Week 25 – Party at Casa de Burritos!
One day I will live in a big house large enough to throw a decent party. Growing up, my mom loved to throw theme parties (one time she did a western theme, with big troughs for drinks and our entire floor covered in straw; another was Moroccan themed, where everyone sat on pillows on the floor and all of the walls and ceiling were draped in tapestry) and that love of throwing parties has not been lost on me. Also, if you’re going to do it, do it right; go big or go home. Reina and I (half jokingly but actually pretty seriously) talk about having a side business, her being the ideas woman and I the executer, throwing parties for people in our age range. 30th birthday party? We got you. Engagement party? Done. Hell, we’ll throw you the best fucking divorce party.
So for the cheese night that week I had a group of 7 or so over, and we were still practically sitting on each other’s laps. One day I will throw a cheese party the likes of which have never been seen, with a cheese fountain (not talkin' a fondue fountain, I'm talkin’ Bellagio fountain scale) and a giant cheese sculpture, probably in the shape of a cow, and we'd get crazy with the Cheez Whiz. But, until then, we have week 25; casa de Burritos.
"I just shar-chuted myself" - Lauren
The cheeses: Port Salut Garrotxa Piave Vecchio Costwold
Port Salut: I had this idea that I wanted to do cheese with jam baked in a puff pastry, but specifically did not want to do a Brie. Cute Cheese Guy, whose name I've still never bothered to learn (also, how weird is it to be a 'character' in some strangers blog. Not weird at all, right?) suggested going with the Port Salut. So I cut up little chunks of the Port Salut, spread them on the puff pastry, and added a dollop of mixed berry jam, before wrapping them up and baking them. They didn’t exactly come out looking beautiful, in my head they we’re supposed to look like turnovers, instead of the exploded flower buds they turned out like, but they tasted good!
Port Salut is a soft, pasteurized, cow’s milk cheese, with a funny looking brine-
washed orange rind from the province of Brittany, on the coast of France. Aged, for a month, the cheese has a pungent smell, however, it's bark is worse than it's bite, being very mild in flavor.
Garrotxa: After a few times of eating 'inedible' rinds I've finally gotten hip to asking ahead of time. This one was an easy give away because the hunk of cheese that I had looked like a little rock (one website described it as a 'river stone', they clearly have a more elegant grip on the English language than I do). Upon closer inspection, the rind is just really moldy, the one i picked out having grey, black, blue, and even a little bit of purple mold. Like, straight up Ol Drippy status.
Garrotxa, pronounced ga-ROCH-ah, is a goat cheese of the Murciana breed from Catalonia. While having the hard outer rind, the inner cheese is semi-soft, cave aged for 4-8 weeks. Several websites describe this cheese as being 'nearly extinct' until 1981 when cheesemakers brought it back into popularity. But that really begs the question, can a food be extinct? I'd think not. I mean, sure the breed of goat could go extinct and then I'd agree. But to me, it's like saying a name can go extinct because no one uses it anymore. Semantics. Flavor wise, Garrotxa has an nutty, earthy, flavor with a hint of tang at the end. It's a great wine pairing cheese, complimenting red wines.
Hey guys, remember me?
Piave Vecchio: The way CCG described this one to me was 'Parmesan meets cheddar' and I'd say that that is an accurate description. It has the color and texture of a Parmesan, while carrying the flavor notes of a really sharp cheddar.
Piave is a cows milk cheese, named after the Piave river in the Veneto region of Italy. Piave is cooked curd cheese, and has five different stages:
Piave Fresco, aged for 1-3 months Piave Mezzano, aged for 3-6 months Piave Vecchio, aged over six months but under a year Piave Vecchio Selezione Oro, aged over 12 months Piave Vecchio Riserva, aged more than 18 months
We had the middle of the road, 6-12 month aged Piave Vecchio. I'd be interested to know that the last two taste like, ours, was already a very sharp, crumbly, nutty, salty cheese, and as cheeses continue to mature as do those flavors. Overall it's a good table cheese, easily popular, and would be great shaved on a salad or with a pasta dish.
Costwold: Costwold is a funny cheese with a funny name. It's a variation (read: knock-off) of Gloucester, a traditional cheese from Gloucestershire, England. It's a semi-hard, bright yellow, cow's milk cheese, tasting much like a cheddar, with bits of onion and chives mixed throughout. The Internet describes this cheese as "buttery, sweet and mild" but I got the exact opposite flavor profile. I found Cotswold flavor to be really hearty, slightly meaty even, and easily the boldest flavor on the plate. Because the onions and chives give it such flavor, this cheese really is best with something simple, a cracker or baguette, although does pair nicely with a beer. It also melts well and would make an excellent dip for tortilla chips. The next time I try this cheese that would be the way I'd like to do it.
Thanks to all the folks that came over and brought stuff! Shout out to Dana, Niko, Lauren, Matt, and of course, always Byron and Dominic! Until next time!