Last night I had the great fortune of meeting up with many other far more illustrious food bloggers than myself at Cooks of Crocus Hill in St. Paul for the Wisconsin Cheese Course at Cooks of Crocus Hill: St. Paul. Sponsored by the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, this event included an absolutely wonderful array of representatives and samples from Wisconsin’s dairy products and cheese-making industries.
The event began shortly after 6 PM in the *huge* upstairs classroom at Cooks of Crocus Hill in St. Paul. The Wife and I took a class at their Edina location several years ago and she’s been to both locations on other occasions for other fun events including Thanksgiving dinner class and one through her previous employer who bused them over to the St. Paul location to make and eat cookies. While their Edina location was nice, the one on Grand is the Taj Mahal of cooking classrooms. Beautifully decorated, staffed with personable people, and stocked with Surly Furious and huge piles of cheese this kitchen and reception area was a cheese addicts absolute dream come true.
Just after walking in I was greeted and sat down at one of the long wooden tables. A gorgeous spiral bound notebook was waiting for me and outlined the courses that evening, including their appropriate pairings. The first pairing was amazing–especially coming from a marketing team working out of Wisconsin: Death’s Door Gin Negroni or a lovely pint of Surly Furious.
After a great introduction of the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board staff and cheese-making artisans and related personnel on hand, we were treated to an introduction into the history of Wisconsin cheese making and the current status of the trends and the evolution of the very serious artisans working on some of the most decorated cheeses in the world. This opened us up into the first course: a tasting of artisan cheese techniques including smoked, rubbed, and flavored cheeses.
The Espresso BellaVitano (center), noted as being great for dessert or breakfast and providing a farmhouse cheddar/Parmesan flavor mix, was one of the most hyped for the evening. Unfortunately while it was sweet and creamy for me, carried no distinctive espresso flavor and might as well have been any of the other cheeses provided.
My favorite of the group, the Marieke Foenegreek Gouda carries a seed native to Holland which is used in Indian cooking (chutneys and curries) and provides a nutty and sweet flavor. The cheese itself tasted just like maple syrup and with the creamy texture as it melted on your tongue, if I had closed my eyes and no one had told me different I really would have thought it was. Amazing experience and one I highly recommend you attempt to repeat and soon.
The next course included samples of (left to right): Widmer’s Cheese Cellar’s Brick Cheese & Cheddar Spread, Bandaged Cheddar from Bleu Mont Dairy, and Dunbarton Blue.
The cheese spread was amazingly smooth and creamy and unlike most spreads you can find out there. With prices in the same range, I really see no reason why I should ever buy anything else. The cheese comes from three generations of cheesemakers squeezing the whey out with heavy stone bricks passed down over the generations. While the State of Wisconsin originally scoffed at the use of the bricks for cheesemaking, the current owner found a loophole where the Amish were permitted a variance due to their heritage–something he argued should be allowed for him as well. Thankfully it was granted and we get to taste some of the most amazing spreadable cheddar you’ll ever taste.
The highlight of the evening, as expressed by those around me, was the butter tasting. Three different butters (two of which are shown) provided some of the most intriguing flavors I’ve ever experienced from this type of dairy product. The first was a hand-rolled butter from Rochdale Farms and is available at local co-ops such as the Wedge. The flavor was creamy and intense. The first butter I could eat plain, which means no bread or crackers, and keep going back for more. Supposedly the hand-rolled technique allows for the butter fats to remain intact which provides for a much better taste and mouth feel. Mmm.
The others included hand-rolled butter from Alcam Creamery (top right of the photo) which, in all honesty, was like eating a dollop of real ice cream. So tasty and described as a “chef’s dream” because it doesn’t burn off the fat and provides a nice coating in the pan while it heats, this is one butter I’ll be getting my hands on for future cooking for sure.
We were provided a nice variety plate of several cheeses paired with many different items aside from the usual wine, cheese, and fruits. The Les Freres with Marinated Mushrooms provided an aggressive and punchy flavor with a soft and creamy mouthfeel. The Caso Balo Mellage paired with jam comes from several different kinds of milk (cow, goat, and sheep) and you can taste the distinct flavors of each as you let the long-lasting, tart but surprisingly sweet cheese melt in your mouth. The three Wisconsin Blues (Buttermilk Blue, Tilston Point, and Ader Kase Reserve) were tasty, aside from the Tilston Point which I originally described as “pungent and almost antiseptic,” but later noted as more like eating a band-aid (even when eaten with the very strong and spicy crystallized ginger).
The final cheese course was the Marieke Penterman (50+ awards worldwide in only ~5 years) Gouda Selection which was garnished with a spoonful of very strong Stonewall Kitchen Spiced Rum Butterscotch Sauce. From bottom to top the cheeses shown are aged 4 months, 6-9 months, and finally 1.5-2 years.
While the cheeses created by Marieke are very highly sought after and the longest aged cheeses are scarce at best due to the demand (people are reserving future cheeses already), my favorite was the 6-9 month aged version. A smooth and buttery flavor which almost tasted like cheddar, this one had the others beat for me. However, a friend of mine noted that the oldest aged cheese was hands down her favorite. Thankfully there are a lot to choose from–if you can find some!
Overall I was thoroughly impressed with the presentation by the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board and the artisan cheese-makers, the facilities and Cooks of Crocus Hill and especially the products we sampled. If you ever have an opportunity to eat any of the cheeses linked above please, by all means, do so. Aside from one, I enjoyed everything I sampled and it appeared that everyone at our long table mirrored my assessment.
