Ugly Rinds Last-Minute Gift Guide

Maybe it’s Occupy Wall Street. Maybe it’s the number of people I know out of jobs. Or maybe I’m just developing a thick rind, but I can’t seem to force the holiday cheer this year. Do I need more egg nog? Have I become a morose middle-ager?

Luckily, I can still get excited about cheese, cheese books, and cheese paraphernalia. Here are a few items I picked up in the last year that I just can’t live without.

Marble Cheese Dome

It’s the tea cosy for cheese lovers. The marble base keeps a weepy Brie nice’n cool, and the glass dome keeps flies and fingers away.

Culture Magazine Subscription

This seasonal dairy rag keeps getting better – but I’m biased. Great recipes, cheesemaker profiles, and news for the budding lactophile.

Cheese Knives

So much better than scrambling around for butter knives. 

The Cheese Deck

Max McCalman offers a casino-style approach to the wheeling cheese dealer. Each card features a lovely cheese photo with pairing info on the back. Flash cards?

The Flavor Thesaurus

What a curious gem – I keep this on my nightstand and peruse the wild pairing suggestions whenever I can’t get out of bed. Inevitably, I’m cheered and refreshed.

Mozza

Nancy Silverton (of La Brea Bread) now kneads mozzarella for a living. Well, sort of. This is a brilliant book full of enticing cheese photos– I dream of making her squash blossom pizza.  

Plenty

Hands down most-ogled book in our house. Think Morrocan fusion vegetarian with lots of Greek yogurt drizzled on things.

Tastebuds & Molecules

From the Canadian wine writer François Chartier, a fascinating new approach to wine pairings based on his experiences with Ferran Adrià of El Bulli.

Artisan Bitters

The perfect tonic après cheesing. Put a few drops in sparkling water, and you’ll never need a soda again. Seriously good for digestion.

Cheese's Fireworks: Baubles and Accompaniments

It's becoming the summer of high-waisted jeans, so why shouldn't I pull a few surprises out of my back pocket, like this breath freshening spray which is -- guess what?! -- bitters. I am almost embarrassed to tell you how much I adore this little purse condiment from Urban Moonshine in Burlington, VT. Spray the inside of a glass and make yourself a quickie Manhattan, or gack back a spritz after you lunch on a big, spicy cheese. 

If you want a cheese that tastes like fireworks, run your Keds to the closest fromagerie and buy some Delice de Pommard. It's the ultimate summer cheese ball -- mustard-crusted, creamy, and uber spreadable. Everyone who drags a crisp bread through this French triple-creme goat cheese goes absolutely bananas. It's not high-brow, it's not low-brow; it's just really good cream cheese rolled in gourmet mustard. 

Alors! If you want to get uppity, don't go into this weekend without a decent cheese board. I can't tell you how many times I've arrived at a party with a requested trove of smelly beauties only to discover that the host plans to use a stained, old, flimsy plastic cheese board. This is my Mustang, a hunk of reclaimed oak from the Philadelphia-based company Peg & Awl. If you're buying a wedding present this summer, think of me, and make it a cheese board.

So you've got your bitters, your bling cheese, and your board. What else do you need? Bread. Good bread. Go get that baguette today, wrap it well in plastic, then when you want to  reheat it, just spritz it with water and toss it in the ovy at 300. In 15 minutes, it'll taste brand new.

There, pack your hamper, pick up some roadside berries, and you've got Fourth of July. 

                                                                             ~

P.S. If you need a couple bottles of wine, let me recommend my latest fave, Pieropan. Many thanks to PhilaFoodie for dropping a couple bottles down my chimney earlier this year. With its mineral leanings and citrusy undercoat, Soave Pieropan pairs beautifully with a wide variety of cheeses, especially fresh or slightly aged goat cheeses.