Cheese Portraits at Wedge and Fig

Just a heads up about Mike Geno's stunning cheese portraits. They'll be up at Philadelphia's Wedge & Fig through March, 2012. The opening is tonight. Here's the postcard. Love it up!

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!

Madame Fromage at L'etage

Kittens, on Tuesday, November 8, at 8 p.m., I’ll be part of a live podcast from L’etage, the cabaret bar above Beau Monde’s cozy creperie in South Philly. Come join me, won’t you? Wear something sparkly?

Or stay home and listen to the show on Used Wigs, a local site devoted to "quality workaday distractions." As a distraction, I’ll be sharing some dramatic cheeses as part of my act – cheeses with wild stories, cheeses wrapped in leaves, cheeses made from faraway islands inhabited by special sheep. And by special, I do mean special.

If you have ever wanted to hear fairytales and eat mouthwatering cheese simultaneously, before bed, this is your chance. I will feed you delicate things. You will never be the same.

L'etage, 8 p.m. Nov. 8, 2011
624 South 6th StreetPhiladelphia, PA 19147

Admission: Free (please RSVP here)

To be clear, Used Wigs hosts monthly podcasts at L'etage. I am simply a guest. Many thanks to Russ Starke, host and visionary.

A Night of Blues at Tria Fermentation School

Last night was a dream to remember. I went around the world, eating blues – well, figuratively, at Tria’s Fermentation School. When Tria Wine Director Michael McCauley invited me to teach a class there, I never imagined he’d fall for my trick: a chance to effervesce about blue cheese.

One reason I’m wild about this style of cheese is that so many cultures have developed iconic blues. Italians exude Gorgonzola. The French can think only of Roquefort. In Spain, you find Valdeon and firey Cabrales, while the Brits pick at nubby crumbs of Stilton. Even in Ireland, you find creamy Cashel. And let’s not forget the Danes with their Saga or the U.S. with its Iowa flower, Maytag.

At Tria, the fantastic staff helped me pick perfect pairings for 7 wedges of blue. And off we went, around the world on our blue cheese expedition, from mild and milky to ultra-rich and ferocious, with sides of Allagash-steeped cherries and chocolate-fig jam. Here's the recap.

Seven blues, served w/apple butter, cherries & chocolate-fig jam

Cremificato Verde Capra

Pairing: Vouvray Pétillant Brut, Domaine Huet, ‘05

A gorgeous goat blue from Lombardy, served with brilliant sparkly.

Rogue River Smokey Blue

Boon Kriek Lambic

Like an exotic cigarette and a cherry kiss, all at once. Fantastic.

Gorgonzola Cremifacto

Valpocella Superiore, “Ripasso,” Bussola ‘06

A lazy blue with a rambunctious red – the wine was liquid chocolate.

Colston Bassett Stilton with a Stichelton chaser

J.W. Leese Harvest Ale, 2010

Two glorious beasts from the stilton world -- one pasteurized, the other raw – served with not-too-sweet barleywine.  

Cabrales

Pedro Ximénez “Gran Reserva,” Bodegas Toro Albalâ, ‘82

This wicked, sinus-clearing blue was beautifully tamed by a drop of PX.

Carles Roquefort

Sauternes, Chateua Laribotte, ‘05

Salty sheep’s milk meets gorgeous straw-colored Sauternes. It's like a perfect personal ad.  

Birchrun Blue Fudge from Betty’s Tasty Buttons

Banyuls, “Vielles Vignes,” Domaine du Mas Blanc, ‘91

Local fudge kissed with Sue Millers salty blue, served with a spectacular port-like creature.

The Cheese Map, from the back of the tasting menu

~
Many thanks to the great folks at Tria for providing a venue like this in Philadelphia. The Fermentation School is used for staff trainings throughout the week (Tria has 3 wine bars that serve an eclectic, ever-changing selection of cheeses, wine, beer, and meals), and tastings for the public are held several times per month. Their event calendar is a must-bookmark site and is especially useful for keeping track of happy hour and their ever-popular Sunday School program (a special offering of beer, wine, and cheese -- at a very low price, only on Sundays).

On Blue Cheese & Food Blogging: Two Classes

"Black Castello," by Mike Geno

Pssst...it's happening. I'm teaching a class on tasting blue cheese. Yeah, I know, blue cheese is not everyone's bag, but you and I know that most people get hung up on "crumbles" at the grocery. We don't like those either. But we love a soft, purring blue like Gorg Dolce (which would be a very good name for a cat) and we get rowdy when someone brings out a big blue bruiser like Stilton. 

On Friday, October 28, I am going to sing the blues at Tria's Fermentation School. I hope you'll grab the hand of an adventurous friend and join me for an around-the-world, multi-milk tour. We'll start in the U.S., with some award-winning blues, then fly to Italy, France, Spain, and England, enjoying pairings with each bite. It's a flight of 7 blues, my loves. There will be dark chocolate, there will be sherry. Let's all wear silk stockings. 

