"It's Not You, it's Brie" About Town
It’s been a long week(s). Many calls to an out-of-town roommate to try to figure out why the internet wasn’t working -roomie’s back, internet’s not (but while I’ve had a low web presence, hey, I planted a vegetable garden). An amazing trip with a photographer friend to Sonoma to visit three beautiful creameries- Achadinha, Valley Ford and Délice de la Vallée. Taught a Burgundy class at the Cheese School of San Francisco (CSSF). Finalizing trip details for Wisconsin (gotta love that cheese book research, twisting your arm, making you go to some of the best creameries in the nation). And there’s been more. A few of them not-so-great, like making herbalist appointments that require you to drink teas that taste like thick licorice-compost, but most of it has been very, very lovely.
It's been action-packed around here lately.
And I’m here (a little late, for sure, but I’m okay with blaming the internet) to give you a little taste of recent “It’s Not You, it’s Brie” flavor. Next week, expect a photo tour of a recent California cheese trip or two. Shortly thereafter, you’ll see an interview with the uber-nice and talented Liam Callahan of Bellwether Farms. Yay...
In the meantime, here’s what’s going on around here:
This Thursday I published an article in the LA Times all about lush, creamy cheeses that go the distance- Beyond the Butter Bomb. Here’s the opening lines below, and here’s the link the article. I hope you enjoy it, it was really fun to write (gotta love an editor who doesn’t scratch your Jake Gyllenthal references).
"Cheeses whose creamy centers give like a soft-serve cone on a hot day will always have dates to the cheese prom. The spreadable, sweet demeanor of crèmes leads to instant popularity, and their snowy rinds and plush interiors make them some of the best-looking wheels around.... [more here]"
EVENTS
I have two events coming up that I’m cooking for/leading, the first is at Solano Cellars, the second at the CSSF.
Pinot Pairing Battle: Oregon's Ken Wright vs Burgundy's Patrice Rion
Thursday, May 19, 7pm – 9pm, Solano Cellars - 1580 Solano Ave, 510.525.9463
What happens when you pit the best Pinot Noir producer in Oregon against a Burgundian, Nuits-Saint-Georges heavyweight and pair them to four courses of passed apps? A wine fight till death, that's what. Ken Wright versus Patrice Rion. American against Euro. Smooth finish versus high acidity. Ripe fruit against barnyard funk. In a battle of Burgundies against American Pinot Noir paired to appetizers cooked by Solano Cellars’s Kirstin Jackson, who will win? Four appetizer courses, 8 wines. $65/person
Rieslings Rule
Wednesday, June 1,
6:30 – 8:30 pm, The Cheese School of San Francisco, 415. 346.7530
Rieslings, with their delicate balance of acidity and sweetness, provide some of the best pairings for food, and cheese is no exception. Whether at the light and refreshing or full bodied and deep end of the spectrum, Rieslings tend to be floral and fruity, and their subtlety and low alcohol levels make many Rieslings a wonderful warm weather wine. The spicy, honey-like qualities of the typical Riesling grape also offer a lovely counterpoint to savory, washed rind cheeses in particular. Learn – and taste for yourself why ‘Rieslings rule’ according to many as the most perfect of all wines to pair with cheese.
Not mentioned in the CSSF write-up- the Riesling class will expand beyond sweet wines. Rieslings are only sweet if the winemaker wants them to be, and we’ll try a full repertoire from sugary, with dazzling acidity, to mineral and dry as a bone. Riesling hating because of sweetness = not a viable option. Prepare to fall in love.
See you all soon!