Happy November, Cheese Lovers!

In the spirit of the newest James Bond flick, I would like to take a moment to remind you that this is the BEST TIME to eat one of our favorite kinds of cheese: "Ripened. Soft-Ripened."

Why, you ask? Well, the squishy cheeses that are perfectly ripe now were made at the height of summertime. But a few months ago, our little milk-producing friends were frolicking in verdant pastures, eating their fill of long grass, wild herbs, and flowers. They were also drinking lots of water, which would add excellent minerality to their resulting milk. That milk then became cheese, which after a number of weeks of aging, is ready to eat. So, if you thought you liked soft-ripened cheeses before, just wait till you taste them now!

Have a wonderful holiday season!
Jill Erber, Cheese Lady

Order Your Cheese Platter Today!

The beauty. The flavor. The convenience. What could be better than a Cheesetique cheese platter at your next event? Our beautiful platters come ready-to-serve with incomparable cheeses, crackers, and dried fruit. They can serve 10, 20, or 30 people. Click here for details.

Fetch a Pail of Love - the Holiday Bucket!

Nothing says, "I Heart You" like a charming collection of Wensleydale with Cranberries (1/2 lb.), wheat crackers, Chianti or Pinot Grigio salami, hand-made shortbread, a cheese spreader, and three chocolate fig truffles! Only $40 for this splendid gift.

Cheese of the Month: Awe Brie

Not to be confused with "awe, shucks", this hand-made RAW MILK brie is lovingly crafted by our good friend Kenny of Kenny's Farmhouse Cheese in Kentucky. For the sake of full disclosure, I am from Kentucky and am therefore quite partial to Kenny and his cheeses. But once you taste Awe Brie, you will wish you were from the Bluegrass State yourself!

Awe Brie is made from the freshest grass-fed cow's milk. It's unpasteurized, so it has been aged for 60 days. This results in a slightly firmer texture, but once it comes up to room temperature (which is how we should eat ALL cheeses ALL the time), it is silky and robust. Yeah Raw Milk!

Note: this cheese has been really popular.

Our next mega-shipment is due Thursday!

Recipe: Awe Brie Toasts with Chardonnay-Soaked Raisins

Ingredients (makes 24)

- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 cup Chardonnay
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 vanilla bean, split in half vertically
- 1 cup golden raisins
- 12 ounces Awe Brie
- 1 long baguette, cut 1/4 inch thick
- 4 tablespoons ( 1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Directions

1. In a saucepan, combine water, wine and sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat until the sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat. Scrape the insides of the vanilla bean into the liquid and add the bean and raisins. Let steep uncovered for at least 1 hour at room temperature. Refrigerate overnight.

2. Drain the raisins, reserving the liquid. Discard the vanilla bean. Put the liquid back in the saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to about 1/3 cup or until the syrup turns a deep golden color, 10 to 15 minutes. Watch carefully so syrup doesn't burn. If it starts to foam, remove from heat immediately. Cool completely.

3. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Brush butter onto both sides of the bread slices. Bake until golden brown. Let cool completely.

4. To assemble, put a slice of cheese on each toast. Sprinkle with a few raisins and drizzle syrup over the top.

This Month's Cheese Class: Winter Blues

Goodbye, winter blahs. We're celebrating Winter Blues! Join me for an around-the-world tasting of all blues rich and robust. We will pair them with Port and Sauternes, two of the most tantalizing partners for blue.

The available dates are:
Sunday, November 23, 6:00 PM
Monday, November 24, 7:00 PM
Sunday, November 30, 6:00 PM
Monday, December 1, 7:00 PM
Sunday, December 7, 6:00 PM
Monday, December 8, 7:00 PM

Sunday, December 14, 6:00 PM
Monday, December 15, 7:00 PM

The cost is $35 per person and you can expect to spend an hour learning and tasting. Act quickly - this will fill up in no time!

Email classes@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. Once I fit you into a slot, I'll send you a Paypal invoice so you can pay securely online.

A couple other things: 1) You must 21 years old to consume alcohol. 2) Advance payment is required for all classes. If you need to cancel (72 hours advance notice, please), we will refund the full amount minus the Paypal fee.

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2411 Mt. Vernon Avenue
Alexandria, VA 22301
703.706.5300

Cheesetique is Hiring!

Busy Busy Busy!

We need part-time help in the retail shop as well as the kitchen. If you want to be a cheese monger or if you want to join the cooking team at Cheesetique, please contact us.

Holiday Hours

The Shop

The shop will be open on Wednesday, November 26th, until 9:00. We are closed on Thanksgiving Day. We will reopen for regular hours on Friday, November 28th.

Cheese & Wine Bar

The Cheese & Wine Bar will be closed on Wednesday, November 26th and Thursday, November 27th. We will reopen for lunch and dinner on Friday, November 28th.

Daily Lunch!

Don't forget - the Cheese and Wine Bar serves lunch every day!

Tues-Sat 11AM - 2:30 PM Sun 12 PM - 2:30 PM

Visit our website for a full list of hours, menus, etc.