Explore a world of cheeses with Cheese Traveler, Trevor Thomas, CCP
Cooking, Pairing, Education
Hello Cheese Enthusiast!
Okay, this story could have been easily written in the Spring, but when I happened to visit my local cheese counter at Nugget Market and saw they had a beautiful display of cheeses that were covered in edible flowers, I just knew that I had found my inspiration for this week’s post.
Read MoreOh what a year it’s been!...I started this cheese blog 1 year ago (54 weeks ago) and since then, I have flown dozens of flights, traveled to 16 different states (not including Canada), and have written about 100 of my favorite cheeses (truth is…they all might be my favorite!)
I don’t think anyone could have predicted how 2020 was going to have turned out…and try as they might, I do not think anyone will be able to predict where this is all heading and if (and when) we will ever return to normal…whatever normal will look like.
Read MoreHello Cheese Enthusiast!
Love…It starts with the perfect pairing!...and nothing loves cheese more than honey…except maybe wine, but that is a story for another day.
I work in the cheese industry and I can tell you from firsthand experience that people are always asking about the perfect cheese pairing, what item to pair with what cheese, what things don’t go together, the list could go on and on.
Read MoreHello Cheese Enthusiast!
This week’s entry is/was part of a cheese and wine event that I was supposed to teach in the Spring.
The plan was to talk about five different cheeses and how the cheesemaker used nature to overcome the problem at hand.
Let me better explain by using an example from my fellow ACS CCP, Reed Pattison – “One can complement nature, or contrast it…Take the example of a river…One could simply build a bridge over it and complement it, or contrast it by diverting the river to another area”. The more I thought about it, he was totally right and I was reminded of the stories of my grandfather and great grandfather who worked on the construction of the Hoover Dam. These 21,000 man had to stop the flow of the mighty Colorado River and divert the water into diversion tunnels, all before the construction of the dam could begin. That is a contrast!
Read MoreHello Cheese Enthusiast!
As I am entering my third month of no travel, I find that while I may not be able to get on a plane, my mind is free to travel at will…no TSA, no lines, no tickets needed, I just close my eyes and settle in to ‘first class’, as my mind circles the globe….Join me!...I saved you a seat!
Nine years ago, I had the pleasure of traveling to Switzerland for ten glorious days.
Read MoreHello Fellow (soon to be?) Travelers!
As a Californian, our “Stay-at-Home” orders were declared on March 19th by our County, and by our Governor.
On April 28th, our County announced that it would be letting these orders expire on April 30th. So what does this mean?...Do I still need a mask to go to the store?...Can I enjoy a sit down dinner at my local family restaurant?...and more importantly, can small businesses across the State (and Country) open back up?... I have dear friends that are so deeply impacted by these closures, and I pray that they are able to hold on until America can safely come out of hibernation from The Great Pause.
Read MoreHello Fellow Cheese Lovers!
This is one cheese that I have been wanting to write about for the longest time…It is the story of a cheese that could have been found in my first cheese counter, but I only fell in love with this cheese once we started selling Girolle® units and could truly taste this cheese the way that it was meant to be enjoyed (more on that later).
If this cheese is new to you, this raw cow’s milk cheese was developed in a monastery in Switzerland in the 1100’s. These little 1.5 lb. to 2 lb. drums have a washed rind and have been lovingly aged on Spruce boards from 75 to 180 days.
Read MoreAfter last week’s post, I could not stop thinking (and reading) about the current state of the dairy market. It got me thinking about this majestic animal that can be found (and utilized) on nearly every continent on the planet. Some for dairy, some for meat, or sometimes as a draught animal.
So, for inspiration for this week’s post, I simply turned to my camera roll and scrolled through the 1000’s of photos until I was reminded of this one from 2016.
Read MoreHello Fellow Non-Travelers!
As I am entering my fourth week of “Shelter in Place”, I am reading around the country as both dairies and cheesemakers alike are struggling. Unlike a manufacturing plant or a small business, dairies do not have the ability of just “stopping” the milk from flowing. Dairy cows can produce up to 20 quarts of milk per day and they need to be milked. Many of these dairies are in contracts with cheesemakers, so again, it is hard to stop this locomotive, especially when you understand that this situation could turn around quickly and that the demand could then outweigh the supply. Not an easy (nor quick) fix.
So both dairies and cheesemakers need your support!
Read MoreHello Fellow Cheese Travelers!
Many people across the country are finding themselves homebound this week. A great time to finish some projects, cook, catch up with family and friends, and of course, pick up a good book.
This week’s reading selection has been on my “TO READ” list for some time: Cheddar: A Journey to the Heart of America’s Most Iconic Cheese by cheesemonger extraordinaire, Gordon Edgar. I had read his book Cheesemonger: A Life on the Wedge years before and thoroughly enjoyed it, so I knew this book would be a great read.
