Cheese: Shushan Snow, Gottino, Cheesy News, Cheesy Reader, The Battle of the Fromage

"Life is nothing, if you’re not obsessed."

- John Waters

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Something Stinky This Way Comes:  Shushan Snow from 3-Corner Field Farm

It’s like a Brie or Camembert but with a twist!  Think slightly tangy buttery richness.  This is a sheep’s milk cheese that gets better the longer you let it sit on the counter.   I mean just look at this thing, oozing goodness all over the place. It’s made in small batches with lots of care from the folks up at 3-Corner Field Farm in the Hudson Valley.  How can you get your hands on some?  Stop by their stand at the Union Square Market or order it directly from their web site.  3-Corner Field Farm:  www.dairysheepfarm.com

A Glass of Wine, A Piece of Cheese and Thou: Gottino

 It’s raining, it’s cold.  You just want a glass of wine and a little something to take the edge off of the dreary day, sans attitude and scene. Gottino fits the bill with that and more - a wine bar with a dead-serious chef at the helm so the small plates pack a creative favor punch.   Think cozy Italian farmhouse that stops short of being too precious and instead settles into a warm and sophisticated tasty zone. 

 And oh boy, the cheese.  If it’s on the menu when you’re there, try Quadrello di Bufala (a washed-rind cheese made with buffalo milk) paired with a little taste of wild honey or funky but amazing Nettle Meadow Kunik (a bloomy rind mix of goat and Jersey cow milk) paired with black cherries.

You can take your mother there, you can take your lover there.  You can even spend an afternoon there on your own and be perfectly content. I recommend all three, with a side of formaggio.

52 Greenwich Avenue between Perry St. & Charles St. (Greenwich Village); 212.633.2590; www.ilovegottino.com  

Cheese News: Murray’s Cheese Moves to the Mainland

The New York Times reported last week that Murray’s Cheese, the New York City cheese institution, will be opening 50 mini-shops within Kroger Supermarkets around the country.  Why this is good: if it’s going to be set up like I think it will be set up, taste buds around the nation are about to be treated to fromage of all stripes, fresh as can be and sliced to order.  Why this is bad: word in cheese circles has it that Murray’s is getting a little too big, trying to have exclusivity over some of the smaller cheese producers which makes it hard for the little cheese shop in your neighborhood to get in on the action.  Which sort-of makes Murray’s the Walmart of cheese.  Good cheese, but still.  I love you Murray’s, but there really isn’t enough cheese to go around, so save some room for the little guy. 

Cheesy Reader:  Culture Magazine

There’s a fantastic new glossy to be found on newsstands and in cheese shops around town, “Culture Magazine”, which is devoted exclusively to cheese eaters.  Get the word on what’s hot in the world of fromage, tips on the cheese plate, cheesy movers & shakers, as well as a centerfold to hang over your bed and drool over. www.culturecheesemag.com

And Finally, Some Cheesy Fun:  Iron Chef America Battle of the Fromage