I started my diet a few days before Sister arrived in Manila. In her suitcase were several wonderful “raw milk” cheeses mostly from Cato Corner Farm in Connecticut, a cheddar from the award winning Cabot Farms in Vermont, and some good butter. Raw milk as opposed to pasteurized milk cheeses are probably still quite rare in the U.S., but the best ones have traditionally come from Europe. On the same day that Sister arrived, a good friend texted to say she was sending a “goody” over from a recent trip of hers… and that “goody” turned out to be a spectacular ripe triple cream cheese studded with black truffle shavings from that legendary food store “Peck” in Milan. Yikes! Now what?
The following evening, we had a small dinner at home and for dessert we put out three of the cheeses and guests brought some wonderful grapes and strawberries to complement the cheese plate. I was salivating but managed with great difficulty to have just two thin slivers of triple cream with truffles on crackers. The cheese was SUPERB. Anyone who has read this blog for years knows I have a weakness for tripe creams, and they approach say “caviar status” in my list of indulgent, extravagant nibbles, so this was really an exercise in self-control. See these posts on triple creams here, here and here. This enormous wedge nearest you in the photo up top, was devoured by 4 people without any problems. They also ate half of the other cheeses on the plate. :)
Cato Corner Farm cheeses have been garnering the spotlight on the East Coast, and they are now being served at some of the chicest restaurants in New York and elsewhere, Artisanal, that temple of cheese in NYC, being one of them. They also sell their cheeses at the Union Square Market. They have odd names, since classic names such as camembert, roquefort, etc. are only used to designate particular styles of cheeses from particular areas in Europe. So while it takes some getting used to eating cheeses with names like Bloomsday, Desperado and Black Ledge Blue, the taste makes up for the quirky names. As for the butter, I am going to save it until I get off the diet so that I can slather a nice knob of it on a freshly toasted slice of bread with some jam as well… Will give you all an update on diet results in the next post. :)
33 Responses
You are so lucky……
WOW!! cheese!!
YUM! The strawberries look delish as well.
Don’t worry MM! if you allow me to, i can end your suffering by eating all of those “evil temptations” so you don’t have to resist any culinary impulses indulgences anymore, for free! :)
Oh that selection looks divine! I have a soft spot for Plugra butter.
I can just eat those cheese the whole day plus some crackers :)
Give your self a break MM heheh
Butter and cheese lover here as well!
Just want to ask MM, how did sister store them in her luggage i.e. were they wrapped in foil, etc.? Also did the butter not melt? I’m thinking of taking home some brie de meaux from here but am unsure if it will keep well during the 9 hour flight.
cheeses again! if i have a chance to pick one, il definitely get the one in green pack :D
I came for a visit here to get the recipe for bistek Tagalog and found this cheesy post :))) It’s a pity you’re not one of the four who devoured the cheeses.
I love cheese despite the lactose intolerance; but it’s not so enjoyable when
eaten alone. Lucky you, MM!
Wonderful, wonderful spread…and there’s that silver grape cutter or scissor!
Now what?? Tsk tsk, MM. You know that this is not good for your diet… But, what a coincidence, I just baked pound cake last night using sister’s recipe (2nd time in 2 weeks). A request from my sons to bring as baon as they head back to their respective universities. Sarap talaga. All of three loaves tangay nila without leaving any for my poor husband:( That means Iwill have to bake again… Thanks sister for the wonderful recipe!!
MM, really congratulations for the excercise of your self control. Fortitude and temperance are virtues and as I may say, you practice them really well:)
That cabot cheeze is what I found as a substitute to our local Quezo de Bola. They are a little pricier than the usual local extra sharp cheezes that are sold locally here in Houston.
Not to push on sister who is in town.. maybe after she rested she can teach you how to make the “traditional” pandesal without the egg & milk. And then you can share it to us?
