specialty cheese
shop see. taste. learn.
2403 Mt. Vernon Avenue
Alexandria, VA 22301 703.706.5300
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Welcome to the Cheesetique June Newsletter
Greetings, Cheese Lovers!
The
sun is high, the air is thick, and the breeze is absent. You can
almost hear the incomparable Ella Fitzgerald singing, " "A-tisket
A-tasket; A yummy cheese-filled basket"... Ok - maybe this is a
stretch, but I am overcome by the undeniable urge to picnic till my
dog don't know me! Every night we sit inside and stare at the lawn
while dreaming of butterflies, not mosquitoes, circling our heads.
So, we save our picnics for the weekends, filling our blanket with
salamis, olives, artichokes, gooey cheese, and crusty bread. And of
course, delicious chilled wine. Follow our lead! Pick your fromage
favorites, plunk down on your favorite patch of grass, and dig in!
Tomato-Friendly Cheeses Are Here From Buffalo
Mozzarella to Stracchino to Burrata to blue cheese, anything that
you can smack on a tomato will make your day tastier. Just remember
to keep it simple - let the fresh ingredients be the stars of the
show and hold the vinegar for now.
This Month's Cheese
Class: Cheese Your Neighbors Will Smell: Stinky Redux I often
hear requests to repeat certain classes, but none so common as the
Stinky Cheese class from August, 2005! So, here it is again, dear
fans of ripeness. For those of you that attended before, have no
fear! The cheeses are ALL different, but super-stinky in their own
right. We will learn about washed rind cheeses and taste a bunch
of truly intense creations. Noseplugs are optional :)
The
cost is $20 per person and you can expect to spend about an hour and
a half learning and tasting. Beverages and accompaniments will be
served. Act quickly - this will fill up in no time!
The
available dates are: Wednesday, June 20, 7:15 PM Thursday,
June 21, 7:15 PM Thursday, June 28, 7:15 PM Tuesday, July 10,
7:15 PM Wednesday, July 11, 7:15 PM Tuesday, July 17, 7:15
PM Wednesday, July 18, 7:15 PM
Email
tastings@cheesetique.com to sign up. Let me know the date(s) you
prefer and how many are in your party. If you are available on
more than one date, please let me know. That way, we can fit
more folks.
Please note: Once we fit you into a slot, I will
send you a Paypal invoice so you can pay securely online. If you
need to cancel (48 hours advance notice, please), we will refund the
full amount minus the Paypal fee.
Remember - Picnic till the
cows come home! 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.
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This Issue's Featured
Recipe Quick Snack, starring Piave Vecchio
Step aside, complicated
foodstuffs! Enter Piave Vecchio, the cheese that really does stand
alone (or in this case, stands proudly with some yummy dipping oil
and crusty bread). |
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When to Serve
It
Offer this as the easiest-to-prepare hors
d'oeuvres or snack in history. Its simplicity will surprise you
because it's just so darn yummy!
About the Cheese
What
is Piave
Vecchio? Anyone who has ever asked
me, "what is your favorite cheese?", has gotten the same response
(what can I say - I'm loyal). That cheese is Piave Vecchio, the most
universal cheese in the case. A "cousin" of Parmigiano Reggiano,
Piave Vecchio is a hard-aged cow's milk cheese from Italy. Since
it's not aged as long as Reggiano, its texture is more chewy and
less crumbly. This makes it the ideal cheese for snacking (just cut
into chunks), grating over pasta, or serving for dessert (drizzle it
with our Tuscan honey). Its flavor is full and complex and does it
ever have a long finish!
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Ingredients (Serves Four)
2 Mini Baguettes 8 ounces Piave Vecchio 1 bottle
Napa Valley Dipping Oil, any flavor
Directions
1) Pour the dipping oil into a bowl. 2) Cut the
mini baguettes into 1/3 inch slices. 3) Dip a slice in the
dipping oil and place a chunk of Piave Vecchio on top. 4) Eat it
quickly so as to protect yourself from thieving guests who will
attempt to rip this tasty treat right from your
hands.
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Featured Product: Napa Valley Dipping Oils
These fantabulous (yes, I made up that word)
dipping oils come in three flavors: Garlic Parmesan, Classic, and
Garden Herb. They are super-convenient, since all you have to do it
shake and pour. But these all-natural accent oils will knock your
socks off! Dip crusty bread, drizzle on fish, chicken, roasted
veggies, even pizza! It's a whole new way to take a dip this
summer. Only $13.00 each at Cheesetique.
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| Copyright 2004-2007 Cheesetique LLC. All rights
reserved.
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