Beer & Cheese Pairings for Your Holiday Table
December 21, 2012 - 5:09pm | by AmyCross-posted from my blog Paul and Amy on Beer
Last week my partner in crime, Paul, and I had a tree trimming party. To keep our party-goers sated, we wanted to offer up not just a selection of beers, but also a cheese plate that would complement our beverages. We experimented a bit and now we're happy to share the results of our incredibly hard work. These are our four favorite beer and cheese pairings; feel free to use them at your own holiday table this year:
Holidale 2012
by Berkshire Brewing Co.
Barleywine Style Ale - 9.5% ABV - South Deerfield, MA
Distant Cheeses, Local Farmers: A Story of Cheese
December 21, 2012 - 12:41pm | by molly
In this blog series our intrepid intern Molly will find and interview American cheesemakers attempting to re-create traditional European cheeses. Learn about the difficulties as well as the benefits of this type of cheese making, as well as how terroir and the idea of a cheese tied to a location so distant changes when that cheese is made in a new location. Also, each week you’ll have a chance to win an issue of culture: the word on cheese. Read on to learn more!
Cheese and mistletoe?
December 21, 2012 - 10:08am | by Lassa
There hasn't been a Christmas yet when I haven't eaten far more than my fair share of cheese. Even when working the cheese counter right up to the moment and sleeping far too late on Christmas Day, then getting back behind the counter the day after...I am still eager for cheese itself on December 25th. Why? Because I love it. It's my favorite food. And working day in & day out with it doesn't make that go away. Strange, but true.
And I am asked repeatedly what that 'must have' cheese is, the cheese that I can't resist eating even when my partner has wandered under the mistletoe and is waiting, patiently but very clearly, for a passionate kiss. What is it that I'll still need to pop in my mouth regardless of breath and residue? Well...
It's got to be oozy and semi-fluid. Must be full-flavored and not overly buttery. Nothing but sheer cheesy goodness with a hint of yeast, nuts, meat. Something that is bulging out of its rind and literally showing off its glorious innards.
Game of Thrones in Beer
December 19, 2012 - 2:21pm | by stephanie
The kraken slithers in its watery realm and the dire wolf scents the air...yes, indeedy, HBOs new season of Game of Thrones is amassing its vast marketing army for full scale invasion in Spring. Of course I started it with my garden picks for the characters (ok, that's a lie. HBO probably came up with merchandising ideas on their own...) and now HBO has (reportedly) tapped Ommegang to produce Iron Throne Blond Ale to coincide with the start of season 3.
GoT Geek digression...while various reporters seem to think the beer is a clear reference to Joffrey, I think it could just as easily be Cercei, or even Tommen.
Favorite Books of 2012
December 18, 2012 - 1:33pm | by elaine
This past year was a good one for cheese literacy. Publishers released a terrific new lineup of books for us enquiring cheese minds, each one an engaging way to tap into the wonders of the dairy world.
They range from easy guides for the novice who wants to advance their basic cheese understanding, to page-turners that bring the reader behind the scenes at creameries and farmsteads around the world. Other new publications serve as a virtual cheese school, detailing how to make a wide variety of simple or sophisticated styles of cheese at home. We all had our favorites among these literary debutants of 2012, including:
5 Great Recipes of 2012 from an Occasional Cook
December 18, 2012 - 1:00am | by rebeccahp
Crab-Stuffed Jalapeños
Photo by André BaranowskiCulture's Top Video Picks of 2012
December 11, 2012 - 4:46pm | by AmyWe have a lot of fun here at culture searching the web for interesting and funny videos to share on our social media and blog. I mean, who doesn't want to see frolicking goats, dancing farmers, or robots who work with cheese when taking a brief intermission from their rigorous work day. As a wrap-up of 2012, we wanted to share our 12 favorite videos from the past year.
Animal Videos:
Henri 2, Paw de Deux
The existential musings of a French cat
The Cheese Competition Game
December 10, 2012 - 6:05pm | by kate
If one needed any proof, the recent—and very well-deserved—success of American cheeses at the World Cheese Awards competition in Birmingham, UK, bears testament to the meteoric rise of artisanal cheesemaking in the United States over recent years.
The last two decades have seen a remarkable rise both in the number of people embarking on a career in cheesemaking as well as the number of cheeses produced. This fact is borne out in the crucibles of various cheese competitions with huge increases in the number of entries submitted each year. Not only that, but the quality and consistency of the cheeses is constantly improving too.
Best of the Blog (Surprising Cheese Moments of 2012)
December 9, 2012 - 8:03pm | by wfertmanAs the year winds down and the best-of lists start flying, I'd be remiss not to single out some of the best, blog-est and most interesting cheese stuff we've encountered on the blog in 2012:
My inner anarchist delighted in cheese-smuggling Canadian cops who confirmed that the siren song of cheese crime corrupts even (or especially) the law.
12 Best Cookbooks of 2012
December 7, 2012 - 7:13pm | by Amy
If you're looking for holiday gift ideas, look no further. These 12 cookbooks are top picks of the folks here at culture and will take care of everyone from the kitchen newby to the culinary artest on your gift list.
the smitten kitchen cookbook
by Deb Perelman
Anyone who has ever checked out the culture website knows what huge fans we are here of smitten kitchen. In her first cookbook, Deb takes the delicious recipes and gorgeous food photography we've come to love at smitten kitchen and brings it to our kitchens with almost 100 new recipes. Not sold? I have 1 recipe title that will change your mind: baked ranchero eggs with blistered jack cheese and lime creme. Heck yeah.
