Point Reyes Toma

Bucolic image from http://www.pointreyescheese.com

“They have real cows!” a guy in L.A. told me about the Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co. in Marin County. He had just been on a trip up the coast and, for some reason, was surprised to find real California cows making real California milk on a real California farm. He was really excited he saw a REAL cow!

I would be, too, especially one that made this luscious, buttery cheese. Toma is a gentle cow’s milk cheese that comes in a large toma-style wheel (toma means “cheese that the farmer made himself” in Italian) with a natural rind. It has a few scattered, irregular holes that taste like pockets of butterfat. The cheese is semi-soft and breaks off or slices with ease. Its aroma of pure butter matches its color and flavor, and true to the lush grasses, its tangy finish tastes of fresh fields. The butter seems to stretch for miles.

A picture from my phone. This cheese is a gorgeous shade of butter yellow, sunny and beta carotene-rich from lush grazing grasses.

Toma is a “melts in your mouth” cheese; it hardly requires chewing. It has a bit of saltiness that would complement sweet fresh fruit. The website (www.pointreyescheese.com)  suggests using it in omelets, mac-n-cheese, casseroles, and grilled cheese sandwiches.

All of Point Reyes cheeses are “certified kosher,” according to the website. I contacted the farm about the exact hechsher and packaging of Toma, but I have yet to receive a response. It is likely under the KORC and cholov stam, as is the much celebrated Point Reyes Original Blue. As far as I know, Toma is not sold pre-packaged, so the 10 lb. wheel would need to be purchased and handled in its entirety to keep the kashrus intact.

Elizabeth Bland, The Cheese Mistress
http://www.cheesemistress.com

Good Day Sunshine! Tomato Olive Cheese Brings the Warmth

Tomato Olive Cheese invites the Mediterranean sun into your kitchen. Based on a creamy white Prairie Jack, it is dotted with bits of sun-dried tomatoes, black and green olives, oregano, basil, and garlic. While Tomato Olive Cheese contains several ingredients typical of a basic Italian herb cheese, it is far more. The spices do not overpower, but instead add a subtle backdrop to the roasted sweet the tomatoes and zingy olives. The herb mix is well-balanced, allowing the fruits to be the stars of the cheese.

Viva con passione! Tomato Olive Cheese is eager to entertain as a cheeseboard favorite with bites of grape tomatoes, olives, nuts, and crostini. It also loves to melt over your favorite Italian pasta dishes and pizza. Anywhere it goes, it adds rays of sunshine and intrigue.

Sincerely, Brigitte™ is one of AI Foods’ kosher labels. This particular line reflects AI’s cheese maven Brigitte Mizrahi’s passion for creativity-inspired cheeses that deliver “an explosion of flavor in every bite of cheese.” With conversation-starters such as Jalapeño & Cilantro Cheese, Chipotle Cheese, Roasted Garlic & Chives Cheese, and Blue Marble, Brigitte hopes to bring cheese lovers together into a community of cheese expression.

Sincerely, Brigitte™ cheeses bear the Wisconsin Cheese label and the kosher certification symbol OK-D. These cheeses are cholov stam and vegetarian. They are available in select supermarkets and specialty stores.

Elizabeth Bland
http://www.cheesemistress.com

Cheesy Pão for Pesach

Pão de Queijo (“bread of cheese” in Portuguese) is a gluten-free cheese bread, originally from Brazil. It is usually served in snack-sized bread balls, and is eaten at breakfast with coffee or as a side snack. The bread itself is based on cassava flour instead of wheat flour.

Because it contains no wheat, Pão de Queijo is ideal for those on a gluten-free diet or who are observing Passover.

Cassava, also known as “yuca” in Spanish (not to be confused with the yucca plant), is a root of a plant. When cassava is dried and ground up into a powder or pearls, it is called tapioca. A chewy cassava-based bread is a nice change of pace during Passover when bread-stuffs can be heavy and crumbly.

Brazilian cheese balls may contain a number of cheeses. One traditional Hispanic cheese that is sometimes available kosher is Queso Blanco or Queso Fresco. This fresh, bright white cow’s milk cheese works as a mild table cheese for its milky flavor, but it is also used “para freir” (for frying). It melts, yet maintains its shape, meaning it doesn’t run or separate under heat. Cacique’s Queso Blanco is certified kosher dairy by Rabbi Yisroel Kelemer of Three Line K Kosher in Beverly Hils, CA.

Some recipes for Pão de Queijo call for feta, Monterey Jack, mozzarella or parmesan, all readily available in a kosher format.

