Over rated.

England finally discovers something with taste, and declare it the
best cheese in the world. Hate to break it to you, but France and
Italy have been doing this for about 1,000 years longer and have a
lot better blue cheeses. Stilton isn't any better than many
American made blues (St Pete's, Marin French Cheese Company). and
they certainly can't complete with other European blues. There's
nothing special in it's process that differentiates it from any
other cow's milk cheese made from penicillium roqueforti ("foot
odor" in English).

The best blue, IMO, comes from Ireland - Cashel blue. But I know
tastes in cheese vary wildly. I'll spare you the "fruity
undertones" and "burnished tannins"-type descriptions.

And don't get me started on the Roqueforts. The best one out there
was on sale for limited time at Newflower/Sunflower market and I
can't recall the name of it or recognize it from any lists available
online (it sounded like a womans name - Like "Maria").

I do have to take back my, "Societe' is a perfectly fine Roquefort"
statment. Somebody told me it was near the bottom of the list, and
of course I huffed and puffed and probably called him tasteless.
But once I tasted it again after trying many of the others, I agree.
It's not in the top half of the list.

-sw

Sqwertz > wrote:

>Over rated.

>England finally discovers something with taste, and declare it the
>best cheese in the world. Hate to break it to you, but France and
>Italy have been doing this for about 1,000 years longer and have a
>lot better blue cheeses. Stilton isn't any better than many
>American made blues (St Pete's, Marin French Cheese Company). and
>they certainly can't complete with other European blues. There's
>nothing special in it's process that differentiates it from any
>other cow's milk cheese made from penicillium roqueforti ("foot
>odor" in English).

>The best blue, IMO, comes from Ireland - Cashel blue.

I happen to really like Cashel also. I think it travels better
than Stilton, which isn't really impressive until it ages
to total ripeness on a whole-wheel basis.

In my mind, they're all good -- Stilton, Gorgonzola, Maytag,
Cashel... and Point Reyes, although the latter is usually
way oversalted.

Steve

On Sun, 21 Feb 2010 20:03:52 +0000 (UTC), (Steve Pope)
wrote:

>I happen to really like Cashel also....

We like Cashel too, but don't think it's as richly flavored as a good aged
Gorgonzola or French blue (d'Auvergne, de Bresse, or Roquefort). And of course
Shropshire Blue is in its own special category.

Dogs like Cashel, as well -- a friend's pet died last year after eating a 2-1/2
lb. chunk of Cashel left unguarded for a few moments on a picnic table in their
back yard. Being Irish/Scottish, they held a dog wake for poor old Jake -- it
was a blast!

>In my mind, they're all good -- Stilton, Gorgonzola, Maytag,
>Cashel... and Point Reyes, although the latter is usually
>way oversalted.

Agreed on the Point Reyes saltiness. And the Maytag has way too chemical a
flavor for us. Actually, we've never had a North American blue we thought could
compare to a top European blue. Nor many NA cheeses in general, despite the hype
for Cowgirl and the like.

And the European cheesmakers often offer a much wider range of chesses,
including the likes of dolce Gorgonzola.

Possibly the American cheese we've though most highly of in recent years is
Grayson, from Meadow Creek Dairy in VA. Really fine. We even found it being
served at Bern's in Tampa (the pre-eminent steakhouse in the country, sez us 8
)

We had a new (to us) Stilton from Whole Foods this week -- Borough Market
Stilton. Probably the best blue we've tasted in the last year or two. Much
better than the usual Neal's Yard imports.

-- Larry

pltrgyst wrote:


> Agreed on the Point Reyes saltiness. And the Maytag has way too
> chemical a flavor for us. Actually, we've never had a North
American
> blue we thought could compare to a top European blue. Nor many NA
> cheeses in general, despite the hype for Cowgirl and the like.

I'm probably repeating myself here, but search for DOP cheeses, at
least for italian production. That guarantees you're eating a
product who's been verified as real. The DOP system is of european
origin so in Italy it's called DOP (denominazione d'origine
protetta) while in other UE countries it's named differently. Tha
logo is a round with a blue external circle with the yellow stars of
the UE countries.

> And the European cheesmakers often offer a much wider range of
> chesses, including the likes of dolce Gorgonzola.

Dolce, if made carefully, can be amazing.
--
Vilco
Don't think pink: drink rosé

On Sun, 21 Feb 2010 20:03:52 +0000 (UTC), Steve Pope wrote:

> Sqwertz > wrote:
>
>>The best blue, IMO, comes from Ireland - Cashel blue.
>
> I happen to really like Cashel also. I think it travels better
> than Stilton, which isn't really impressive until it ages
> to total ripeness on a whole-wheel basis.