Have you ever participated at an event put on by the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board or Cooks of Crocus Hill? If so what did you think of each? Have you ever eaten a pile of different cheeses paired with interesting sides? What about plain butter? Have you ever just eaten several different kinds of it in a sitting (or even just one kind?) without thinking you were going to have a heart attack right then and there? Whatever you have to say about this one go ahead and comment on as I’d love to hear what you have to say!
See all the pictures from the Wisconsin Cheese Course on Flickr here.
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September 21st, 2011 at 7:27 am
How often is this event held? I am very interested in going. Are there any other similar cheese events around the metro?
September 21st, 2011 at 7:34 am
Sean,
http://www.eatwisconsincheese.com/events/default.aspx
There appears to be a craft beer and cheese tasting at the Happy Gnome coming up soon.
September 21st, 2011 at 7:44 am
Great post Bill and lovely pictures. Sounds like a wonderful event.
September 21st, 2011 at 8:42 am
I love this write-up and your photos, Bill. I had tried many of these cheeses before but it was fun to have them again. My favorites new cheeses from the evening were the Widmer’s cheddar spread and the blues paired with the unusual pairings. IMO, Surly Furious paired beautifully with these cheeses.
September 21st, 2011 at 8:51 am
Ditto. There are a lot of beer and wine connoisseurs out there….I love sampling/learning about cheese.
I’ve been to quite a few events/classes at the St. Paul location. Frankly, it’s one of those little life pleasures that have kind of taken a hiatus during this phase of our parenting lives. Anyway, I recommend it especially for couples looking for a different idea for a date night.
You asked about butter. One of the joys of the nights/days I’m the cook around the house is sampling, nibbling, “testing”. Sometimes when I cook, I end up not needing to eat the meal because I’m so full from the cooking process.
I don’t grab a slab and mow down, but I love to shave off a little taste of great butter by itself. It always surprising to me how many subtle flavors things like butter can have.
September 21st, 2011 at 9:26 am
I am wondering if anyone has found a place that sells finer cheeses for reasonable prices. Cub has a pretty decent selection but I don’t have much to compare their prices to. Byerlys has a great selection, but holy cow, $$ CHA-CHING! $$
September 21st, 2011 at 9:28 am
Sean, I generally go to Surdyk’s when I want cheese–especially cheese that isn’t precut into expensive wedges for weights more than I need.
September 21st, 2011 at 10:34 am
The France44 cheese shop is also a great place to buy cheese. The staff are very enthusiastic about their product and always willing to offer samples and education. I don’t know if the prices should be considered high or low, but all the wedges are cut to order so you can buy what you can afford.
Great to meet you last night, Bill.
September 21st, 2011 at 10:40 am
Likewise.
September 21st, 2011 at 10:57 am
If only E’s cheese hadn’t gone under. They were great.
September 21st, 2011 at 11:10 am
I wish I knew more about selecting good cheeses. (sorry for the little whine)
September 21st, 2011 at 4:37 pm
I second Bill’s suggestion re: Surdyk’s for cheese, great place for the finer things in life. Also, if you happen to luck out, Costco has some great cheeses that I happen to like. Their stock changes occasionally but they usually have a descent Manchego, and a blue, and they always have the Dubliner Irish Cheddar at a *REALLY* good price.
We can now add cheese to the list of esoteric food topics on this blog – we are in danger of becoming food snobs – I prefer to think of Bill as a “foodie” instead of a snob. :-)
September 21st, 2011 at 5:25 pm
Love cheese, you are a lucky man.
always stop in Mauston WI at the Carr Valley shop off I-94, still have some of their Benedictine cheese
good report!
September 21st, 2011 at 9:24 pm
Cheese is something I claim to love, but a closer examination of the subject would reveal that I haven’t tried many varieties and have probably had very few quality ones. My best guess is that yesterday’s selections at least doubled the number of cheeses I’ve tried in my lifetime.
My favorite was definitely the Caso Balo Mellage, followed by the aged gouda and the Marieke Foenegreek Gouda. Most of the others I enjoyed immensely as well.
There were only a few I didn’t find spectacular…the smoked gouda in the first group and the Tilston Point in the blue cheeses. I also didn’t quite get the seemingly overwhelming popularity of the cheese spread. It was okay, but not among my top ranked.
The most spectacular moment of the evening was brought to me by the butter, something I didn’t think I’d get that excited about. But that hand-rolled butter was glorious. I couldn’t help but eat some of it right off the knife, and that taste still lingers in my brain. Only the 11g of fat per teaspoon kept me from tearing open and biting out a huge chunk of the package they sent around for us to feel. Well that, plus the fact that I’d like to be allowed back to this sort of event in the future.
September 22nd, 2011 at 4:19 am
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September 22nd, 2011 at 8:22 am
Just thought of this while reading through the comments. Most, if not all, Byerly’s have a little basket in one of their cheese cases with their “odds and ends” — little leftover chunks from cutting cheeses for customers.
Most of the time, it’s not anything special in there, but if you root around, you can sometimes find something unusual to try. The chunks are anywhere from $2-5ish. It’s a good way to sample without dropping $10 on a cheese/risk of wasting money.
September 22nd, 2011 at 10:14 am
http://blogs.citypages.com/food/2011/09/wisconsin_margarine_ban_repeal.php
September 24th, 2011 at 7:47 pm
There is a little cheese shop next to Haskell’s in downtown Mpls. They also have a basket of small cuts of cheese available. It’s a great way to try some more unique cheeses. Thanks for the report. I’m hoping we can go to the Happy Gnome event.
October 3rd, 2011 at 7:01 am
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