Hi readers! And welcome to my new subscribers!
I’ve got lots of goodies for you in this week’s Friday Fromage.
Big cheese orders arrived this week — and with big cheese orders come oodles of cheese pics!
But first, I want to invite you to join me at my other newsletter — Sealing Wax, Cabbages, and Kings — where we “talk of many things” and go where the learning adventure takes us.
This week’s post discusses the Fascinating Victorian Language of Flowers.
I hope to see you there!
Since I promised you big cheese — I thought we’d start with a video.
I took this time lapse of myself breaking up a quarter wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano.
Yep, this is a quarter wheel, weighing in at 20 pounds.
A whole wheel — 80 pounds! — of Parmigiano-Reggiano would last the shop about 4 years!
I honestly don’t think I could break up a whole wheel by myself — though I’ve seen it done.
I have a vacuum sealer that I use for the smaller pieces once I’ve broken up these giant wheels.
Next — check out the cuteness. Double creme1 cheese hearts from Nettle Meadow Farm!
These beautiful cheeses come to the shop via special order for Valentine’s Day.
Called Hearts and Roses, these creamy cuties are infused with rose hip tea, and rolled in rose petals and hibiscus flowers.
Perfect paired with a little rose champagne and your sweetie.
I also got a new (old favorite) blue cheese in from the badass cheesemakers at Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co.
Point Reyes Original Blue was my first love in American blue cheese when I first tasted it nearly 20 years ago — when I was still working in my first job as a monger.
It is an outstanding cheese — with the complexity that raw milk offers — rich and creamy, with tons of blue cheese flavor without being overly aggressive.
In short, it might be the perfect American blue — built to satisfy any person who enjoys blue cheese at a reasonable price.
I also got this hilariously punny cheese from Central Coast Creamery.
Get it?
Normally, I would stay away from something this…cheesy…but it comes recommended by Liz Thorpe. I’ve also tried other cheeses from Central Coast and the flavors are solid at a very friendly price point.
This cheese is my latest attempt in a saga to replace Snowfields — a butterkase style cheese from Saxon Creamery — that I can’t get from my supplier anymore.
It was one of my best sellers. Butterkase literally means “butter cheese” and the semi-firm texture made it the consummate crowd-pleaser. Plus the price was right.
I can’t have only one Alpine style cheese in my case, y’all.
It’s sacrilege.
So Holey Cow it is.
And finally, I ordered a whole wheel of Beemster XO Gouda — normally I order a quarter wheel — but I was ordering from a different supplier and they only sell it by the whole wheel.
Of course, I forgot how difficult it is to break up a wheel of Beemster XO because it had been a minute. Wax rind + hard cheese = total pain in the ass.
Look at the size of this thing! 22 pounds!
I actually had to use the double handled cheese knife alongside the wire — which almost snapped twice.
Here’s a video:
I hate the double handled cheese knife. I’m never tall enough to be able to use my body weight properly on the damn counter.
Standing on my tiptoes, breaking up giant wheels of cheese.
Such is the life of a Cheese Pixie.
And now, for a Mr. Kitty Action Shot:
He gets really excited when we watch Bird TV on YouTube.
Until next time, cheese (and cat!) lovers!
Curd Culture is a reader supported publication. Thank you for supporting my dream of using my cheese experience to make a difference on two issues I care about: sustainable family farming and animal welfare.
Double creme means 60-74% butterfat. Learn more about these cheeses in my guide to bloomy rind cheeses.
This was mouthwatering. I’ve also subscribed to cabbages & kings. Wonderful break from current events. 😁✌🏻