Friday, April 04, 2008
Product Review: Sargento Artisan Cheese Blends
Sargento - makers of packaged cheese products - have been selling a set of products they call Artisan Cheese Blends. What they claim is that they are selling cheese blends "with artisan cheese from selected artisan farms", including the following variations: Double Cheddar, Mozzarella & Provolone, Parmesan, Whole Milk Mozzarella, Parmesan & Romano, and Swiss.
Read a bit further in the web site and materials, and you notice the major point: "Artisan cheeses with our specialty shredded cheeses." That makes sense, because there is no way that artisan farms could possibly create enough cheese volume to satisfy the mass market needs of Sargento. I tried a number of varieties (actually, one of each) that the company's PR firm sent my way, and they're not bad on a relative scale. The blends tended to be a little sharper, with a touch more flavor, than typical bagged shredded cheese. If I was looking for a quick and convenient cheese hit, these products might be fine. However, if you want real artisan cheese flavor, go buy real artisan cheese and use it in enough volume to make a significant difference. And, at $1.99 to $4.99 for bags holding three, five, eight, or ten ounces of cheese - or per pound prices starting at $8 and hitting $10.61 - that chunk of artisan cheese stops seeming so incredibly expensive.
Read a bit further in the web site and materials, and you notice the major point: "Artisan cheeses with our specialty shredded cheeses." That makes sense, because there is no way that artisan farms could possibly create enough cheese volume to satisfy the mass market needs of Sargento. I tried a number of varieties (actually, one of each) that the company's PR firm sent my way, and they're not bad on a relative scale. The blends tended to be a little sharper, with a touch more flavor, than typical bagged shredded cheese. If I was looking for a quick and convenient cheese hit, these products might be fine. However, if you want real artisan cheese flavor, go buy real artisan cheese and use it in enough volume to make a significant difference. And, at $1.99 to $4.99 for bags holding three, five, eight, or ten ounces of cheese - or per pound prices starting at $8 and hitting $10.61 - that chunk of artisan cheese stops seeming so incredibly expensive.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Review and Opinion: Vermont Butter & Cheese Bonne Bouche, Coupole, and Bijou
I love good cheeses, and Vermont Butter & Cheese's three signature products - Bonne Bouche, Bijou, and Coupole - are all marvelous. People often associate goat's milk with chevre and other relatively mild cheeses.
Bonne Bouche translates into "tasty little bite" or "good mouthful." It's hand ladled into moulds, drained, lightly covered with ash, and then briefly aged. The company describes the taste as mild, but that's not ture if you compare it to the generally bland goat cheeses you find in grocery stores, where a sour tang seems to be the entirety of taste. Bijou - French for jewel - matures for 24 hours, drains for another day, and then is formed and goes into a drying room. A edible rind forms on the cheese. Coupole is named for its dome shape (like a cupola). The company uses the same recipe as the Bijou, but is sprinkled with ash like the Bonne Bouche. It also has a shelf life of 45 days.
The comapny says that the cheeses can display notes of flowers, citrus, and hazlenuts. I generally don't get so analytic in trying a cheese. Instead, I look the overall balance of flavors in my mouth and the aroma. Ah, yes, the aroma. When the cheeses arrive, my wife, who has a fantastically sensitive nose, wrinkled it and said, "You'd better wrap those and bag them if you want to keep them in this refrigerator." The cheeses had strong odors to go with the complex flavors. If you like cheese that could never possible be offensive, these are not for you. But if you like fine cheese, these are some great ones to try. The company has been getting wider distribution, so check with decent local cheese shops. The company has a page that lets you find retail outlets carrying their products if you provide the zip code, and it also has links to three online vendors. Enjoy.
Bonne Bouche translates into "tasty little bite" or "good mouthful." It's hand ladled into moulds, drained, lightly covered with ash, and then briefly aged. The company describes the taste as mild, but that's not ture if you compare it to the generally bland goat cheeses you find in grocery stores, where a sour tang seems to be the entirety of taste. Bijou - French for jewel - matures for 24 hours, drains for another day, and then is formed and goes into a drying room. A edible rind forms on the cheese. Coupole is named for its dome shape (like a cupola). The company uses the same recipe as the Bijou, but is sprinkled with ash like the Bonne Bouche. It also has a shelf life of 45 days.
The comapny says that the cheeses can display notes of flowers, citrus, and hazlenuts. I generally don't get so analytic in trying a cheese. Instead, I look the overall balance of flavors in my mouth and the aroma. Ah, yes, the aroma. When the cheeses arrive, my wife, who has a fantastically sensitive nose, wrinkled it and said, "You'd better wrap those and bag them if you want to keep them in this refrigerator." The cheeses had strong odors to go with the complex flavors. If you like cheese that could never possible be offensive, these are not for you. But if you like fine cheese, these are some great ones to try. The company has been getting wider distribution, so check with decent local cheese shops. The company has a page that lets you find retail outlets carrying their products if you provide the zip code, and it also has links to three online vendors. Enjoy.
Labels: cheese, goat's milk, Vermont Butter Cheese
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Product Review: Campo de Montalbán and Laguiole Cheeses
While making a Whole Foods run a couple of weeks ago, we picked up two cheeses: Campo de Montalbán and laguiole. The first is a semi-hard, in this case made with cow and goat milk, though apparently it can also include sheep milk. There is a bit of a tang, provided, I suspect, from the goat milk, though the web reference above attributes it to three months of aging. It's supposed to be good with pasta, fruit, and meats, but I'll vote for straight up at room temperature (to get the full flavor) along with some bread. The Whole Foods price was $9.99 a pound.
According to Wikipedia, the latter is pronounced LAY-ole and is a French cheese made of raw cow milk. It's a creamy and firm cheese with a complex flavor after six months to a year of aging. Here's something on it from Cheese.com. Both would be good choices for a different take on your next cheese board.
According to Wikipedia, the latter is pronounced LAY-ole and is a French cheese made of raw cow milk. It's a creamy and firm cheese with a complex flavor after six months to a year of aging. Here's something on it from Cheese.com. Both would be good choices for a different take on your next cheese board.
Labels: Campo de Montalbán, cheese, languiole, review