The imported ripe cheese used to be like $12-$15 7-10 years ago.
Now I can't find anything less than $24.99. Cashel is the exception
when found at my "non-gourmet" store at $23.95.

It's all artificial pricing. Bush Jr and Sr are adept in the Lobby
Game. They have imposed ridiculous taxes on European products in
retaliation for anything that their Lobby's care to scratch.
Roquefort is $35/lb here now.

<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/28/AR2009012804071.html?hpid=topnews>

It's these "thugs" and "scroundrels" that Stack was talking about in
his suicide letter. We're paying the government through our ears in
more ways than one. The lobbyists pay them to impose the tax, and I
get to pay them after they impose the unnecessary tax. Imagine the
economy if the government weren't so corrupt.

> In my mind, they're all good -- Stilton, Gorgonzola, Maytag,
> Cashel... and Point Reyes, although the latter is usually
> way oversalted.

I think some of the American made and even Rosenburg (Danish) have a
waxy texture. I don't like that. And as I get older, I think some
of cheaper brands have become downright bitter. I can no longer use
marie's Blue Cheese dressing, for example (and I can't find their
Roquefort anymore).

-sw

On Sun, 21 Feb 2010 16:41:02 -0500, pltrgyst wrote:

> And the European cheesmakers often offer a much wider range of chesses,
> including the likes of dolce Gorgonzola.

Aww, come on - Salemville make a Gorgonzola!

Just kidding. The proper dolce is one of my top two cheese styles
(the other being Roquefort). But they are never American made. The
texture of American ripe cheese sucks. As while the texture was
still off, I was impressed with the St Pete's I picked up at the
American Cheese Society Conference last year.

> We had a new (to us) Stilton from Whole Foods this week -- Borough Market
> Stilton. Probably the best blue we've tasted in the last year or two. Much
> better than the usual Neal's Yard imports.

I don't buy ripe cheese at Hole Foods because of the Snob Mark-up.
The prices here in Austin are outrageous when compared to other
cities Hole Foods.

-sw

pltrgyst > wrote:

> We had a new (to us) Stilton from Whole Foods this week --
> Borough Market Stilton.

That's a fakey sounding name. Borough Market is the name
of a farmers' market; there is a Neal's Yard Dairy right
next to Borough Market; and Neal's Yard carries famous Stiltons
such as those from Colston Basset. Also, respected dairies
sell their cheeses in Borough Market proper.

"Borough Market Stilton" sounds to me like a way of alluding
to Stiltons of desirable origin without actually paying for one.

Steve

"Sqwertz" > wrote in message
...
> Over rated.
>
> England finally discovers something with taste, and declare it the
> best cheese in the world. Hate to break it to you, but France and
> Italy have been doing this for about 1,000 years longer and have a
> lot better blue cheeses.

You, sir, are an ignorant fool! Even the French recognise Stilton as a
great cheese!
Now go back to your Philly dips!
Argus

Sqwertz > wrote:

>On Sun, 21 Feb 2010 20:03:52 +0000 (UTC), Steve Pope wrote:
>> I happen to really like Cashel also. I think it travels better
>> than Stilton, which isn't really impressive until it ages
>> to total ripeness on a whole-wheel basis.

>The imported ripe cheese used to be like $12-$15 7-10 years ago.
>Now I can't find anything less than $24.99. Cashel is the exception
>when found at my "non-gourmet" store at $23.95.

>It's all artificial pricing. Bush Jr and Sr are adept in the Lobby
>Game. They have imposed ridiculous taxes on European products in
>retaliation for anything that their Lobby's care to scratch.
>Roquefort is $35/lb here now.

><http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/28/AR2009012804071.html?hpid=topnews>

I have heard about these high taxes. Fact is, the gummint
needs the money and, due to wealth disparity at a record
high (*), the cheese sells anyway.


Steve

(*) http://seekingalpha.com/article/1896...-1920-s-levels -- "Share of nation's income going to top
one percent at highest level since 1920's"

Sqwertz wrote:
> Over rated.
>
> England finally discovers something with taste, and declare it the
> best cheese in the world. Hate to break it to you, but France and
> Italy have been doing this for about 1,000 years longer and have a
> lot better blue cheeses. Stilton isn't any better than many
> American made blues (St Pete's, Marin French Cheese Company). and
> they certainly can't complete with other European blues. There's
> nothing special in it's process that differentiates it from any
> other cow's milk cheese made from penicillium roqueforti ("foot
> odor" in English).
>
> The best blue, IMO, comes from Ireland - Cashel blue. But I know
> tastes in cheese vary wildly. I'll spare you the "fruity
> undertones" and "burnished tannins"-type descriptions.
>
> And don't get me started on the Roqueforts. The best one out there
> was on sale for limited time at Newflower/Sunflower market and I
> can't recall the name of it or recognize it from any lists available
> online (it sounded like a womans name - Like "Maria").
>
> I do have to take back my, "Societe' is a perfectly fine Roquefort"
> statment. Somebody told me it was near the bottom of the list, and
> of course I huffed and puffed and probably called him tasteless.
> But once I tasted it again after trying many of the others, I agree.
> It's not in the top half of the list.
>
> -sw