Click here for tickets.

Food Blogging Workshops I & II

You've been asking and asking, and now this dream comes true: Marisa McClellan and I are teaming up to teach two workshops specifically for food bloggers. Whether you're just starting out or deeply engrossed in the blogosphere, we think this set of two hands-on classes will be smashing. Come to one, or both. We're holding them at Indy Hall, a unique co-working space in Old City, Philadelphia. Both workshops will be intimate (12-15 people), and we're providing coffee and baked goods for breakfast. Our goal is to provide you with community, creativity, and croissants, along with new skills and a boost of confidence. 

Food Blogging I : An Introduction

Sat., October 15, 10-1 p.m.

Indy Hall, $75, includes brunch

Instructors: Marisa McClellan (foodinjars.com) & Tenaya Darlington a.k.a. Madame Fromage 

Want to launch a food blog, or spice up the one you’ve already started? Spend a morning developing your culinary identity. We’ll give you an anatomy lesson of good blog components, talk photo gear, explore trends and niches, plus brainstorm future posts with you. This is a hands-on class. You will eat muffins. You will take lots of notes. When you leave, you’ll have all the tools to start blogging with a clear vision of the food story you want to share. 

Food Blogging II: Ethics & Etiquette

Sat., Nov. 5, 10-1p.m.

Indy Hall, $75, includes breakfast

Instructors: Marisa McClellan (foodinjars.com) & Tenaya Darlington a.k.a. Madame Fromage 

So you’ve been blogging for a while, but you’re wondering how to get noticed. And you’re worried your posts might be too long. And you think you might want to run advertising? In this 3-hour workshop, we’ll run through Blog Ethics 101 and help you think through the choices ahead. We’ll also look at several case studies of successful bloggers who have landed book deals and launched full-blown careers in writing. It’s not just about branding, it’s also about understanding the ethics and etiquette around posting recipes, photos, and comments. Consider this your baptism into the pro blogger community.

Note: The image of "Black Castello" at the top of this post is a new work by Mike Geno. His cheese paintings will be featured in the winter issue of Culture Magazine.

Cheese, Ale, and Jam Recap

Yesterday was a beautiful Sunday afternoon, perfect for tucking into jam, nibbling cheese, and sipping beer. Marisa of Foodinjars.com joined me on the back patio at Wedge & Fig, Old City's new cheese shop, for a little catechism. Since several of you wanted to be there but couldn't, here are a few photos along with a menu of our pairings. 

Later this week, Marisa and I will be posting about our upcoming Food Blogging Workshops -- we've got two (one for newbies, one that's advanced), and I've got details to share about my all blue cheese class at Tria in October. Click the links for a sneaky preview. More verbiage to come.

Now, for yesterday's tasting...

Humboldt Fog + Honey-Sweetened Apricot Lavender Butter

Walt Wit, Philadelphia Brewing

This iconic goat cheese from Cypress Grove’s Mary Keehn is layered with a line of edible ash, separating morning milk from evening milk. A light-bodied wheat beer with plenty of effervescence is perfect. So is a Sauv Blanc.

Delice de Bourgogne + Pear Vanilla Jam

Duvel Belgian Ale

One of the most decadent triple cremes, Delice is often served with Champagne, but a spritely Duvel does the job, too. In fall, serve Delice for dessert with dried cherries, pears, and spiced pecans. 

Epoisses+Cara Cara Ginger Marmalade

90-minute IPA, Dogfish

Meaty Epoisses hails from Burgundy, where 16^th century monks developed this unique brandy-washed cheese. Try it before Thanksgiving dinner, served with crudité and a big beer with plenty of malt and hops.

Quickes Cheddar+Peach Chutney

Saint Botolph’s Town, Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project

Mary Quicke makes traditional clothbound cheddar at her home in Devon. Its sweet earthiness matches the malty caramel notes in this rustic brown ale made by gypsy brewers outside of Boston. Try the Duvel, too. 

Beemster Aged Gouda +Fig Jam

Bam Biere, Jolly Pumpkin

This Gouda-style cheese from the Netherlands is toasty and smoky, a good foil for for an artisan farmhouse ale made from wild yeast in Dexter, MI. You could also try a smoked beer or a stout.

Black Castello+Pickled Cherries

Life & Limb, Dogfish/Sierra Nevada collaboration

This friendly Danish blue made from cow and sheep’s milk is notable for its black rind. It has a supple, salty profile that stands up to dark beer, in this case an American Strong Ale sweetened with maple syrup. It’s strong (10% ABV).

