transfiguration - n. To change radically the appearance or shape of
I've been holding back on posting any topics lately because the Cheesey-boy is divorcing.
Cheese making has been temporarily suspended due to the uncertainties of the home situation. I also really need to devise a better aging and storage setup before I get any more cheeses stashed down cellar. The cellar is really too dry for a proper cheese cave.
But I will share my impressions of something from the Beer department of B,B & C.
I bought a summer 12-pack of Magic Hat beers that I highly recommend. They make a pale ale simply called #9 that I think is just about the perfect example of what a Pale Ale should taste and smell like. In there is also "Odd Notion" a Belgian-style ale that I liked very much too. The other two beers in the variety pack were an IPA and something else not so notable. If you see Magic Hat beers in the store, buy some; I think you'll enjoy.
Peace,
Cheesey-boy
Monday, June 21, 2010
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Good Cheese, New Brew, possible job
Have good news to report upon opening a waxed,Kefir-Havarti cheese. It was good, though perhaps maybe not quite up to typical Havarti texture. Have also been enjoying the Brick/Munster cheese. Cheese production is on hold until all issues on the homefront are resolved.
Read about, but haven't tasted a local brew by the Empire Brewing Co. in downtown Syracuse. It's a pale ale made with Madison County, organic, cascade hops. I know both the brewer (from my days with the local home-brew club) and the grower (who is an original member of North East Hop Alliance) and I may have actually planted those hops with him, years ago. Good to see local businesses supporting each other. It's not in bottles, so you must visit EBC for a sample.
This week I met with the cheese maker at Northland Sheep Dairy, in Cortland County. While there isn't really an opportunity for me in the cheese house, there is a need for some weekly work in the cheese cave. They age the cheese at least 3 months (more for some) and the Affinage work has been at the bottom of the to-do list. I have to work out the details yet, but likely scenario would entail a 3 hour stint, once a week to give some TLC to the aging cheese. In the realm of artisan, farmstead cheese making, the cheese cave and aging techniques are quite often an after-thought, I've been told. Perhaps this aspect of cheese making will open some doors in my future.
Peace,
Cheesey-boy
Read about, but haven't tasted a local brew by the Empire Brewing Co. in downtown Syracuse. It's a pale ale made with Madison County, organic, cascade hops. I know both the brewer (from my days with the local home-brew club) and the grower (who is an original member of North East Hop Alliance) and I may have actually planted those hops with him, years ago. Good to see local businesses supporting each other. It's not in bottles, so you must visit EBC for a sample.
This week I met with the cheese maker at Northland Sheep Dairy, in Cortland County. While there isn't really an opportunity for me in the cheese house, there is a need for some weekly work in the cheese cave. They age the cheese at least 3 months (more for some) and the Affinage work has been at the bottom of the to-do list. I have to work out the details yet, but likely scenario would entail a 3 hour stint, once a week to give some TLC to the aging cheese. In the realm of artisan, farmstead cheese making, the cheese cave and aging techniques are quite often an after-thought, I've been told. Perhaps this aspect of cheese making will open some doors in my future.
Peace,
Cheesey-boy
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Commercial Kitchen - almost
When I was in Vermont, at the Cheese Maker's class, I met a person who works at a nearby College where they have a small-scale industrial, creamery. The College has a long history of agriculture curricula and the creamery was once attached to a large tie-stall barn. I was invited to visit and be a helper, so I jumped at that!
The room has several bulk-tanks for milk storage, a pasteurizing tank, several cheese vats, a press, and much more. It was a real eye-opener for me to get my hands wet and see small-scale cheese making equipment. The creamery makes fresh-cheeses and ice cream that is used in the College dining halls and also sold retail through a restaurant/store owned in part by the College. The pasteurizer is inspected and licensed so that any of the products (except fluid milk) can be sold to the public. The biggest limitation on its potential as a cheese making plant is the lack of sufficient aging facilities. Right now, the walk-in cooler where the hard cheese can be stored is also where cases of beverages and other 'stuff' are stored, so it is not a controlled climate at all.
