4 unique ways to celebrate National Cheese Lovers Day
Cheese can be classified by a number of things, including age, texture, rind, milk and region of origin. By some estimates, there are more than 1,800 different kinds. Which means there’s a near-infinite number of ways in which to enjoy them.
Rather than put up a row of grilled cheese sandwiches, I thought I’d ask an expert how she might enjoy both the typical and atypical varieties. Fortunately, at La Femme du Fromage, inside Orlando’s East End Market, you can find atypical varieties of cheese that until now you thought were strictly run-ofthe-mill.
And if you want, she’ll stuff them into some killer French toast and serve them to you.
“I appreciate French toast in many ways,” says Tonda Corrente, La Femme herself. And in this Cheese Lover’s Day special, she rides the balance between sweet and savory with not one unique cheese but two.
Inside the brioche, a mild, young Cheddar from Wisconsin
— sweet and nutty — compliments the sweetness of Gewürztraminer-poached pears. Atop the decadence, a honey-lavender fromage blanc from New York serves as a creamy alternative to that familiar dollop of whipped cream.
“Deer Creek Cheese is known for some great Cheddars,” says Corrente. “The art on the packaging
is done by the cheesemaker’s daughter and features beautiful pictures of animals: Blue Jay, Robin, Rattlesnake … “
For this recipe, she chose The Fawn ($25 per pound).
“It’s bandage-wrapped and only about 90-days aged,” Corrente explains. “Really young. Not super sharp. Sweet and nutty. Absolutely stunning.”
Bandage-wrapped cheese — a technique wherein molds are lined with cheesecloth before the curds are poured and pressed — “allows for a different microbial energy,” she says. “You get a different level of complexity. It really stands out.”
The Deer Creek’s mildness is an ideal Cheddar for a family meal like French toast, in particular for kids to enjoy, “because it’s not super sharp and won’t contrast with any of the flavors,” she says. “It leaves a perfect palette for you to add pears as we will but also apples, bananas, blueberries. … It’s also great for grilled cheese, quiche or just a snack.”
For true cheese lovers, there’s never too much, so to top the dish, Corrente adds a second cheese — this one a creamy, spreadable offering that won’t take its sweetness over the top.
“The Honey-Lavender Fromage Blanc [$12 per [inlinenote]/5-ounce container] comes from Nettle Meadow Dairy Farm in New York, and it sort of fits in that mascarpone space,” Corrente says. “It’s a goat milk cheese, unsalted, and with that honey-lavender flavor is such a great variation on whipped cream.”
Other ideas for inclusion in such a dish? Corrente suggests toasted walnuts or candied pecans.
“Heck, just throw bacon in the middle of it,” she chirps, noting that one could make the French toast layer by layer, “or just go Monte Cristo-style and do the whole thing at once.”
And if you just want the cheese, sans toast? Each has myriad applications. For the cheddar, Corrente’s suggestions range from quiche to biscuits and baking atop an apple pie. For the fromage blanc: “You could use it like cream cheese on some good blueberry bagels or chop in your favorite fresh herbs,” she says.
Grab up the special ($13) at La Femme du Fromage Jan. 21-24, while supplies last. Or just pick up the cheeses (and perhaps some fresh bread at Olde Hearth bread while you’re there) and try your hand at something custom at home.
If you go: La Femme du