More Notes on Cheese

I went to another of those cheese pairing events done by Fromage to Yours a couple of weeks ago. Jackie and Paul Bonacquisti of Bonacquisti Wines paired Colorado cheeses (with one gorgonzola exception) with Colorado wines (specifically, Bonacquisti wines. In the course of the descriptions, Jackie mentioned that there were 6 major cheesemakers in Colorado, but she neglected to specify them. Next time I visited with Jackie, I asked her for the names of the companies and she listed Haystack, Rocking W, and Sunny Breeze as companies she currently carries. She is hoping to carry cheeses from Jumpin' Good Goat. She does not carry cheeses from MouCo, James Ranch and Windsor because she carries only vegetarian cheese. This led me to ask about vegetarian cheese. I mean, I understand that cheese is not in the equation for vegans, but I am basically ovo-lacto (I eat eggs and milk products), so why not all cheese. The answer has to do with rennet and that is quite the tale!
Jackie did not go into great detail, saying only that some cheesemakers use animal rennet, but the cheeses she carries are made with microbial enzymes. When I used those definitions in a general conversation, wouldn't you know that someone wanted to know where animal rennets came from. So here's the longer story:
Animal rennet relates to a natural complex of enzymes in mammalian stomachs to digest mother's milk. Traditionally, stomachs of young calves are dried, cleaned, diced and soaked in saltwater or whey with vinegar or wine. This is then strained and used to coagulate milk in cheesemaking. There are some modern alternatives with freeze-drying and such. As you might guess, there are too few stomachs for modern cheesemaking requirements. In fact, cheesemakers were already seeking alternatives in Homer's time when an extract of fig was used. There are other vegetable rennets, microbial enzymes (mostly from molds and with a bit of bitter taste) and genetically engineered enzymes, all of which are considered vegetarian acceptable and most of which are qualify for Kosher cheese. Cottage cheese, cream cheese, paneer and farmer's cheese are examples of cheese that use acid (generally citric acid) to coagulate the milk.
So now you know more than you ever thought to know about coagulating milk for cheese!

Beer and Cheese Event

Jackie at Fromage to Yours has another cheese pairing event planned for Thursday, May 7th at the Embassy Suites Denver Tech Center. These events are always fun and very educational. Admission is $10 and $5 of that goes to the Food Bank of the Rockies. As an active volunteer at Covenant Cupboard Food Bank, I am keenly aware of how many new clients we see each week and how much we need food. In my book, the donation to FBR is reason enough to attend, never mind the great cheese and beer!
Jackie carries only cheese from American cheesemakers and her events pair cheeses she carries with local beers, wines and liquors. This particular event features Beehive Cheese Company from Utah and Grafton Village Cheese Company of Vermont and beers from Great Divide brewery in Denver. Some of my favorite snacking cheeses come from these two companies!
By the way, she just added a line of local wines and is planning to offer wine and cheese pairings in her store on a regular basis. Check her website www.echeese.com for details.
Robert and I have taken to nibbling cheese and crackers before (or sometimes instead of) weekend meals. I drop by Fromage to Yours Thursday or Friday to check out what is new and interesting. Jackie is quite free with offering samples! Lately, Robert has really been enjoying Brick from Rocking W here in Colorado. It is a very mild and buttery cheese. I'm totally taken with Beechers Handmade Cheese Flagship Reserve. It is everything you think of when you think of Cheddar -- a little tang, chewy texture, that unique Cheddar flavor. The Reserve is cloth-wrapped and that means the cheese loses moisture during the aging process. As with a sauce reduction, the loss of moisture intensifies the flavor. I've been using San Joaquin Gold from Fiscalini Cheese Company in California for risottos and other dishes where I would use a fontina or a parmegiana-reggiano. Of course, I make no secret that Mezzo Secco from Vella Cheese in California is the special touch that makes my Mushroom Spinach Lasagna a real winner.
Some might think the economy is reason to avoid speciality shops, but I find the intense and fresh flavors of these cheeses allow me to use less cheese and gain flavor.