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Over 150 of the
world's finest cheeses, lovingly procured, cared for,
and presented with expert and enthusiastic counsel,
education, tastings, and events. MORE>> |
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In-house kitchen
serving gourmet sandwiches, salads, cheese pairings,
cheese courses, desserts, wine, and more. MENU>> |
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Boutique wines, authentic breads, and artful
foods that simply and tastefully complement great
cheese. MORE>> |
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Cheese courses,
sandwich platters, boxed meals, special events, private
tastings... Gatherings small or large, personal or
professional, casual or elegant. MENU>> |
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Food, wine,
serveware or gift certificates with classic packaging
options designed with natural, authentic, reusable
products and materials. MORE>> |
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Unique and beautiful serveware, implements, and
books to enhance the presentation and enjoyment of fine
cheese. MORE>> |
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Cheese and wine tastings, live demonstrations,
cheesemaker, cookbook author, and chef visits. Our
calendar features events you don't want to miss. MORE>> |
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Who
wouldn't love a holiday gift basket filled with a
selection of fine cheeses, wine, special food
accompaniments, and perhaps a cheese knife or serving
board? Because our store features items that mix and
match wonderfully together, we can assemble an infinite
range of unique offerings with beautiful, delicious, and
festive presentations - at prices appropriate for any
gift-giving occasion. CLICK
HERE FOR DETAILS.
For your gift, you can
select treasures from among:
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Cheese - select one single, unique and special
cheese or a sampling of several
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Wine - perhaps a French Champagne with a classic
triple cream cheese?
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Food Accompaniments - add a jar of winter chutney,
or fig jam with special crackers from England made just
for cheese.
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Serveware - tuck in an olive wood cutting board
& knife, a cheese plate set, or an inspiring book on
serving cheese
Our
packaging options are designed with a natural, authentic
look, and utilize products that can be reused, such as
jute bags, willow serving trays and pine wooden boxes.
The overall feel is simple, classic and
traditional.
Most of our gifts can be assembled
on the spot in about 15 minutes, so feel free to stop by
on the way to the party! However, if ordering gifts in
large quantity (eg., corporate gifts), or you are
planning ahead - we welcome your advance
order.
 During the month of
December, we have a helpful service for one-on-one gift
and catering assistance with a specially trained
associate. Simply call 954-384-8183 to discuss your
needs and ideas, including setting up an appointment at
the store if you
wish. | |
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 During the holidays, you'll find
plenty of occasions to add a lovely cheese course or
delicious sandwich platter to the menu of your party or
the ones you'll attend. With our specially trained gift
and catering associate, you'll receive the attention you
need to plan the perfect party. CLICK
HERE FOR DETAILS.
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Remember, when ordering any case of wine
(12 bottles; mixed or single selection), you'll
receive a 15%
discount.
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Presenting fine cheeses to your family and
guests over the holidays is a special treat. It is
elegant, sophisticated, festive, appreciated, and
yet can be the most effortless of all your holiday
food preparations.
In order to assist you
with your selections, we have outlined below a
five step approach to serving a cheese course.
There are innumerable variations and alternatives,
and we will be addressing each of the five steps
separately in newsletters to come. But for the
holidays, we recommend taking advantage of the
wonderful beauty and simplicity of cheese by
allowing it to shine as the one course that
requires the least of your valuable time and
attention.
In each of the five steps
below, we have added "Our basic recommendations".
These are useful if you are looking for general,
no-fail guidelines that will keep things simple
and yet are sure to please any guest. Of course,
they are not fixed rules. We encourage you to
taste our cheeses before buying so that your
choices reflect your own opinions and
preferences.
The Five Steps to Serving a Cheese
Course
- Occasion. Is it a sit-down dinner, a small
gathering for appetizers, or a party/reception?
When will the cheese be served, and with what
other foods? The answers to these questions
guides decisions about the number, types and
quantity of cheeses to offer.
Our basic
recommendation:
For sit down dinner 1-3
cheeses; Small gathering 3 - 4; Party/reception
3-6. Not too heavy or rich before dinner. Allow
approx. 3-6 oz. total cheese per person
(depending on other foods offered, if before or
after dinner, etc.).
- Categories. Our cheeses are
categorized into six classes which are
differentiated on the basis of tastes, textures,
appearances, etc. (Click
for Cheese Categories)
Our basic
recommendation:
Select cheeses from
different categories so that you will offer a
range of characteristics. Choose from categories
in the following order: Bloomy Rind, Hard,
Fresh, Blue, Semi-Hard, Washed
Rind
- Flavor. Within each category (and
relative to that category), there exists a range
of taste from mild to full-flavored. Note: You
can also consider milk type and country of
origin - or leave that up to us.
