Johnstons of Elgin

[uppercase]

PS Last week I was visiting one of my favorite cheese shops near Covent Garden, to load up on Stilton, and while chatting with the owner into the shop walked Alain Ducasse. "This is one of my favorite shops", he announced to the owner "whenever I come to London, I come here." Well we set about to taste a slew of English blues and I watched the same gestures and techniques from the great culinary impresario that I had learned years ago from my teacher. Technique does have a place in art after all. I was however especially amused to hear Ducasse bemoan the state of food products and how it was becoming impossible to find the three star products to make three star dishes for a three star restaurant. His plaint had a very familiar ring to it.

OK no more stories for a week. I promise..

Interesting.

The WSJ also just had a blurb on the Ducasse visit to the London cheese stores.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... 06922.html

[alden]

The WSJ also just had a blurb on the Ducasse visit to the London cheese stores.

Yes, the photo was taken at Neal's Yard the day I was there. I prefer the Stilchington to the Stilton at Neals Yard as it has more character. And Devon blue is interesting as well. I tasted a blue cheese from Oregon that day as well. It had a rind cured in pear brandy. It was delicious.

The proprietor tells me that the world center of artisanal cheese production will move to the USA in the next five years. It seems there are many young people who have taken up the trade, learned from the Europeans and are setting out to blaze their own trails "supported by, but not restricted by tradition or traditional methods." I think this idea can apply to other pursuits as well.

Cheers

[davidhuh]

Yes, the photo was taken at Neal's Yard the day I was there. I prefer the Stilchington to the Stilton at Neals Yard as it has more character.

Dear Michael,

I see we go to the same cheese stores when in London . Will try your Stilchington next week.

The proprietor tells me that the world center of artisanal cheese production will move to the USA in the next five years. It seems there are many young people who have taken up the trade,

Hm, some doubts here. While it is true that many young people went into cheese making in the U.S., I have doubts about the impact in the long run. Exporting raw milk cheese to the U. S. is a nightmare or next to impossible, due to crazy food safety regulations. Without the latter changing, I don't see how it would happen.

cheers, David

[Milo]

OK no more stories for a week. I promise..

Promettre c'est noble, tenir c'est bourgeois...

Presidential version (Jacques Chirac): Les promesses n'engagent que celui qui y croit

[Costi]

OK no more stories for a week. I promise..

Promettre c'est noble, tenir c'est bourgeois...

Presidential version (Jacques Chirac): Les promesses n'engagent que celui qui y croit

Pas tres noble...

[alden]

Pas tres noble...

Mais tres efficace

[alden]

Exporting raw milk cheese to the U. S. is a nightmare or next to impossible, due to crazy food safety regulations. Without the latter changing, I don't see how it would happen.

David

They are making raw milk cheese in the US. Bravo!

Cheers

PS We are a bit off topic, tweed and cheese, or are we?

[davidhuh]

They are making raw milk cheese in the US. Bravo!

That's indeed surprising - I have to inquire again

PS We are a bit off topic, tweed and cheese, or are we?

Let's talk tweese then - but it certainly makes a lot of sense to mix the two in this thread. If I take pictures in tweed, I'm sure you want me to say "cheese" rather than "tweed"

[old henry]

I get milk straight from the cow on my friends farm in Cazenovia NY.
In mason jars I mean. I dont lay under the cow.
It is so thick and creamy and sweet. You can just feel it nourishing your body.
They make fantastic cheese too. And organic grain breakfast cereal.

[couch]

They are making raw milk cheese in the US. Bravo!

That's indeed surprising - I have to inquire again

David, have a look here.

[davidhuh]

They are making raw milk cheese in the US. Bravo!

That's indeed surprising - I have to inquire again

David, have a look here.

Thank you Couch, impressive production indeed. My information about raw milk cheese being a no go for exports to the U. S. comes from Swiss cheese makers. It might be outdated, I will inquire. The issue could be different standards for what is being sold at small farmers markets and what goes into larger distribution.

cheers, David

[Kayak81]

Raw milk cheeses can be imported into the U.S. provided they have been aged at least 60 days at a temperature above 35 F. In general, softer cheeses that aren't aged long, like Brie, aren't allowed, but harder aged cheeses, like Gruyere or Cheddar, are fine. I believe that Reblochon is normally aged 56 days, but some producers age it an extra 4 days to allow it to be exported to the U.S. That being said, I have occasionally seen raw milk Brie sold at various fromageries in the U.S., but the owners would never tell me how they got it.

Within the U.S., Federal law prohibits the transport of raw milk (and I assume raw milk cheeses) across state lines. Each state has different regulations regarding raw milk produced and sold within the state, but most don't allow it. In CT where I live, raw milk is allowed, but the state health dept. doesn't like it and constantly inspects the few raw milk producers that are left. The good news for CT consumers is that any raw milk products they buy are almost certainly safe and of high quality.

[davidhuh]

Thank you Kayak, this is helpful

cheers, david

[hectorm]

The proprietor tells me that the world center of artisanal cheese production will move to the USA in the next five years. It seems there are many young people who have taken up the trade,

While it is true that many young people went into cheese making in the U.S., I have doubts about the impact in the long run. Exporting raw milk cheese to the U. S. is a nightmare or next to impossible, due to crazy food safety regulations. Without the latter changing, I don't see how it would happen.

David, wouldn´t it be the opposite?
Wouldn´t the difficulty (or impossibility) of exporting raw milk cheese to the U.S. encourage its production in America? That´s one of the principles of industrial development policies (protectionism).

Raw milk cheeses can be imported into the U.S. provided they have been aged at least 60 days at a temperature above 35 F. I believe that Reblochon is normally aged 56 days, but some producers age it an extra 4 days to allow it to be exported to the U.S.

OK. That did it for me. How can they dare to age my Reblochon for 4 extra days? No wonder I´ve been noticing those crustier rinds and the cream was not spreading on my toast as fluidly as usual. Enough is enough, I´m switching from French Savoyard to American Velveeta in my tartiflette.

[Merc]

The FDA takes a particularly hard line on raw milk cheese due to the presence of listeria
real Epoisses for instance, from burgundy, is listeria prone
and to be fair to the FDA there are real listeria outbreaks in france from epoisses

of course there are also listeria outbreak from crappy american deli meat too

which is why they always tell pregnant women, dont eat raw mil kcheese, and dont eat deli meat, particularly because
even if they cold cuts you buy are fine, deli slicers are effective spreaders of liSteria