I bought a pound of English Stilton for Christmas. I still have
about half of it; it's good but not as good as Maytag blue. I may
try out this recipe:


Celery and Stilton Soup
(from http://suzette.typepad.com/the_joy_o...oplereal_soup/)

1 bunch celery
1 medium onion (chopped)
3 tablespoons of butter
3 3/4 cups light vegetable or chicken stock
2 egg yolks
2/3 cup of half and half
1 cup of crumbled blue cheese
salt and pepper to taste.

Reserve the inner leaves from the celery and chop the remaining
celery. Melt butter in a large saucepan. Gently cook celery and
onion, covered, until soft. Add stock and bring to a boil. Simmer
20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Cool slightly. In a food
processor fitted with a metal blade or a blender, process mixture to
a puree. Return puree to pan and reheat gently without bringing to a
boil.

To finish the soup, beat egg yolks and half-and-half in a small
bowl. Stir a small ladleful of hot soup into the egg mixutre and
pour back into the pan. Stir in crumbled blue cheese, stirring
constantly until soup thickens. Season with salt and pepper and
garnish with inner celery leaves. Serve immediately.

Cathy writes these additional tips: "The recipe calls for Stilton,
but gorgonzola works fine as will any strong blue. It's far easier
to use a wand blender [to puree], and you don't have to wait for the
soup to cool. If the soup is to be held, be sure to reheat gently."

"Steve Pope" > wrote in message ...
| pltrgyst > wrote:
|
| > We had a new (to us) Stilton from Whole Foods this week --
| > Borough Market Stilton.
|
| That's a fakey sounding name. Borough Market is the name
| of a farmers' market; there is a Neal's Yard Dairy right
| next to Borough Market; and Neal's Yard carries famous Stiltons
| such as those from Colston Basset. Also, respected dairies
| sell their cheeses in Borough Market proper.
|
| "Borough Market Stilton" sounds to me like a way of alluding
| to Stiltons of desirable origin without actually paying for one.

Well, almost. Neal's Yard has done immense service to the
British cheese industries by subsidizing, perfecting and marketing
the superb British cheeses. Colston Basset is another player
in the game, not nearly as fine nor with the amazing financial
encouragement that Neal's Yard offers the cheesemakers.

My impression is that Neal's Yard in some way offended His
Holiness John Mackey, the owner of Whole Foods. All of a sudden
we were discouraged from buying Neal's Yard cheeses; without
alternative. Then Borough Market started seeping in as the
required cheese type (In theory we could buy what we felt best,
but we were constantly reminded of the Financial Benefits of
buying the Borough Market Cheeses. They are not bad, but
not at all in Neal's Yard's class, and in no way the supporters
and encouragers of artisanal cheeses in Britain that Neal's Yard
is. The Financial Benefits, btw, were that we could charge about
a buck less per pound for the Burough Market cheeses than the
Neal's Yard, regardless of the fact that we were buying it for $5
or more per pound less. Got the picture?

pavane

I will miss the moldy cheeses, as well as Brie.

I developed a penicillin allergy some years ago, and I've never been
able to ascertain from any medical documents whether it's going to be
a problem for me or not.

Sucks, because I used to love those.

