Starting on Wednesday, November 11th Michele Buster with Forever Cheese will start a 3-part series covering Italy, Spain & Croatia on cheeses and accompaniments. You will get to experience her travels there along with getting to meet the people who produce these exceptional products. There’s a
person behind each item.
Italy on Wednesday, November 11th
You can order the cheese box or Register directly here:
https://www.mdlandis.com/taste-of-italy-cheese-box-88-46
Spain on Wednesday, November 18th
You can order the cheese box or Register directly here:
https://www.mdlandis.com/taste-of-spain-cheese-box-49-14
Croatia on Wednesday, December 2nd
You can order the cheese box or Register directly here:
https://www.mdlandis.com/taste-of-croatia-cheese-box-48-31
Taste of Italy with Michele Buster
Join Michele Buster with Forever cheese for a 3 part series, the taste of Italy, Spain & Croatia.
This is Part 1 with Michele Buster with Forever Cheese she takes us on a tour and tasting adventure in Italy where she will talk about the BiancoSardo® from Sardinia. She will be pairing with Toketti di Pane Carasau, Mostarda Plum Casa Forcello®, Mitica® Pizzuta D’Avola Almonds & Mitica® Sunflower Honey. As a bonus, Michele is bringing the Lametia PDO Extra Virgin Olive Oil and talking about this small production and female produces of this amazing EVO. Join us on Wednesday, November 11th at 4:00 pm EST
This session will be recorded and on my YouTube Channel, Michael Landis Cheese
BiancoSardo® - This pasteurized sheep’s milk cheese from Sardegna has a gorgeous pronounced basket rind. Aged a minimum of 6 months, it is rich, buttery, and sharp without being too salty. A note of earthiness comes through in the long finish. In addition to being a captivating table cheese, BiancoSardo® is fantastic for grating and can be used as a substitute for Pecorino Romano.
Toketti di Pane Carasau are satisfying, bite-sized snacks made from the traditional Sardinian flatbread called Pane Carasau. Dating back to ancient times, it is a thin and crispy bread made with semolina. Due to its long shelf life, it was common among shepherds who traversed the island with their flocks for seasons at a time. Our Toketti combine the authentic flavor of Sardinia with an irresistible crunch
Mostarda Plum Casa Forcello® are hand-cut pieces of candied plums come alive with a hint of potent mustard extract. Mostarda is a traditional condiment that balances sweetness and heat.
Mitica® Pizzuta D’Avola Almonds - Italy’s most prestigious heirloom variety of almond is grown in southeastern Sicily. Pizzuta refers to the physical shape of the almond, which is pointy and flat. Exceptionally rich in essential oils, the almond is fruity, almost cherry-like, with just a hint of bitterness in the finish. It is the pure flavor that almond extract tries to reproduce. Exceptionally fruity with a flavor like marzipan, limited production Pizzuta di Avola almonds are in a category all their own.
Mitica® Sunflower Honey - Sunflower Honey is an excellent honey for beginners because of its gentle taste. It comes alive with strong floral aromas and the deep flavor of butterscotch but is not aggressive in any way. Its beautiful yellow color and dense texture make this honey appealing to all. We like to pair it with BiancoSardo® or Mahon Reserva. Brothers Fabrizio and Pierpaolo have been tending bees and collecting honey for over 20 years. Their hobby morphed into a successful business when friends urged them to sell the honey, and we are excited to represent it exclusively in the U.S. Their honey is extracted using centrifugal force, for a voluptuous texture that maintains the integrity of each varietal’s flavor.
You can order the Italy cheese box or Register directly here:
https://www.mdlandis.com/taste-of-italy-cheese-box-88-46
Taste of Spain with Michele Buster
Part 2 Michele Buster with Forever Cheese takes us on a tour and tasting adventure in Spain where she will talk about the Golden Fleece Semi Firm Sheep cheese with Saffron. She will be pairing with Mitica® Date Coconut Cake, Mitica® Marcona Almonds Fried & Salted & Mitica® Orange Blossom Honey. Join us on Wednesday, November 18th at 4:00 pm EST
This session will be recorded and on my YouTube Channel, Michael Landis Cheese
Golden Fleece Semi Firm Sheep cheese with Saffron - A unique Manchego-style artisan cheese with delicately floral saffron threads throughout the paste. Aged 4 months and made with microbial rennet, it is smooth and buttery with a touch of acidity and saffron in the finish. Cheesemaker Antonio Poves grew up in a small town in Castilla La Mancha with his four siblings, surrounded by agriculture, herds of sheep, and cheesemaking. After 16 years working in the cheese industry, he decided to take a leap of faith and build his own dairy, which makes artisanal sheep, goat, and mixed milk cheeses. It is situated in the province of Cuenca in the heart of Manchego country.
