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2013 Cheesefest and NZ Cheese Awards

Lucy from Life and Cheese

Like Disneyland crossed with the Oscars, the NZ Champions of Cheese Awards and Cheesefest were 36 hours of cheese geek heaven! Last week cheese makers, industry folk and cheese lovers paid tribute to New Zealand’s specialist cheeses. And I loved every second of it. 2013 NZ Champions of Cheese Awards Fifty nine companies, 413 cheeses and 74 Gold medals. Twenty eight cheesey experts had sniffed, savoured and spat their way to judging the awards. Who knew cheese judges spit much like wine judges? This was the second year Dutch-style cheeses took out top honours. Another major highlight was Ministry for … Continue reading 2013 Cheesefest and NZ Cheese Awards

Cheesey recipe, Goat, Uncategorized8 Comments

Watermelon, Feta and Mint salad

Lucy from Life and Cheese

On a hot summer day nothing cools like Watermelon and after an afternoon gardening this simple salad with mint and feta brought succor to my parched tastebuds. The recipe is pretty loose, more of an idea really. Crisp, clean melon against salty cream of feta, aromatic mint, pretty and cooling in pink, white and green. I scoffed my bowl of salad, so be generous, the joy of this salad is the flavours and colours playing off against each other. I kept my salad simple, but you can add other ingredients. My brother Matt suggests adding toasted pumpkin seeds, while Nigella … Continue reading Watermelon, Feta and Mint salad

Fresh cheese, Goat, Natural rind, Natural rind cheese, New Zealand cheese, Review, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Gruff Junction Darfield – perfect cheese for summer

Lucy from Life and Cheese

Bone white, with a layer of black ash, Gruff Junction’s Darfield is perfect for languid summer days when I hanker for young, light cheeses. Paired with a Sauvignon Blanc I want something to serve in the lead up to a barbeque, rather than at the end of a feast. This is when goat’s cheeses come into their own. And Gruff Junction make some of the best I’ve tasted. Their Darfield is a sexy cheese for summer. The pyramid square of bloomy rind opens up to reveal a dramatic seismic line. Named after the town at the epicentre of the September … Continue reading Gruff Junction Darfield – perfect cheese for summer

Cheese boards, New Zealand cheese, Uncategorized7 Comments

J Friend and Co – from the land of cheese and honey

Lucy from Life and Cheese

I love interactive food – food that asks you to savour and share and describe. Food that is not just content to be, but that asks you, and those around you, to discuss its being. It’s why I love doing tastings and the J Friend and Co’s Cheese Pairing Honey Collection is, literally, the bees’ knees for a DIY cheese tasting. J Friend and Co http://nzartisanhoney.co.nz Three glorious, oozy pots of honey, dripping golden delight onto slabs and slices and smears of cheese. This is a great concept. Get a goats, a blue and a Brie, a pack of J … Continue reading J Friend and Co – from the land of cheese and honey

Cheesey recipe, New Zealand cheese, Uncategorized17 Comments

Classic ’70’s Cheese Ball – my nostalgic Christmas nibble

Lucy from Life and Cheese

Christmas is a time for nostalgia and when I want a cheese redolent of Christmases past, it’s not Stilton or vintage Cheddar I hanker for, but my Mum’s classic ’70’s Cheese Ball. This is the cheesey taste of Christmas to me. Rolled in walnuts, paired with Snax biscuits, and a glass of something bubbly, it’s a perfect Noel nibble. Just right for my Christmas barbie last week. My Mum’s recipe uses processed cheese and, to my dismay, I couldn’t find blocks of Chesdale in the supermarket. I was so concerned I rang Goodman Fielder and was told by a customer service … Continue reading Classic ’70’s Cheese Ball – my nostalgic Christmas nibble

Cow, Dairy, New Zealand cheese, Uncategorized18 Comments

Raw milk sales in NZ – superfood or super dangerous?

Lucy from Life and Cheese

The house looked unremarkable, I checked the address and started up the steps. Like a drug deal in a cop show, I’d already paid the money and this was the pick up. The raw milk pick-up that is. In my quest to learn about cheese I’d gone in search of raw milk – the elusive substance that gives French unpasteurised cheeses their oomph. Being a townie I’d never tasted raw milk, and for most of us it is nearly impossible to get. There are heavy restrictions on its sale and dire health warnings coming from authorities. The sale of raw … Continue reading Raw milk sales in NZ – superfood or super dangerous?

Bloomy rinds, Cheese geekery, New Zealand cheese, Review, Uncategorized10 Comments

Beautiful Brie – raw versus pasteurised?

Lucy from Life and Cheese

  With their velvety outers barely containing their silky centres, both Bries were sexy. I was pitting a French raw milk Brie de Meaux against a Whitestone Lindis Pass Brie to answer the cheesey conundrum – raw or pasteurised cheese? I wanted to understand the difference because they both look the same. The same chalky rind, the same oozy centre. I wanted to know is it worth the fuss and the double price tag? Back to the basics – pasteurised or raw Most of the cheeses we eat are made from pasteurised milk which has been heated up to 75° C (167° F) … Continue reading Beautiful Brie – raw versus pasteurised?

Cheesey recipe, Hard cheese, Uncategorized9 Comments

Apple and fennel cheese straws – temptation on a platter

Lucy from Life and Cheese

To my surprise these flew off the plate. Air-light flakes of pastry with the sweet crunch of caramelised grilled cheese. The addition of apple and fennel seeds had transformed the mouth-puckering dryness of traditional cheese straws into delicious flakey moreishness. The extra effort was well worth it. I love cheese straws, and am usually content to eat most myself, few others seeming to share my love of cold puff pastry. These ones however come with a warning – make sure you get your fair share before handing them around, because they won’t last! These are the evangelists of cheese straws. … Continue reading Apple and fennel cheese straws – temptation on a platter

Blue cheese, Cheesey recipe, New Zealand cheese8 Comments

Cheese canapés for cocktail parties

Lucy from Life and Cheese

Ah cheesey friends I have been in a conundrum, a cheese conundrum – what does a curd nerd to take to a cocktail party? I couldn’t recall 007 eating anything with his Martini and Audrey Hepburn certainly just seemed to smoke. But I wanted to make some sophisticated cheese canapés to hand around. A bit of research later and a whole new world opened up. So over the next few weeks I’ll share a few easy canapés to grace any cocktail party. Cocktails are intense with strong flavours, so I wanted canapés that could stand up to high alchohol beverages. I … Continue reading Cheese canapés for cocktail parties

Cheese boards, DIY Cheese, Fresh cheese, Uncategorized16 Comments

Labneh – easy to make yoghurt cheese for Spring platters

Lucy from Life and Cheese

I’m loving fresh cheeses as Spring continues to unfold. They hint at upcoming months of outdoor eating, platters of tapas and mezze, and little glasses of something bubbly. This week I’ve been making Labneh, a Middle Eastern yoghurt cheese. Well, making is a bit of an overstatement, really it’s an easy assemble and, although you need 24 hours start, it’s fail-proof, looks impressive and tastes great. Labneh, or laban, is yoghurt that’s been seasoned and strained. It becomes thick and super creamy, with a hint of yoghurt’s lemony zing. It’s then a versatile addition to a summer platter. I’ve been … Continue reading Labneh – easy to make yoghurt cheese for Spring platters