When in Raleigh...

So I'm back at the Annual American Cheese Society's Conference! My brother and I ate more cheese than a human probably should in three and a half days at last year's conference in Montreal.

This year I'm on my own in Raleigh, North Carolina. So far I'm diggin' it, too!

Although this is considered a working trip, it's a great chance to get away from the daily grind that I usually face and, I guess, refresh myself. So needless to say that when I woke up this morning to a string of frustrating emails it's not how I envisioned my first morning in Raleigh.

At the Farmers Market!

But thank goodness for the Raleigh Downtown Farmers Market! As soon as I decided to ignore my phone and walk to the weekly showing of artisan cheeses (a few more on display than usual in honor of the cheesiness this week!), fresh produce, meats and baked goods, I instantly felt better! How the heck couldn't I have?! (The triple chocolate chunk cookie I picked up from a local baker for breakfast also probably helped).

There was just a plethora of fresh, local and good food with happy people, live music...all eating, too! Definitely my kind of scene. People in Raleigh just seem happier, too--they're so nice it's hard not to smile! I first stopped (after I got my cookie) at a stand that only had products made from their 5,000 blueberry bushes! Not just your typical blueberry jam, but blueberry juice, syrup and even salsa (which was intriguingly sweet and spicy). The farms owner had her nine-year old son helping her, who proudly offered me a taste of his family's salsa (kind of reminded me of myself when I was nine and working in the store!).

Never too early for beer and cheese!

Then, somehow I migrated to the local beer and cheese pairing (funny how that works). Unfortunately, I found the cheese to be underwhelming in flavor, but am anxious to give Raleigh's cheeses another try later in the week. Since we've been on the craft beer craze at the store, I'm all about the beer now. And Raleigh definitely makes some tasty ales. A couple standouts have been Mother Earth Brewing's Sisters of the Moon (an intense hop aroma and bitterness with a mouthful of flavor) and Lonerider's Sweet Josie (an American Brown style balancing bitter hops with chocolate and aromatic malts).

The line for the grilled cheese competition...
worth the wait!

And you'll never guess what they had at the Farmers Market?? A GRILLED CHEESE COMPETITION! Seven of the area's best chefs created the best grilled cheese they could and put it on display for all to try and vote! Keep in mind that about twenty minutes before I had a goat cheese, speck, fig and balsamic grilled cheese from a grilled cheese truck, so I was ready for this! 

Hard not to be happy here!

After my fill of grilled cheese I walked around downtown Raleigh for a bit, which seems to be developing into quite the city with lots of eateries, bars and pubs and fun shops. I have to admit, I started my day in a disappointing corporate way, but thanks to the good people of Raleigh (and a little grilled cheese), I think I'm ready for the Rally in Raleigh (the cheese rally, duh!).

Your foodie friend,

Dougy

A Story of "Inspiration" for the Fourth of July

Stan Biasini and Debora Wickart needed to change something.

The economy in 2009 was not doing well and the carpet laying business that they owned in Vermont was not getting much business. Stan and Debora had a small herd of cows but they knew that they could not survive by milking the cows with milk prices dropping so low. Even if Stan and Debora wanted to be dairy farmers, there was no way to financially gain at it. The last ten years were stifling for many American dairy farm owners with 40% of all dairy farms going out of business due to falling milk prices and the rising costs of animal feed and fuel.

During such harsh times, it is fascinating to see how Stan and Debora changed their business focus in three years, partnering their passions into the now growing business of Mt. Mansfield Creamery. Stan, also a trained chef, discovered that he loved cheesemaking and studied with the legendary Cheesemaker Peter Dixon and on his own. Debora grew up in Morrisville Vermont and tends and milks the registered Holsteins and Brown Swiss cows that are used in Mt. Mansfield's cheeses. Stan attributes the rich quality of the cheese they produce to the high quality of their milk. Stan and Debora have converted the old United Farmers Creamery building in Morrisville into their cheesemaking and cave aging facility. They also send their milk to St. Alban's Dairy Cooperative. Stan and Debora made 400 pounds of cheese in 2009, this year they plan to make 9600 pounds.

Mt. Mansfield Creamery cow's milk cheeses are known for their complex and nutty, buttery flavors and thin edible rind. Stan suggests leaving all of their cheeses out for an hour or two before serving to soften them up and give the flavors time to release.