-J

"pavane" > wrote in message
...
|
| "Steve Pope" > wrote in message ...
|| pltrgyst > wrote:
||
|| > We had a new (to us) Stilton from Whole Foods this week --
|| > Borough Market Stilton.
||
|| That's a fakey sounding name. Borough Market is the name
|| of a farmers' market; there is a Neal's Yard Dairy right
|| next to Borough Market; and Neal's Yard carries famous Stiltons
|| such as those from Colston Basset. Also, respected dairies
|| sell their cheeses in Borough Market proper.
||
|| "Borough Market Stilton" sounds to me like a way of alluding
|| to Stiltons of desirable origin without actually paying for one.
|
| Well, almost. Neal's Yard has done immense service to the
| British cheese industries by subsidizing, perfecting and marketing
| the superb British cheeses. Colston Basset is another player
| in the game, not nearly as fine nor with the amazing financial
| encouragement that Neal's Yard offers the cheesemakers.
|
| My impression is that Neal's Yard in some way offended His
| Holiness John Mackey, the owner of Whole Foods. All of a sudden
| we were discouraged from buying Neal's Yard cheeses; without
| alternative. Then Borough Market started seeping in as the
| required cheese type (In theory we could buy what we felt best,
| but we were constantly reminded of the Financial Benefits of
| buying the Borough Market Cheeses. They are not bad, but
| not at all in Neal's Yard's class, and in no way the supporters
| and encouragers of artisanal cheeses in Britain that Neal's Yard
| is. The Financial Benefits, btw, were that we could charge about
| a buck less per pound for the Burough Market cheeses than the
| Neal's Yard, regardless of the fact that we were buying it for $5
| or more per pound less. Got the picture?
|
| pavane

Thoroughly sorry, in the first paragraph above I mentioned Colston
Basset, which is the Great Stilton producer carried by Neal's Yard.
Just wasn't thinking well. It should have read "Borough Market."
Sorry .

pavane

On Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:01:17 +0000 (UTC), Steve Pope wrote:

> I have heard about these high taxes. Fact is, the gummint
> needs the money and, due to wealth disparity at a record
> high (*), the cheese sells anyway.

Yeah, well. I'll enjoy the day they endorse Political Reform and
it's raining politicians in downtown DC. On the other hand, since
there really aren't many tall buildings in DC, maybe they'll live on
in agony. Even better.

-sw

On Sun, 21 Feb 2010 16:13:54 -0700, Argus Tuft wrote:

> You, sir, are an ignorant fool! Even the French recognise Stilton as a
> great cheese!
> Now go back to your Philly dips!

Even *imitation cheese* and cream cheese beat out Stilton!

http://www.rateitall.com/t-133-types-of-cheese.aspx

Heh.

-sw

"phaeton" > wrote in message
...
|I will miss the moldy cheeses, as well as Brie.
|
| I developed a penicillin allergy some years ago, and I've never been
| able to ascertain from any medical documents whether it's going to be
| a problem for me or not.
|
| Sucks, because I used to love those.

It may well be a problem, be careful:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stilton_(cheese)
" A number of blue cheeses are made in a similar way to Stilton. All these
cheeses get their blue veins from the saprotrophic fungus Penicillium roqueforti.
Examples include Gorgonzola cheese of Italy, which is made from either cows'
or goats' milk; and Roquefort, which is made with ewes' milk. "

Penicillin is Penicillin. Sorry. At Whole Foods we refused to sell any blue
cheeses to anyone who had a penicillin allergy. When Brie is molded the
surface is sprayed with a penicillin mold, so is Camembert. It is too
dangerous to fool with. Have caviar instead. Or really good Parmesan.

pavane

"Argus Tuft" > wrote in message ...
|
| "Sqwertz" > wrote in message
| ...
| > Over rated.
| >
| > England finally discovers something with taste, and declare it the
| > best cheese in the world. Hate to break it to you, but France and
| > Italy have been doing this for about 1,000 years longer and have a
| > lot better blue cheeses.
|
| You, sir, are an ignorant fool! Even the French recognise Stilton as a
| great cheese!

Well, for whatever that is worth. There is a lot of very bad Stilton on
the market. When you ever come across a good one (soft, creamy,
smooth spreading and bursting with the combination Cheddar/Blue
flavor) you will recognize it as a quality cheese. There is none I could
recommend as they all vary in an insane manner. You probably will
have to go to a cheesemonger who buys full forms and knows when
to cut them, altho the normal problem is that they are too old by the
time they get to the US. The stuff packed in crocks or by the wedge
in supermarkets is meretricious to the extreme, and to the dismay of
a world class cheese.

pavane

pavane > wrote:

>"Steve Pope" > wrote in message

[ Borough Market Stilton ]

>| That's a fakey sounding name. Borough Market is the name
>| of a farmers' market; there is a Neal's Yard Dairy right
>| next to Borough Market; and Neal's Yard carries famous Stiltons
>| such as those from Colston Basset. Also, respected dairies
>| sell their cheeses in Borough Market proper.

>| "Borough Market Stilton" sounds to me like a way of alluding
>| to Stiltons of desirable origin without actually paying for one.

>Well, almost. Neal's Yard has done immense service to the
>British cheese industries by subsidizing, perfecting and marketing
>the superb British cheeses. Colston Basset is another player
>in the game, not nearly as fine nor with the amazing financial
>encouragement that Neal's Yard offers the cheesemakers.