Our
basic recommendation:
Make selections
from the middle of the category's range eg.,
Brie (Bloomy Rind), Manchego (Hard), Fresh Goat
(Fresh), Stilton (Blue), Aged Cheddar
(Semi-Hard), Taleggio (Washed
Rind)
- Accompaniments. Select food and
wine accompaniments that complement the cheese,
and work with your other holiday food offerings.
Our basic recommendation:
Food: 1 sweet (contrasting flavor) and 1
savory (complementing flavor). Include one in
whole form (olives, nuts, cornichons, fresh
fruit) and one spread. Meat is optional (eg.,
Proscuitto, Serrano, Soppresata). Serve with cut
bread (high quality crackers optional).
Wine:
Match lighter, fruitier wines to the younger,
milder cheeses. Pair bold, assertive wines with
fuller flavored cheeses.
- Presentation. The way cheeses are
cut, arranged, garnished and even labeled, along
with what serveware is being used can be easily
adapted to fit any occasion.
Our basic
recommendation:
For gatherings where
people are standing, holding drinks, etc. it is
best to have the harder cheeses pre-cut (best
done while cold), and arranged with
accompaniments and garnish on large platter,
tray or board. For small gatherings, let guests
serve themselves from larger pieces of cheese.
For after dinner, either pre-cut and assemble
cheese on individual plates with
accompaniment/garnish (more formal), or offer
one platter/board with arrangement of larger
pieces for guests to cut their own. Seasonal
garnishes include whole or cut fruit (fig, pear,
apple, clementine), nuts in shell, holly sprig,
everygreen bough, pine cones,etc.) Always
include a separate knife per cheese. Also,
remember to bring the cheese to room temperature
before serving (let stand out of refrigeration ½
- 1
hour). | •
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WE LOVE CHEESE
And so
does almost everyone. Yet unlike in Europe where the world's
great cheeses can be found at street markets, cheese shops,
and dinner tables everywhere, many Americans have not yet been
exposed to these wonderful, full-flavored cheeses, and the
rich cultural and culinary traditions surrounding
them.
For the most part, we have settled for cheeses
that are readily available at the supermarket -- factory
produced, pre-packaged, highly processed, flavor-added cheeses
that can sit in the warehouse or on the store shelf and
require little time and attention. We're not quite sure where
it's made, how it's made, or even of what it's made.
It's mass-produced, mass-marketed and
mass-consumed.
WE EAT IT ALL THE TIME...
Despite
all this, we do eat a lot of cheese. We eat it on eggs in the
morning, sandwiches at lunch, pasta and desserts in the
evening, and for snacks any time. We love the taste and
texture, we like to cook with it, entertain with it, and give
it as a holiday gift. We dress it up, or dress it down. Even
our kids eat cheese.
And as the world becomes smaller,
more of us are traveling, and our palates are developing. We
are learning about food -- its history, its composition, and
its production processes -- and are moving away from
artificial imitations toward the original, authentic, natural
foods that have withstood the test of
time.
BUT CAN WE EAT THE
RIND?
Learning about cheese is made
infinitely more interesting and enjoyable when you have a
credible source of carefully selected product and reliable
information. A place where questions ("Can French
Camembert be made in New Jersey?"), confusion ("Buffalo
Mozzarella?"), intimidation ("Pronounced how?"), and even
concerns ("That's mold!?") are addressed with expertise and
enthusiasm.
So let us help you discover and experience
real cheese -- the inspired hand-crafted result of thousands
of years of history and enjoyment. We will introduce you to
its bountiful range of flavors, shapes, sizes, colors, and
origins; teach you about its production and composition; share
with you its enduring traditions and engaging anecdotal lore,
and encourage you to taste. Your "default" standard for cheese
will be forever upgraded.
CHEESE CATEGORIES
One way to
increase your knowledge of cheese is to understand the six
categories of cheese. These categories, which are used to
organize the cheese in our store, are distinguished by
commonalities in age, production techniques, appearance,
taste, texture, size and shape.
FRESH CHEESE
Moist and
soft, this cheese has a mild, delicate and pleasantly tangy
flavor. Because it is unaged, it has no rind or surface mold.
The whey is gently gravity-drained from the curd, leaving a
light, spreadable cheese that is a versatile as butter. If
fresh goat cheeses are aged, their flavors will develop
further, their texture will become flinty, and a natural rind
with surface molds will form.
BLOOMY RIND CHEESE
Small
cheeses with velvety, edible rinds ranging from downy white to
golden-red in color. Their ivory interiors are glossy and
supple, with a smooth, buttery taste. This cheese ripens from
its surface toward the interior, so the flavor profile varies
throughout -- generally getting softer and more voluptuous as
it matures. Includes most cream-enriched
cheeses.
