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Articles about Cheese

Eat This Now: Burrata Fondue at The Landmark Restaurant in Dallas

Do you have a few extra calories to spend this weekend? If so, head over to the The Landmark Restaurant at the Warwick Melrose and order a bowl of burrata fondue. The buttery Italian cheese is whipped with herbs, cream, and olive oil and melted into a thick dip. We dipped into the hot cheese with these crusty slices of grilled bread and pulled out long, messy strings of hot cheese. Chef is  Mike Pacheco.

A Short List of the Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches from This Year

Grilled cheese and short rib sandwiches with pickled caramelized onions and arugula (photo from Bon Appetit)

If you were once a poor college student (like me) studying abroad in Russia and you didn’t know how to cook yet, dinner becomes the sorriest meal of the day. Monday is plain bread. Tuesday is toasted bread with raspberry jam and butter or nutella. Wednesday through Friday: more bread. Saturday, you get creative and add a slice of cheese. Sunday, though, is when you really get fancy and treat yourself to the holy grail of homemade dinners on that sad thing you call a stove. You make a grilled cheese sandwich.

Because grilled cheese sandwiches helped me survive cold White Nights, drunk Russians pounding on my door, and the lack of a working heater, I have a special place in my heart for this simple sandwich. In honor of National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day, I thought I’d take you through a photo tour of the top three grilled cheese sandwiches I either consumed, ogled, or dreamed about in the past year.

Jump if you eat cheese.

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It’s National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day

Ruthie's Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Robin Skinner from Ruthie’s Rolling Cafe alerted me to the fact that today is National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day.  According to a website called Punchbowl.com, it’s also National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Month. So technically, you have 18 days left to eat a grilled cheese sandwich in a celebratory fashion. Ruthie’s isn’t your only option.  In Dallas, you’ve got Highland Park Pharmacy. Lucky’s, and The Porch on Henderson as sit-down restaurant options. Norma’s Cafe is also offering a free grilled cheese to dine-in customers who visit either of its two locations, and a portion of the day’s sales will be donated to the American Red Cross North Texas Region to help with the tornado damage. Lee’s Grilled Cheese rolls in Fort Worth.

Ruthie’s will be at the Flagpole at SMU for lunch today and at Celebrate Uptown for dinner.  Lee’s Grilled Cheese will be closed today, but open at the Fort Worth Food Truck Park for Friday and Saturday lunch and dinner.

Where are you getting your grilled cheese sandwich fix today?

Eat This Now: 48-Hr Cracked Pepper Brisket Sandwich at Off-Site Kitchen in Dallas

48-Hr Cracked Pepper Brisket Sandwich at Off-Site Kitchen

Few restaurants have received as much pre-opening buzz as Nick Badovinus‘ highly anticipated Off-Site Kitchen.  As a fan of his work at the Neighborhood Services ventures, I’m not ashamed to admit that I was as giddy as a school girl every time a shred of news regarding its opening surfaced. Naturally, when Off-Site Kitchen did open, 98% of the blogosphere rushed to see what kind of magic Badovinus and crew had been brewing up for all those months, and appropriately, nearly every food writer got right to work gushing about it all over the internet. And honestly, it deserved every bit of praise that has been thrown at it.

Now that some of the early chatter has started to simmer down a bit, it seems only appropriate to express my love for the humble, working-man’s menu at Off-Site Kitchen, particularly through praise of one of my favorite items on the menu board, the 48-hr cracked pepper brisket sandwich. It took a few visits to be able to mentally pry myself away from their excessively delicious burgers, but when I was finally able to take the plunge into non-burger territory, my efforts were so handsomely rewarded, I no longer fear to stray.

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Report From 2012 Savor Dallas: Top Ten Dishes Served at International Grand Tasting

Mint chicken salad from The Mint. (Photography by Elizabeth Lavin)

The popular International Grand Tasting at Savor Dallas 2012 took place on Saturday night at Irving Convention Center in Las Colinas. Organizers noted the move from Dallas to Irving was to make it easier for the residents of Fort Worth to attend.  Any worry that the change in venue would deter event patrons was quickly dispelled once the doors  swung open.  The place was packed, people shuffled around tightly, filling the venue as guests got the opportunity to hob-nob and rub elbows with some of the finest chefs in DFW.  The food and drink were, of course, spectacular as chefs were well prepared to excite and surprise their guests this year.