>My impression is that Neal's Yard in some way offended His
>Holiness John Mackey, the owner of Whole Foods. All of a sudden
>we were discouraged from buying Neal's Yard cheeses; without
>alternative. Then Borough Market started seeping in as the
>required cheese type (In theory we could buy what we felt best,
>but we were constantly reminded of the Financial Benefits of
>buying the Borough Market Cheeses. They are not bad, but
>not at all in Neal's Yard's class, and in no way the supporters
>and encouragers of artisanal cheeses in Britain that Neal's Yard
>is. The Financial Benefits, btw, were that we could charge about
>a buck less per pound for the Burough Market cheeses than the
>Neal's Yard, regardless of the fact that we were buying it for $5
>or more per pound less. Got the picture?

Well, I fail to see any information in what you are saying that
is contradictory to what I wrote above. It is still a fake
name attempting to leverage of other producers' reputations.

Steve

"Steve Pope" > wrote in message ...
| pavane > wrote:
|
| >"Steve Pope" > wrote in message
|
| [ Borough Market Stilton ]
|
| >| That's a fakey sounding name. Borough Market is the name
| >| of a farmers' market; there is a Neal's Yard Dairy right
| >| next to Borough Market; and Neal's Yard carries famous Stiltons
| >| such as those from Colston Basset. Also, respected dairies
| >| sell their cheeses in Borough Market proper.
|
| >| "Borough Market Stilton" sounds to me like a way of alluding
| >| to Stiltons of desirable origin without actually paying for one.
|
| >Well, almost. Neal's Yard has done immense service to the
| >British cheese industries by subsidizing, perfecting and marketing
| >the superb British cheeses. Colston Basset is another player
| >in the game, not nearly as fine nor with the amazing financial
| >encouragement that Neal's Yard offers the cheesemakers.
|
| >My impression is that Neal's Yard in some way offended His
| >Holiness John Mackey, the owner of Whole Foods. All of a sudden
| >we were discouraged from buying Neal's Yard cheeses; without
| >alternative. Then Borough Market started seeping in as the
| >required cheese type (In theory we could buy what we felt best,
| >but we were constantly reminded of the Financial Benefits of
| >buying the Borough Market Cheeses. They are not bad, but
| >not at all in Neal's Yard's class, and in no way the supporters
| >and encouragers of artisanal cheeses in Britain that Neal's Yard
| >is. The Financial Benefits, btw, were that we could charge about
| >a buck less per pound for the Burough Market cheeses than the
| >Neal's Yard, regardless of the fact that we were buying it for $5
| >or more per pound less. Got the picture?
|
| Well, I fail to see any information in what you are saying that
| is contradictory to what I wrote above. It is still a fake
| name attempting to leverage of other producers' reputations.

Right. I was not disagreeing, just providing a window into
Whole Foods, which at one time was a major retailer of Neal's
Yard in the US.

pavane

On Sun, 21 Feb 2010 20:27:00 -0500, pavane wrote:

> "phaeton" > wrote in message
> ...
>|I will miss the moldy cheeses, as well as Brie.
>|
>| I developed a penicillin allergy some years ago, and I've never been
>| able to ascertain from any medical documents whether it's going to be
>| a problem for me or not.
>|
>| Sucks, because I used to love those.
>
> It may well be a problem, be careful:
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stilton_(cheese)
> " A number of blue cheeses are made in a similar way to Stilton. All these
> cheeses get their blue veins from the saprotrophic fungus Penicillium roqueforti.
> Examples include Gorgonzola cheese of Italy, which is made from either cows'
> or goats' milk; and Roquefort, which is made with ewes' milk. "

I think many blues are made with brevabacterium linens - going from
memory. I used to think this was used only for Limburger, but I
heard somebody at the Cheese Society show that it was used to make
many regular blues as well.

I think the roqueforti is a rare exception - being reserved mostly
for roquefort and gorgonzola.

-sw

On Sun, 21 Feb 2010 21:31:52 -0500, pavane wrote:

> Right. I was not disagreeing, just providing a window into
> Whole Foods, which at one time was a major retailer of Neal's
> Yard in the US.

I didn't know Neals Yard was just a marketer and distributor until
now. I thought they were the producer. Kinda like Certified Angus
Beef - it comes from many different producers never identified
individually?

