On another thread (potato recipes) we drifted into triple creme cheeses. I did a search on the topic, and my meager ferreting skills came up empty. So…I love cheese, as do most of us, and I am usually on the lookout for suggestions, especially for triple cremes. Sadly, this pleasure has become exceedingly expensive. I adore Delices de Bourgogne, Harbison, Mt. Tam and others, but I really need a major event to consider dropping nearly thirty dollars on a small puck of debauchery. Anyone have others they like that are more reasonably priced? Sometimes I see deals on St. Andre, but that’s about it. Also, buying domestic is as pricey (and IMO as good) as buying European.
2 Likes
D’Affinois is my favorite of the super creamy variety, though it’s double creme not triple. St. Andre behind that.
Trader Joe’s carries St. Andre at better prices than anywhere else near me, though Whole Foods on sale used to come close (no longer). They also both used to have D’Affinois at great prices, but TJs doesn’t carry it anymore.
I can get “a small puck” as you call it of Robiola, Talleggio, and varietals of similar texture at the (excellent) cheese sections of a couple of grocery stores, in which case I’m not focusing on the per-lb price but on a small piece of luxury for $10 or so.
TJ’s has a square box of Pavé for $6-7, same idea.
4 Likes
I recently shared a ripe Hooper cheese from Vermont Creamery with a cheese-loving friend and we both agreed it was spectacular. I left the remains with her, figuring I’d buy another. But the next one I bought was less ripe and it was only good. So if I encounter it again I will be sure to let it ripen.
2 Likes
ETA: I really love a ripe Brillat-Savarin.
3 Likes
Not sure how many cremes these are, but I’ve enjoyed Cabricharme, Melinda Mae, Cremeux de Bourgogne and Tomme Crayeuse. None is (much) more than $30/lb, I don’t think.
2 Likes
I love Talleggio. .
1 Like
In NorCal we have the Marin French Cheese Co and Cowgirl Creamery, both of whom make excellent Brie-style cheeses for relatively reasonable prices.
I’m with you all re: St Andre, Brillat-Savarin.
Of late I find myself really drawn to the earthy, funky blues and the family of truly stinky cheeses like epois. On a recent trip to Oregon we got to try some washed rind blue from Rogue Creamery and a washed rind cheddar, I forget the maker.
On the occasion I do bring home some of the truly funky stuff, my partner demands I double bag it and finish it off within a week, lest the entire fridge smell like high school locker room.
They seldom last more than a 2-3 days.
4 Likes
any season, any time of day - pair a good book, good wine/beer/vodka, and this;
Delice des Cremiers…
you absolutely can eat the rind, and should - 'tis delish!!
2 Likes
Taleggio is in my cheese top ten.
1 Like
I love sheep’s milk cheese, this one from the Basque Country.
I also like Idiazabal and Ossau-Iraty, from the same region.
5 Likes
Lest it get left out, there’s also my all-time favorite: Boursin!
I like to stuff I into zucchini blossoms, heat it, then serve it with tomatoes concassés.
3 Likes
We got stores around that sell portions of a puck. And that works for us since we want our cheese and our good bread to finish at roughly the same time and not be stuck with pricey triple creme with no bread to slather them on. And also we don’t seem to eat these fast enough before a whole puck starts becoming overripe.
So, maybe just ask the store if they can package a quarter or half for you if you don’t need the whole thing. Or just go to a different store where they already quarter or halve them.
1 Like
Their new shallot and chives flavor is excellent.
1 Like
I agree.
Yes, Central Market packages fourths of Delices de Bourgogne and a few others. The small packages of cheese reminds me of top end chocolates. Nearly half a century ago we lived in Houston. Teuscher had a shop in the Galleria. Way back then their Champagne truffles were over a dollar a bite (and worth it).
1 Like
I have a recipe book by Roger Vergé in which he says that at the end of a meal they open some cheese to finish the wine, which results in their opening another bottle of wine to finish the cheese.
5 Likes
Ain’t it the truth! And although recommended pairings for triple cremes invariably drift to Champagne, Sauterne, and Riesling, I can usually force myself to eat it with the last of a good Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, or even Zinfandel. Heck, it’s good with Pellegrino!
I’ve had one of those mofos in my fridge for weeks, planning to make a pasta dish with zukes with it. Thx for the reminder!
Love Pavé! Wish I had a TJs near. Next time I’m in a bigger city, hopefully.
Unfortunately, the pavé is a seasonal item, but we look forward to it during the holidays.
