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 September Newsletter

Greetings, Cheese Lovers!

It has been three years (to the day!!) that Cheesetique opened its doors in Del Ray. The community welcomed us with open arms and eager palates and what started as a take-a-chance venture has become a bursting-at-the-seams business. As such, it is on this exciting anniversary that we make a big announcement...

Cheesetique is Relocating and Expanding!
Don't worry - it's just 40 feet down the street. Within the next few months, we will be moving from our teeny space to a larger one a couple doors down on Mt. Vernon Avenue. The larger space will accommodate some exciting new product lines, special wine- and cheese-related events, and best of all, expanded classroom space! Those of you that have monthly squeezed yourself into seats for our classes will rejoice at your newfound elbow room. Other new additions are coming as well, but those will be revealed in due course. Please keep your fingers crossed as we build out and build up in the coming months.

First Thursday Tonight 6-9pm
Come on down to The Avenue to check out this month's theme: Cuisine on the Avenue. See which restaurant wins the annual cook-off award. It's fun for the whole family!

This Month's Cheese Class: Best Blues
Keeping alliteration in mind, we introduce our new topic for September: Best Blues! We will learn about how blue cheese is made, what makes it so "vein" (yes, that was my poor attempt at a pun), and where the Best Blues are to be found. We will also taste many-a-blue.

The cost is $25 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, September 19, 7:15 PM
Tuesday, September 25, 7:15 PM
Wednesday, September 26, 7:15 PM
Tuesday, October 2, 7:15 PM
Wednesday, October 3, 7:15 PM
Tuesday, October 9, 7:15 PM
Wednesday, October 10, 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: Advance payment is required for all classes. 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.

Enjoy back-to-school season!
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
Cabernet Pork Tenderloin with Tilston Point Blue Sauce
Our new Cabernet Paste is the perfect baster for tender, flavorful pork. The dish is rounded out by the rich Tilston Point Blue sauce.

When to Serve It

This is the ultimate Autumn supper. Simply mash up some sweet potatoes to serve on the side.

About the Cheese

What is Tilston Point?
From a small factory in historic Mineral Point, Tony and Julie Hook produce some of Wisconsin's finest traditional and artisan cheeses. High school sweethearts, Tony and Julie have been making cheese together for 30 years (talk about romantic - "honey, you smell like cheese" - "well, so do you, dear!"). Famous for their super-aged Cheddars, the Hooks also make some of the most unique and delicious blues around. One of these signature cheeses is called Tilston Point. Made in the tradition of English Stilton (notice the anagram), Tilston Point has the same natural rind, dense, pudding-like texture and rich, earthy flavor. This is not a crumbly blue; it slices beautifully.

A Natural Wonder
Like many small cheese producers, the Hooks use milk from small neighboring farms. All of their milk is produced using sustainable agriculture practices and is completely hormone-free.

Ingredients

8 ounces Tilston Point Blue Cheese, rind removed
1 approx. 2-pound pork tenderloin (available at Cheesetique - hormone/antibiotic free, free range, of course!)
1 jar Maggie Beer Cabernet Paste, chopped (see featured item below)
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup beef or chicken stock
Salt & Pepper

Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 375. Rinse the pork tenderloin and pat dry. Place it on foil on a baking sheet.
Trust me - you want the foil. Otherwise, the Cabernet Paste will stick to the pan and burn.
2) Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper for seasoning.
3) In a small saucepan, mix chopped Cabernet Paste with 1/2 cup stock over medium heat until smooth. 4) Coat the pork with a generous amount of the Cabernet Paste.
5) Roast the pork JUST UNTIL MEDIUM RARE. Don't go to 165 degrees like your thermometer will tell you.
Cooking pork to death so it's gray, hard, and flavorless is not required with such high-quality meat. You want this to be slightly pink inside.
6) While pork is cooking, chop up Tilston Point Blue Cheese into chunks. Add to saucepan with heavy cream.
7) Heat the cheese/cream mixture until melted. Be careful not to burn it. Stir often.
8) After removing the pork from the oven, allow it to sit for a few minutes so it stays juicy.
9) Slice the pork into disks and arrange foofily on the plate. Pour the Tilston sauce over the top or serve on the side.

Featured Product: "Maggie Beer" Cabernet Paste

Maggie Beer products have graced our shelves for a long time now. We love her burnt fig and blood plum jams, so recently, we added her outstanding Cabernet Paste to the lineup. This decadent fruit paste is not made from Cabernet wine, but from the grapes themselves. It is deeply sweet and tastes of fruit fresh off the vine.
Cabernet Paste makes a perfect accompaniment to cheese in any form (especially blues). It also is an excellent baster for roasted meats, as seen above.
Only $5.95 each at Cheesetique.