Inspiration, a washed rind Corsican-style alpine cheese is washed in local ales. The batch Shubie's will be selling this weekend is washed in Burly Irish Ale from Vermont Pub and Brewery. Inspiration is similar in texture to a camembert-style cheese with 44% moisture and a very thin, edible rind. The cheese, aged at least 70 days is nutty and earthy. Inspiration is a great pair with craft beers. An amazing feat for a new cheese maker, Mt. Mansfield Creamery's Inspiration won second place in the category of Farmstead Cow Milk (Non-pasteurized) at the 2011 American Cheese Society competition.

Chin Clip is an Austrian-style pressed cheese. It has a simple, salty, buttery flavor. Aged four to five months and washed in wine pressings from a local vineyard, it was created to be the perfect accompaniment to red wine.

Half-Pipe is a high-moisture, complex French Alpine Cheese, aged five months and dry-brushed to keep the rind thin and edible. The flavors really come out when melted and Stan suggests trying it on a burger, fondue or a panini. Stan is not only a rug layer, Chef and Cheesemaker - he  is also a snowboard instructor and named Inspiration and Chin Clip after slopes on Mt. Mansfield, and Half-pipe after the Snowboard ramp. To learn more about Mt. Mansfield Creamery, please visit www.mtmansfieldcreamery.com.


Shubie's is proud to support this local dairy business and bring you three of Mt. Mansfield Creamery's cheeses this weekend.

All About Kombucha

My blogging has been very lax lately – sorry! Like me, I’m sure many of you would agree that there are simply not enough hours in the day to get everything done. I wish I could share all the new ideas, products, events and more that we’ve been working on at Shubie’s with all of you, and I’m hoping to do so more often now.

I was doing some product research recently for new beverages to offer and came across a local kombucha company, Katalyst Kombucha, which we now offer on our shelves. I only knew kombucha as that drink that got pulled off the shelves because it may contain alcohol (studies support that only minute quantities of alcohol exist, about 1%). That was it.

After a little more investigating, I realized that there is much more to kombucha than I thought. There was almost a cult-like feeling surrounding kombucha. People are either absolutely in love with (or are borderline addicted to) the fermented drink and believe in the health benefits associate with the elixir; or they seem to think it’s just another foodie fad that’s received a lot of hype.

So what exactly is kombucha? Kombucha’s roots go back centuries; as far back as the Tsin Dynasty in China in 221 BC, where it was known as the “Tea of Immorality.” Kombucha is a living health drink made by fermenting tea and sugar. To make it, brewers rely on what’s called a starter—a bit of already fermented tea, referred to as “the mother.” Once the mother is added to sweetened tea and allowed to sit in a glass jar unrefrigerated for 7 to 14 days, a glop known as a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast grows over the surface.

The result? An effervescent elixir said to restore health, promote longevity and give mental clarity. Much of the current hype for kombucha surrounds the fact that it contains probiotics, which is believed to benefit digestion and boost the immune system. I couldn’t wait to get our first order from Katalyst Kombucha in and try this “super drink.” Would it be the answer to my frustrations?

Some told me I wouldn’t like it, that it smells like pickled cabbage, it’s weird, etc. When our order arrived, I immediately picked up a bottle of Katalyst’s Ginger Devotion (made with organic and local ginger) and examined the bottle a little. Little strands were floating at the bottom. After further investigation (and reading the bottle), I found out that the little strands are actually the culture and are totally normal, natural and are actually an important visual to look for when buying kombucha. After all, kombucha is a raw food.

I took a sip and reflected on what I had just tried. It was curiously tart (and zippy from the ginger) and I loved it. Now, call me crazy, but I seriously felt more energized after my first bottle! Maybe it was adrenaline from all the hype – but maybe it was the kombucha!  

I will say that I have had a least 1-2 bottles of kombucha a day for over the last week and I have certainly felt a boost in my energy levels. Healthier? Can’t say that I’ve noticed a difference yet, but I’ll let you know.

At the least, I encourage you to try a bottle and see what you think. Who knows, maybe you’ll even want to join the kombucha club! 

Your foodie friend,

Dougy