Cheesetique

specialty cheese shop
see. taste. learn.

2403 Mt. Vernon Avenue
Alexandria, VA 22301
703.706.5300

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Welcome to the Cheesetique April Newsletter

Greetings, Cheese Lovers!

For four days in March, I traveled through the great state of Wisconsin touring small cheese producers in between Madison and Green Bay. This newsletter isn't big enough to contain all of the amazing things I saw, so I've created a little narrated scrapbook in the Cheesetique CheeseLog. Of course, you'll need to come to the shop to try some of the cheeses I discovered along the way.

Yours truly in oh-so-attractive hairnet.

Won't You Take Me to Funkytown?
And where is that town, you might ask? Why, it's lovely Monroe, Wisconsin, home of Chalet Cheese Co-Op, the ONLY producer of Limburger in the entire country. I was so impressed with the facility and the amazing people therein, I have decided to bring in this last vestige of stinky cheese-dom, Limburger! So, for those of you that have been begging me for this cheese (you know who you are!), come to Cheesetique starting Wednesday and pick up your own little piece of Funkytown!

Summer Hours Starting April 22nd
On Saturday, April 22nd, Cheesetique will begin opening at 8:00 AM each Saturday to coincide with the Del Ray Farmers' Market! Also on the 22nd, we will re-introduce our coveted Buffalo Mozzarella and Burrata. It's been a long winter without these babies around - make sure you come by to make them feel welcome.

Changes to the Cheesetique Team
It is with sadness that we say goodbye this week to Shelby Baxter, who is expecting her first "little cheesemonger" in July. Shelby has been with us since our earliest days and she will be sorely missed by our team and our customers. In her stead, we welcome Annyce Ferrogari, who comes to us from the illustrious Restaurant Eve and will be an amazing addition to our group. Welcome, Annyce!

Our Next Cheese Class: Rabbits' Milk Cheeses
Thought rabbits were just for petting? Think again! In honor of your friend and mine, the Easter Bunny, our next tasting series will feature our fluffy little friends. So put on your ears and poofy tail and join us for an evening of Bunny Brie and Rabbit Reblochon.

Ok - consider this a SUPER-belated April Fool's joke :) We'll be taking April off and will kick off a new series of tastings in May!

Please note that we will be closed on Sunday, April 16.

Hope your April is filled with flowers and friends!
Jill Erber, Proprietor/Cheese Lady
Cheesetique Specialty Cheese Shop
direct email: jill@cheesetique.com

Click here to visit Cheesetique's web site. You can learn more about the shop, see location and hours, and view archived issues of the newsletter.

This Issue’s Featured Recipe
Traditional Limburger Sandwich
This recipe, snagged from "Wisconsin's Hometown Flavors", is the ultimate in ripe.

When to Serve It

Perfect for lunch. Your loved ones may make you sit in the basement to eat this creation, but look at it this way - no need to share!

About the Cheese

What is Limburger?
Limburger, originally a Belgian creation, was first created in Wisconsin in the 1860's. Since then, its production has waxed and waned, and it is now produced by just one factory, Chalet Cheese Co-Op, in Monroe, Wisconsin. Limburger is a very pungent washed rind cow's milk cheese that you can smell about a mile away. In fact, this cheese is perhaps most famous for its "nose". However, beneath this scary exterior is a heart of gold. The age of Limburger makes all the difference. At four weeks of age, it is crumbly and salty - much like Feta. Once is hits two or three months, the texture becomes creamy and spreadable and the aroma and flavor intensify dramatically. If you're a hard-core Limburger lover, this advanced flavor (some call it bitter) is just your cup of tea. Limburger can be enjoyed straight or as part of the world's stinkiest sandwich, whose recipe is included here. The perfect accompaniment to Limburger? Cold beer!

Ingredients (makes one sandwich)

Two pieces of rye bread (dark or light, pumpernickel, etc.)
Mustard (sweet-hot, brown, whole grain, etc.)
4 ounces of sliced Limburger, with or without rind
Thick slices of sweet onion

Directions

1) Layer the ingredients as you like into a sandwich.
Myron Olson, manager of the Chalet Cheese Co-Op in Monroe, prefers sweet-hot mustard on one slice of bread and mayonnaise on the other. Then, as he recommends, "Wash it down with a beer!"

Little Limburgers aging away at the Chalet Cheese Co-Op.

Featured Product for April: Ritrovo Truffle Salt

At Cheesetique, we simply call this "pixie dust" because it's like sprinkling a pinch of magic on your food.
According to customer Liz Cherry, a die-hard fan who has picked up these salts for every one of her friends,
"I'm a confirmed truffle salt addict! It's the 'crack' in my spice rack."
Use this salt as a finisher right before you serve your dish. It's great on steak, potatoes, rice, even eggs!
At only $21.95 per jar, it's the surest way to truffle heaven!