Month: January 2013
In the past, it’s been difficult to import the delicious cheeses made in the snowy reaches of Quebec, but Wisconsin’s Artisan Cheese Exchange is working facilitate a thaw and Zingerman’s is the beneficiary. The Deli recently took possession of a 90-pound wheel of the award-winning Louis d’Or cheese from Canada (one of just two to make it to the U.S.!) and the demand has been swift and appreciative, according to Deli cheese monger Chad Hayes.
Made by Fromagerie du Presbytere in Neuville, Quebec, Louis d’Or is a washed rind, organic, raw cow’s milk cheese with a smooth, consistently rich flavor. The cheese draws its name from the Louis d’Or farm, which produces the milk used to create it. Inspired by the expert cheese makers of France’s eastern Jura Region, Louis d’Or is a wonderful example of the mountain-style, which draws comparisons to the flavors and textures of the very best Comtes and Gruyeres.
The cheese began attracting attention in 2010, when it took three awards in Quebec’s notable Selection Caseus fine cheese competition. In 2011, it was voted Best in Show at the American Cheese Society Competition, and that same year Louis d’Or was named Grand Champion of the Canadian Cheese Grand Prix, taking awards in four other categories as well. This past year, the cheese again took three awards at Selection Caseus.
Louis d’Or has a light, golden color, and a soft, nuanced aroma. On the tongue, it begins with a subtle, creamy texture that soon evolves into a full, rich, and amazingly mellow flavor that lingers for a long time without shifting into a sharp note or aftertaste. I heard one the Deli’s guests describe it, as “lovely” and I would have to agree. This is probably one of the most delicious cheeses I’ve ever tasted.
Chad suggests that this cheese would be “very nice” used in a fondue, or lightly shaved and served over potatoes. But the rich flavor of Louis d’Or is also something to be savored on it’s own, or perhaps paired with a nice white wine. In any case, Fromagerie du Presbytere’s beautiful Louis d’Or is truly an exceptional cheese.
Due to the difficulties of importing, the Deli only has a limited amount of Louis d’Or. Don’t miss your chance to taste this wonderful cheese from our amis in Quebec!
Month: January 2013
I don’t know exactly how many new foods are sent our way from producers and distributors that would like us to carry their products. I probably should keep track, but for the moment lets say it’s a hundred a month, which would mean well over a 1000 a year. We taste them all, but bring in only a handful to sell. So, something has to be truly great if we’re going to make shelf space for it. Every once in a while, some- thing hits me in the best possible way. Hits me as in, I taste it and totally LOVE it right off the bat. Love at first bite, I guess you could say.
As you can probably guess from this rather long introduction, I found one of those foods this past fall. Old style, traditionally made, cane syrup made by Charles Pourier down in Lafayette, Louisiana. Charles’ production is so small that it’s only slightly bigger than what would be called home-made. He’s doing the entire thing on his farm: growing the cane, crushing it, cook- ing it down, and bottling it. And what he’s producing is truly one of the tastiest things I’ve tried in a long time!
While cane production and processing for syrup (and sugar) were once found all over the area, they’re now almost non- existent. As the local production has petered out over the last century or so, so too has all the infrastructure and community knowledge. Charles spent a good bit of time looking for someone to teach him how to make syrup. “About seven years ago I found an older gentleman named Harold just south of Baton Rouge. I was telling folks I was interested and someone gave me his number. He said I could come watch me while he made a batch. So I did.” Like so many people in the food world, Charles was driven by the desire to rediscover family tradition. “My great-grandfather in St. Martinville used to make syrup. He died in 1941. My father told me about [it], and how he made cane syrup before he passed away and so I’ve had it in my mind ever since.”
The yield is anything but high. “It takes about 15 gallons of juice,” Charles explained, “to make about a gallon of syrup. It takes me about 6 1⁄2 to 7 hours to cook it down. I cut all the cane by hand. I enjoy doing it. At first I was just making it and giving it to family and friends. But now, we’ve started to sell a bit of it.” Happily for us he has just enough to be able to sell a few dozen bottles. Supply is, of course, very limited.
