More than once I've declared Beemster's XO, an incredibly rich, nutty and butterscotchy aged Dutch Gouda, the best cheese on the planet.
I still love the stuff - along with the company's nice Mustard Seed Cheese - but it has some serious competition now in the form of Gourmandise, a soft French cream cheese that is unlike any I've ever tasted.
Speckled with chunks of walnut, this spreadable cheese is a little sweet, a little sour - and a whole lotta delicious.
Here's the official description from www.igourmet.com, where my wife discovered it. . .
"This imported processed cheese has a large following. Those who have tried it can't seem to get enough of it. Straight from France, this spreadable cheese comes in two varieties. One is flavored with walnut and is nice when eaten with pears and other winter fruits, or accompanied by blue cheeses. The other is flavored with kirsch, the clear brandy distilled from cherries and their pits and used in making fondue, cherries jubilee and black forest cake. Gourmandise is especially popular around the holidays, as it makes a good party spread."
We just enjoyed it plain or with light crackers (you won't want anything competing with its incredible flavors) or enhanced with just a dash of tart jam.
I haven't seen it at the local grocery, but I'm sure the folks at Capitol Market's wine and cheese shop could hook you up.
***
Back to Beemster, I just sampled two more of the company's cheeses, including one fairly rare variety that's made only during one short period each year.
The milk produced by Beemster's cows during the first week of each spring grazing season is the creamiest of the year, so cheesemakers use that milk to produce a limited quantity of Graskaas. It's then aged a month, and the result is a really smooth spring milk cheese with just a hint of herbal notes from the lush grasses that flavor it.
The company's Vlaskaas cheese - which has won gold medals in London, German and U.S. competitions - offers a richer and more matured, slightly nutty taste. It kind of reminds me of a lighter version of the XO (see above) I love so much. Really great stuff.
Beemster, XO, Graskaas and Vlaskaas: Funny names, but seriously good cheese. (That should totally be their slogan!) Salivate at www.beemster.us.
More than once I've declared Beemster's XO, an incredibly rich, nutty and butterscotchy aged Dutch Gouda, the best cheese on the planet.
I still love the stuff - along with the company's nice Mustard Seed Cheese - but it has some serious competition now in the form of Gourmandise, a soft French cream cheese that is unlike any I've ever tasted.
Speckled with chunks of walnut, this spreadable cheese is a little sweet, a little sour - and a whole lotta delicious.
Here's the official description from www.igourmet.com, where my wife discovered it. . .
"This imported processed cheese has a large following. Those who have tried it can't seem to get enough of it. Straight from France, this spreadable cheese comes in two varieties. One is flavored with walnut and is nice when eaten with pears and other winter fruits, or accompanied by blue cheeses. The other is flavored with kirsch, the clear brandy distilled from cherries and their pits and used in making fondue, cherries jubilee and black forest cake. Gourmandise is especially popular around the holidays, as it makes a good party spread."
We just enjoyed it plain or with light crackers (you won't want anything competing with its incredible flavors) or enhanced with just a dash of tart jam.
I haven't seen it at the local grocery, but I'm sure the folks at Capitol Market's wine and cheese shop could hook you up.
***
Back to Beemster, I just sampled two more of the company's cheeses, including one fairly rare variety that's made only during one short period each year.
The milk produced by Beemster's cows during the first week of each spring grazing season is the creamiest of the year, so cheesemakers use that milk to produce a limited quantity of Graskaas. It's then aged a month, and the result is a really smooth spring milk cheese with just a hint of herbal notes from the lush grasses that flavor it.
The company's Vlaskaas cheese - which has won gold medals in London, German and U.S. competitions - offers a richer and more matured, slightly nutty taste. It kind of reminds me of a lighter version of the XO (see above) I love so much. Really great stuff.
Beemster, XO, Graskaas and Vlaskaas: Funny names, but seriously good cheese. (That should totally be their slogan!) Salivate at www.beemster.us.
***
A pickle made right here in West Virginia has been featured in Country Living magazine as being one of the top five tasting pickles around.
So of course I had to taste for myself.
You can find Uncle Bunk's 14-Day Sweet Pickles at HoneyBaked Ham at Southridge, the Christian Family Book Store at Charleston Town Center and at The Greenhouse in Hurricane - so I picked up a jar to try at home.
The company, located in Sistersville, produces treats based on Appalachian recipes handed down from owner Larry Young's grandmother. They use locally grown vegetables, some of which they grow themselves, and it's all hand-washed, hand-cut and hand-packed into each jar.
The label also claims these are the crispiest pickles you'll ever sink your teeth into and, by golly, they might be right.
There's an audible "snap" when you take a bite, followed by an interesting tingle of flavors thanks to the full two weeks they're seasoned. Besides a subtle sweet-tart thing going on, a little pepper, cloves and cinnamon also lend a hint of warm spice as well. Not bad.
Young said the Country Living honor was a nice surprise, but winning is nothing new to Uncle Bunk's. They're a three-time winner of the Scovie Award, the food industry's top award for hot and spicy foods, and have racked up awards at the Worldwide Mustard Sauce Competition and Fiery Food Challenge. Another of their products was also included in Chile Pepper magazine's pick of 21 must-have mustards.
To learn more, visit www.unclebunks.com.
Contact writer Steven Keith at dailymailfood...@aol.com or 304-348-1721. You can also follow him at "DailyMail FoodGuy" on Facebook or "DMFoodGuy" on Twitter.
