Cheese Monday - LambChopper

Been quite busy dealing with Festival Applications for my Film Chocolate Milk. Hopefully I'll have some good news on that front soon! So this Cheese Monday is a day late, so hope you haven't been waiting in delirious anticipation at your local cheese counter since yesterday!

Last week, I talked about a cheese that is very hard to find, so I decided I would talk about one is easily more attainable. 1 "Lamb Chopper"! A aged sheep milk cheese by Cypress Grove that is delightfully buttery in taste and appearance. The texture is not hard but definitely not brie-ey, unless you are chewing it. The rind is a natural wax so DO NOT eat it. (Even if its the last piece, believeeee meeee.) Also, the rennet is vegetarian and the milk is pasteurized for those of your with your fancy diets.

I always picture Lambs riding in a helicopter for the name, but as you can see they prefer lambs riding motorcycles....2

In any case, THIS is definitely a crowd pleaser cheese and makes everyone come back for seconds. Every time I serve this cheese I have to write down the name for someone who's gotta get it to eat glutinously in the privacy of their closet. Enjoy!!

1 Last week's cheese means getting on a CSA mailing list and hoping that it will become available. If it does, then all you have to do is drive up to the Bay area. So easyyyy eh?!

2 I definitely never pictured me arguing about lambs favorite way of transportation....

Cheesy Monday - Monarch

So my resolution of posting more is about to burst into effect with "Cheesy Mondays." Every Monday I will talk about one of my favorite cheeses! Because damnit, it's Monday and if any day of the week you really need a mouth stuffed with cheese, its Monday!

This week's favorite cheese comes from one my favorite cheesemakers, Rebecca King of Garden Variety Cheese and it is drumroll please.......Monarch! A cheese made from Claravale Farm Jersey cow's milk and washed with Dread Brown Ale from Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing. It is a raw milk, Trappist-style cheese. Buttery flavor with a semi-soft texture. Great for snacking or enjoying with your home wine with a cat in your lap. I always say my favorite is sheep cheeses, but I've really been loving this cheese. A friend compared it to "actually" delicious swiss cheese hah!

Unfortunately, you will not be able to find it easily, as it is in very limited supply. This is a cheese Rebecca makes during sheep vacation! So if you happen across it, grab immediately! Also, she offers a great cheese CSA through her Adopt-a-Ewe program, which I highly recommend as well.

Also, one of my favorite artists Gemma Correll did a great cheese illustrations today, too!Jinx!!

I definitely do prefer aged cheddars. The more crystallization, the more I sigh.....le sighhhhh