Caseus

Bailar!

2008-06-18T17:25:00.000-07:00

Let's dance to the musings of Adam Ezra, our introspective, broodingly attractive young vocalist whose stairway ballads are the perfect accompaniment to any chevre or fourne d'ambert. Wednesday nights on the patio, or a cozy indoor concert if it's stormy--

Jason will tantalize you with his knowledge of foreign cheeses; beware of his proclivity to joke on the phone when dealing with curious patrons--he's been known to tell people they can wear jeans only if "cut off and tightly fitted close to the ass." He also stuck me on a bench for half an hour (admittedly with a delicious glass of red wine) while I waited for a seat at the bar to open up. Then I got commandeered into writing said blog, but I believe chocolates are on the way, so I'm sticking around...
"Loyal patron, Adrienne Eve Bernhard avec Moby Dick livre en bras"

Booze

2008-06-18T17:00:00.000-07:00

Are you ready to get wasted?!

Or perhaps pleasantly buzzed?

We now have our beer and wine license. Sorry philistines, no budweiser here. Only the finest American micro brews; South Hampton Double White, Wolavers pale ale, and Rock Art Barley Wine. Belgians like Delirium Tremens, Houblon Chouffe, and fruit spiked lambics; Bavarian Hefe-Weizen, including Ayinger, Franzinkaner & Edel Weissen.

Connecticut Curds

2007-11-29T10:17:00.000-08:00

When American artisan cheese is typically discussed, which it typically is in our kitchen, the 203 and 860 area codes usually get no props. Check out this NY times article about Connecticut's cheesiest and look out for some, if not all, of these amazing local selections when we finally open our doors. When?.... keep looking at the very neglected blog for more info.

Mark Gillman of Cato Corner Farm in Colchester CT

Global Cheese Warming

2007-09-04T08:15:00.000-07:00

Check out the link to listen how global climate changes make our favorite cheeses taste differently.

LISTEN TO NPR HERE

BBQ and Cheese...

2007-05-28T08:50:00.000-07:00

Two of my favorite concoctions, slowly fermented milk and slowly smoked meats. Painstaking patience, love and quality ingredients go into both barbecue and cheese, and when you put them together only great things happen.

Kurt G. a new arrival to F.K. is taking over the weekend BBQ and did the annual cheese and Q' pairing with me. He just got back from the other side of the pond, having spent seven months at the prestigious Neal's Yard Dairy learning everything from affinage to proper English pronunciation of their amazing array of cheeses.

Kurt gave some wonderful tips on which British cheeses melt best and our Chipped Beef Brisket with Mrs. Kirkham's Lancashire (lank-ahh-sure) melted atop of it was a major hit.

Check out the class tasting sheet on the CASEUS classes web-page.
Be sure to email with any questions about custom tasting classes!!!

Bread Head...

2007-05-08T17:34:00.000-07:00

Prof. Steven Kaplan is serious about bread. A little to0 serious at times. Check out his interview on Conan O' Brien via YouTube...

I was fortunate enough to see him give this same discussion at BU for the students in the Gastronomy Department. One of the baguettes he completely slammed was made by a local bakery who's owner was sitting in the front row of the class.
It was a great night and yes this guys is for real.

The Perfect Bite

2007-05-07T19:28:00.000-07:00

Why the nuts.? Read the blog then you'll be nuts for these two sisters too.

Two great friends, sisters and positively a couple of ladies we will all hear about in the future, the Perfect Bite Sisters, Christy and Suzie are some of my favorite food savvies around. Christy is a private chef who has worked at Formaggio Kitchen and has never cooked, baked, or fried anything less than amazing and her sister Suzie is a food writer and talented photographer working on sustainable agriculture. These two are just getting started check them out on their Perfect Bite Blog.

Growing Goodness

2007-04-04T09:23:00.000-07:00

Recently I received an email about an Internet project called Growing Goodness.

"Growing Goodness™ is a community-based broadband TV network for viewers with extremely passionate interests—beyond what cable television can provide." This project is the perfect resource for learning about food grown and produced locally, with care, and passion and the several people out there that want to make food education fun and tasty. See link below and check out the Connecticut channel and all the great food education growing around the U.S.

Some of my favorites:

OR (RIVERS EDGE CHÈVRE | THREE RING FARM by R. Gerendasy), and (CHEESE BY HAND MICHAEL & SASHA by Rebecca Gerendasy). Also look under NY (SPROUT CREEK FARM with Brent Wasser Cheese Maker, Poughkeepsie, NY).

Enjoy.