After about more than 2 doz. trials of making pandesal these past few weeks (different brand of wheat/flour, instant yeast vs. active dry yeast; temperature of surrounding when letting the dough rise.. I finally (I think) perfected my pandesal. But I have to confess that I had to use egg yolk and the water – mixed with milk. It taste great and close friend ask me for it.. and I can only make small batch by hand. (No Kitchen Aid yet).
Yesterday, I had asked my hipag in Quezon Province to have a wood fired brick oven built in my backyard so I can make pizza and pandesal the next time I come visit. She contracted a local guy who makes “pugon” that uses charcoal, and he said yes for P2,500.
Pan de sal and other artisan bread baked on a brick oven is a small piece of heaven.
I just saw a beautiful wood fired brick oven at the Chinese Bakery Fair at the World Trade Center last weekend. Cost is pegged at P 140K. Now, that is on my wish list:)
Gosh I love cheese!!! Lovely shot of the fruits, grape scissors and hydrangeas.
Maricel, is the Chinese Bakery Fair still on? I would have drooled at the sight of that wood fired brick oven!!! I read an article in Metro once about a guy who built his own wood fired brick oven using bricks from Pangasinan. I clipped the article thinking that I would one day build one myself. I seriously doubt if I will ever go about building one though but it’s nice to daydream about it every once in a while. Hahaha!
I admire your discipline MM…really salivating…(“,)
will of steel, i wouldnt have been able to resist
its really an evil temptation.. that is also excluded in my diet… i know how you feel…
I am soooo Jealous!
cveongratulations on being able to hold back, MM! this would have been “the last tempation” for me. and yes, i woudl have given in!
I wonder if your taste buds will change once you get off your diet. Will you find the wonderful cheeses above to rich for your palate?
Gerry, I doubt it. Triple creams will never be too rich. :) I find I have a heightened sensitivity to salty and sweet now that I can’t have added salt or sugar.
everyone gets his/her own share of temptations once in a while. fighting it is never that easy. congrats on your diet.
i also dream of having a wood fired brick oven one day. i can imagine the smell of freshly baked bread. but first i need to learn baking.
OMG!! I love cheese too! Cabot extra sharp 3 year cheese is one of my fave buys at Costco. I haven’t tried raw milk cheese yet. I will definitely try Cato’s. A 2 1/2 hour drive to Cato’s is not a bad idea. :D I hope that sell them online
OMG!! I love cheese too! Cabot extra sharp 3 year cheese is one of my fave buys at Costco. I haven’t tried raw milk cheese yet. I will definitely try Cato’s. A 2 1/2 hour drive to Cato’s is not a bad idea. :D I hope that sell them online
MM, I checked their website and a couple of stores in Manhattan (Artisanal) & Brooklyn (Stinky Brooklyn) carry their brand.
https://artisanmade-ne.com/ online
https://www.stinkybklyn.com/
https://www.artisanalcheese.com/
love those grape scissors…. beautiful pictures, MM
triple. cream. cheeses. are. the. best. you’ll. ever. have. :)
mm have you tried a certain triple cream called fromagere d’affinois? it’s a triple cream from france close to a camembert but much much richer + the rind has a hint of spunky walnut. fantastic with crackers and a bit of fig paste!
I was lucky to sample a french triple cream cheese (yes, just a sample) from Jones the Grocer in SG. I regret not buying then just because I wasn’t sure airport rules with regards to dairy items. But it was so gooooood! One of my indulgences, cheese. In every hotel buffet I go to, the hotel loses money with the amount of cheese I eat :P
Hi MM – I definitely know how you feel! I also love cheeses (especially the sharp, moldy , pungent ones!) and now after my transplant, I am not sure if I can ever be allowed to eat such cheese, due to risk of possible infection. So, think of it this way, you are luckier, because once you are on your ideal weight, you can still have a sliver or two of such cheeses to enjoy with wine in the company of family and friends! :). Congratulations on your continued success on your diet!
Peach, here is the link to the wood fired oven
https://www.ancestralbuildingmaterials.com/pages/pugonresidential/pugonresidential.html
oh yes, irish butter on freshly baked scones paired with a nice cup of tea….bliss :)
cheese looks great !!!!