Although we still have not made a batch of cheese where temperature was set, culture was added, rennet added, curds cut, etc. etc.; we did make a couple small batches of fresh cheese and ricotta. I did get to help pasteurize a batch of milk and learn how many things work around there. I hope to stay involved there through the summer, at least.
In my own cheese cellar, I had some discouraging news as I cut into a few of the cheeses I have been aging, only to see the results of over-use of both cultures and rennet! Pretty much terrible cheese. But, I'm learning slowly how various parts of the puzzle fit together as I strive to make artisan cheese. My Brick Cheese (like a Limburger - but milder) showed the best results, but other cheeses were very acidic and nasty. I won't give up.
peace,
Cheesey-boy
The room has several bulk-tanks for milk storage, a pasteurizing tank, several cheese vats, a press, and much more. It was a real eye-opener for me to get my hands wet and see small-scale cheese making equipment. The creamery makes fresh-cheeses and ice cream that is used in the College dining halls and also sold retail through a restaurant/store owned in part by the College. The pasteurizer is inspected and licensed so that any of the products (except fluid milk) can be sold to the public. The biggest limitation on its potential as a cheese making plant is the lack of sufficient aging facilities. Right now, the walk-in cooler where the hard cheese can be stored is also where cases of beverages and other 'stuff' are stored, so it is not a controlled climate at all.
Although we still have not made a batch of cheese where temperature was set, culture was added, rennet added, curds cut, etc. etc.; we did make a couple small batches of fresh cheese and ricotta. I did get to help pasteurize a batch of milk and learn how many things work around there. I hope to stay involved there through the summer, at least.
In my own cheese cellar, I had some discouraging news as I cut into a few of the cheeses I have been aging, only to see the results of over-use of both cultures and rennet! Pretty much terrible cheese. But, I'm learning slowly how various parts of the puzzle fit together as I strive to make artisan cheese. My Brick Cheese (like a Limburger - but milder) showed the best results, but other cheeses were very acidic and nasty. I won't give up.
peace,
Cheesey-boy
Monday, April 12, 2010
Cheesemaking 101
My two-day class for Beginner Cheesemakers was illuminating, at times overwhelming, entertaining and overall a very worthwhile endeavor for me. The scenery in both Vermont and Eastern New York was beautiful as well; making the three hours of driving each way easier to take. I was driving through portions of the Green Mountains of Vermont and Washington County , New York where rural living still has a strong foot-hold and I felt a certain serenity as I drove along trout streams and between low, rambling mountains. In a word: Beautiful!
The spring runoff had made the Batten Kill un-fishable for me on Monday, but by Wednesday afternoon the waters had lowered enough for me to make an honest attempt at catching some fish. I was only able to catch one brown trout in one of the smaller, feeder-steams, but sometimes just going through the motions of fishing a stream is good enough for me. I fished near the historic, Rexleigh covered bridge which I'm sure you can find images of on the Web.
At cheese class, our group of 10 made a 15-gallon batch of Tomme from fresh, Jersey-cow milk. Tomme cheeses are semi-soft with a rind that is usually washed with brine for several weeks before letting the cave molds grow until it's deemed ready to sell; usually at 3 months of age. We got to watch the Bardwell Farm cheese makers working each day; everything from cutting and cooking the curds, hooping the cheese, setting the press to the work done in the cold-storage (cheese cave) where all the ripening wheels of cheese are turned, washed, brushed and sampled.
