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Happy Autumn, Cheese
Lovers!
The
telltale nip in the air means my favorite season has
arrived! Having just celebrated four
wonderful years at Cheesetique, we are thrilled
to welcome another autumn, soon to be followed by what
promises to be an outstanding holiday season! To prove
the extent of my jubilation, I did what came naturally
- I wrote a haiku.
crisp
scent surrounds us
the season for warm
sweaters
cozy with our cheese
Hope to see you
anon! (sorry - just can't shake the poet in
me)
Jill
Erber, Cheese
Lady
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Meat
'o the Month: Iberico de Bellota
Ah,
the Black Foot of Spain, the last line of
free-range grazing pigs on the Iberian Peninsula.
Descended from the wild boar, the Iberico pig is
surprisingly lithe, having long legs, black fur, and a
pointed snout. Additionally, this pig has black
hooves, resulting in its nickname.
Iberico de
Bellota ham is made from these very pigs that
have feasted solely on fallen acorns for three
months, resulting in lovely natural fat marbling.
Don’t be fooled by other hams claiming to be “Iberico”
- there are versions made from the same pigs but with
a different diet. These are delicious, but do not
approach the same level of buttery flavor as the
acorn-fed Bellota.
Bellota
is RICH RICH RICH so a little goes a long way (a good
thing since it's $99/lb.)
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Recipe:
Iberico with Greens and Herbs
As
usual, simple is better. With an intense, rich
ingredient like Iberico de Bellota, it's even more
true. The freshness of the greens is a perfect
compliment to the heady, fatty meat.
Ingredients
(serves 4)
1 bag
mixed greens
1 tbsp fresh chervil sprigs
2 tbsp
flat-leaf parsley
1 tbsp chopped chives
3 tbsp
extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic
vinegar
1/2 lb thinly sliced Iberico
freshly
ground salt and pepper
Directions
1.
Place greens in a large bowl and toss with the
chervil, parsley and chives.
2. Whisk the
olive oil with the vinegar. Season with sea salt and
freshly ground pepper. Pour over the salad and herbs
and toss well.
3. Pile the salad into a mound
in the centre of a large serving platter. Arrange the
slices of ham around it, scrunching it loosely into
rosettes if you're feeling fancy. Grind over black
pepper to taste before serving. |
This Month's
Cheese Class: Love 'em or
Leaf 'em
In
honor of the season of leaves (falling and
otherwise), we will taste an astounding selection of
leaf-wrapped cheeses paired with a couple yummy
cool-weather wines. You'd be surprised how many there
are!
The available
dates are:
Sunday, October 12, 6:00 PM
Sunday,
October 19, 6:00 PM
Monday, October 20, 7:00
PM
Sunday, October 26, 6:00 PM
Sunday, November
2, 6:00 PM
Monday, November 3, 7:00 PM
Sunday,
November 9, 6:00 PM
Monday, November 10, 7:00
PM
The cost is $35 per person and you can expect
to spend over 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.
A couple other things: 1)
You must 21 years old to consume alcohol. 2)
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
(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
© 2004-2008 Cheesetique, LLC. All rights
reserved.
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Art on the Avenue
With October comes Art on the
Avenue, to be held tomorrow (Saturday, October 4)
from 10 AM till 6 PM. Local and national artists will
be represented. There will be food and entertainment
for the whole family.
The Cheese & Wine Bar will be
open all day, so if you're hungry or thirsty at 3:00,
you know where to be!
Pie
Contest!
Finally, there will be an
old-fashioned pie contest at the festival, so if you
make the best pie ever, drop Lauren an email and put your pie in
the ring! (I should warn you - I am one of the judges.
I do not accept bribes. Unless they are really
good.)
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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.
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New Autumn / Winter
Menu
Our new Autumn/Winter menu is
here! We've added and changed lots of things so get
your taste buds ready to party!
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