Gastronomy

2007-03-21T17:53:00.000-07:00

Defined by the great French epicure and father of the science of Gastronomy Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin from his entertaining and enlightening book
The Physiology of Taste~

Translated by M.F.K. Fisher

"Gastronomy is the intelligent knowledge of whatever concerns man's nourishment.
Its purpose is to watch over his conservation by suggesting the best possible sustenance for him.
It arrives at this goal by directing, according to certain principles, all men who hunt, supply or prepare whatever can be made into food.
Thus it is Gastronomy, to tell the truth, which motivates family cooks, no matter under what names or qualifications they may disguise their part in the preparation of foods.
Gastronomy is a part of:
Natural history, by its classification of alimentary substances;
Physics, because of the examination of the composition and quality of these substances;
Chemistry, by the various analyses and catalyses to which it subjects them;
Cookery, because of the art of adapting dishes and making them pleasant to the taste;
Business, by the seeking out of methods of buying as cheaply as possible what is needed, and of selling most advantageously what can be produced for sale;
Finally, political economy, because of the sources of revenue which gastronomy creates and the means of exchange which it establishes between nations.
It rules over our whole life; for the cries often newborn for his wet nurse's breast; and the dying man still receives with some pleasure his final potion, which, alas, it is too late for him ever to digest!
It concerns also every state of society, for just as it directs the banquets of assembled kings, it dictates the number of minutes needed to make a perfectly boiled egg.
The subject matter of gastronomy is whatever can be eaten; its direct end is the conservation of individuals; and its means of execution are the culture which produces, the commerce which exchanges, the industry which prepares, and the experience which invents means to dispose of everything to the best advantage."

Boom!

Monty Python

2007-03-12T16:23:00.000-07:00

Monty Python's Cheese Shop

Beer Loves Cheese

2007-03-12T15:58:00.000-07:00

Cheese and beer are just about the easiest thing to pair. Fine beers are as full of nuance and complexity as any wine. Do to the yeast fermentation of toasty grains, beer and cheese work together without fighting one another in our mouths with flavors of fruit, cream, and wheat. Robert Aguilera (GM of Formaggio Kitchen)and I have done several classes together with varied themes, the beer and cheese class is always one of the most fun, and most successful. For this particular class, pairing number 7 was my all time favorite. Enjoy.

Beer Loves Cheese … and so do we.

1. Bergkase Andeer Cow milk Graubunden, Switzerland
Aged six months, and washed with secret herb,salt and wine mixture. A cheese that is the crossroads for many different cheeses coming from Italy, Switerland and Austria. Caramelized condensed milk flavors with an easy hazelnut finish.

The Lost Abbey Avant Garde Ale San Marco, California
This beer is brewed by the Port Brewing Company in the “Biere de Garde” style traditional in Northern France. Flavors of biscuit, freshly baked bread and caramel dance through this easy drinking golden brew

2. Caprea Goat milk Salerno, Italy
The freshest goat’s milk cheese form the Amalfi coast in southwestern Italy. Lemon and cracked wheat make this cheese ideal for wheat beers.

Rubaeus Great Rapids, Michigan
From the Founders Brewing Company comes a unique wheat beer with fresh raspberries added in five different stages during the fermentation process.

3. Le Puits Brebis du Pont Astier Sheep milk Auvergne, France
Earthy, vegetal and creamy sheep’s milk cheese aged 3 months in the shape of a water well. The strength in the cream flavor drives the pairing with the Brother Thelonious. Also, sheep milk is more readily available in the winter and spring in the south of France. Perfect for bridging the flavors between winter and spring.

Brother Thelonious Fort Bragg, California
This beer is brewed in the Mendocino County brew Pub in homage to the great jazz legend Thelonious Monk. With a whopping 9%ABV this Belgium style dark strong ale is a jazzy one and every case sold converts to contributions towards jazz education, dig it.

4. Clandestine Sheep milk Notre Dame du Lac, Quebec
A washed rind sheep’s milk cheese from our friends in Canada. Based on the Monestary tradition of cheese making, its yeasty flavor and mega sweet cream gives it the ability to soften high alcohol beers and present their delicate flavors.

Allagash Curieux Portland, Maine
Aged in used Jim Bean barrels for 8 weeks this Belgian Tripel style ale gets its name from the French word for curious. Full of heady 10% ABV bourbon, vanilla, and coconut flavors.

5. Bleu des Basques Sheep milk Pays Basque, France
Sheep milk blue made from the same milk for making Roquefort, but in a Stilton style. This produces a biscuity, spicy and sweet blue cheese. It does hit the spot with the Caracole.

Caracole Falmignoul, Belgium
Brasserie La Caracole is located in, Province of Namur, Wallonia in southern Belgium, and produces some of the best artisan beers in the region. Organic ingredients make this medal winner a must have for spiced orange blossom flavors and a chalky finish.

6. Gres de Vosges Cow Milk Alsace, France
Washed rind cow’s milk made in the style of Munster, but with more cream.

Orval Belgium
“Situated near Florenville, in the province of Luxembourg, south-east Belgium, in the immediate vicinity of the border with France, and not far from the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.” Where is this place?? Fermented three times with three different malts and two types of hops give it a balance of fruity flavor and dry bitter finish.

7. Vendeen Bichonne Cow Milk Brittany, France
Grassy, buttery and nutty cow’s milk from the lush, sea-side pastures of western France.

Hitachino Nest Japan
Fresh ginger root added to the mix before fermentation gives off sweetness, and lemony aromas and flavor, with a gingery kick. Hop and dryness is very subtle but sweet ginger and spice pop long into the finish.

8. Montrachet Goat Milk Burgundy, France
Pure, clean pasture and hay flavored at the cross over in seasons. This means that some cow milk does make it into the goat milk batches in the winter.

Mackelson XXX Stout London, United Kingdom
A cream stout, dark and sweet with a light 5% ABV An old southern English style of sweet stout also known as milk stout, because it contains lactose, a sugar derived from milk.

Have any questions? Please email me at jason@caseusnewhaven.com and come see the shop as soon as we open in December 07!!!!!