Explore a world of cheeses with Cheese Traveler, Trevor Thomas, CCP
Cooking, Pairing, Education
I am calling Chicago home for a few days, thanks to a business trip. While in town, I had to see what “cheesy” events and/or places there were to visit.
I am happy to report that I found Beautiful Rind, a specialty cheese shop, restaurant and classroom space in Logan Square – About 16 miles Northwest of Downtown Chicago.
Beautiful Rind was the brainchild of Randall Felts…
Read MoreHello Fellow Cheese Travelers!
Sometimes food (especially cheese), has a way of transporting you…to another place, another time, or another culture.
Browsing through my local retailers cheese cases can sometimes be a “treasure hunt”…What is new?...What haven’t I seen in a long time?...What is seasonal?
Photo courtesy of Swiss or Miss Ahhh….What is “seasonal” you ask? Well, if you look through some of my social media feeds, you will see dozens of photos of “Alpabzug” (also known as Transhumance) – A celebration of the cows returning home after their Summer in the high alpine pastures of Switzerland (see top right).
The sights of cows being paraded through town is only part of the fun…It’s the cheese that was produced from this Alpine Milk that really makes some spectacular cheeses.
That’s what came to mind as I spotted Glarner Alpkäse AOP…So what’s so special about this cheese?
Read MoreHello Fellow Cheese Travelers!
“A Journey of 1,000 miles begins with the first step”…or in this case, 1,412 miles North as I boarded my flight for Calgary, Canada.
Alberta is a beautiful province in Western Canada. Its landscape encompasses mountains, prairies, and vast forests. It is home to 4.2 million people…most live in Calgary, or Edmonton, the Capital of Alberta. Lastly, six UNESCO World Heritage sites can be found in Alberta.
While I have traveled to many Canadian cities before, Calgary had a certain familiarity…Was it the great Northern expanse of the Rocky Mountain Range? (much like my view of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range), Was it the fact that they refer to Calgary as a “Cow Town”? – A throwback to the Calgary Stampede Rodeo (just as my town of Sacramento has been referred to as “Cow Town” – Just attend a Sacramento Kings Basketball game to find out why)…No, it really felt like home due to all of the local cheeses that I found at the supermarkets and specialty cheese stores.
Read MoreDear Cheese Enthusiasts,
Today I learned that the cheese industry lost one of our own...Kiri Fisher.
I first met Kiri at her place of business, The Cheese School of San Francisco. It was a wonderful venue in the heart of Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco. There they taught cheese classes and courses, had a nice selection of cheeses and specialty food, and it was also a great place to have a good cheesy meal and a glass of wine.
Read MoreHello Fellow Cheese Travelers!
As March is “Women’s History Month”, I thought I would share with you the story of a celebrated cheesemaker from Norway, Anne Haav (sometimes spelled Hov). Many people may not recognize her name, but the cheese that she created is recognized around the world. In 1863, Anne created Gudbrandsdalost, but many people know it by its common name, Gjetost.
This cheese may be a simple one, but I am sure that what I am about to share might surprise even the most experienced cheese lover.
Gjetost has a unique (and celebrated) history. So pull up a “Stol” and grab your “Ostehøvel.” because we are about to dig into this sweet, carmel-y, creation.
Read MoreOf all the American food brands, Kraft (and its iconic logo) is one of the most recognizable… and why not, as it has been a brand for over 100 years. There are not too many food brands that can say that.
While the Kraft company has a long history, and has had many changes, I wanted to focus on how the company got started in today’s story…
James Lewis Krafft was born was born on December 11, 1874 to George and Minerva Krafft of Stevensville, Ontario, Canada. He was the second oldest of eleven children. The Krafft family owned a dairy farm, so from his earliest days, he could say that he was born into the dairy business.
Read MoreHello Fellow Cheese Enthusiasts!
Recently I had the opportunity to travel to the South…to be specific, Atlanta, Georgia. Ask anyone their thoughts on the foods from the South, and you will most certainly hear someone speak about Pimento Cheese. I confirmed this with my sister who lives in Atlanta and her husband from Alabama.
Read MoreIn my early days of working in a cheese shop, I sold a little Italian import known as Galbani Bel Paese.
I did not know much about the brand, or the cheese, other than it was imported from Italy. It had a mild taste and my customers loved it!
I thought it was long overdue to share the story of this iconic brand (and cheese) and how they got started….
Read MoreHello Fellow Cheese Enthusiasts!
The month of July is a time to celebrate!
Canada celebrates Canada Day (July 1st – A day of Unity that brought the three separate colonies of the United Canadas, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick into a single Dominion); Independence Day (July 4th – Commemorating a “Declaration of Independence” for the thirteen colonies from King George III and to show their unity, freedom, and independence from British rule; and Bastille Day (July 14th – Commemorates the Storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789, as well as the unity of the French people at the Fête de la Fédération on 14 July 1790).
Read MoreHello Fellow Cheese Enthusiasts!
By now I am sure that most of my loyal readers have thought that something drastic must have happened (like being trapped in a cheese cave, becoming lactose intolerant, or worse) to me, as it has been a while since I have written a blog post. The truth is that after being isolated for 18 months from my cheese community, I was down…Then travel opened back up for me and I found myself busier than ever. I still have many more stories to share, so be patient with me as I gear back up and get back to my writing that I miss so desperately…
Read MoreHello Cheese Enthusiasts!
