Cheese of the month September 2016: Castelmagno from Piemont

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…

Heinzelcheesetalk #29: Some of my favorite US American cheeses. Friday, August 12, 2016

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…

Cheese of the month August 2016: Grey Baby from Upper Bench Creamery/Okanagan, BC Canada

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…

Chizu: a sushi-style cheese bar in Portland/Oregon

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…

Two bottles: Volcanic Hungary from Robert Gilvesy

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…