We talked at length about milk composition and quality where I heard that most artisan cheese makers prefer their animals to be grass-fed or dry hay fed, but no silage. We discussed the various starter cultures that cheese makers have to work with now-days. One of the things I learned about my stove-top creamery is that I have been using too much of both the cultures and the rennet, resulting in tart, acidic, pasty cheese. I will also need to begin using a pH-meter to track the acidity of the curds and whey during the 'make' since the levels of acidity effect the cheese moisture content, texture and set the stage for the 2 to 4 month ripening process that is so important for producing fine-quality, aged cheese. My 'cheese cave' is something I will need to work on also; cool, moist conditions with good air circulation are the prerequisites. Modifying an old refrigerator will probably work, but I can no longer just wing-it in my cellar.
I got to sample almost all the different cheeses made at the Bardwell Farm and wash 'em down with a great Vermont beer from the Magic Hat brewery.
While the Web is a great resource to begin my education into artisan cheese making, there is no better way to learn a craft than through a hands-on workshop like the one I attended. If you are curious about it, search for "Peter Dixon, cheese maker" and you'll see what I mean.
Peace,
Cheesey-boy
The spring runoff had made the Batten Kill un-fishable for me on Monday, but by Wednesday afternoon the waters had lowered enough for me to make an honest attempt at catching some fish. I was only able to catch one brown trout in one of the smaller, feeder-steams, but sometimes just going through the motions of fishing a stream is good enough for me. I fished near the historic, Rexleigh covered bridge which I'm sure you can find images of on the Web.
At cheese class, our group of 10 made a 15-gallon batch of Tomme from fresh, Jersey-cow milk. Tomme cheeses are semi-soft with a rind that is usually washed with brine for several weeks before letting the cave molds grow until it's deemed ready to sell; usually at 3 months of age. We got to watch the Bardwell Farm cheese makers working each day; everything from cutting and cooking the curds, hooping the cheese, setting the press to the work done in the cold-storage (cheese cave) where all the ripening wheels of cheese are turned, washed, brushed and sampled.
We talked at length about milk composition and quality where I heard that most artisan cheese makers prefer their animals to be grass-fed or dry hay fed, but no silage. We discussed the various starter cultures that cheese makers have to work with now-days. One of the things I learned about my stove-top creamery is that I have been using too much of both the cultures and the rennet, resulting in tart, acidic, pasty cheese. I will also need to begin using a pH-meter to track the acidity of the curds and whey during the 'make' since the levels of acidity effect the cheese moisture content, texture and set the stage for the 2 to 4 month ripening process that is so important for producing fine-quality, aged cheese. My 'cheese cave' is something I will need to work on also; cool, moist conditions with good air circulation are the prerequisites. Modifying an old refrigerator will probably work, but I can no longer just wing-it in my cellar.
I got to sample almost all the different cheeses made at the Bardwell Farm and wash 'em down with a great Vermont beer from the Magic Hat brewery.
While the Web is a great resource to begin my education into artisan cheese making, there is no better way to learn a craft than through a hands-on workshop like the one I attended. If you are curious about it, search for "Peter Dixon, cheese maker" and you'll see what I mean.
Peace,
Cheesey-boy
Friday, April 2, 2010
Off to Cheese-school
Next week I will travel to Vermont for a two-day cheese maker's class, and I am psyched!
The class will be held at a farm right on the Vermont/New York border, about due east from Lake George. Here's the farm's website: [www.considerbardwellfarm.com]
I am also looking forward to sampling some of their prize-winning cheeses.
I've learned a lot about cheese making from books and internet places, but I know I will learn much from Peter Dixon and also get to use real cheese making equipment! Where I use one, maybe two gallons of milk in a double-boiler on the stovetop; at the farm they are able to make much bigger batches . Although this class is not specifically about the aging processes for different cheese, I bet I'll learn a thing or two about how to properly age my cheese, as well. Right now, I am still a bit nervous when I see mold on the rind of my Romano or Brick cheeses.
Tonight I made a Feta cheese from some fresh goat milk that I was able to source nearby, and with the whey I made a Norwegian cheese called Gjetost. (look it up in Wikapedia)
Tomorrow I'll get a chance to sample the Gjetost as a spreadable cheese. It didn't get as dark, and I didn't try to press it into a block like the commercial varieties.
