Cheese Spectacular at The Indian House
So if you didn’t make it out last night for the FREE cheese event presented by Jessica Wurwarg at the India House Club, this is what you missed. Inside the historic NYC landmark building, a crowd of cheese lovers and freebooters gathered in the warm red room beside a roaring fireplace, cozy seating and a table full of some of the most delicious cheese Jessica brought to share. Typically this club is private {although the Blue Bar is open to the public} but sometimes we luck out and events such as this come along, providing an opportunity to not only learn something about cheese, but gain access to a significant city space. The India House Club was built in 1837 and used for banking and trade purposes, but became a private meeting house in 1914 {don’t you just wonder what sort of wheeling and dealing took place here???}. It currently houses the largest and most valuable collection of maritime art in NY — you can feel the historic significance just standing there.
So what kind of cheese was shared? A delectable selection of sheep’s, cow’s and goat’s milk cheeses. Any of these would be great additions to your holiday cheese platter. The Camembert was like butter, it was so rich and creamy and the Hoch Ybrig is not only fun to say, but is a great nutty swiss that anyone is sure to like. All can be purchased at Artisanal Cheese, except the Seal Cove Pyramid that can be snagged at Saxelby Cheesemongers in Essex Market. The evening was a fun post-work getaway and it was FREE {yeah, yeah, I know I already mentioned that, but stay tuned for more great free events you don’t want to miss.}
Generous Cuts of Spectacular Cheese
Hudson Valley Camembert. Sheep and Cow’s Milk. Old Chatham Sheepherding Company; Old Chatham, NY.
This is a luxuriously creamy and buttery young cow and sheep’s milk camembert-style cheese with a bloomy rind. The creaminess comes from the sheep’s milk. The Hudson Valley Camembert pairs well with a sparkling wine or a light crisp white.
Seal Cove Pyramid. Goat’s milk. Seal Cove Farm; Lamoine, ME.
This is a young, slightly tart but rich pasteurized goat’s milk cheese from talented Maine cheese makers. The vegetable ash on the outside makes the cheese less acidic and allows it to age slightly but remain soft, delicate and creamy. The Seal Cove Pyramid will pair well with light floral and crisp white wines like Sauvignon Blancs.
Hoch Ybrig. Cow’s Milk. Canton Schwyg, Switzerland.
Hoch Ybrig is an alpine cheese, a typical finely crafted hard cheese made in the mountains of Switzerland. The cheese’s washed rind adds a heartiness to the creamy, nutty and sweet flavors of this robust yet delicate cheese. This cheese pairs well with a variety of beers and red and white wines alike.
Blu del Mencenisio. Cow’s Milk. Turin, Piedmont, Italy.
This is a soft slightly creamy blue cheese with spicy notes. It is from the Moncenisio Pass, mountains in Piedmont, near the French border. With this cheese, as with many other blues, the saltiness tends to be more pronounced. This cheese will pair well with sweeter or dessert wines or heavier stout-type beers.
Another Cut of Cheese Please:
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