A Brazilian Cheese and Samba Shindig

The Queso Diegans were at it again, this time they learned a thing or two about all things Brazil (especially the cheese parts).

Members gathered at City Farmer's Nursery for a shake and a samba keeping up with our 2013 Around The World theme featuring Brazilian cheeses this month.

Our honorary resident Livia, presented us with a top notch presentation of some very exotic unpronounceables:

Queijo Minas

Requeijão Cremosos

Coalhos

Pratos

Catupiry

Mimoso

Beverages of the Brazilian sort stood out amongst our traditional meads, brews, and wine.

Guarana, a Brazilian soda reared its fizzy head along with the imported Brazilian beers.

...and Caipirinhas, the national cocktail, were made using lime, cane sugar, and cachaça, a sugar cane based rum.

Members soaked up the Brazil regions, its culture, and its beloved cheese making practices, as our resident Queso Diegan gave us an engaging presentation, complete with a samba demo.

 Yes, our presenter took to the floor with a sassy swing in her step alongside our professional performing artist, Robby for a lively, hip and shimmy-shaking showdown.

 As it turns out, dancing the samba can elevate the mood, and if anyone knows the power of atmosphere, it's those lovely Brazilians.

Just when we thought we couldn't squee any more, we were treated to traditional cheesy bread rolls deliriously executed with a thickened dulce de leche. Oh, sweet mother of diabetes, these little scrumpets are made for devouring!



Another tasty tale for the cheese books.

A colossal thank you to Livia for making this evening all sorts of awesome.

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Hip-Swinging, Rock 'n' Roll Fondue

The July installation of the monthly Queso Diego meeting called upon the meltiest of cheeses for the scrumptious occasion.

Members gathered at City Farmer's Nursery, our one-stop, organic gardening shop, for the grand and over the top meltdown.

Photo by Larry Stein

Here, over fifty fermented curd-loving folks gathered around the perimeter of eight fondue pots and a boundless spread of sweet and savory dippers in the grip of frenzied, fondue fun. 

The kind of fun that people will do unspeakable things for.

Photo by Larry Stein

The garden fresh veggies

The perfectly-cubed breadbits, pretzels, meats, potatoes, chippolini onions, asparagus, and sausages.

Photo by Larry Stein

The dried fruits, pound cake, shortbread, madeleines, wafer biscuits, ladyfingers, marshmallows, strawberries, bananas, grapes, and meaty strips of pork-heavenly, bacon.

Photo by Larry Stein

We fluttered and flurried about, making no haste in our preparations knowing well that good food takes time.

The cheeses aplenty:
Gruyere, Cheddar, Fontina, Swiss, and then some.

We were even treated to cheese-stuffed empanadas with a savory-spiced chutney.

Our slow descent into curd chaos was accompanied by a fair share of homemade brews, honey mead, and a select few bottles of red and white.



All followed by a dessert fitting of cheese royalty. A butterscotch fondue packed with almond brickle chips, and bits and bobs of English Toffee.

Our pièce de résistance, dessert fountain was deliriously executed in chocolate,

and much enjoyed by this festive bunch of 'cheesy' folks.

While playing the understudy and waiting in the wings, I came out from the 'fun'due woodworks to reveal my cheesiest costume from the bygone era, a Memphis Flash of fondue, the big dipper himself...

Only I was a fierce, lip-snarling, female Elvis, who was fixin' to fry up some sage for my goat cheese and nutmeg, steaming, hot pot of burning love.

holycow.ch/de

I believe the King himself would have been pleased with our church of cheese. 

A fantastique meltique for the Queso Diegans.

Until we meet again my cheesy friends.

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Wineocerous Wednesday: It's a Beer! No, It's a Wine! It's Cabernale!

Cabernale - a clever use of portmanteau,
an odd bird of an alcoholic beverage.

Seems the clever folks over at Craftsman Brewing Company have seized the opportunity to Frankenstein their fermented, malted barley by brewing it with a classic red wine grape variety, cabernet sauvignon, creating a fruit beer by-product.

Surprise!!! It's a brew! 

...or what I like to call the beverage with identity issues, as it drinks like a beer, yet tastes much like a red wine. A remarkably interesting glass of "wine".

As a dedicated, consumer of wine, I can't help but be intrigued with this concept. I continue to toss the idea in my head that it's not a very interesting wine, and that it was served at a far too cool of a temperature.