According to their cheese page, there is only one Stilton - Colton
Basset. Now I'm even more confused.

http://www.nealsyarddairy.co.uk/cheeses.html

-sw

"Sqwertz" > wrote in message ...
| On Sun, 21 Feb 2010 21:31:52 -0500, pavane wrote:
|
| > Right. I was not disagreeing, just providing a window into
| > Whole Foods, which at one time was a major retailer of Neal's
| > Yard in the US.
|
| I didn't know Neals Yard was just a marketer and distributor until
| now. I thought they were the producer. Kinda like Certified Angus
| Beef - it comes from many different producers never identified
| individually?
|
| According to their cheese page, there is only one Stilton - Colton
| Basset. Now I'm even more confused.
|
| http://www.nealsyarddairy.co.uk/cheeses.html
|

That is the only one Neal's Yard sells. There are five other blue
stiltons:
http://www.stiltoncheese.com/the_stilton_producers
There are also the white stiltons, either plain (think sweetened
cottage cheese) or imbued with cranberries, mango, walnuts,
whatever the hell these people feel like putting into it. Most of
the white stiltons have added preservatives; none of the blue
stiltons do.

Neal's Yard is indeed a marketer and distributor. But the efforts
they have made to improve the cheeses, and in some cases to
re-introduce cheeses that might otherwise have remained extinct,
particularly the British goat cheeses, are extraordinary. They
usually have exclusivity to the marketing of these cheeses, and
good for them as they have financed the re-birth of the cheeses.

Borough Market is very very good...but it is more a retailer (what
I would give for a Borough Market outlet nearby!) but their
functions are different.

pavane

"Sqwertz" > wrote in message ...
| On Sun, 21 Feb 2010 21:31:52 -0500, pavane wrote:
|
| > Right. I was not disagreeing, just providing a window into
| > Whole Foods, which at one time was a major retailer of Neal's
| > Yard in the US.
|
| I didn't know Neals Yard was just a marketer and distributor until
| now. I thought they were the producer. Kinda like Certified Angus
| Beef - it comes from many different producers never identified
| individually?
|
| According to their cheese page, there is only one Stilton - Colton
| Basset. Now I'm even more confused.
|
| http://www.nealsyarddairy.co.uk/cheeses.html
|
"Sqwertz" > wrote in message ...
| On Sun, 21 Feb 2010 21:31:52 -0500, pavane wrote:
|
| > Right. I was not disagreeing, just providing a window into
| > Whole Foods, which at one time was a major retailer of Neal's
| > Yard in the US.
|
| I didn't know Neals Yard was just a marketer and distributor until
| now. I thought they were the producer. Kinda like Certified Angus
| Beef - it comes from many different producers never identified
| individually?
|
| According to their cheese page, there is only one Stilton - Colton
| Basset. Now I'm even more confused.
|
| http://www.nealsyarddairy.co.uk/cheeses.html
|

That is the only one Neal's Yard sells. There are five other blue
stiltons:
http://www.stiltoncheese.com/the_stilton_producers
There are also the white stiltons, either plain (think sweetened
cottage cheese) or imbued with cranberries, mango, walnuts,
whatever the hell these people feel like putting into it. Most of
the white stiltons have added preservatives; none of the blue
stiltons do.

Neal's Yard is indeed a marketer and distributor. But the efforts
they have made to subsidize the cheeses, and in some cases to
re-introduce cheeses that might otherwise have remained extinct,
particularly the British goat cheeses, are extraordinary. They
usually have exclusivity to the marketing of these cheeses, and
good for them as they have financed the re-birth of the cheeses.

Borough Market is very very good...but it is more a retailer (what
I would give for a Borough Market outlet nearby!) but their
functions are different.

pavane

On Sun, 21 Feb 2010 20:03:52 +0000 (UTC),
(Steve Pope) wrote:

> In my mind, they're all good -- Stilton, Gorgonzola, Maytag,
> Cashel... and Point Reyes, although the latter is usually
> way oversalted.

I *love* Cambozola. I'm eating with pear right now.

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

On Sun, 21 Feb 2010 23:05:32 +0000 (UTC), (Steve Pope)
wrote:

>That's a fakey sounding name. Borough Market is the name
>of a farmers' market; there is a Neal's Yard Dairy right
>next to Borough Market; and Neal's Yard carries famous Stiltons
>such as those from Colston Basset. Also, respected dairies
>sell their cheeses in Borough Market proper.
>
>"Borough Market Stilton" sounds to me like a way of alluding
>to Stiltons of desirable origin without actually paying for one.

Interesting -- thanks for the information. I'll grill the cheese manager
tomorrow!

-- Larry

On Sun, 21 Feb 2010 20:03:30 -0500, "pavane" >
wrote:

>My impression is that Neal's Yard in some way offended His
>Holiness John Mackey, the owner of Whole Foods...

Thanks for all the information.

Yes, Whole Foods attempts to control what we eat are dismaying. And the stores
around here (Wash. DC) lack many basic items, so they aren't acceptable as one's
only food resource.

