Custard: A detestable substance produced by a malevolent conspiracy of the hen, the cow, and the cook. Ambrose Bierce
Camembert Cheese
There are many different stories concerning the invention of Camambert. While it's origin is not exactly known, some people claim that it was created by Marie Harel. It is said that she obtained the cheese recipe from a priest who was on the run during the French Revolution in 1790. The priest gave her the delicious recipe as thanks for hiding him.
Made from the milk of cows raised on the grasses of Normandy, this ivory delight with its creamy consistency is a favorite of many fine table. Its similarity to Brie, its royal cousin, is the result of using penicillium camemberti (or a related strain, penicillium candida) used to form the curds. It's then aged in the mold for about three weeks, producing a soft cheese.
The final product is typically molded into small disks called 'rounds', about 11 cm (4 in) wide by 4 cm (1.6 in) thick, weighing about 250g (about a half pound). Often wrapped in paper and sold in small wooden containers, it makes for a great gift.
In France it is often produced from unpasteurized milk, but in the U.S. there are severe legal restrictions on using unpasteurized milk. As a result, the cost is often more than many are willing to pay for the final product. Most Camembert produced in the U.S. is, therefore, made from pasteurized milk. The difference is subtle enough to escape the notice of all but connoisseurs.
Like many cheeses originating in a region of France, genuine Camembert is ensured by its AOC (Appellation d'Origine Contrle) stamp of approval. The AOC system in France is used to guarantee that cheeses, wines and some other agricultural products actually do come from the region they are named after. Whether that guarantees a level of quality is a matter of some debate in cheese circles, as it is among wine connoisseurs.
But whether you acquire it on a vacation to France or from a farm near your city, you are very likely to have a wonderful eating experience. Crumbly even when fresh (unlike Brie which is usually soft), it is great all alone, atop a piece of excellent bread or served beside a slice of fish.
Cheese, cooked ham recalled over listeria fear (Canada.com)
An Ontario cheese maker has expanded its list of recalled products over concerns they could be tainted with listeria, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency says.
Quebec cheese plants on high alert (Montreal Gazette)
The government of Quebec and representatives of provincial cheese producers and retailers vowed yesterday to improve safety measures in the wake of a province-wide listeriosis outbreak linked to tainted cheeses that has claimed one life and might have caused one pregnant woman to lose her baby.
The Cheese Course: An Oregon blue in the vein of Gorgonzola (San Francisco Chronicle)
The two young men who purchased Oregon's Rogue Creamery six years ago inherited some cheeses and have created several more. Among the cheeses already in the lineup was Oregonzola, a blue cheese obviously patterned after Italy's most famous blue, Gorgonzola....
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