While nearly every dish our small group sampled was delightful, we thought we would pay homage to some of the most exciting and delicious dishes presented this year.  So here are (in no particular order) our picks of the Top 10 Best Bites of the 2012 Savor Dallas International Grand Tasting

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Report From 2012 Savor Dallas: How To Pair Wine and Cheese

Rich Rogers, cheesemonger and Michael Flynn, sommelier

I used to think that wine and cheese went together because cheese ameliorated some of the deficiencies in wine. It turns out I was wrong. This weekend, two experts in cheese and wine pairing presented a fascinating seminar, “The Perfect Pairing of Wine and Cheese,” to raise funds for the American Institute of Wine and Food. The event took place Saturday afternoon at the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek. The cheese guy was Rich Rogers. He and his wife founded Scardello Artisan Cheese in Dallas three and a half years ago. The wine guy was Michael Flynn, wine and beverage director of Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek. He also contributed to the 2011 book A Food Lover’s Guide To Wine. So these guys have a lot of experience to contribute to this subject. And I learned more than I possibly thought I could.

Jump for the pairings. (more…)

Somebody Help This Poor Boy: Philly Cheesesteak in Dallas

Oh, boy. This boy is asking the impossible. Perhaps you can talk him off the ledge. He’s got a hankering for a REAL Philly Cheesesteak sandwich.

Do you know anywhere in Dallas that makes a good Philly cheesesteak? Gandolfo’s uses cream cheese, so I couldn’t even bring myself to try it, and the people who suggest Texadelphia have no idea what a Philly cheesesteak is supposed to be. Thanks!

A real Philly cheesesteak? The last two I ate in Philly (Max’s and Gino’s) were made with Cheese Whiz.

Eat This Now: Smoked Gouda Dip at Murray’s Cheese Shop

Last year, we reported on the invasion of the New York City cheese shop, Murray’s Cheese, to the great state of Texas.  Perhaps some brushed it aside, after all, Murray’s decided to set up shop in the inconspicuous deli sections of Krogers across Dallas.  Indeed, many people have likely passed by their cheese stands many times while shopping, assuming they were no more important than the stale donuts and Boar’s Head deli meat in their near vicinity.  However, take it from me, this is one kiosk you do not want to miss.  Quality cheeses flood the few tables and displays they maintain, alongside cured meats, crackers, dips, olives, jams, antipasto, dried fruit and nuts.

I am a complete sucker for the little old ladies dishing out their free samples, but never before has a woman in a hair net rocked my world as much as the day I was first taunted to try Murray’s Smoked Gouda Dip.  It has found a permanent place in our grocery basket for the last few months, indeed there has probably not been a trip to the store in which it didn’t return home with us.

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Men Will Be Boys: Jason Joseph Wins the “Name a Pizza for Mike Napoli” Contest at Cane Rosso

Big Cheeses: Evan Grant, Jay Jerrier, Eric Nadel.

Tuesday night, pizza lover and baseball writer, Evan Grant, and pizza maker and baseball lover, Jay Jerrier held the finals of the “Name a Pizza for Mike Napoli” contest at Cane Rosso. Four of the five finalists showed up to sample their until-then-never-tasted pizza recipes. Jerrier went to great lengths to make the pies. “We don’t make an Alfredo sauce, so I had to create one for Jason Joseph’s “Angel Tears” entry,” Jerrier said.

I slinked in at the end of the evening to try the pies and I’ve got to hand it to all who were picked in the finals. It was a tough decision. My favorite was Doug Fusella’s “The Cane Rosso Napoli Experience” with Jimmy’s sausage, meatballs, sopressata, spinach, and jalapenos. But Grant and Jerrier picked Joseph’s “Angel Tears,” a pie of Italian sausage, salami, sweet onion, jalapenos, roasted garlic, spinach, Roma tomatoes, and mozzarella dusted with Romano. Jump for all of the recipes and the rationale behind the ingredients below. AND PHOTOS!

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Eat This Now: Crab, Mac and Jack Gratin from Victor Tango’s in Dallas

A few years ago, when the whole “elevated comfort food” movement really started to take shape, it seemed like every restaurant in the city was creating their own version of the fancy-fied mac-and-cheese.  I must have tried them all. Various iterations typically called for elegant or exotic cheeses or expensive luxury proteins, each dish doing its best to push as far as possible from the childhood version, that slop in a blue box.  Many dishes were highly successful, indeed, many restaurants began to claim this as their signature dish.  Now that the novelty of a $15 mac-and-cheese has begun to wear off, there are really only a small handful that, to me, have weathered the trend and continue to be a completely crave-able dish, and Victor Tango’s version, the Crab, Mac and Jack Gratin, still sits on top of my list.

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Mozzarella Company Racks Up Another Award

Paula Lambert wears the medal and points to her award-winning Hoja Santa at the reception that followed the awards ceremony.