When I worked at Pomegranate kosher specialty supermarket in Brooklyn (Midwood) a few years ago, we sold kosher for Passover Cheese N’ Rolls, made by Kessem. They were cholov yisroel with certification under Arugas Habasham. Cheese N’ Rolls are sold online at www.allfreshkosher.com. I hope to see them in the Passover section in stores as well.

Stacy Viera, a food photographer, offers a Passover cheese bread recipe which uses either mozzarella or parmesan: http://jewishfoodexperience.com/recipes/pao-de-queijo/

Elizabeth Bland
The Cheese Mistress

Kosher Horseradish Cheddar by The Good Life Cheese

Strange foods, pungent foods, spicy foods, and even disturbingly stinky foods have a mysterious appeal. Is it nostalgia? Is it the dare factor? Is it “seasoned” taste buds on a quest for the next thrill? The answer could lie in that hazy moment suspended between repugnance and pleasure when a palate wonders: “Is this good or bad?” Taste it again and again to decide – until the sheer ambiguity becomes delightful.

Eating horseradish is one such experience; it is a love-it-or-hate-it foodstuff that is ingrained in Jewish culture. It has a place on the seder plate as the bitter herb maror; it is an accompaniment to gefilte fish; and it now shows up in kosher cheese!

When I worked at Pomegranate (kosher specialty supermarket) in Brooklyn, I got to experience horseradish grating first hand. “No, you can’t go in the kitchen!” a co-worker warned. “Nobody is allowed in the kitchen for three hours.” I peaked in the door window and a big burly Israeli cook – tough enough to have served in the IDF – was no match for the pungent smell and burning sting of horseradish. He was wearing a gas mask, leaning over an industrial mixer, scraping the precious horseradish into the bowl.

Yiddish proverb from http://www.yiddishwit.com: “Az der vorem zitst in khreyn, meynt er az es iz keyn zisers nito.” When a worm sits in horseradish, it thinks there’s nothing sweeter.

The Good Life Cheese’s Horseradish Cheddar doesn’t require a gas mask, but it is decidedly hot—hotter than I perceive jarred horseradish, which usually strikes me as mildly hot and pungent. The Good Life Cheese starts off with a mellow base cheese flavor and a hint of pungency. Next comes an intense tingling and spice-driven heat that borders on a capsaicin experience. At the very end, the sharpness of the Cheddar comes out.

This cheese is excellent alone with crackers, on a tomato sandwich, or melted on whole grain bread for cheese toast. Perhaps kosher horseradish cheese pique interest in a milchig Pesach seder. Who wouldn’t enjoy a Hillel matzoh cheese sandwich with trimmings of Romaine lettuce? Warning: Keep hands away from eyes after eating this cheese. I learned from a mishap that Horseradish Cheddar can cause bitter tears!

The Good Life Cheese’s Horseradish Cheddar is one of a large selection of kosher cheese varieties. Foodworks Cheese is out of Monsey, NY. It is certified by Rabbi Dovid Katz of Avenue L in Brooklyn, NY, and it is Kosher for Passover year round.

Kosherfest 2014

I am back in the Tri-State area! I was able to attend Kosherfest 2014 at the Meadowlands in New Jersey. More updates on the latest in kosher cheese to come, but for now here are a few pics from the show.

I came back with lots of goodies from the Natural & Kosher booth and was able to speak briefly to the CEO, Brigitte Mizrahi.

Natural & Kosher cheeses are OK-D and cholov stam. You can recognize them by the red “kosher authority seal.”

N&K offers cheese in a variety of formats, including slices, shreds, sticks and grated tubs. I especially enjoyed the Swiss slices and the Sincerely Brigitte Jalapeno Cilantro, which can be seen on this Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SincerelyBrigitte.

Last but not least, I got a photo opp with my former manager Gabe Boxer from when I was a cheesemonger at Pomegranate (kosher specialty grocery) in Brooklyn. We are enjoying nougats from the French La Maison du Nougat at the Sterling Sales booth.

Kosher Blue Cheese at Kosherfest 2012

I’m off to Kosherfest 2012. I’ll be in full Cheese Mistress mode, complete with my big orange kosher cheese hat! Today I’m in search of kosher blue cheese. I’m sure to visit my friend Brent Delman at The Cheese Guy booth. Already I have tried his domestic blue cheese that is under OU-D. This cheese is not a stinker, literally or figuratively! Already crisp and clean, it becomes even brighter wtih spikes of blue.

Blue Cheese by The Cheese Guy

Check back for the Cheese Mistress latest findings at Kosherfest 2012.