WASHED RIND CHEESE
Distinguished by their orange-red, shiny, damp
exteriors and powerful aroma, the rinds of these "Monastery"
cheeses are washed repeatedly with brine, wine, beer, brandy
or cider as they age to encourage the flavor-producing surface
ripening. With an interior paste similar to Bloomy Rind
Cheeses, they can be quite mild (despite a pungent rind) or
famously bold, beefy and spicy.
BLUE CHEESE
Marbled
with bluish-green veins that develop after the cheese is
pierced and air is allowed to enter, this classic cheese
ranges in texture from crumbly (Stilton, Roquefort) to creamy
(Gorgonzola). It always has a wonderfully complex, piquant
flavor, and varies greatly in strength and pungency. Its rind
can have a fine, white bloom or can be tan, thick and
gritty.
SEMI-HARD CHEESE
In this
broadest category of cheese, the curds are pressed into forms,
and aged for several months. They generally have thick, grey
rinds, and may be finished with a wax rub to cut moisture
loss. Their texture ranges from springy to firm, and they
develop round, full-bodied flavors as they mature -- often
with the essence of alpine flowers and
grasses.
HARD CHEESE
These
large cheeses are made with cooked curds, pressed firmly into
forms, and aged for several months or years. They can have a
solid, slightly crumbly texture, or a very dense, flaky,
granular consistency. The flavors are pronounced and complex
with fruity, nutty, spicy tastes. Many have special effects
such as "eyes," fissures, threads, and salt or casein cystals.
To print "Specialty
Cheese" choose pages 5-7 in your printer
window.
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SANDWICHES
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SALADS
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BREAKFAST
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CHEESE
COURSES
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Ask for our recommendations or select your
own cheese at your favorite stage of ripening and
flavor from among our 100+ cheeses sold by weight.
We'll match them with accompaniments chosen to
complement their unique tastes and textures. With
most of our wines available by the glass, you'll
have fun finding the pairings that are just right
for you. | |
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ACCOMPANY OUR CHEESE WITH TASTEFUL
SIMPLICITY
We
have selected these special accompaniments because they are
versatile, easy to store and use, and so wonderful with our
cheese. Many of them are available daily in our store as
accompaniments on our cheese course offerings. Please ask us
which combinations are especially delicious, and how to
present them with ease and art at home.
FRESH BREAD AND CRACKERS
We
bake our authentic French baguette and Italian ciabatta breads
throughout the day. Or if you like, purchase them par-baked,
and bake them off in your own home. In addition, we have
several varieties of plain and flavored crackers to keep
conveniently in your pantry.
WINES FROM AROUND THE WORLD
We
have selected a variety of wines to complement each of our six
categories of cheese. Although the general rule of thumb is to
match milder, younger cheese with lighter fruiter wines and
fuller flavored cheeses with bold, assertive wines - we will
help you experiment and learn what pairings seem perfect to
you.
SAVORY
ACCOMPANIMENTS
Who can resist topping fresh
bread, warm crostini, or crackers with fine cheese and then
drizzling on sun-dried tomato pesto, roast vegetables,
portabello mushroom relish, or tapenade olive paste? Serve
these delicious products with cheese for quick appetizers, or
simply combine them with cheese and pasta, eggs, or potatoes
for a easy and delectable dish. You should also consider
serving our thinly sliced Prosciutto di Parma or Serrano Ham
and variety of imported olives, cornichones, cured meats, and
pate.
SWEET
ACCOMPANIMENTS
Our wide variety of special
fruit preserves, marmalades, jellies, chutney, dried fruit and
carmelized nuts contrast beautifully with the saline, earthy,
rich, creamy qualities in cheese. They make wonderful options
for a cheese course presentation, for desserts, or spread on
sandwiches.
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Call Us At (954) 384-8183 For More
Information |
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ENJOY OUR HOLIDAY
CATERING
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For your personal or professional
entertaining, we can easily assemble a cheese course
with three cheeses, two accompaniments, and fresh bread
-- conveniently presented on natural willow serving
trays. | |
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EVENT CATERING
For small gatherings to large receptions,
casual or formal, we will prepare and beautifully
present a selection of cheeses and wine, or an array of
sandwiches, salads, cheeses, desserts, and beverages. It
may even be possible to host your event at our
store.
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Call Us At (954) 384-8183 For More
Information |
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Cheese can be tastefully presented both very
elegantly or very rustically. We have many stylish products
from around the world to enhance the serving of cheese from
special knives and implements to beautiful cheese plates,
boards, baskets, fondue and raclette sets. In addition, we
have over 20 book titles about serving and enjoying cheese.
Available in all price ranges, serveware items make wonderful
additions to your own households, or unique gifts for
newly-weds to dinner hosts.
HOLIDAY IDEAS
Come in and
browse our expanded selection of serveware over the holidays,
both for your own entertaining and for terrific holiday gifts.
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Call Us At (954) 384-8183 For More
Information |
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