[Free stuff by Wilfrid: July 11, 2013]
It was a very hot afternoon, and the air-conditioned tranquility of the Little Owl event space on Greenwich Avenue was a welcome oasis. I needed to reduce my body temperature before sitting down to ten courses of cheese.
The Prosecco helped. As did conversation with several cheese fanatics, not least Madame Fromage.
The book channels the family's obsession with cheese. And ten courses of cheese was a great way to celebrate its launch (not to mention the wine pairings by Moore Brothers).
The plates were put together, and introduced, by Emilio. Boy, can he talk about cheese: a sample of his learned discourse, from a different occasion, here. As he explained, he can talk, but he can't write: hence Tenaya's role.
It was a captive audience. Several had attended the Cheesemonger Invitational in Queens the previous evening (it blew my mind back in 2011), and I can only congratulate them on their caseophiliac capacity.
The book generously presents American cheeses alongside European, but given the Italian provenance of the Di Bruno family, it seemed appropriate to start with a creamy burrata, hand-made of course, with
Next up, one of the stars of the evening, a pungent Normandy camembert with walnuts and dried apricots. This cheese isn't made exclusively for Di Bruno, but I failed at getting the name of the maker out of Emilio. I am guessing its the Du Brocage on their website; anyway, it was very good.
A brace of gentle white cheeses contrasted the sharp chalkiness of a young goat cheese from Shellbark Hollow Farm, Pennsylvania, with the opulent cream of Delice de Bourgogne. The strawberry-rhubarb preserve worked with the goat cheese (young goat cheeses are well-accompanied by membrillo paste or honey too), but the marinated Amarena cherries overwhelmed the Delice. Lovely things, but best eaten separately.
The wine pairing was spectacular--a crisp, very slightly pétillant Roero Arneis 2012, a new wine to me (and on Little Owl's list too, I'm told). This was a lovely wine for a hot day, with or without the cheese, but it cut the fat perfectly.
A no-brainer, on the other hand, to nestle a slice of Comté from Marcel Petite next to slices of the Di Bruno's own mildly spiced salami.
This was nutty, butter-on-toast cheese, and I think it was about this time they pulled out a neat red Burgundy.
We drank Chianti with the cheddar and Tuma Persa. The former was Montgomery's, often touted as the best cheddar (and therefore one of the best cheeses) in the world, although Isle of Mull once beat it for me in a blind tasting. The Tuma Persa ("lost treasure") is an old Sicilian cheese recently revived. Cow's milk, washed with white wine, and very lightly drizzled here with truffle honey.
Then came a ringer. Cheese experts, we knew this was no Ardrahan. The Ardrahan was a no-show. Instead, Muliterno, described as the "wise guy" of Italian cheeses. Like a super-sharp pecorino, it was certainly a wine-killer. No red wine would stand up to these acids (maybe a shot of grappa?).
Pepper jelly made this an almost over-powering taste experience. The rind shows the marks of the straw baskets in which the cheese is aged.
Comforting, then, to come finally to rest with L'Amuse Gouda and a bufala milk blue. Aged goudas are among the most overlooked of the world's great cheeses, almost fudge-like. The blue was surprisingly vegetal, almost seaweedy. A glass of Keller Rieslaner Beerenauslese confirmed that this was dessert.
Precede all that with a few oysters and just a slice of grouse, and you maybe have my perfect meal.
Back soon with more about the book.
Comments