Sweet Cheese Exhibit at the French Cheese Board
The French Cheese Board welcomed autumn with its latest Sweet Cheese exhibit. Guests were presented with a giant platter of cheese which included a variety of hard, soft, and blue cheeses. Bread, fruit, and other accompaniments were scattered all over for people to pair with the cheese and of course, wine was served. It was a sight to see. However, as extravagant as this giant cheese platter was, it wasn’t the main attraction. After all, this was a “Sweet” Cheese exhibit.
With the help of Alan “Batman” Batt from the Chef’s Connection, the French Cheese Board and NYC chefs Juan Pardo, Sylvain Delpique, Ikuma Motoki, Paola Marocchi, Joe Murphy, Gustavo Tzoc, and Clarisa Martino collaborated to bring us beautiful desserts which all used cheese as a main ingredient.
Le Vacherin Fraise by Chef Paola Marocchi, Corporate Pastry Chef for the Tao Group
Cheese used: Fromage Blanc
Ice Cream by Chef Joe Murphy, Corporate Pastry Chef for Jean-Georges
Cheese used: Brie
Napoléon Kanafeh by Juan Pardo, Executive Pastry Chef at Barbounia
Cheese used: Langres
Cheesecake by Clarisa Martino, Executive Pastry Chef for Gato
Cheese used: Tomme de Savoie
Wada Wada on the Bridge by Chef Gustavo Tzoc from Junoon
Cheese used: Pont-l'Évêque
Far Breton by Chef Delpique and Chef Motoki from the 21 Club
Cheese used: Crémeux de Citeaux
Chef Ikuma Motoki
Chef Sylvian Delpique and Chef Juan Pardo
Background
In 2010, the gastronomic meal of the French was honored as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage and cheese was an integral part of this meal along with a starter, entree, and dessert. Cheese was traditionally served before dessert and people sometimes chose to have one or the other. But, the team at the French Cheese Board thought, “why do people have to choose?” and the Sweet Cheese exhibit was born.
Visit the French Cheese Board at 41 Spring St, New York, NY 10012 and their website frenchcheeseboard.com to learn more about cheese, upcoming events, and cheesemaking classes!
Tea & Fromage Tasting
On the evening of Wednesday, October 4th, Ravi Kroesen and Maxwell Pollock of Royal Tea New York joined Charles Duque of The French Dairy Board to provide a “most unusual but exquisite pairing” of premier tea and cheeses. The tasting took place at The French Cheese Board (La Maison de Fromage), a bright and ornate cheese shop located in the heart of SoHo. As guests arrived at the tasting, they were warmly welcomed with greetings from the hosts and crisp, chilled white wine. Roughly sixteen guests total found themselves seated at a long and rustic wooden table with a breathtaking presentation of cheeses, baguette rounds, quiches, garnishes, and actual tea leaves.
As the formal tasting took place, three distinct cheeses were paired with three unique types of tea. While the cheeses were already positioned on the table, the different teas were freshly brewed at the “tea bar” counter. From there, Maxwell Pollock described in great detail his pairing choices. Rich Matcha tea was paired with tangy, buttery cantal cheese. Qu Lan Phoenix Oolong tea, a tea rich in honey and pear flavors, was paired with Secret de Scey (Morbier) cheese, a creamy and mature cheese. Finally, Golden Yunnan tea, which has hints of sweet potato and caramel, was paired with Fourme D’Ambert cheese, a creamy, delicate, and fruity blue cheese. Throughout the tasting, guests enjoyed discussing the various flavors and aromas of the cheeses and teas.
The French Cheese Board is the perfect stop for all cheese connoisseurs of New York as well as for those looking to learn more. Since it is considered a “concept store,” The French Cheese Board serves as an educational space on the cheeses of France. Additionally, Royal Tea New York is a tea importer that provides tea drinkers with an abundant variety of teas to take home. Overall, the two businesses forged together splendidly, as the Tea & Fromage tasting was both informative and a complete delight.
Special thanks to @frenchcheeseboard
Photos courtesy of Teddy Adolphe