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Monday, January 16, 2012

Scenes From The Cheese Ball

                                                        Yours Truly with Sue Miller of Birchrun Hills Farm

You may have heard. On Saturday, I held a Cheese Ball in Philadelphia. It was everything I hoped it would be. And more. There were cheeses from Holland, London, and New York. We had guests from Spain, France, Norway, and Green Bay. Admission? A wedge of cheese. By the end of the night, I counted over 100 cheese tags left on the table. Amazing. Here is a glimpse into our wonderful feast.

THE CHEESE BOARD
The Cheese Board at 8 p.m.



The Cheese Board at 9 p.m.
The Cheese Board at Midnight

THE GUESTS
There were friends. And there were strangers. Cheesemongers brought dates and wedges. Couples came in gowns and tuxes. A king and queen were crowned at the end of the night. Here are a few outtakes. There are lots more on flickr.

A Beautiful Pair from Di Bruno Bros.


A Jesuit Digs In
Blog Readers from New York City (Columbia Students)





THE CHEESE DELUGE
The night was truly an Alice in Wonderland of Cheese. Everyone brought beautiful wheels and wedges. Not a single block of Velveeta. Many thanks to the following cheeses houses for donating wheels and for sending emissaries: Di Bruno Bros., Quince, Fair Food, Wedge and Fig, Greensgrow, and Downtown Cheese. And many thanks to all of you who contributed so much!


THE VENUE
Many thanks to the staff at RUBA, the Russian Social Club of Northern Liberties, for hosting us. The bartenders were quick'n dirty. The taxidermy was perfect. The kitsch behind the bar was spot on. I can't think of a better place to host a cheese ball in 2013!
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8 comments:

  1. DanielleJanuary 16, 2012 at 3:27 PM

    Sad I couldn't be there - would have been tempted to dive onto that table groaning with cheese. I nibbled at some classic Roaring 40's blue (King Island) and Gympie Farm goats cheese in your honour!

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  2. RebeccaJanuary 16, 2012 at 7:07 PM

    What a wonderful, wonderful event!!!! I was only sad that I couldn't eat more. Thank you for hosting this. I will be back for the next one... will I really have to wait a whole year for the next Cheese Ball?

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  3. Karen SimonJanuary 17, 2012 at 11:54 AM

    Wow! I wished I lived nearby. My idea of heaven.

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  4. HLSJanuary 17, 2012 at 1:44 PM

    I think the MF Cheese Ball should go on tour. Knoxville, TN is starting to get wise to dairy edibles. Perhaps Madame should bring zee fromage to our fair city?

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  5. AnonymousJanuary 19, 2012 at 5:41 AM

    This was a great event! Next year, I'll have to remember not to eat dinner beforehand. Thanks for all your hard work in putting this on!

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  6. Rosemary KuJanuary 20, 2012 at 7:50 PM

    I totally agree with HLS that your Cheese Ball needs to go on tour. What about San Francisco???

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  7. DoingDeweyJanuary 27, 2012 at 6:49 PM

    How classy! I'd love to go to a cheese tasting event like this! I just reviewed a book about cheesemaking on my blog and enjoyed it enough that I'm looking for more opportunities to explore the wonders of cheese :) Any event suggestions for someone in Iowa?

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  8. Madame FromageJanuary 28, 2012 at 1:11 PM

    Well, DoingDewey, you're in Ames, so I'd head over to Wheatsfield and bug the person in the cheese department. I picked up some Prairie Breeze there a couple summers ago. There are several notable Iowa cheeses you could explore, including a local Robiola and, of course, Maytag. An all Iowa cheese plate is possible!

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