Table settings w/ menus and tasting notes 

Beer selections, from local to far-flung

Pickled cherries, etc. in the Wedge & Fig kitchen

September Cheese Horoscope

Equinox Gougere, Wooden Spoon Bakery, Phoenixville, Pa.

If you start to feel lazy or listless in the early part of the month, consider raising your derriere off the couch to attend a cheese tasting or farm tour. Expect creamy waves of pleasure as well as new thought patterns around chevre and personal fortune. Here’s a taste of what Mercury brings, especially around the full moon on the 19th:

September 9-11

Yellow Springs Fall Open House

Friday noon-6, Sat & Sun. 10-4

1165 Yellow Springs Rd., Chester Springs, PA 19425

Catherine and Al Renzi have one of the prettiest goat dairies in Chester County, along with a native plant nursery of fall-blooming shrubs, wildflowers, and trees. Their fall open house is a great time to meet some adorable loppy-eared goats and sample some remarkable handmade cheese. If you missed out on their goat cheese CSA this year, you can scope out the coolers for a selection of tender morsels (try Red Leaf and Nutcracker). If you plan to make a day of it, stop by Kimberton Whole Foods to check out the selection of local foods, have lunch at The Wooden Spoon Bakery in downtown Phoenixville for a sandwich and a cookie (the homemade Oreos and Oatmeal Smileys are not to be missed), and pop by Talula’s Table in Kennett Square to pick up dinner-to-go and grab winter provisions. For more info, visit yellowspringsfarm.com.

September 16

Autumn Pairings Class: Cheese, Beer & Homemade Preserves

Wedge+Fig, 160 N. 3^rd St, Philadelphia, 19106, 4-6 p.m.

Join Marisa McClellan (foodinjars.com) and Madame Fromage for the ultimate evening of snacking at Philadelphia’s newest cheese café and patio garden. We’ll teach you how to pair flavors and give you plenty of tips for holiday entertaining, using cheese and homemade preserves (pickles, chutneys, and jams), along with local brews and more. This is a great Cheese 101 for anyone interested in developing a palate, and if you’re a home canner, we’ve got recipes you can use for parties and gift giving. If you’ve never attended one of our cheese’n pickle parties or cheddar’n chutney events, this is the grand bomb.

To reserve tickets ($65), click here.

September 17

Adams County Orchard Tour

Bus departs Reading Terminal at 8:30 a.m.

The good folks at the Fair Food Farmstand (in Reading Terminal Market) have been rolling out some great road trips to local farms this summer – a terrific deal if you’re a car-free city dweller in search of green pastures. Board a bus, eat some nibbles on the way, and visit several area growers that supply food to the stand. You can bet there will be some cheese at this hoe down, which stops at Beechwood Orchards and Three Springs Fruit Farm for tastes of heirloom apples and other regionally grown fruit. A picnic is provided, along with live music. You may even see cheesemonger Paul Lawler trip the light fantastic. For tickets ($75), visit Eventbrite.

September 20

The Brewer, The Farmer, The Chef, and The Goat

Upstairs at Di Bruno Bros., 6-8 p.m.

It’s a nose-to-tail fete with Stoudt’s Brewing and 7^th Heaven Farm of Tabernacle, NJ, a local purveyor of rare and heritage livestock. Chef Rob Sidor goes to gorgeous extremes on his tastings (witness the Fermentation Dinner), so this meal is not to be missed. Dinners at Di Bruno Bros. are casual, and this one will feature tasting stations with special pairings of all things goat. Meet all the characters involved in brewing, farming, and cooking this meal. To reserve tickets ($45): call 215.665.1659 or email catering@dibruno.com

For more area cheese events, check out...

Anne Saxelby's Cheese Calendar (For all things relating to artisan cheese in NYC)

Cheese Classes at Artisanal (For master classes with Max McCalman)

Murray's Cheese Events (Note the Stinky Cheese & Wine tasting and the Cave Tours)

Tria's Fermentation School (Note the Cheese Happy Hours at this Philly institution)

Fall Cheese Pairings: A Class at Wedge & Fig

Dreaming of fall? Join me for an evening of autumn flavors at Wedge+Fig, where Marisa McClellan (foodinjars.com) and I will teach you the pleasures of pairing cheese with homemade jam, pickles, and chutney, along with local brews.

This is a great Cheese 101 for anyone interested in developing a palate, and if you’re a home canner you’ll leave with recipes you can use for parties and gift giving. Make a night of mixing and matching with six styles of cheese and plenty of accompaniments. We look forward to seeing you!

Autumn Pairings Class: Cheese, Beer & Homemade Preserves

Instructors: Marisa McClellan of Foodinjars.com &

Tenaya Darlington, a.k.a Madame Fromage  

Sunday, September 18

4-6 p.m., Wedge+Fig

160 N. 3rd St., Old City, Philadelphia

$65, limit 15 participants

For tickets, please visit Eventbrite.