But there's no supermarket near my home; I take the train to work, and Whole
Foods is the only food store within walking distance at that end. So I tend to
swing by there most evenings on the way home...

-- Larry

On Feb 21, 11:52*am, Sqwertz > wrote:
> Over rated.

Yep. I found it , ate it and meh, whatever... Danish blue( 60+)
gorgonzola nad rochefort is much better. Stilton is rather dry.

Steve Pope wrote:

> That's a fakey sounding name. Borough Market is the name
> of a farmers' market; there is a Neal's Yard Dairy right
> next to Borough Market; and Neal's Yard carries famous Stiltons
> such as those from Colston Basset.

Wonderful Stilton theyr one! I met Neal nad his wife in Bra (Cuneo) four
years ago, during the international cheese fair called "Cheese!". I got both
Stilton and a red annatto-colored Cheddar from them, both wonderful cheeses.
--
Vilco
Don't think pink: drink rosè

pavane wrote:

> Neal's Yard is indeed a marketer and distributor. But the efforts
> they have made to improve the cheeses, and in some cases to
> re-introduce cheeses that might otherwise have remained extinct,
> particularly the British goat cheeses, are extraordinary. They
> usually have exclusivity to the marketing of these cheeses, and
> good for them as they have financed the re-birth of the cheeses.

I got told that Neal's Yard was a very good selector of producers, and you
seem to confirm that.
Neal is one of those persons whose eyes shien when talking abotu cheese,
that's real passion for cheese.
--
Vilco
Don't think pink: drink rosè

sf wrote:

> I *love* Cambozola. I'm eating with pear right now.

I have read many times about that cheese. Is it more alike gorgonzola or
roquefort or stilton or what?
Just curious.
--
Vilco
Don't think pink: drink rosè

On Sun, 21 Feb 2010 20:47:30 -0600, Sqwertz wrote:

> On Sun, 21 Feb 2010 20:27:00 -0500, pavane wrote:
>
>> "phaeton" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>|I will miss the moldy cheeses, as well as Brie.
>>|
>>| I developed a penicillin allergy some years ago, and I've never been
>>| able to ascertain from any medical documents whether it's going to be
>>| a problem for me or not.
>>|
>>| Sucks, because I used to love those.
>>
>> It may well be a problem, be careful:
>>
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stilton_(cheese)
>> " A number of blue cheeses are made in a similar way to Stilton. All these
>> cheeses get their blue veins from the saprotrophic fungus Penicillium roqueforti.
>> Examples include Gorgonzola cheese of Italy, which is made from either cows'
>> or goats' milk; and Roquefort, which is made with ewes' milk. "
>
> I think many blues are made with brevabacterium linens - going from
> memory. I used to think this was used only for Limburger, but I
> heard somebody at the Cheese Society show that it was used to make
> many regular blues as well.
>
> I think the roqueforti is a rare exception - being reserved mostly
> for roquefort and gorgonzola.

The Wiki page on blue cheese kinda contradicts itself in regards to
which molds are used. First it implies blues are made with
pennicillin roquieforti, then it says brevabacterium linens is
another one that used.

But if I were allergic to pennicillin, I'd probably still be eating
blues. or at least seeking out the ones not made with pennicillium.

crossposting to alt.cheese, a pretty dead group - Well, except for
Nick and I ;-)

-sw

On Mon, 22 Feb 2010 15:55:56 +0100, ViLco wrote:

> pavane wrote:
>
>> Neal's Yard is indeed a marketer and distributor. But the efforts
>> they have made to improve the cheeses, and in some cases to
>> re-introduce cheeses that might otherwise have remained extinct,
>> particularly the British goat cheeses, are extraordinary. They
>> usually have exclusivity to the marketing of these cheeses, and
>> good for them as they have financed the re-birth of the cheeses.
>
> I got told that Neal's Yard was a very good selector of producers, and you
> seem to confirm that.
> Neal is one of those persons whose eyes shien when talking abotu cheese,
> that's real passion for cheese.

I wouldn't call myself a connoisseur of cheeses, but I certainly
think appreciation of the better cheeses is more valuable than
knowing wines <ptoooey>. I'll stick with Andre Cold Duck at
$3/bottle and save my money for cheese.

I can't even eat/drink anything acidic like tomatoes or wine while
eating a ripe cheese. The acids turn into a really bitter taste in
my mouth.

-sw

On Sun, 21 Feb 2010 19:25:09 -0800, sf wrote:

> On Sun, 21 Feb 2010 20:03:52 +0000 (UTC),
> (Steve Pope) wrote:
>
>> In my mind, they're all good -- Stilton, Gorgonzola, Maytag,
>> Cashel... and Point Reyes, although the latter is usually
>> way oversalted.
>
> I *love* Cambozola. I'm eating with pear right now.