This note just in from Paula Lambert, founder/owner of Dallas’ Mozzarella Company in Deep Ellum.

I am just back from San Francisco where our Hoja Santa Goat Cheese won a Good Food Award.  We were one of twelve cheesemakers across the country that won. There was an awards ceremony on Friday evening followed by a reception where all the winning foods were served. And there was a market at the Ferry Building on Saturday where we must have served samples of Hoja Santa to at least 1200 people, if not 1500! It was non-stop!

More information here.

Eat This Now: Bacon Tomato Grilled Cheese at Ruthie’s Rolling Cafe

We all know that making a decent grilled cheese doesn’t require a membership in Mensa.  I mean, I was making them at 7 years old…sure they were more often burnt to a black crisp than a nice golden brown, but I just called it “extra toasty.”  A number of joints around the country have popped up, determined to push the grilled cheese sandwich where it has never been before, including places like Cleveland’s Melt Bar and Grilled, Austin’s Chedd, and NYC’s Melt Shop.  So when I first heard about Ruthie’s Rolling Café, one of Dallas’ freshest food trucks dedicated to the humble grilled cheese, I was intrigued. Personally, I love the idea of dedicated cuisine.  If you do one thing, do it right, I always say…okay, I don’t actually say that very often, but if you are only doing one thing and you suck at it, you may want to reconsider the direction your life is heading.  I digress. I hoped that with Ruthie’s, this would not only be the beginning of a long, fruitful relationship between me and some beautiful sandwiches, but that Ruthie would pave the way for a grilled cheese revolution.

I am happy to report that Ruthie’s makes a mean grilled cheese.  Perhaps you have been reluctant to jump on the food truck bandwagon.  I know I have been, as I typically prefer, you know, chairs, air conditioning, and tables, but I can put all those niceties out of mind for some Ruthie’s.  Even if I had to eat her sandwiches in a dark alley behind the Wal-Mart while lying on a bed of nails inside a dumpster, I would have no complaints.

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Bits & Bites: Things to Do and Chew in Dallas

Sigel’s Addison. Saturday, December 10 from 11AM to 3PM. Sigel’s Cheesemonger Teresa McGee and Brazos Valley Cheesmaker Marc Kuehl will be at Sigel’s-Addison to taste Marc’s award winning raw-milk cheeses. More below.

Slow Food Dallas and North Haven Gardens. This very cool partnership will present a   series of classes for novices and experienced gardeners. Mark you calendars. Here’s the linky dink.

Urban Acres. Holiday Market 2011. Need creative gift ideas?  Or just want something fun to do with friends and family this weekend? Please join us this Saturday, December 10th for a Holiday Artisan Marketplace at Urban Acres! We’ve invited our favorite local craft and food artisans to share their goods in our fun, community-based setting. Each artist will showcase handcrafted artwork or artisanal foods that we just know our Urban Acres friends will appreciate! Check out the vendors here!

Smoke Camp at Lockhart Smokehouse. Smoke like a pro after “Smoke Camp.”  The pitmasters at Lockhart Smokehouse will share some trade secrets such as: choosing the right meat, dry rub vs. wet rub practices, smoking techniques, proper trimming and carving, plus the art of “Burnt Ends.” Class includes dinner, cold beer, and a t-shirt. “Smoke Camp” will be held Tuesday, January 17 from 6:30-8-30pm.  Cost $75.  Space is limited, so call us to make your reservation early. 214-944-5521.

White Rock Market. The 3rd Annual Holiday Market takes place on Saturday, December 10 from 9AM to 3PM at Green Spot Market in East Dallas. (702 N. Buckner Blvd. 2140797-4989) Music, local food and handicraft vendors galore. It’s free. Venodors listed below.

Nosh. Black Winter Truffles from Perigord are now at NOSH. Fresh Capelini or Risotto with shaved Black Winter Truffles $25!

Details. (more…)

Cheese & Chocolate Tasting: Sigel’s, Brazos Valley, and Dude, Sweet Chocolate’s Katherine Clapner

Mark this down: November 19, from 1-3:00PM at Sigel’s in Addison (15003 Inwood Road).

Here’s the deal: Sigel’s Cheesemonger Theresa McGee and Chef Katherine Clapner of Dude, Sweet Chocolate have combined their extraordinary talents to organize a cutting edge tasting of Cheese & Chocolate featuring the delicious raw milk cheeses of Brazos Valley Cheese Company. The Chocolate selections are still being finalized to pair with the following award winning Texas cheeses: Roasted Garlic Montasio, Horesradish & Pecan Cheddar, Raw Milk Muenster, Raw Milk Swiss, Raw Milk Gouda.