Read MoreHello Fellow Cheese Travelers!
In looking for inspiration for this week’s post, I looked no further that my note book and my photo files…page after page of hundreds of cheeses that I have enjoyed across the country and the thousands of photos that accompany them.
This story was meant to be told closer to last Christmas, but just like many people, I was swept up in shopping, family dinners, etc. and this story sat patiently upon my desk, waiting until I dedicated the time to sit and tell such an important story.
Read MoreHello Fellow Travelers!
I often am asked what my favorite cheese is…a difficult question to answer, but not impossible. I would have to answer by saying the classic French Bleu cheeses…Roquefort, Fourme de Montbrison, Bleu de Gex, Bleu des Causses, Saint Agur, just to name a few. Of all of these French Bleus, my current favorites are from the region of Auvergne-Rhone Alps…..
Read MoreHello Fellow Travelers!
Truffle Turophobia?? (Fear of Truffle Cheese?)…Not in this household!!...But what I have learned about Truffles is that people either love them, or hate them with little middle ground if any.
I had been considering writing a blog post on Truffles for some time, but as soon as the most recent issue of Sacramento Magazine showed up in my mailbox, I just knew that the time was now to write the story.
Read MoreHello Fellow Travelers!
Ah, my online subscriptions…just like little Christmas presents! I can always count on two or three coming in every month that will peak my interest…
Image courtesy of Vinepair
A few weeks ago, one of these popped into my inbox from Vinepair. The article was on “A Guide to Cheese Knives” which was a good article and helps the average reader understand the proper tool for a selected cheese. But just like pairing wine and cheese, you can always choose any knife (or wine) you want…you just may not get the best results…or, you may understand why one is better than another. This article got me to thinking about my own collection of cheese knives and serving tools. So, I thought that I would share just some of my collection, and discuss some of the more interesting ones…
Read MoreHello fellow travelers!
Reading over my previous posts, I noticed one that I wanted to tell…”The Rest of the Story”
My post of 8.26.19 told the story of two authors that had an impact on my life in the cheese industry. I never had the chance to meet either one of them, but their impact was significant enough to redirect my life on a new course.
But there have also been those in the cheese industry that I have known, and their words, actions, and influence still inspire me.
Read MoreHello Fellow Travelers!
I am aboard my flight heading home from a team building meeting in Chicago…The *IDDBA cheese merchandising team came to Chicago to gain inspiration from the sights, smells, tastes and sounds of one of America’s great food cities!
Don’t worry, we won’t get in to the classic debate over which style of pizza is best (I will save that for a later post J
Our team ended their day by having dinner at Time Out Market, “a 50,000 square foot industrial hub for chef-driven eats & cocktails with communal seating and a rooftop deck that opened in 2019”.
Read MoreHello Fellow Travelers!
Ah, February…the month that seems to be dedicated to love!
In this last week’s travel, I found myself in San Francisco surrounded by my cheese friends and family at the Fancy Food Show. While walking the aisles looking at display after display of cheese, I noticed a cheese that is not well known in the United States, but it should be, as it is quite unique and delicious.
When one hears of the term, “Neufchatel Cheese” here in the States, they most likely think of Neufchatel that is sold in “bricks” found in Cream Cheese section of your local supermarket….this could not be further from FrenchNeufchâtel Cheese which is produced in Normandy, France…
Read MoreHello Fellow Travelers!
Tokyo, Japan may be the home of the 2020 Summer Olympics, but another “Olympic-Worthy” competition took place on January 19th that I need to tell you about. If you were to quickly look at the trophy pictured here, you might guess that it was for a blue-ribbon steer at the local county fair, but you would have guessed wrong…
Read MoreHello Fellow Travelers!
This week’s title is a slight play on words….No, it’s not a movie review of the classic 1967 British film starring Sidney Poitier and singer Lulu, but it’s about another European classic (cheese) that you may not have heard of…Paški Sir
If you know me well, you will know how passionate I am about cheese, and especially the protected cheeses of Europe and Switzerland…That’s why I wanted to dedicate today’s post to the newest protected cheese you may have never heard of…
Read MoreHello Fellow Travelers!
If you noticed like many, the six months leading up to the holidays were completely overrun with social media posts about cheeseboards, building cheeseboards, and using the word “Charcuterie” in as many sentences, headings, and posts as they could…Let me tell you, this will not be one of those blog posts!! Oh sure, I love seeing how creative people can be with designing beautiful displays with cheeses and meats, although many are not practical.
About six weeks ago, I was approached by a retailer that wanted to work with me to create a presentation on building a cheeseboard…
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