I had always admired how the French were able to create a meal out of a little bit of cheese, a loaf of bread, and a carafe of table wine. So simple, yet so elegant.

So I recreated the vibe at my winter cocktail party, and what should have been a chic affair turned into a cheese-for-all! 

At one point my tiny kitchen had more than twelve people standing around, all angling to try the different offerings presented on my solid wood carving board, and taking turns slicing up the long lanky French baguette.

Since I was serving Champagne, I just had to have a couple of creamy cheeses, both of which were triple cream, the St. Angel, and the Cremeux de Bourgogne. 

Murray’s Cheese shop in the West Village of Manhattan had the most delightful sign up on display for the Burgundy version: “The sweet milky and mild interior is fluffy in its mouth, but quickly unravels into silky crème fraiche texture under the work of the bloomy, white mold rind.” 

I personally do not relish the rind, as I believe the taste is too powerful and detracts from the subtle flavours of the cheese itself, however, upon reading this description I later was eagerly flattening and spreading the rind along with the creamy inside thick onto my dainty little slices of bread and sharing little bits of angelic heaven with my good friends.

I then moved towards the medium soft and salty standard, the French Raclette, as well as the Italian softie, Taleggio. Encouraged by the very helpful and patient barman at the shop, I took his suggestion and added Brebirousse d’Argental, something I had never tried before. 

After being put out in room temperature for quite some time, both the Taleggio and the Brebirousse (French for “red sheep”) gained a pudding texture, and while not triple creams themselves, become very very smearable on the little pieces of French baguette.

Both of these cheeses elicited little gasps from my guests who truly seemed to be pleased, and eagerly asked the names of the cheeses they were enjoying.

So which cheese is the “Chairman of the Board”? Hands down it was the Red Sheep, the Brebirousse. Luscious and silky, with a pungency that did not overpower, it disappeared in a matter of minutes. It was also perfectly suited for a party in a small Manhattan apartment, as the aroma was concentrated around your tongue and not your nostrils.

I just wish it stuck around a bit longer. It disappeared faster than the alcohol.

***

Just as I thought I was done at the counter at Murray's Cheese shop in Manhattan, I decided to add a half-pound of Calabresi Hot Salami to my order. 

I’ve now since learned that the trick to teasing out the paprika and peppers from this amazing Hot Salami is to have the meat sliced paper thin – this way the fattiness of salami is not overpowering and you truly get to enjoy the spices dancing at the tip of your tongue. 

And make sure they slice the salami and lay it out for you on wax paper, then roll it up to take home, old school style. This way any excess oil gets sucked up by the paper and leaves only the best for your mouth to enjoy. I’ve had this sliced into a plastic container before and trust me it is not the same.

Enjoy and good eating! Ciao!

MURRAY'S CHEESE

BLEECKER ST, NYC

HOURS

Daily, 9 am - 8 pm

ADDRESS

254 Bleecker St.

CONTACT

https://www.murrayscheese.com

ph: (212) 243-3289

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Murray's Cheese / Facebook