November 21, 2006

Entertaining With Artisanal Premium Cheese

GougeresIf you’re like us then you plan to do a lot of entertaining this holiday season. Let Artisanal Premium Cheese ease your workload with our NEW line of frozen Artisanal Gougéres! These elegant cheese puffs, available in Classic Cheese and Smoked Salmon & Dill, are the #1 selling hors d’ouevres at Artisanal Fromagerie & Bistro. They go directly from freezer to oven and are guaranteed to be an instant hit with your guests!

Gougéres
Introductory Offer: 20% Percent Off All Gougéres!
Available to ship as early as November 27th
(Offer expires December 6th 2006)
Price: $45 - $50

And remember... for a special Thanksgiving event, make your reservations today at either of Terrance Brennan's restaurants -- Picholine and Artisanal Fromagerie & Bistro.

More Great Entertaining Ideas...

If baking isn’t your forté then don’t forget our Artisanal Premium Cheesecake, it is a sweet and decadent treat to complete any holiday meal.

Artisanal Premium Cheesecake
Price: $30

If you’re a party guest then bring along or send ahead any one of our fabulous hostess gifts!

Artisanal Classic Tin Affinage Basket
Price: $65 - $95
Price: $150

If you’re the chef in your family then try our Cooking with Terrance Brennan Collection. You’ll receive a signed copy of Artisanal Cooking and four cheeses from recipes in the book. What could be easier?

Terrance Brennan Cooks With Cheese
Price: $125

An assortment of cheese is always a welcome addition to any holiday celebration. Select one from our wide array of cheese collections.

World Cheese Collections Cheese Pairings
Price: $75 - $95
Price: $50 - $75

For an elegant presentation at your holiday gathering choose from our wide selection of artisan-crafted cheese boards and custom-made cheese knives.

Olivewood Cheese Board Carl Mertens Cheese Knives
Price: $60 Price: $150

Entertaining Tips
For great tips on how to make the perfect cheese platter, check out
Creating and Arranging a Beautiful Cheese Platter.
Also be sure to browse through the Artisanal Cheese Guide and Cheese Tips.


Cheese Of The Month Club


Our Cheese of the Month Club is a great gift for family and friends. But, act fast! You must place your order by November 30th in order for the membership to begin in December!



A Terrific Holiday Recipe!


Beet Tartare with Goat Cheese
This eye-catching hors d'oeuvre offers more than just an unusual presentation; it also allows you to pass foods that are traditionally plated. I first presented it at Picholine, where it elicited gasps of pleasant surprise from our guests. At home, it will do the same, and cut down on the number of dishes you'll have to clean after dinner.

Read The Full Recipe

For more great recipes visit our Recipes Page!



Take a Class at the Cheese Center

For more great classes visit our web site now.

Old World Cheeses and New World Wines

6:30pm-8:30pm; Wednesday, December 6

Matîre Fromager Max McCalman

Stilton and Port, Roquefort and Sauternes, Cheddar and Ale…the cheese pairings we know best are as good as the ones that we don’t! That’s why Maître Fromager, Max McCalman assembled this theme tasting which pairs New World wines from California, Australia and South America with timeless Old World cheeses from Europe. As always, the class will include informative stories about the cheeses, wines and Max’s valuable and entertaining opinion.

Enroll Now!

Raw Milk vs Pasteurized Cheese: Separating Fact from Fiction

6:30pm-8:30pm; Wednesday, November 29

With Matîre Fromager Max McCalman

This delicious class puts his favorites front and center, as Max assembles an all-star selection of exquisite cheeses, each a perfect example of how much more complete cheeses made with raw milk can be. The current debate over the use of raw milk - milk that has not been pasteurized - has frightened many from indulging in the wholesome, delicious world of raw milk cheese. In this interactive class, Maître Fromager Max McCalman unravels the controversy, in Europe and the US, and clarifies the safety issues, laws, culture and traditions, and nutritive values.

Enroll Now!



Trivia from the Cheese Caves

Question: - I am lactose intolerant; Can I still eat your cheese? Find out in the next Artisanal e-newsletter!
- The Artisanal Staff

Last Time We Asked: Is cheese ladled by hand really much better? Why?

Answer: Of course, ''better'' is always a relative term, even if everyone agrees on what better is…
Let us start at the beginning. Curds must be placed into their mold to drain and to set their shape. The larger the curd is, the more moisture it retains and the softer the cheese will be; the smaller the curd is cut, the drier and more compact the cheese will eventually be because this allows more whey to drain. This is the main factor regarding the texture of cheese. You may not realize this, but curds are very delicate and it takes very delicate work to keep them from breaking when you want them to stay intact (for a cheese that's more moist).

This is why this part of the cheese making process is best done by hand. Curd treated with less care is often gritty, granular, and irregular.

Hand Ladled Cheeses -

Price: $23.75 per lb Price: $14.50 each Price: $8.00 each Price: $18.50 each

Do you have a question for our trivia section?
Send it to editor@artisanalcheese.com and we may use it in a future newsletter!

This Week In Specials And Accessories Clearance

Shropshire Blue
Price: $20 per lb
Tetoun
Price: $7.50 each
Gruyere
Price: $27.50 per lb
Banon
Price: $5.50 each