The staff at Wedge+Fig

Wedge and Fig

I am not the sort of person who can walk by a cheese shop without going in. That’s what led me through a red door to discover the perfect sandwich: Quickes Cheddar, Marmite, avocado, and watercress pressed into a crusty baguette.

At Wedge and Fig, a new cheese shop and cafe in Philadelphia's Old City, this is called The Ex-Pat. It could also be called The Diary of Mary Quicke, after the British cheesemaker who makes this gorgeous clothbound cheese on her family's 450-year-old farm and blogs about it.

At Wedge and Fig, the cheese sandwich has been redazzled. Consider The Blue Fig, a shmear of Fourme D’Ambert with fig spread and prosciutto on pretzel bread.

Then there’s The Betty Draper – truffled egg salad (no cheese) and coins of thinly shaved cuke, served with a side of candy cigarettes.

Wedge and Fig impresses me as the sort of shop that mixes all the right vibes: it’s a little bit Left Bank -- think artists, streams of sunlight, a cafe garden bordered by fire escapes -- and a little bit lipstick. You’re just as likely to see a shop girl carrying a dog in her purse as you are to see a hipster with a drawing tablet.

The staff knows and loves its cheese. The front case keeps clear of deli ruckus – thank gawd – to keep the focus on interesting beauties: from gooey Pont l'Eveque to my favorite toasty Gouda, Old Amsterdam. A wildly large wedge of Quickes Cheddar lives front and center.

To encourage cheese and lounging, the café stays open late on Fridays and Saturdays (until 8 p.m.) to serve custom cheese boards. Bring in a bottle of wine, and you can have a cheese plate made to match. It's served on a slate with chalk-drawn arrows to show you the order in which to eat each selection.

Desserts made by Rebecca Torpie (above, right), formerly of Flying Monkey Bakery, should not be skipped, in particular her tuffet of goat cheesecake topped with caramel. And don't forget to check out the back garden -- down a dark alley just to the left of the shop.

A Forager's Report: Bell's Market

On a hot day, there is almost nothing I love more than retreating to an ethnic grocery to muse and mull. That's how I found myself in a borrowed Volvo, schlepping house guests into Northeast Philadelphia one beastly Saturday to explore Bell's Market. Later, there would blintzes with farmer's cheese and platters of smoked fish -- perfect hot weather fare -- but first, there was the pleasure of oogling a Russian dairy case and marveling at whole smoked mackerel.

Bell's Market is in Rhawnhurst, a never-you-mind strip mall community in the hinterlands of Philadelphia, a neo-burb of '60s era twin houses and brownie pan-sized lawns. Right on Bustleton Avenue, the area's main artery, Bell's Market rises from asphalt. Its facade resembles Staples Office Supplies, except for ads written in Cyrillic hanging in the front windows.

Inside, the first mission became came clear. Linger by the pickle bar.

The woman behind the counter was kind enough to let my friends and I sample her pickled salads. There must have been 50, including three kinds of pickled carrot salad, plus pickle-stuffed peppers and sliced watermelon floating in brine. My favorite discovery was whole pickled apple. It's very delicate and not too puckery, perfect for sharp cheese and smoked fish.

From there, I went straight to dairy. Some of the labels made me laugh.

And I couldn't get over how many shrink-wrapped, pre-sliced "cheese products" filled the cooler shelves. Certainly an American influence. I cowered.

My friend Matt and I were smitten by feta sold in metal canisters. Smitten, but also puzzled. Can metal canisters be good for brining cheese?

There was no end to the mystery.

There were cheeses of every shape, variety, and nationality.

We settled on a few spreadable curiosities and a probiotic cheese that looked especially Soviet. Many of the cheeses in the dairy case were made in Brooklyn, but some were imported direct from the motherland.

Really, it was the fish counter that took my breath away.

Again, we were allowed samples. How I love women in paper hats.

Bell's Market sells both cold-smoked and hot-smoked fish. We learned that cold-smoking conserves moisture and makes for a meatier mouthful. The texture of the hot-smoked fish was thready.

And so we went home and feasted. On poppyseed bread, pickles, mysterious beverages malt beverages, cheese, and smoked fish.

The bounty lasted for days. Every few hours, someone made a little Russian snack.

And the probiotic cheese sat well with us. Imagine cottage cheese with very fine curds. Russians call it "Tvorog."

Nestled into a crepe with honey and bananas, it was absolutely luxe.

Tvorog, I've learned, is a Russian staple, similar to cottage cheese but more closely related to quark. The blog Everyday Russian offers a recipe for making it at home. It's made with raw milk and sour cream, and unlike ricotta recipes, this one requires no curdling agent (usually lemon juice or vinegar). I can't wait to make some.