Young Zwickel beer, fresh from the maturation tank, or new ale Fresh cheeses, such as mascarpone or crème fraiche, curdled by acid, not microorganisms Smoky German rauchbier, some Scottish ales made with peated malt, smoke porters Smoked mozzarella, gouda and others aged over smoke or in a smoke house American originals Cream ale, steam beer... View Article
www.cheesesociety.org This trade association (ACS) has a good deal of useful information on its site, including a membership directory that lists not only cheesemakers, but specialty retailers as well. www.cheesemaking.com In case you need another hobby. Honest, the microwaved mozzarella is like a miracle! The Atlas of American Artisan Cheese, by Jeff Roberts. This is... View Article
Cheese offers the same kind of variety, subtlety, sense of terroir and sheer bliss of a great beer, so there’s no reason not to dive right in. As a beer lover, you are already more than halfway there. Here’s my thoughts for getting started.
Semi-Soft—These are the familiar cheeses, such as Colby and Jack that have little or no rind, and are not treated with bacteria or fungus. Pasta Filata—These are kneaded cheeses, like Mozzarella and Provolone. The fresher varieties tend to have simple, milky flavors. Wax-Dipped—This is the classic American method, in which cheeses are sealed in an... View Article
Beer and cheese have a lot on common. As Brooklyn Brewing’s brewmaster, Garrett Oliver, is fond of pointing out, cheese is grass processed by microbes in the cow’s stomach, and beer is grass processed by the brewer and the action of a microbe, yeast.
There are two places in the world where you can reasonably expect to get a damn fine bratwurst. One place is Germany. The other is Wisconsin. With its German heritage and die-hard football fans, Wisconsin is the natural place to find the world’s best tailgate bratwurst. In German, bratwurst simply means roast (brat) sausage (wurst).... View Article
Simple Winter Pork Sausage These are incredibly aromatic sausages that make your whole house or tailgate smell like porky holiday heaven. You can bang out a season’s worth of sausage in a couple hours. Spices here are heavy handed—reduce (or increase) to suit your own tastes. 10 pounds fresh pork butt (with a thick fat... View Article
Viktualienmarkt, Munich; www.viktualienmarkt-muenchen.de—I cried when I first saw Munich’s “victuals market,” for there were no more meat worlds left to conquer. The outdoor market is filled by butcher shops, food stalls, beer gardens and plenty of Bavarian specialties. Zeughauskeller, 28a Bahnhofstrasse, Zurich; www.zeughauskeller.ch—One of Europe’s great restaurants and sausage-specialists is found in the atmospheric setting... View Article
Anvers ham—Tender, dry-aged Flemish prosciutto, made from horse meat. Recommended beer: De Koninck. Cob-smoked bacon—A tradition in the farms and smokehouses of rural Vermont; pungent, sliced thick and often cured with maple syrup. Recommended beer: Otter Creek Stovepipe Porter. Landjaeger—Germany’s dried, smoked hunter’s sausage notably spiced with caraway; often called gendarme in French-speaking countries. Recommended... View Article
