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Broiled Feta with Caramelized Cinnamon Pears
Don't you just love warm, broiled cheese? We do. Even better when it's paired with earthy, sweet fruit.
The feta is baked for a few minutes so it gets all soft, then broiled and topped with sweet and caramely pears, honey and toasted pecans. Um… WHAT?
I’m, like, 99% sure that this is going to be my go-to holiday appetizer for the next two months. Please invite me somewhere.
Get the recipe
Photo by How Sweet Eats
The Secrets of Mrs. Kirkham's Lancashire Cheese
Graham Kirkham comes from a long line of cheese, and he couldn't be prouder. A maker of real Lancashire cheese, he thanks his mother for introducing him to the cheese world.
I feel we're really fortunate. Our artisanal approach means our cheese is sold in all the right places. And there's always someone interesting coming to visit us, or an interesting event to attend. We were recently invited on a US road trip with the Neal's Yard Diary team. And then we get to come back to this beautiful area at the bottom of Beacon Fell.
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Photo by Rebecca Lupton for the Guardian
Tiny Mites Spark Big Battle Over Imports Of French Cheese
Heated debate is currently surrounding Mimolette, a French cheese aged with microscopic mites. While the FDA is concerned the mites pose a risk, turophiles are in uproar, arguing on behalf of tradition.
Cheese is absolutely alive," Dutton laughs. And all of that life — the molds, bacteria, yeasts and mites — help make cheese what it is. Dutton says that the mites on Mimolette can contribute flavors of their own (they have a somewhat earthy smell), and by eating into the rind, they can also increase aeration — and the surface area in which the other microbes can do their work.
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Photo by Chris Waits
A Sad Week for the Cheese Community
With the recent loss of cheesemaker Dr. Pat Elliott, and cheese expert Fred Hull, we'll finish this week with heavy hearts. Our deepest sympathies go out to the families of these individuals.
ndeed, Fred was someone who – every year – would help me rekindle my love for my job. As much as I love cheesemongering, there are times in any job where things get you down. The customer service nightmares, the invoice hassles, the cleaning of the drains… whatever. Fred’s enthusiasm for cheese couldn’t help but make you forget all those things.
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Photo by Gordon Edgar
A Cheese Shop in a Slim Crown Heights Space
There's a new cheese shop in NYC! "Wedge" is a small storefront, literally wedged onto Franklin Avenue. But what they lack in area, they make up for in worthwhile stock.
And with the expertise of Lilith Spencer, who had been at Bklyn Larder, the cheese and provisions shop, they are stocking their bright little place with some real finds. Among them are a goat’s milk ricotta from Edgwick Farm in Cornwall, N.Y.; a couple of tommes from the Kokoborrego Cheese Company in Mount Gilead, Ohio; and an organic Parmigiano-Reggiano from Italy.
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Photo by Uli Seit for The New York Times
Springtime Portobello, Asparagus, and Prosciutto Pizza with Balsamic Glaze
You could probably put balsamic glaze on anything, and it would be good. But putting it on top of a pizza that's covered in crisp spring veggies, and salty, savory prosciutto? Sign us up.
What I think I love most about this pizza, however – besides the balsamic glaze – is that the asparagus spears get a bit crispy too. You know I like to roast the heck out of my vegetables, like roast until they are near death, and if you put super skinny spears on your pizza, they will roast perfectly.
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Photo by How Sweet Eats
Peanut Brittle with Cheese: A Fun Pairing
Think about it -- the adjectives used to describe peanut brittle are often the same used to describe alpine cheese: sweet, nutty, snackable, etc. It only makes sense to pair the two! Which cheese do you think would work best? A Comte perhaps? Or maybe a sheep's milk from the Pyrenees? Something else?
Think of cheeses with similar attributes. Go for hard cheeses that can stand up texturally to the brittle. And then think of flavor. Pick cheeses that have some heft, like parmigiano reggiano, cave aged gruyere, or a well-aged comte. These are the nutty numbers, whose sweetness will only be elevated alongside that brown sugary richness of a brittle.
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Photo by Nora Singley
DIY Labaneh
If you're just dipping your toes into the world of DIY cheesemaking, Labaneh is the perfect place to start. Since it's made with yogurt, no starter is needed, making the directions easy and clear to follow. Labaneh can be served the next day drizzled with olive oil for a simple breakfast or snack.
Thick, tart, and creamy, this yogurt-like cheese, when eaten together with olive oil, pita bread, and za'atar spice, makes a typical Galilean breakfast.
Get the recipe
Photo by Eilon Paz
Grilled Cheese Tacos
When you hear "Grilled Cheese Taco," your mind may create an image of some strange grilled cheese-taco shell hybrid. This is not that. Instead, it's quite literally grilled cheese -- Mexican grilling cheese (similar to halloumi) to be exact -- inside a corn tortilla with traditional taco toppings. Sounds a lot better, huh?
The warm, softened cheese made for a fine taco filling, providing the main heft, while the avocado and salsa did most of the work on the flavor. It was a quick and easy taco that will be in my Cinco de Mayo party line-up right along with al pastor and skirt steak fajitas.
Photo by Joshua Bousel
Small-Town Ice Cream Truckers' Anarchic Reign of Terror Challenged
You think your small town has drama? Well, do they have battling ice cream trucks that have routinely attack one another -- verbally, physically, and legally? Unless you're one of the sixteen thousand in Gloversville, New York, probably not. And you should be thankful.
Between Scott and Joshua Malatino, the Frank Nitti of her ice-cream-vending spelling abomination, the Sno Kone Joe vendors have run into the law ten times since 2009—yes, over fighting in pizza parlors, and yes, over arguing with 14-year-old customers, but most of all, over territorial disputes with their sworn enemy, Mr. Ding-A-Ling (owned by Phillip Hollister).
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Photo by Adrian Zenz/Shutterstock

