Blu Del Moncenisio

Blu del Moncenisio is an Italian blue cheese made in the Piedmont region.  It is riddled with deep blue veins and has a lovely, rich aroma.  The texture reminds me of cambozola in that it is very creamy and doesn't crumble easily like many blue cheeses.  It has a lovely velvety mouthfeel and the taste is superb - bright, peppery, assertive, and just "blue" enough. 

I'd read recently on various cheese blogs that blue cheese and honey make a great pair, so I decided to try it out on the Blu del Moncenisio.  Drizzled with a bit of honey, it is absolutely divine - the sweetness performs an amazing balancing act with the blue cheese's spicy, tangy flavor.  This cheese ended up being the stand-out star of my cheese plate and is definitely one of the very best blue cheeses I have ever tried.

Alta Langa La Tur

La Tur is a lovely, gooey cheese made in Alta Langa, Piedmont, Italy.  It is very white and buttery in appearance, and after being left to sit out at room temperature, it begins to get very attractively runny.  It has a mild but complex flavor, buttery and purely elegant.  Paired with a crispy companion like endive or crusty bread, it will impress your guests. 

A mix of cow, goat and sheep's milk, La Tur has a uniquely rich taste and is very intensely creamy.  A little goes a long way! 

Testun Al Barolo

Testun Al Barolo is a semi-firm goat/cow cheese from the Piedmont region of Italy.  It looks luscious, no?  Almost like a pie.  It is aged under crushed Nebbolio grapes, which are used to make Barolo wine.  The grapes impart a very winey flavor to the cheese. 

The texture is wet and slightly crumbly, and it has a very sweet and creamy aroma.  The taste is smooth and rich - it tastes of fresh milk, grass, and wine.  It's tangy and sweet and goes wonderfully with salty foods.  Eat it with red wine - Barolo would be the best choice, obviously - mild fruits, olives, and salty cured meats.  It's a very classy cheese that will impress you and your friends both with its dramatic appearance and complex, sweet flavor.

RATING: 4 stars

Cheese On the Horizon... Plus, Fontina

I'm in a celebratory mood, so I bought myself a present: The "Exotic & Rare" cheese collection from ArtisanalCheese.com. I had a terrible time picking out a gift for myself on that site. It reminded me of when I was little and my mom would take me to Toys 'R' Us. As soon as I entered the Barbie aisle, I began to suffer sensory + greed overload and usually had a nervous breakdown because I wanted all of the Barbies in the store and - well, you know how that goes. I feel that way about gourmet cheese shopping now. No wonder I was thinner as a child...

My Exotic & Rare (i.e. probably very stinky) cheeses should arrive later this week. I am very excited, and hungry. Maybe there will be a yak cheese in there? Oh, I dare to dream! Stay tuned for in-depth blogging once cheese is consumed.

And finally, I ate some delicious Fontina cheese over the weekend. You've probably tried Fontina, but maybe it hasn't made a lasting impression on you yet. I know it didn't on me, because I couldn't exactly remember what it tasted like until I bought some a few days ago.

I have to say, I think everyone should eat Fontina on at least a semi-regular basis. It's mild and nutty, as many cheeses are, but what I think sets it apart is its springy, kind-of-soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture. It melts really well - I recommend using it in grilled cheese. Or on pizza, or by itself or with fruit, nuts, olives etc. Yep, it's versatile. I do love a versatile cheese.

(Fontina Rating) 3 out of 5 stars

Sottocenere

Sottocenere at Cowgirl Creamery's Library of Cheese

You really can't go wrong by adding truffles to cheese. They are the perfect pair and will shine no matter what you do with them. That said, there are several varieties of truffled cheese out there and they do have some differences between them.

Sottocenere is a new cheese. It was invented about eight years ago by some guy in Venice who decided that truffles and cheese might age together beautifully when preserved in ash. (And that's what "sottocenere" means, apparently - "under the ash".)

He was right. Sottocenere is a lovely cheese. The truffle flavor is stronger than some other truffle cheeses I've tried, but not so rich as to overwhelm you. The cheese is both laden with truffle bits AND rubbed with truffle oil, talk about your dream come true, right? It also has a hint of spiciness that I cannot quite trace, but I'm assuming it comes from the ash coating, which is infused with various herbs and spices.

All in all, this is by far the best truffled cheese I have ever tasted. It also melts beautifully and therefore would make a flashy addition to your next brunch.

RATING: 4 out of 5 stars