When I was about 7 years old, my family hosted a student from Norway and he had this brown-cheese shipped over for us to try. It is quite different from every cheese we know of here in America; sweet and grainy, if I remember right.
A totally unrelated thing about this trip to cheese-school is that I will be taking some time to do a little trout fishing in one of VT/NY's great trout streams: the Batten Kill.
Peace,
Cheesey-boy
The class will be held at a farm right on the Vermont/New York border, about due east from Lake George. Here's the farm's website: [www.considerbardwellfarm.com]
I am also looking forward to sampling some of their prize-winning cheeses.
I've learned a lot about cheese making from books and internet places, but I know I will learn much from Peter Dixon and also get to use real cheese making equipment! Where I use one, maybe two gallons of milk in a double-boiler on the stovetop; at the farm they are able to make much bigger batches . Although this class is not specifically about the aging processes for different cheese, I bet I'll learn a thing or two about how to properly age my cheese, as well. Right now, I am still a bit nervous when I see mold on the rind of my Romano or Brick cheeses.
Tonight I made a Feta cheese from some fresh goat milk that I was able to source nearby, and with the whey I made a Norwegian cheese called Gjetost. (look it up in Wikapedia)
Tomorrow I'll get a chance to sample the Gjetost as a spreadable cheese. It didn't get as dark, and I didn't try to press it into a block like the commercial varieties.
When I was about 7 years old, my family hosted a student from Norway and he had this brown-cheese shipped over for us to try. It is quite different from every cheese we know of here in America; sweet and grainy, if I remember right.
A totally unrelated thing about this trip to cheese-school is that I will be taking some time to do a little trout fishing in one of VT/NY's great trout streams: the Batten Kill.
Peace,
Cheesey-boy
Friday, March 26, 2010
Connections at the biological level
I think many people take for granted that their food and drink will always just be there for purchase and consumption without ever really understanding the components or the processes that make bread, beer or cheese. Indeed, most may never even consider how each item comes to us in so many delicious forms. Likewise, few of us know the huge part played by the microscopic community: bacteria, yeast, molds and a myriad of chemical compounds.
One of the strangest contributors to this soup may be Kefir Grains. You may have never heard of them; that's okay, it was only a few months ago that I really learned about them. They are not grains in the same sense as wheat, barley or rice are called grains. Actually they look more like cooked cauliflower tops than kernels of grain. They are alive but they don't crawl, make noise, or otherwise resemble 'living organisms'. They are a complex commune inhabited by several different yeast, bacteria, fungi, proteins, fats and others stuff who thrive on lactose - or milk sugar. Kefir is pretty much like yogurt; varying in thickness and tartness depending on how active the grains have been at digesting the milk.
Here's where the synchronicity comes into play. Kefir grains help to culture milk, the first step in cheese making; fluid kefir can be used as a milk or water substitute for many bread recipes; and if the grains really get working overtime, they can create low levels of alcohol, creating a milk-champagne.
I received a small Kefir colony last night from a friend, almost ceremoniously. With an understanding that I would now be responsible for another being not unlike adopting a kitten or something, feeding and housing them. Well, maybe that's a little dramatic, and No I did not make a pledge or swear on a Bible to nurture and care for the grains. But none the less I will be treating them as a 'presence' in the kitchen.
My immediate plans are to try them out in a cheese application; hopefully ending up with a hard cheese. We shall see.
Peace,
Cheesey-boy
One of the strangest contributors to this soup may be Kefir Grains. You may have never heard of them; that's okay, it was only a few months ago that I really learned about them. They are not grains in the same sense as wheat, barley or rice are called grains. Actually they look more like cooked cauliflower tops than kernels of grain. They are alive but they don't crawl, make noise, or otherwise resemble 'living organisms'. They are a complex commune inhabited by several different yeast, bacteria, fungi, proteins, fats and others stuff who thrive on lactose - or milk sugar. Kefir is pretty much like yogurt; varying in thickness and tartness depending on how active the grains have been at digesting the milk.