For me, tasting Charles’ cane syrup is the complete opposite of eating the white sugar that’s so prevalent in our society. Try to imagine brown sugar, straight from the cane, in liquid form. I’m not a big sweet-eater but I’ve actually taken a few swigs straight out of the bottle. I could probably put together a whole cookbook of recipe ideas (maybe I will), but here are a few of my favorites. Try a touch of the cane syrup on sautéed sea scallops. It’s fantastic! It’s terrific on corncakes, pancakes, French toast, or donuts. It’s beautiful on biscuits, drizzled on roast duck, or on grilled pork chops. Try it on any of our great aged sheep cheeses, or in the stone ground Irish oatmeal we have at the Deli. I mixed some into a bottle of sparkling water and it was so good that I think I could drink it all day. In fact, I think it might be good on almost everything, now that I think about it! Beautiful stuff!
Month: January 2013
Take a trip around the Land of a Thousand Flavors in January and February and help support the work of Avalon Housing. Avalon’s mission is to develop and manage permanent affordable housing with support services for people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
Visit the Zingerman’s Deli, Roadhouse, Creamery, Bakehouse and Coffee Company in a 24-hour period, get this passport signed by a staff member at each stop, and we’ll donate $5 (per person) to Avalon Housing. Passports are available at any Zingerman’s location (on the back cover of our newsletter) or you can download it here. (As a bonus, completing the tour and turning in your passport also gets you entered into a monthly drawing for a $250 gift card!)
Avalon first opened its doors in 1992 as a nonprofit agency dedicated to providing affordable, supportive housing to our community’s most vulnerable residents. Providing this support helps tenants to achieve stability, and be part of a productive community. It also helps them to maintain housing in a safe and supportive environment. Avalon prioritizes serving the following populations:
- People with mental illness
- People with physical disabilities
- Survivors of domestic violence
- People with substance abuse disorders
- Homeless Veterans
- Homeless youth
- Chronically homeless
- individuals and families
Last year, Avalon maintained 280 Apartments in 25 Ann Arbor locations, serving 400 tenants and 75 Children.
Avalon believes:
– The most effective solution to ending homelessness is supportive housing.
– Safe, decent and affordable housing is a basic human right.
– Building community is essential to helping people achieve self-sufficiency.
Zingerman’s is a proud supporter of Avalon Housing and we hope that you’ll join in helping to make an end to homelessness in Ann Arbor. The health of our community is a responsibility we all share. Please help by embarking on the Tour de Food at Zingerman’s, and invite your friends! You may also make a direct donation to Avalon Housing. Find out more at www.AvalonHousing.org.
Month: January 2013
Download the January-February 2013 Newsletter (PDF)
Month: January 2013
During the month of January… BUY ANY TWO ZZANG! BARS, GET A THIRD FREE!
Our delicious candy is hand-made in small
batches. We make our candy to order
every day, so you receive the freshest candy possible!
The Original Zzang Bar. Still the most popular! Layers of caramel, peanut butter nougat and butter-roasted peanuts dressed up in dark chocolate.
“The ultimate handmade candy bar.” —Chocolatier magazine
The Cashew Cow. Freshly roasted cashews and cashew brittle with milk chocolate gianduja enrobed in dark chocolate.
“They remind me of the 1930s candy bars that were hand-made, slab-style with candy love.” —Beth Kimmerle, “History of Candy”
What The Fudge? Sweets for the sweet! Layers of fudge, caramel and malted milk cream fondant. The sweet-lovers dream.
“The best candy bar I’ve ever had in my life.” —Joe Schneider, internationally renowned cheesemaker and creator of Stichelton cheese
Wowza. Raspberry chocolate ganache, raspberry nougat and raspberry jellied candies.
“This is what a Snickers aspires to, but will never be.” —a Zingerman’s regular
Watch a video to see how Zzang Candy Bars are made here.