"I've never tasted so many American cheeses in such a concentrated amount of time." Murray's Cheese successfully packed a group of 55 die-hard cheese fanatics from New York on a bus to Shelburne Farms outside of Burlington, Vermont, to the first-ever Vermont Cheesemaker's Festival this past Sunday. As one of the lucky passengers of this 24-hour fiesta, I have nothing but praise for the organizers of the trip, my fellow bus-riders, our bus driver John, and over fifty cheesemakers and artisan food producers at the festival. Though I've never considered myself a cheesehead, I've been known to attend a cheese tasting and class or two and am usually the one at the table to pick our cheese plate selections. I've...
Continue reading »
Vermont's hills are alive with the sound of "Oma!" Brothers Sebastian and Dan Von Trapp (yes, they are related to those Von Trapps) have just released Oma, an amazing new cheese from the Mad River Valley in Vermont. A washed-rind raw cow's milk cheese, Oma's silky texture (soft and supple, but not runny) is perhaps its most unique feature. But its taste delivers too. The cheese is earthy, barnyardy, and buttery, and the raw milk makes for a complexity of flavor absent in most American cheeses of its ilk. "Oma" is German for "grandmother," and the cheese is named after Sebastian and Dan's Oma, Erica Von Trapp, who started the family farm 50 years ago. The farm has a...
Continue reading »
"Serving cheese plates to your guests that have five or six equally portioned, triangular cheeses is a beautiful thing." The knowledgeable folks at New York's Murray's Cheese have launched a series of interesting and helpful cheese videos on their website. The first series covers Portion Control, or how to properly cut different types of cheeses based on their shape and texture. Taylor Cocalis, Murray's director of education, hosts the videos, which cover exactly how to cut and portion all of the major types of cheeses: lightly aged goat, bloomy rind, washed rind, pressed, cooked, and blue. Usually learning such things requires purchasing an expensive ticket to one of Murray's otherwise excellent classes, but these videos are free....
Continue reading »
Legendary New York City cheesemonger Murray's has just signed a deal with Kroger in which it will help expand the grocery chain's specialty cheese selections. From the press release announcing the pact: "We're thrilled to be pairing with Kroger," says Rob Kaufelt, President of Murray's Cheese. "As one of the nation's largest retail grocery chains, this opportunity gives Murray's an unprecedented chance to fulfill our mission, which is, simply, to bring great cheese to everyone." "Our partnership with Murray's allows us to build on their expertise as we expand our cheese offerings for our customers," said Jeff Burt, Vice President of Deli Bakery Merchandising for Kroger. The Kroger Co. operates in 31 states, either as Kroger's or as one of...
Continue reading »
