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| July 2010 | Volume 07 Issue 7 | ||||||||||||
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Celebrating America:
That's right, we're halfway through 2010 and we get to celebrate our great country, and YES Hawaii is part of the United States! Make sure you're prepared for the holiday and order your cheese platter today! We're here to make you look good and let you relax. We can also provide you with your picnic provisions: cheese, deli meats, crackers, jams, olives or roasted tomatoes. If you're in the need for some patriotic refreshments we have a wide variety of wines that are grown in the good ole USA, so come on down and get your 4th of July supplies today! Featured Wines Include:
New Products!
In 1999, Monica and Michael Keller bought 10 acres in Loma Rica, California, and started Calolea Olive Oil. The first year they produced just 80 gallons of oil, but their timing was perfect as Californians were hungry for quality olive oil. We are lucky that they now have reached us as well! Calolea's organic olive oil has been certified "extra virgin". The olives on the Keller's 100 year old Mission, Manzanillo and now Tuscan trees are hand picked, stone crushed and cold pressed within 24 hours to create the highest quality oil possible.
We carry a few selections from their olive oil and vinegar line-up. We are crazy about their 18 year Aged Balsamic from Modena Italy. It's lovely, syrupy, rich and full-bodied! We also have the white balsamic vinegar which is aged 12 years and comes from Modena as well. It has slightly higher acidiy and very bright and delicate. This was featured at last months tasting as the dressing on the Namasu salad. The Extra Virgin Olive Oils we carry are from the Tuscan and Mission trees. The Tuscan is very fruity with a slight peppery finish, while the Mission has less fruit and more pepper... though both are equally delicious! The Tuscan blend recently won an award in a German Olive Oil tasting. A jury of international olive oil experts ranked 800 oils from 20 countries and placed Calolea in the top 200, see award below! Also look for a new Strawberry Balsamic which we just sampled and adore. It's the 18yr aged Balsamic from Modena with Strawberry added at the time of bottling, pefect for summer salads!
Cheese Tales
On October 11, 1941 the first wheels of Matag Blue Cheese were formed and set to age in the caves of the Maytag Dairy Farms. They are located in the heartland of America in central Iowa. Not much has changed since then except newer equipment and older cheesemakers!
This blue cheese is made from Raw Iowa Cow's milk and has a rich tangy bite. It's moist with a crumbly texture and a wonderfully fresh flavor and finish. We love this cheese on it's own but is equally delicious melted on a burger, steak or tossed in a salad. It would be a perfect addition to your 4th of July celebrations! Ph. 808.874.3930
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Monthly Cheese & Wine Tasting!
5 wines paired with 5 cheeses This Month: Mediterranean Sea Cruise! Ooh wee!
Where: Stella Blues Cafe (in same center as Who Cut The Cheese) Cost: $30 per person, including tax Call for reservations: 808-874-3930 ~ Seating is limited. 2010 Tasting Calendar - Last Sunday of most months
The Mondavi's Are Back, and we couln't be happier!
The Oberon Sauvignon Blanc is crisp, fruity and refreshing. The Mondavi family has collaborated with winemaker Tony Coltrin on Oberon wines, originally named for the kind in Shakespeare's comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream. The grapes are harvested from vineyards in Oakville, Rutherford and Stag's Leap. They have a bright natural acidity and produce a full in the mouth feeling. They blend the fruit from early stages of ripeness with fruit that has ripened more fully on the vine in the warmer months.
Emblem is a collaboration of Robert's son and grandson, Michael and Rob. It is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Rutherford and is big, full of ripe fruit and rich dusty tannins. The grapes are all hand harvested from a single vineyard. Grown in the valley floor these vines get more sun exposure than other parts of Napa. This Cabernet is rich, sophisticated and earthy with a long finish. It's definitley a great reflection of the family tradition and fine Napa fruit!
Customer Corner
Here is a lovely recipe submitted by Joyce Roark, one of our favorite customers. It uses Bresaola and Parmesan which are both available here at the shop, enjoy! Ricotta-Filled Bresaola with Arugula & Parmesan Shavings 1c packed skim ricotta
Place teaspoonful of ricotta mixture on one end of each bresaola slice & roll up. Arrange on platter in spoke pattern. Pile arugula high in center w/Parmesan on top. Drizzle all with olive oil. Place lemon wedges around platter. Fresh cracked pepper over all.
Tasting Notes...
The other sake we carry is the slightly unusual but all together delicious, Poochi-Poochi sparkling sake. Nice bubbles bring up the fruitiness of the sake with sligtly sweet citrus notes on the finish. It was fun paired with the Spanish cow's milk cheese urgelia, whose nuttines played well together with the sweet style of sake.
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Recently we had the pleasure to meet with Dina Mondavi, the granddaughter of Robert Mondavi. She introduced us to their new ventures, I'M (for Dina's mother Isabel Mondavi), Oberon, and Emblem. 
