grating disk. While I have it out I chop half a bunch of parsley, a couple of cloves of garlic and a jalapeno pepper or two and mix it all together with the cheese and store it in a food saver vacuum container. It keeps surprisingly well and goes good on about anything. We also like the cheese at room temp and have it as a snack with a cocktail. I prefer it on a thin slice of a baguette but my husband likes more crunch so I buy those small plain toasts with no salt or flavoring for him. Do you guys like the blue family? The Saint Agur is really nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThreeDJ16 Posted January 23, 2013 Report Share Posted January 23, 2013 Re: Murray's Cheese Shop I really like the sound of that mix you make up. Going to try that really soon. I bet pouring some olive oil over that and using it for baguette dipping sauce would be really nice too. Our general preference is to eat the cheese plain, especially for the aged gouda. Some of the softer cheese I like on a plain soda cracker or with a good summer sausage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony b Posted January 23, 2013 Report Share Posted January 23, 2013 Re: Murray's Cheese Shop You hit "the sweet spot" when you mentioned St. Agur. My absolute favorite blue cheese. Amazing actually! I once blew some friends away with sprinkling it on pomme frites with fresh rosemary. They claimed they were the best fries they'd ever eaten! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThreeDJ16 Posted January 23, 2013 Report Share Posted January 23, 2013 Re: Murray's Cheese Shop We tend to be creatures of habit in my house with the cheese selection. I really should venture out with a cheese of the month club or the such. Can't say that any blue cheese grabs my taste buds, but my experience with them is very limited. Can whole hearted say that the wife and I are no cheese connoisseurs, more so enthusiasts of specific cheese, as no stinky cheese passes under our nose. I once brought home some German cheese from a little butcher store we have near the house (it wasn't Limburger or some obvious stinky name). The owners back then were German and warned me it wasn't what most Americans are used to eating. That was the understatement of the year. I literally wanted to buy a new refrigerator after opening the cheese. Oddly enough, it did taste good, the tiny bite I could take holding my nose and gagging. Just don't see how Andrew Zimmerman does his job.....I certainly could not. -=J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loquitur Posted January 23, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2013 Re: Murray's Cheese Shop I'm with Tony on the Saint Agur - its my favorite blue and probably my favorite of any kind of cheese considering I can buy it locally. It's not as sharp or salty as many of them and I noticed the igourmet customer reviews cite several instances where a person who doesn't generally like blues loves it. The only way I can think to describe it is to say that eating it is a two step experience. First you have this incredibly unctuous texture and as you savor that, an instant later, the delectable flavors come through and encompass your taste buds. I can't help but close my eyes, throw my head back and think "this is unbelievable"!!! It would be my hors d'oeuvre if I were going to the electric chair and ordering my last meal. If you get a chance to try it I'd like to know what you think. I noticed on the Top Chef TV show in a recent episode that one of the chefs chose it as part of an appetizer and the judges really liked it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony b Posted January 25, 2013 Report Share Posted January 25, 2013 Re: Murray's Cheese Shop You nailed it. It's a sensual experience. Another favorite cheese, but will be hard to find is Robiola Di Mia Nonna, made by Reichart's Dairy Aire (cute name) here in Iowa. Iowa might be developing a name for itself in artisanal cheese production with help from another famous cheese - Maytag blue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loquitur Posted January 26, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2013 Re: Murray's Cheese Shop Lucky you, Tony. We have some local artisanal cheese producers in my area which my small market carries but I haven't been impressed yet. We also have Coach farms but its hard to classify them in the same category considering that Mario Batali married into the family and they have a wide national distribution. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony b Posted January 27, 2013 Report Share Posted January 27, 2013 Re: Murray's Cheese Shop Hey, you're in the middle of the Hudson Valley cheese makers, so I'd say you're OK. I'll toss another fav into the mix - Humboldt Fog (Cypress Grove). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loquitur Posted January 29, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2013 Re: Murray's Cheese Shop That Humboldt Fog looks so interesting with the different textures and ash. Murray's carries it and ages it in its caves beneath the streets of NYC so I can get it. I can't wait to try it!! I know we have some good cheesemakers around locally but I don't see their prodcuts in the stores or seasonal farmer's markets I frequent. But now I'm inspired to seek them out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
