Ursula Heinzelmann, Wein- & Essenschreiberin
Even if the sun still has a real burn, September sounds like autumn to me, sounds like a certain golden glow, a quietness in the air… and it sounds like squash! And such a bright orange squash calls out for risotto. Which finally brings us to cheese: Castelmagno, that cave ripened, ancient original from the Piemontese Alps. » Weiterlesen…
When I wrote the invite for this cheesetalk I had been sitting in Cambridge MA, and those of you familiar with the ongoings in Heinzelcheese land, or just generally knowledgeable in cheesy matters, knew where I would go to get my cheese: Ihsan Gurdal’s Formaggio Kitchen is a real paradise. During my five weeks in the US I had met so many fantastic people, tasted such great cheeses and wonderful wines, that I wanted to share at least of few of them with you. For instance David Gremmels‘ excellent blue cheeses from the Rogue River valley in southern Oregon. Or the Cowgirls‘ fantastic soft cheeses from Marin County, one hour drive north of San Francisco, right on the Pacific. And so much more… » Weiterlesen…
July was a wonderfully full month in Heinzelcheese land, and it’s spilling into August. That’s why I’d like to present you one of the great finds from my travels as cheese of the month for this August: Shana Miller’s Grey Baby from Naramata in the beautiful Okanagan Valley in Canada. » Weiterlesen…
It was a quickie: we had one hour overlap between her getting out of the weekly summer closure and me having to run to the airport. But hey, the things that can happen in an hour… One can discover a new favored place, a bunch of great cheeses, a fabulously dedicated person behind the counter, AND drink a glass of one’s favorite New Mexico (YES) pink bubbly… All that is exactly what happened this afternoon, on 1126 SW Alder Street in Portland, at Chizu. » Weiterlesen…
Szent György-hegy and Badacsony – no, I hadn’t heard about this region either before tasting these wines. But those northern shores of Lake Balaton, west of Budapest look dreamy on pictures. And the wines Robert Gilvesy sent me to taste had something special. While Sauvignon Blanc and a white blend were pleasant if on the light side (sandy soils?), two other bottles really stood out. » Weiterlesen…
Three days full of Riesling – in the glass, meeting producers, mingle with somms and journos? Yes!! In beautiful Seattle, organized by Chateau Ste Michelle and the Dr Loosen crew? Double yes! But it gets even better: we brought back the immensely popular off-dry Riesling & Smoked Salmon tasting AND I personally presented some cheese.
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If I was American I’d use the word awesome – cos that’s how I feel! And honored and proud and grateful to take my Beyond Bratwurst book to that temple of food books on the west coast: Omnivore Books in San Francisco. So whoever happens to be around and in reach, come and meet us on Friday, July 22nd, between 6.30 and 7.30pm at 3885a Cesar Chavez Street. » Weiterlesen…
„We couldn’t buy good food back then“ Norman Steele explains when I ask him why his wife Veronica started making cheese back in the early 1970s, long before anybody was talking about farmhouse cheese. Like many other townfolks turned farmers (Norman had previously studied and lectured philosophy in Dublin) they quickly discovered that one cow has more milk to offer than a young family can consume as such.
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The Blue Cornflower is my cheese of the month in May, this wonderful month between (finally!) winter and summer, with the sun shining from a blue sky, birds chirping happily, flowers flowering… Because again and again, it achieves that small wonder to convince even declared blue cheese haters to look beyond their perceived horizon.
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In May, the Heinzelcheese network resulted in something very special: handcrafted cheeses from the Cyclades. Complete withe local experts! And, of course, Greek wines, from one of the super stars, Stellios Boutaris of Kir-Yianni. Who, unfortunately, could not be present, but the wonderful Aglaia Kremezi and her husband Costas Moraitis came and told us about the island of Kea, the gorgeous cooking school they run there during the summer, and the stories of the cheeses they brought for us. » Weiterlesen…