Here's where the synchronicity comes into play. Kefir grains help to culture milk, the first step in cheese making; fluid kefir can be used as a milk or water substitute for many bread recipes; and if the grains really get working overtime, they can create low levels of alcohol, creating a milk-champagne.
I received a small Kefir colony last night from a friend, almost ceremoniously. With an understanding that I would now be responsible for another being not unlike adopting a kitten or something, feeding and housing them. Well, maybe that's a little dramatic, and No I did not make a pledge or swear on a Bible to nurture and care for the grains. But none the less I will be treating them as a 'presence' in the kitchen.
My immediate plans are to try them out in a cheese application; hopefully ending up with a hard cheese. We shall see.
Peace,
Cheesey-boy
Monday, March 22, 2010
Magical Moments
With each of the three mainstays (Bread, Beer and Cheese) there are similarities, yet so many nuanced differences that always keep me interested in finding good examples of each.
What I'm getting at is that with each you have a choice of raw ingredients, choices in the manufacturing methods and to some degree choices in the waiting period.
The combination of ingredients, which are now more easily available, allows us a nearly endless palette from which to create our Bread, Beer and Cheese.
To me, no matter how much attention to detail I put into it, I often find myself thinking of the process as a bit magical. After all is said and done, enjoying the final product is only part of the enjoyment that I get out of making bread, beer or cheese.
Over the weekend I made a 1lb. Havarti cheese. I am a newbie to cheese making (at least in an organized way) so this was my first Havarti. Unlike a batch of muffins or loaf of bread, it will be many days before I can sample the cheese and see if it resembles the Havarti style. Patience is needed for both cheese and beer making.
One of the magical moments with each batch of cheese is when the milk first begins to setup, called either the curdling point or the flocculation point. It is the point in time when the fluid milk shows its first signs of becoming a solid. It's similar to the magic of watching yeast make dough rise, or a different yeast making beer ferment and bubble.
So I guess I'm talking about the awe-factor that comes with the creation process; my own mad-scientist moment for sure.
Peace,
Cheesey-boy
What I'm getting at is that with each you have a choice of raw ingredients, choices in the manufacturing methods and to some degree choices in the waiting period.
The combination of ingredients, which are now more easily available, allows us a nearly endless palette from which to create our Bread, Beer and Cheese.
To me, no matter how much attention to detail I put into it, I often find myself thinking of the process as a bit magical. After all is said and done, enjoying the final product is only part of the enjoyment that I get out of making bread, beer or cheese.
Over the weekend I made a 1lb. Havarti cheese. I am a newbie to cheese making (at least in an organized way) so this was my first Havarti. Unlike a batch of muffins or loaf of bread, it will be many days before I can sample the cheese and see if it resembles the Havarti style. Patience is needed for both cheese and beer making.
One of the magical moments with each batch of cheese is when the milk first begins to setup, called either the curdling point or the flocculation point. It is the point in time when the fluid milk shows its first signs of becoming a solid. It's similar to the magic of watching yeast make dough rise, or a different yeast making beer ferment and bubble.
So I guess I'm talking about the awe-factor that comes with the creation process; my own mad-scientist moment for sure.
Peace,
Cheesey-boy
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Jumping In the Deep End
And away we go!
My passion for these three foods is not such an unusual thing. I suspect there are many who find it comforting to sample fresh baked bread, artisan cheese and hand-crafted beers.
I will share my experiences and viewpoints, as best I can, hoping they will inspire others to bake it, make it, or brew it, themselves.
Peace.
Cheesey-boy
My passion for these three foods is not such an unusual thing. I suspect there are many who find it comforting to sample fresh baked bread, artisan cheese and hand-crafted beers.
I will share my experiences and viewpoints, as best I can, hoping they will inspire others to bake it, make it, or brew it, themselves.
Peace.
Cheesey-boy
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