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Ile-de-France (http://www.iledefrancecheese.com) is sponsoring a Cheese of the Month campaign this spring along with a recipe contest. The recipe entries are due at the end of May. You can read more about it at the website. April's cheese is St. Andre', the luxurious triple creme Brie.
Since I write so much about cheese, Ile-de-France was kind enough to send me - a free chunk of cheese! I came home one day and there on my stoop was a box. Inside, a quarter wheel in pre-pack wrapping--a gorgeous piece for catering, like a big piece of cake. It was so pretty, I couldn't cut open the wrapping, so I went and bought a slice of St. Andre' from the local shop. I took both cheeses to work and everyone was so excited over the packaging, they didn't want me to open either cheese. Back to the store I go to get another slice of St. Andre'.
I did open that slice. It was every bit as good as I remembered. This is a triple creme brie, meaning it has about 75% fat in dry matter vs. the usual 50-60% of regular bries. It is light and fluffy on the palate, yet heavy at the same time, very palate-coating. This piece seems fairly young. (Some people like it more aged. ) It has a faint flavor of mold, but not overpowering, which means, for me, that this rind will not clash with a sparkling wine.
This cheese is the perfect balance of cream, light mushrooms, butter, and texture. It is dense, yet spreadable, even right out of the fridge. At room temperature, while this piece doesn’t ooze as much as some I have had before (has a firm “core”), it still spreads really well on a crusty, chewy baguette. The yeast flavor is great with the buttery cream in the cheese. When you combine the cheese and this yeasty bread, the result is hazelnuts. The cheese is a little bit tangy and I can feel that it is fatty on my palate, but it is remains delicate. Towards the edges it is oozier and has a mushroom flavor typical of bries, but in the very center, this one is still a tad crumbly.
I put some pear mostarda (Italian pureed candied pears with mustard essence)on the bread with the cheese and it was heaven. This is a great cheese for any kind of fruit preserves. I melted it a little, but it tends to run on bread due to the high butterfat. It is nice gently warmed.
Tonight I'm trying it in a risotto with mushrooms.
The Cheese Mistress
http://www.cheesemistress.com
Since I write so much about cheese, Ile-de-France was kind enough to send me - a free chunk of cheese! I came home one day and there on my stoop was a box. Inside, a quarter wheel in pre-pack wrapping--a gorgeous piece for catering, like a big piece of cake. It was so pretty, I couldn't cut open the wrapping, so I went and bought a slice of St. Andre' from the local shop. I took both cheeses to work and everyone was so excited over the packaging, they didn't want me to open either cheese. Back to the store I go to get another slice of St. Andre'.
I did open that slice. It was every bit as good as I remembered. This is a triple creme brie, meaning it has about 75% fat in dry matter vs. the usual 50-60% of regular bries. It is light and fluffy on the palate, yet heavy at the same time, very palate-coating. This piece seems fairly young. (Some people like it more aged. ) It has a faint flavor of mold, but not overpowering, which means, for me, that this rind will not clash with a sparkling wine.
This cheese is the perfect balance of cream, light mushrooms, butter, and texture. It is dense, yet spreadable, even right out of the fridge. At room temperature, while this piece doesn’t ooze as much as some I have had before (has a firm “core”), it still spreads really well on a crusty, chewy baguette. The yeast flavor is great with the buttery cream in the cheese. When you combine the cheese and this yeasty bread, the result is hazelnuts. The cheese is a little bit tangy and I can feel that it is fatty on my palate, but it is remains delicate. Towards the edges it is oozier and has a mushroom flavor typical of bries, but in the very center, this one is still a tad crumbly.
I put some pear mostarda (Italian pureed candied pears with mustard essence)on the bread with the cheese and it was heaven. This is a great cheese for any kind of fruit preserves. I melted it a little, but it tends to run on bread due to the high butterfat. It is nice gently warmed.
Tonight I'm trying it in a risotto with mushrooms.
The Cheese Mistress
http://www.cheesemistress.com
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