Mitica® Date Coconut Cake - An artisanal Spanish cake made with just whole Deglet Noor dates and coconut. The soft, exquisite dates are the ideal match for fresh, flaky coconut. Each cake is formed by pressing layers of fruit together with no additives or preservatives. Excellent paired with cheese, chocolate, or as an energy-boosting snack. The Vallés brothers of Paiarrop make their line of traditional products by hand using local fruit of impeccable quality. Their artisanal fig and date cakes, membrillo, jam, and more represent the best of Valencia, Spain.
Mitica® Marcona Almonds Fried & Salted - Known as the “Queen of Almonds,” Spanish Marconas are sweet, plump, and flavorful with no bitterness. We expertly select these prized almonds for the highest possible quality. These eye-catching 4 ounce bags are the perfect grab-and-go size and make a fantastic snack. Available in four varieties: Fried & Salted, Lemon Pepper, Spicy, and Fried & Salted with Skins.
Mitica® Orange Blossom Honey - This raw, monofloral orange blossom honey comes from Murcia in southeast Spain. Our producers’ coop members cultivate the bees and collect honey from bees that feed on the pollen of orange blossoms. The resulting honey has delicate hints of citrus, making it very versatile. It is excellent paired with younger cheeses, such as Ricotta, Miticaña de Oveja, and Leonora®.
You can order the Spain cheese box or Register directly here:
https://www.mdlandis.com/taste-of-spain-cheese-box-49-14
Taste of Croatia with Michele Buster
Part 3 Michele Buster with Forever Cheese takes us on a tour and tasting adventure in Croatia where she will talk about the Paški Sir DOP a 1 year Aged Sheep Cheese from Pag Island Croatia. She will be pairing with ChocoHigos® & Mostarda Pink Grapefruit Casa Forcello®. Join us on Wednesday, November 18th at 4:00 pm EST
This session will be recorded and on my YouTube Channel, Michael Landis Cheese
Paški Sir DOP - Though little known outside the country, Paški Sir is one of Croatia’s most beloved cheeses. It is made exclusively on the tiny island of Pag with milk from the indigenous breed of sheep known as the Paška Ovca. Our producer Paška Sirana collects milk from 2500 of these low-yielding sheep (1/2 L per day), which feed on the salty grasses scattered throughout the rocky, windswept land. It takes milk from about 10-12 sheep in order to make 1 wheel. Though the cheese can be found in both young and aged forms, we prefer it when it’s aged 1 year. Full flavored, its crystalline paste develops notes that are pleasantly saline, sheepy, and butterscotchy without becoming too dry. Though Croatians like to serve this cheese simply drizzled with good olive oil, it can also be shaved over salads and eaten with cured meats. Ideal with a Croatian red (Pelješac), medium to full-bodied reds, or mineral whites. Paški Sir received a Protected Designation of Origin (DOP) in 2019, officially recognizing the great importance of the cheese and the place in which it is made.
ChocoHigos® - ChocoHigos® are soft and luscious Pajarero figs hand dipped in dark chocolate. These figs, native to Spain, are juicy, delicate, and richly flavored. They are the perfect soft centers for these sophisticated chocolate treats. Two groups of brothers, each longtime producers, collaborated on the creation of ChocoHigos®. They are experts in chocolate and dried fruit, respectively, and their families have been culinary innovators for three generations. We asked them to work together since each one had the best raw materials to make the very best chocolate figs. Their inspired creation has become a classic.
Mostarda Pink Grapefruit Casa Forcello® - Hand-cut pieces of candied grapefruit come alive with a hint of potent mustard extract. Mostarda is a traditional condiment that balances sweetness and heat. Suggested Pairings include Genuine Fulvi® Pecorino Romano, charcuterie, El Trigal® Manchego. Paola Calciolari began her career as a pharmacist but her true passion was food. She took a gamble, leaving her secure job in order to produce typical condiments from Mantova, often employing her grandmother’s recipes. And we’re glad she did. She makes her exceptional mostardas by sourcing locally harvested fruit, slicing and candying them in their juices, and then adding drops of a very concentrated, spicy mustard extract; it is a highly labor intensive process. Unlike many whole mustard fruits on the market, these are extraordinarily fresh, flavorful and chunky. Though often paired with roasted meats and charcuterie, they also work well with cheese.
You can order the Croatia cheese box or Register directly here:
https://www.mdlandis.com/taste-of-croatia-cheese-box-48-31
You can find more Virtual Cheese Tastings on my YouTube Channel, Michael Landis Cheese.