What’s Missing: Wine. Hmm. How shall we cleanse our palates?

Event Report: Texas Cheesemakers Appreciation Party at Celebration Restaurant

Last evening, the Texas winners of the recent American Cheese Society Competition 2011 displayed their award-winning cheeses at Celebration Restaurant. What a great turnout! The room was SRO with cheese lovers. It was so crowded I could barely get around the space to sample all of the cheeses and during my attempt to do so, I dropped my camera and the last hundred I shot are out of focus. However, I was thrilled to taste Pure Luck Farm and Dairy’s Hopelessly Blue goat cheese, Mozzarella Company’s Hoja Santa goat cheese, and Brazos Valley’s creamy cheddar. All of the cheesemakers and cheeses in attendance are listed below, along with the photos I salvaged. These people work their butts off to produce some fine cheese. Buy it. In quantities. Go Texas cheese! (And Rangers!)

Jump for the glorious cheeses.

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Celebrate Texas Cheese at Celebration Restaurant With the Winners of the American Cheese Society Competition

Don’t forget to drop by our local cheesemakers appreciation reception at Celebration Restaurant. We’ll all be at Celebration Restaurant from 5 to 6:30PM tasting Texas cheeses that recently won American Cheese Society awards.  Come meet Paula Lambert (Mozzarella Co.), Rebeccah Durkin(Brazos Valley), Amelia Sweethardt (Pure Luck), Edgar Diaz (Three Happy Cows), Dave Eagle (Eagle Mountain), and Dr. Anne C. Jones (Latte Da Dairy). And as always, the affable Meaders Ozarow (Empire Bakery) will be there with the bread. Check out all of the award-winning cheeses below. See you there! Free D Magazines!

Jump for the glorious cheeses.

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Eat This Now: Bacon Cheese Tater Tots at Maple and Motor in Dallas

You would think that frying up a tater tot would be something any idiot could do correctly.  Oil meets potato, done.  But unfortunately, this is not the case.  If I had a dollar for every time I’ve had to eat a mushy, stale, lifeless tater tot, I’d have enough to run for president (and I’d probably be more qualified because of it than other current presidential hopefuls).  So, if you’ve ever had a Napoleon-Dynamite-sized hankering for these golden nuggets of pleasure, I’ll make it simple for you, the best in the city can be found at the house that Jack built, our loveable, Maple and Motor.

Everyone knows that M&M puts out some killer burgers.  That’s a given.  But it’s really pretty difficult to go wrong at this place.  Practically everything I have eaten there is exceptional.  I’ve even licked the floors and it tasted good.  But the tater tots have become a guilty obsession of mine over the past few months, an obsession that is too delightful not to share.  These tots are not winning any prizes with the granola-loving, tree-hugger health food crowd, but this is Texas, people…and here we embrace obesity like a soft snuggly teddy bear.

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Celebrate Texas Cheese at Celebration Restaurant With the Winners of the American Cheese Society Competition

Caciotta from Mozzarella Company.

A couple of years ago we threw a cheesemaker appreciation reception at Celebration Restaurant. Well, we’re doing it again on October 27. Join us from 5:00 to 6:30PM as we taste the Texas cheeses that recently won American Cheese Society awards.  Come meet Paula Lambert (Mozzarella Co.), Rebeccah Durkin (Brazos Valley), Amelia Sweethardt (Pure Luck), Edgar Diaz (Three Happy Cows), Dave Eagle (Eagle Mountain), and Dr. Anne C. Jones (Latte Da Dairy). And as always, the affable Meaders Ozarow (Empire Bakery) will be there with the bread. Check out all of the award-winning cheeses below. See you there!

Jump for the glorious cheeses.

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Scardello in Dallas Turns Three

Scardello Artisan Cheese is three years old! Despite having been born into the worst financial recession in most people’s memories, the specialty cheese store at Oak Lawn and Lemmon continues to thrive. Kudos to the friendly knowledgeable staff, huge and diverse cheese selection, and the  education they deliver in the classes they host on almost a weekly basis. Now, three in cheese years is 21 in human years so they are having a party. Roll the press release… (more…)

Lucia Welcomes Chefs for a “Plate”d Lunch

Lucia's Porchetta

Monday afternoon Plate Magazine, a chef and restaurant publication out of Chicago, brought a group of local chefs, and a few writers, together for a lunch at Lucia in Oak Cliff honoring the beloved pig and featuring products from Italy, including Speck ham, Asiago cheese and wine from Alto Aldige.   (more…)