During these last lazy days of Summer, I have found myself craving more comfort foods…Maybe it’s because the weather has turned a little cooler, or maybe it has just been too long since I have enjoyed some.
Everyone has a different idea of their comfort foods…for some it’s Macaroni & Cheese, for some its Cheesy Casseroles, but for me it’s a Grilled Cheese Sandwich (notice that they all have cheese!)….and what’s not to love? I mean, we Americans celebrate National Grilled Cheese Day every April 12th. Not on your calendar??…It should be!!
Read MoreHello Cheese Enthusiasts!
Upon my desk sits a small stack of French Books with a small bust of Napoléon Bonaparte standing guard proudly over them. While they may be small, they are mighty…
In my many travels, it has been some of the smallest cheeses that have made the biggest impact.
I thought that I might share a few of them today with you:
Read MoreMy granddaughter Kaci enjoys Japanese Anime “graphic novels” (which we called comic books in my day), so she drew this picture of me…and she added that I am wearing a cheese t-shirt, and I am thinking of cheese of course!
I guess that I felt this image would be perfect for today’s story.
Back in the 90’s the term “Virtual Reality” was coined, but due to current social distancing, I am afraid that we will have to continue to live “virtually” for some time to come.
While I have not been able to meet in person to conduct cheese trainings, food shows, etc., I have been able to lead some discussions “virtually”, and while it will never be the same as interacting in person, it is better than not seeing anyone at all.
I thought that I would share some of my recent experiences with you and some of the wonderful discoveries that I have made along the way…
Read MoreHello Cheese Enthusiasts!
I have to admit it…March 2021 hit me much harder than I would have expected…it was then I realized that it had been a full year since everything shut down, travel stopped, people isolated, and it yet remains to be determined if it will ever return to the way it was.
To keep a smile on my face, I remind myself of the things that I am grateful for, and the things that bring me joy (cue Julie Andrews singing about “Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens”).
In my case, its Blue cheese….whether you call it Fromage bleu, Queso azul, or Blauer Käse, it is universal in any language. It can be spicy or mild, creamy or crumbly, made from cow, goat, or sheep’s milk, it doesn’t matter to me.
Read MoreHello Cheese Enthusiasts!
Paper?...Plastic?...or Parchment?? Seems like everyone has an opinion on how cheese is supposed to be wrapped. Oh, I fully admit it was one of the biggest questions that I received while working behind the cheese counter…and who could blame them?...Cheese was, and still is, expensive.
For the last several years, I attended (and cheered on) some of the nation’s best cheesemongers at the Cheesemonger Invitational events on the West Coast. (You can read all about my experience here). I can tell you the parchment paper was flying that night…it looked something like the department store giftwrap counter on December 24th. These mongers were able to fold and wrap with all of the precision of an origami master. They were being judged on their speed, technique, and tightness of their wrap.
Read MoreHello Cheese Enthusiast!
Well, I certainly did not plan for the last three posts for the Cheese Traveler to be about historical figures, but sometimes you go where the research leads you…
In honor of Valentine’s Day this week, I bring you the following story…
About a month ago, I was doing some research on Roquefort Cheese and I read that this classic blue cheese from France was mentioned in “The Memoirs of Casanova”…. Wait!...What??...Casanova kept memoirs??...and they mentioned cheese??...I was intrigued and had to know more.
Read MoreHello Cheese Enthusiasts!
Well, Super Bowl LV is almost upon us. A head-to-head competition between two of the season’s best teams (although I would have preferred it had been between Green Bay and Buffalo – two classic cheese related teams). This year’s showdown is set for Sunday, February 7th and will be played in Tampa Bay, Florida.
While most may be picking sides, or anticipating which company will claim the most memorable commercial, I am thinking of what I am going to eat on Super Bowl Sunday, as it has become an annual day of snacking…
Read MoreHello and Happy New Year Cheese Enthusiasts!
Many people this time of year are ready to start working out and eating healthier. I agree!...Time to start eating your greens!!....No, I am not speaking of those leafy greens!...This is a cheese blog!!...I speak of those cheeses that are wrapped in leaves!
Last year I started several blogs that spoke of different ways that cheese makers used natural methods such as Marinating and Binding with Wood in order to hold the soft cheese curd together and protect it from the elements. Wrapping with leaves could easily be the third installment to this series.
Read MoreHello Cheese Enthusiast!
While most parents were busy shopping online trying to find that last “perfect” gift…and visions of sugar plums were dancing in children’s heads (or something like that), a quiet anniversary was being celebrated in a far off land.
Queso Manchego may have been produced as early as the 4th millennium B.C, but it only became one of Spain’s protected cheeses on 21 December 1984….but I am getting ahead of myself. Let’s step back in time…way back. A time in history known as “The Bronze Age” when writing was just starting and history began to record happenings…
Read Moreguess that I have always had a thing for spices…My first job at a cheese counter was an awakening, not just for the hundreds of cheeses they carried that expanded my sense of taste and smell, but also my sense of wonder. This shop was also known for carrying gourmet foods (mostly from Europe) and exotic spices. By today’s standards they may not have seemed exotic, but for that time in history, they were ground breaking. Where did they come from?...How were they used??...I was intrigued and had to learn more.
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