Pontification + New Items in the Shop to Know About

Your humble cheese hunter is headed off to New Zealand next week and I wanted to leave you with a few idea of what you should be buying while I'm away. A little presumptuous, perhaps, but we all know that desperate times call for desperate measures. What most of us knew has been officially called: we're in a recession. As the runner of a small business (even though I don't own this business I treat it like my own personal lemonade stand) I obviously pay close attention to what is happening in the greater economic world.

And so I've been giving the whole recession thing a lot of thought. Usually I am a realist to a pessimist in nature, but I've been surprisingly optimistic in my musings about what a recession might mean for our cheese business. We're an old/new business which is kind of the "X" factor. I'm not quite sure if we're embedded in enough folks routines yet.

However, I (totally unbiased) love the products we sell. We have some items here that you can't find anywhere else in Minneapolis or Saint Paul. Even in rough economic times folks still want to treat themselves and I think what we sell at our shop is a nice alternative to the more expensive option of eating out. So I am looking at the recession as opportunity. This is our chance to really wow folks with the items we sell.

Can folks live without raw milk cheese from a small farm in some place they've never even heard of? Sure. But I know that if given a chance we can really put together some amazing assortments of cheese, meat, chocolates, and other fun foodie items that will tantalize your taste buds (I just through that cliche in to see if you were still paying attention. What in gods name does that mean anyway? I've never actually had my taste buds tantalized, have you?).

Are you ready to be amazed? Impressed? Tempted? Tantalized? Confused? Perhaps maybe a little of all of the above?

Bramblewood Shortbread and Caramels

Amy is a local resident who started making shortbread based on her Nana's recipe. She's been selling them at a few places around town and we're really pleased to be offering them here at France 44. These are delicious shortbread and they come in some interesting flavor combinations. All natural ingredients and produced right here in Minnesota. Oh, and her caramels are some of the best I've tried.

Condimela Apple Cider Vinegar

I never used to be excited about vinegar before starting this job. Now it seems like there is always some new, cool vinegar that I just have to try. Case in point is this Italian apple cider vinegar. This product bares zero resemblance to the 99 cent cider vinegar you may be familiar with. First of all, it actually tastes like apples. Second, it isn't a real astringent vinegar flavor. It's actually mellow enough to mix with a little water and have as a refreshing beverage.

Madagascar Chocolate Sampler

Not technically a new item, but this is our chocolate greatest hits collection. Not to be confused with the Whitman's Sampler, these are 4 single-origin bars from bean-to-bar chocolate makers. It features a bar from Rogue Chocolatier, Amano, Patric, and Michel Cluizel. We've packaged them all pretty like for you and we've even taken 15% off the regular price. Find out which is your favorite.

Making the Cheese World a Better Place

This is a follow up to my last post about cheese abuse. It turns out that Rick, the Grand Poobah around here, found a great article which makes the case for dedicated cheese shops as being the best (nay, only) place to purchase your cheese. Of course I am biased because I run a cheese shop, but you read the article and decide for yourself.

As far as I know there are really only 4 shops where you can purchase cut to order cheese in the twin cities. It seems to me that's a pretty good number for an area our size, but it still seems that most folks are doing their cheese shopping at the supermarket. Not all of the grocery stores here do a terrible job with their selection or even with their cheese care-taking. Still, I'd rather frequent one of the cut-to-order places in town.

In fact I don't really view my fellow cheese purveyors as competition. Maybe I'm naive, but I think the more folks selling cut-to-order cheese the better. How many people had heard of a latte before there were Starbucks everywhere? As customers continue to have positive experiences in independent cheese shops they'll truly appreciate the difference a specialty shop makes.

Cheese Abuse

I can't believe it's gone so far into my blogging experience to go on a diatribe. I'm often in favor of a good polemic now and then. It's good for the soul.

I witnessed some cheese abuse yesterday and it made me mad. I was at an upscale grocery store yesterday and I was checking out their cheese selection. I'm always curious to see what other guys around town are selling (I will omit the name as to not start up any controversy). In this store's cheese case was one of the more delicious, yet fragile, cheeses. The Jasper Hill Constant Bliss. And this poor little round of cheese was wrapped tightly in plastic.

Now I'm not going to say that I've never mistreated a piece of cheese. Because who hasn't? What bothered me is that their basic means of protecting the cheese was entirely wrong. That cheese should not be wrapped in plastic. It needs to breath and that is why Jasper Hill often provides breathable cheese paper for this cheese. Jasper Hill even says on their website that Constant Bliss "is a 'sell it or smell it' item for retailers."

Why does this make me mad? A couple of reasons.