I do admit to finding it quite difficult to refrain from comparing it to wine, but after removing my 'wine hat' to enjoy this experience as a "beer drinker", I have to admit that it's an attractive brew.

From a glance, it appears to be an ordinary glass of Welch's grape juice, perhaps even a Lambic?

www.visitflanders.co.uk 

On the nose, it's Cab Sauv all the way, yielding its characteristic blackberry, currant and cherry fruits. Following a sip to the palate however, its maltiness steps in to remind you that this is no wine. Its malts and tannins are subtle, it's dry and sour, and then the fruit bomb detonates as it soon becomes tart and puckery.

I trust that this would make for a brilliant gateway beverage of choice for wine drinkers on the path to becoming more beer-friendly and vice-versa.

In the end however, if I do want wine (which is quite often the case), I shall very well order a glass of wine in lieu of this jolly rancher.

Cabernale

A bad wine? 

-or-

A wildly interesting brew, with great drinkability that's perfect for summer sipping?

You decide.

Cheese Tips:

Try this with an creamy-dream, smooth, Brunet. The Brunet is a goaty with enough tang to hold up to the bright acid and fruit in this intriguing brew. Just think of a bowl of fresh berries with cream for dessert, and this should take you there.

www.europeanfood.co.nz 

Additionally, a spoonable, earthy, cow's milk Harbison, by Jasper Hill Farm, would do well with the spritzyness of this sweet ale. It's almost like having biting into a blackcurrant while having the forest all to yourself.

www.oakpark.com 

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A grilled cheese meltdown!

Whew! Think I've finally come to after succumbing to a heavily-induced, grilled cheese coma from last week's sandwich castle in the air affair.

The highly anticipated April Cheeseup for my cheese club, Queso Diego, went off without a hitch!

Paying homage to our beloved fromage, we paid a proper tribute honoring National Grilled Cheese Month by stacking tried and true favorites for the mother of all grilled cheese roundups at City Farmer's Nursery. 

cityfarmersnursery.com

It was a grilled cheese off that knew no boundaries.

Armed with an arsenal of tools fit for a sandwich match like no other, we took to slating and plating like bosses.

Using everything from stovetop grill pans to George Foreman grills, our mighty team came up with a vast and impressive array of cheese sandwiches across the sweet and savory spectrum of delectability.

Of course, no Queso Diego meeting is complete without a generous supply of beverages to meet the hydration needs of our thirsty compatriots.

The brew crew brought in some homemade meads, ales reared their much welcome heads, a lovely port made a special appearance, and wine as always, was abound.

We were delighted to have Kathy Strahs of Panini Happy come out to help us celebrate one of our most perfect foods. Make certain to stop by her lovely blogspace that's stuffed with a grilled sandwich bliss of another kind. 

paninihappy.com

You could say it was a sandwich heaven of sorts with excellent company, fine drink, and imaginative, little, tasty, concoctions across the board.

My own contribution was a blue cheese, grilled cheese.

Using cheeses of smokey blue, a Morbier, and a Gruyere, topped with Moscato-marinated, grilled pears, candied pecan bits, and raw Tupelo honey. It was a delicious, grilled to perfection, beautiful mess.

If you look closely, there's even a praline pecan and honeyed chevre dessert sandwich lurking beyond.

One of our members even fashioned an ornamental, grilled cheese truck, cloche atop her head for the evening. 

Perfectly themed attire for our cheesy theme, I say!

I believe it's fair to say that no one left hungry, and our melty-grilled, sandwichtide was quite possibly the best thing that's happened since sliced bread.

simplystatedralsimple.com

Everyone went home with some epic Toastabags, compliments of a generous donation from Boska Holland. 

I'm happy to report that it's left my toaster crumb-free, with no cheese remnants, while properly equipping my son to take on the frightful task of feeding himself when he's away at college.

Some of us even got our 'Benny & Joon' on, taking full advantage of all that these fine Toastabags have to offer.

rottentomatoes.com

"Some cultures are defined by their relationship to cheese."

cheesemaking.com

I'm delighted to announce that Queso Diego was featured in the New England Cheesemaking Company's 'Moosletter' which can be found here:

 Oooey, gooey, cheestasticness is on the move, and us cheesers are delighted to be a part of all of it.

I have to admit, I'm slightly saddened now knowing that only eight days remain in the cheesiest month of the year.

If you've yet to celebrate this classic food, I invite you to do so now, while the smell of grilled cheese is still well in the air.

thedailymeal.com

For scrumptious sandwich recipes

have a looksie here:

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