Elizabeth Bland
The Cheese Mistress
www.kcheese.com

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Kiss My Kosher Cheese Grits!

I made kosher cheese grits. Yes, grits are under hashgacha! I don’t know why more kosher people in Brooklyn aren’t eating them. Maybe it just sounds too Southern. The recipe called for Velveeta (not kosher), so I substituted with some process Schmerling triangle cheese. Then I put in paprika, Israeli spices, butter, milk and bacon bits (also kosher!) It turned out really good. I also jazzed it up with some grated Gran Duca Grana Padano (similar to parmesan, but milder) and a little Pecorino Romano.

Grits aren’t so photogenic, but they taste great!

Passionfruit and Strawberry Champagne Preserves, for Cheese!

Passionfruit and Strawberry Champagne Preserves by Tishbi win Best New Product at Kosherfest!

Wine jellies, for any time of the day!

Exotic fruits, berries, and champagne, all bundled up in a preserve and ready to serve with cheese. Kosherfest is at the Meadowlands of New Jersey November 8^th and 9^th this year.

View the recent press from Kosher Today: http://www.koshertoday.com/10-31-11-Tishbi%E2%80%99s-Passion-Fruit-and-Strawberry-Champagne-Preserves-Wins-Best-New-Product-at-Kosherfest-2011-as-Trendy-Foods-Score-Big/

The Tishbi Estate Winery, located in the town of Zichron Ya’acov, is widely known for its fine wines which come from five generations of Tishbi family know-how.

Oshra Tishbi, who is very passionate about food pairings, designed a line of fine preserves based on wine and fruits. These preserves give the “wine experience” without the alcohol and pair extremely well with cheese. The alcohol cooks out during the process, but the intense flavors of the famous Tishbi wine grapes remain.

Tishbi Fig Cabernet won the NASFT sofi™ Silver Award 2010. The Tishbi Wine & Fruit Collection won Retail News 2011 “Best Gourmet Food Gift.”

The Cream of the Crop: Pureed Potato and Cheese Soup

The finished product. Read below to see how it got so pretty!

Potato soup gives creamy mouthfeel without adding too much extra fat. The only fat comes from the touch of margarine and the sprinkle of full-flavored cheese on the finish. With this soup, you get a healthy dose of vegetables. It is a great way to enjoy the Long Island potatoes from the “Two Johns” of yesterday’s http://www.SincerelyBrigitte.com blog post.  

The recipe (below) is basically celery, onions, potatoes, carrots, spices, and some delicious kosher cheese to add protein and calcium. You can chop the vegetables and serve the soup as is, or you can puree it. For a chunky-smooth soup, put the blender on grate.

4 stalks celery, sliced
2 medium onions, chopped
2 Tbs. margarine
4 medium potatoes, peeled or unpeeled for extra earth nutrients

Just about all you need.

6 carrots, sliced (the more carrots, the better)
6 cups water, plus more as the soup boils
2-3 vegetarian bouillon cubes
1 ½ tsp. sea salt
1 ½ tsp. white pepper
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary (powdered up)
A handful of chopped chives
Flavorful shredded kosher cheese to taste!

1. Boil the bouillon cube with some margarine, spice, salt, and pepper.
2. Chop up all the vegetables. Add in even others if you like. Boil until soft in the bouillon.

Have fun! Chop it all up like there's no tomorrow. This doesn't have to look good. It's going in a pot to boil, not on an appetizer tray.

Add more water as needed along the way
3. If you like a “creamy” feel to your soup, toss the whole lot into the blender and puree.
4. Add cheese to taste. This soup has a bland complexion, so a nice bright orange N&K Cheddar or Les Petites Fermières Cheddar looks good shredded on top. As a secret ingredient, you can mix in some Sugar River flavored cheeses like Roasted Garlic/ Basil or Roasted Garlic/Onion.

The soup was good both ways—chunky or pureed—but especially when it was super hot.

Vegetables getting ready to get down and dirty.

Once it cooled down, that’s when I felt it needed more spice, so I added in the chives and some pepper, plus the cheese—one regular Cheddar and one Roasted Onion and Garlic Cheddar. The soup was also a little drab in color since I left the skins on the potatoes to get the extra nutrients. The bright Cheddar on top with the chives helped.

Once the soup cooked, it got a little ugly. It was brown and goopy. Then I put it in the blender and it only made things worse.

Soup showing off its brown potato skins.

 You have to admit, this is not the most beautiful soup in the world.

Orange cheese brightens up this drab-looking soup.Without the cheese, it is not as sunny.