1. Because someone is going to buy that cheese and not think it is the most delicious cheese they have ever tasted. In fact they're going to think it is dry and unimpressive. This, of course, is not the case. Constant Bliss is a luscious, earthy cheese with an incredible texture.
2. The customer is going to be upset that they paid good money for "fancy cheese" and it wasn't all that great. That's bad for the cheesemaker and that's bad for me as a retailer. It is my job to encourage customers to try new cheeses and to support small farms. They're less likely to do so if they have a bad experience.

Like I stated before, I'm not always a perfect steward of cheese. But we try very hard here to take the best care of our cheese possible. And we also strive to sell cheese in great condition. I am not such a big fan of the pre-cut cheese anyhow, but that's another story for whole other blog post. In the meantime, if you're in front of a cheese case, make sure you know the quality of the product you're buying.

My 15 seconds of Fame

So last Friday WCCO TV came down to the cheese shop to film a segment they call The Big Question. All I will say about it is that they were as nice as could be, were totally interested in cheese (even bought some), and were very kind to me in the editing of the segment.

In all its glory:

http://www.wcco.com/video/?id=48751@wcco.dayport.com

The Kunik is coming

I think I'm kind of like a cheese bounty hunter. In fact when we print my next set of business cards I think I'm going to change my title from Cheesemonger (so over done) to "Cheese Hunter". What images pop into your mind when you see the title Cheesemonger? Boring ones, I'd bet. But if I were to say "Yeah, I'm a cheese hunter" you'd probably be at least somewhat intrigued if not perhaps a little concerned. Maybe you'd imagine me crawling on my stomach across a dusty barn floor as I sneak up on an unsuspecting wheel of cheese. I'd pounce and throw a net of cheesecloth over the cheese and drag my vanquished quarry back to the shop. As cool as my title cheese hunter would be it is nothing in comparison to one of my college mentors, Alvin Greenberg, whose business card simply stated: "Alvin Greenberg, Writer". Maybe I'm trying too hard?

My latest catch is the Nettle Meadow Kunik which is a glorious cheese from back east. Nettle Meado is owned and operated by Lorraine Lambaise and Sheila Flanagan and you can read all about their farm at their website. Kunik is one of those cheeses that I have been trying to sell at the shop since we've opened. It is one of my absolute favorite mold-ripened cheeses. It's creamy and decadent, as well as being full-flavored.

Just one more side note about this cheese. One of the cheesemakers, Sheila Flanagan, is an alumnus of Macalester College, the very same college that shaped me into the cheese hunter I am today. Add to this that we are expecting cheese plates and cheese journals from local Macalester alumni-artists and I'd say that the little school across the river is doing well producing cheese related professionals. Take that Kofi Annan!

Cheese and the Presidential Election

The 'ole F44 cheese shop received a little bit of press in today's mspmag foodie file. A nicely written piece (in this cheesemonger's humble opinion) that really helped to put cheese in proper perspective. Let's face it, cheese is probably just about the most important thing on the planet. It might even be more important than this election thing happening.

Of course we all know that there are two sacred conversation topics that should not be broached amongst strangers: religion and politics. I, like many of you, am an intensely political sort and I often find it hard--especially in the midst of a hotly contested race--not to strike up the occasional controversial conversation.

I, however, able to keep partisan politics out of my cheese shop. I imagine somehow that the respective campaigns could figure out a way to make cheese a political topic. "You want to raise taxes on Brie eaters!" they'd cry. "Under my administration there'd be universal blue cheese coverage!" Oh, I don't know for sure but it'd probably sound something like that. What exactly is universal blue cheese coverage?

My thought is that we should celebrate the election with cheese. Sometimes these things are so darn serious.
So I give you:

The Presidential Election Cheese Sale

From now until the election I am going to have 3 cheeses on sale (you have to mention the promotion to get the discount). Each represents a point of view in the election.

First there is the independent point of view. This will be represented by our fantastic Swiss Gruyere. Gruyere doesn't pick sides, it stays neutral. It is a great cheese for pretty much any time.

Next, there is the McCain cheese. I don't know of any cheesemakers in Arizona so that connection was straight out. However, McCain's nickname is the Maverick and so he will be represented by Rogue Creamery Smokey Blue. Rogue Smokey blue really is a maverick as it is the only smoked blue cheese and it is creamy with a great smokey kick.

Lastly, there is the Obama cheese. Lazy Lady farm in Vermont has already coined a cheese Barick Obama. We do occasionally find ourselves with some Lazy Lady cheese, but have not been able to obtain this one. Instead we will represent Sentaor Obama with the Oakvale Young Gouda. They didn't name their cheese Oakvale Inexperienced Gouda so please to not read anything into this selection.

There you have it. Oh, and you get bonus point if you saddle up to the cheese counter and pronounce:

"Give me a quarter pound of McCain, and just a little under a half poud of Obama."