Then you'll probably like Saga Blue as well. It's a mild blue brie
much like Cambozola. I hadn't tried either of them until the last
18 months or so.

-sw

On Mon, 22 Feb 2010 15:58:16 +0100, ViLco wrote:

> sf wrote:
>
>> I *love* Cambozola. I'm eating with pear right now.
>
> I have read many times about that cheese. Is it more alike gorgonzola or
> roquefort or stilton or what?
> Just curious.

It's more like brie. It's a very mild blue cheese with the texture
and consistency of brie (or Camembert). The name comes from
"Camembert + Gorgonzola". but it's not nearly as strong as a dolce
or mountain gorgonzola.

-sw

pavane > wrote:

>| >My impression is that Neal's Yard in some way offended His
>| >Holiness John Mackey, the owner of Whole Foods. All of a sudden
>| >we were discouraged from buying Neal's Yard cheeses; without
>| >alternative. Then Borough Market started seeping in as the
>| >required cheese type [..]

>| Well, I fail to see any information in what you are saying that
>| is contradictory to what I wrote above. It is still a fake
>| name attempting to leverage of other producers' reputations.

>Right. I was not disagreeing, just providing a window into
>Whole Foods, which at one time was a major retailer of Neal's
>Yard in the US.

Thanks for the insight.


Steve

On Sun, 21 Feb 2010 23:15:14 -0500, pltrgyst wrote:

> On Sun, 21 Feb 2010 23:05:32 +0000 (UTC), (Steve Pope)
> wrote:
>
>>That's a fakey sounding name. Borough Market is the name
>>of a farmers' market; there is a Neal's Yard Dairy right
>>next to Borough Market; and Neal's Yard carries famous Stiltons
>>such as those from Colston Basset. Also, respected dairies
>>sell their cheeses in Borough Market proper.
>>
>>"Borough Market Stilton" sounds to me like a way of alluding
>>to Stiltons of desirable origin without actually paying for one.
>
> Interesting -- thanks for the information. I'll grill the cheese manager
> tomorrow!
>
> -- Larry

grilled cheese manager!

your pal,
blake

On Mon, 22 Feb 2010 15:58:16 +0100, "ViLco" >
wrote:

> sf wrote:
>
> > I *love* Cambozola. I'm eating it with pear right now.
>
> I have read many times about that cheese. Is it more alike gorgonzola or
> roquefort or stilton or what?
> Just curious.

To me, it's the perfect blend - camembert with veins of blue. Not too
strong, just right. Try it!
http://www.gourmetgirlmagazine.com/0.../Cambozola.jpg
http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/images/.../cambozola.jpg

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

phaeton > wrote:

> I will miss the moldy cheeses, as well as Brie.
>
> I developed a penicillin allergy some years ago, and I've never been
> able to ascertain from any medical documents whether it's going to be
> a problem for me or not.

There is a penicillin allergy and then there is a penicillium mold
allergy. They are not the same, if only because a penicillium mold is
very different in its chemical structure from penicillin. Blue cheese
does not normally contain any penicillin, at least not any more of it
than any random foodstuff. Consider also that penicillium fungi are
often used as starters for meat products too, not just for cheese.
There is preciously little evidence that consumption of blue cheese can
cause problems for people with a penicillin allergy. A search of
Medline, Pubmed, or similar will yield very few meaningful results, the
following link being about the only example:
<http://aem.asm.org/cgi/content/full/68/3/1211>.

That said, I am not urging you to go ahead and indulge in blue cheese.
That is something for you and your doctor to decide.

Victor

On Sun, 21 Feb 2010 21:17:00 -0800 (PST), Michael Nielsen wrote:

> On Feb 21, 11:52*am, Sqwertz > wrote:
>> Over rated.
>
> Yep. I found it , ate it and meh, whatever... Danish blue( 60+)
> gorgonzola nad rochefort is much better. Stilton is rather dry.

Rochefort is beer, a brewery, a monastery, and a town all in/from
Belgium. Roquefort is a province and cheese of France. They both
happen to go very well together.

-sw

blake murphy > wrote:

>On Sun, 21 Feb 2010 23:15:14 -0500, pltrgyst wrote:

>> Interesting -- thanks for the information. I'll grill the cheese manager
>> tomorrow!

>grilled cheese manager!

Lol.

Larry, while you're grilling him/her, tell them they should carry
Bubalis Bubalis (California fresh buffalo cheese). Most Whole Foods
have dropped it.

Steve