Mondegueiro & Tomato Jam from Artisanal Premium Cheese

One of the gifts I bought for myself this Christmas is a Mondegueiro & Tomato Jam gift set from Aritsanal Premium Cheese. This set was listed as an Artisanal Staff Pick under Gifts and Accessories. Here is the description from the Artisanal Cheese web site:

"Mondegueiro is a deliciously herbaceous raw sheep's milk cheese from north-central Portugal. Traditionally, the soft, gooey and mild paste is scooped out of its leathery clothbound rind with pieces of hearty peasant bread. As the wheels age, their texture becomes harder and chewier. Mondegueiro is a smaller version of the Serra da Estrella, made by the same cheesemaker from the same herd of sheep. Mondegueiro makes a beautiful presentation for just a couple of people or as a part of a cheese selection for a larger group. Pair this cheese with spicier reds like Pinot Noir, Tempranillo, and Syrah. Each wheel weighs approximately one pound.

Combinations of cheeses and accompaniments can provide palate-pleasing variations in flavor and bring textural and visual contrast to your cheese board. Mondegueiro is a one-pound wheel of deliciously herbaceous sheep's milk cheese from Portugal. Its soft, tangy paste is offset by the subtle flavor of Portuguese Tomato Jam, in a 3.5-ounce jar."

Artisanal Premium Cheese ships all of it's cheese products overnight in a box with the cheese wrapped in a cold wrapper. When I unpacked the cheese the first thing I noticed was the soft rind, which was pale yellow in color and wrapped in a piece of white cloth. The tomato jam was shipped separately in a cute little jar with a white cloth tied over the lid. I wasn't ready to try it yet so I put it in the refrigerator for later.

I took the mondegueiro out of the refrigerator 2 hours before tasting it, to let it get to room temperature. When I smelled it I got a pungent farm smell, like hay and herbs, but it also smelled a bit like tobacco ash which took me by surprise. Then I cut through the top rind to see what the inside looked like and noticed that the cheese was aged beyond the 'scoopable' stage and was more firm, chewy, and not quite spreadable. For my first taste I put a healthy portion of the cheese on a piece of sourdough bread. It had a strong farm taste of sweet grass and herbs and was slightly bitter with a mild saltiness. I could taste the tobacco ash that I smelled in the cheese but it wasn't a bad taste, just unusual. I also remember thinking it was a bit like cottage cheese but with other flavors mixed with it.

Then I tasted the tomato jam by itself to get a sense of it's flavor before combining it with the cheese. The jam was smooth with a deep red/maroon color. It smelled like sweet fresh tomatoes. I was surprised by how sweet it was when I tasted it. It was sugary with a lot of cinnamon and I could only taste the tomato a little bit in the background. I liked it but it was much different from my expectations, although it is called 'jam' so perhaps my expectations were wrong. Regardless, I was eager to taste the mondegeiro with the tomato jam to see if the experts at Artisanal Cheese really know what they are talking about. Apparently, they do!

The sweetness of the jam offset the bitterness and ash flavor of the cheese and let the fresh herbs and sheep's milk flavors shine through. I took another bite of the cheese and jam with a bit of prosciutto on a cracker and discovered an even better flavor combination. The prosciutto and cracker gave it a saltiness that really combined the flavors into a perfect match.

I drank a nice syrah with my treat that paired quite well. When I drank the wine after having a bite of the cheese, it was more smokey and I could taste the creamy sheep's milk in my mouth.

I would guess that some less adventurous people may not enjoy this mondegeiro cheese, but I had fun combining it with different flavors and found a very enjoyable treat.

Mediterraneo Restaurant & Bar, Hermosa Beach, CA

Kathleen and I had a mini Mediterranean tour of Los Angeles on Friday. We started at Papa Cristo's market on W. Pico blvd to shop for authentic Greek food, then went to the Getty Villa to see the ancient Roman and Greek artifacts, some of which date back as far as 400 - 500 B.C. For dinner we went to Mediterraneo Restaurant & Bar in Hermosa Beach for Tapas.

"The Med", as the staff refers to it, is a comfortable upscale Spanish restaurant specializing in Tapas, located on Pier Avenue in Hermosa Beach, CA. The room is long and narrow with the Bar on the right and the dining area on the left. We sat at a table along the wall that had a comfortable padded seat and a good view of the rest of the dining room and bar area.

The menu has two sides: one side has hot (caliente) and cold (fria) tapas and the other has salads and entrees. The tapas menu is quite extensive while the entree menu only has a few items. We decided to skip the salads and entrees and concentrate on the tapas menu which was what drew us to this place anyway. They give you a paper version of the menu that you can use to mark what you want as you go, just like at a sushi bar. Here is what we had:

GAMBAS - Grilled black tiger shrimp with paprika oil
There were four perfectly grilled shrimp, simply seasoned with salt, paprika oil, and parsley. The shrimp tasted very fresh and the paprika oil gave it a bit of a spicy kick that we liked very much.

CHORIZO AL VINO - Baked Spanish sausage with red wine and bay leaves
This came in a small baking dish with several pieces of chorizo and the wine it was baked with. The Chorizo would have been great on it's own but the wine gave it a bit of sweetness that complimented the spicy, fatty sausage very nicely. Such simple ingredients but it was one of our favorite tapas of the evening.

CHILLED MUSSELS - in a light lemon vinaigrette
This plate had four large mussels that were cooked and chilled, coated very lightly with the lemon vinaigrette, and served with extra lemon slices. The mussels were fresh and meaty and the vinaigrette enhanced the flavor without overpowering the flavor of the sea. Delicious!

BABA GHANOUCH - puree of eggplant served with pita
This plate was good but was not our favorite tapas. It had a dark chocolaty flavor in the background, which I liked, but I prefer my Baba Ghanouch a little chunkier and more lemony.

MEDITERRANEAN OLIVES
As much of a lover of Mediterranean food as I am I have never enjoyed the taste of olives. Olives have always been the one and only food that I truly did not like. But in the last few years I have been trying to make myself like them because they are so much a part of the Mediterranean diet. When we went to Spain I had some that I could tolerate and I have had some since then that were not too bad. The olives we had here, I am proud to say, were good! There were three different types:

• Large green olives with plenty of chewy, briney meat on them
• Large kalamata olives that were a bit bitter
• Smaller purple olives that were more shriveled than the others

My favorites were the large green ones but I think I can now say that there is nothing in the Mediterranean diet that I don't enjoy

CHEESE PLATE - three cheeses served with crackers, dates, fig, and thin sliced pear

Bannon Feuille - soft, goats milk, from France
A soft and creamy cheese with the mild taste of gamy goats milk. Very nice flavor and not too stinky

Mahon - semi-firm, cow's milk, from Spain
This cheese was pretty firm with a nice chewy bite but not much flavor compared with the other two cheeses

Picon - semi-soft, blue, from Spain
This cheese was quite pungent and had nice blue veins running through it. It had a strong blue flavor that paired very well with the fruit, especially the pear slices. Yum!

ZUCCHINI INVOLTINI - baked with buffalo mozzarella, herbed bread crumbs
The presentation was nice. Each piece of zucchini was wrapped around a a piece of mozzarella and topped with bread crumbs, then baked. They resembled pieces of sushi. These were nice and light but I found myself wishing they were set in a puddle of tomato sauce to give them more flavor

PORTABELLA NAPOLEON - portabello mushrooms, piquillo peppers, Spanish cheese, on toasted bread
This plate had two good sized pieces of toasted bread stacked with the mushroom, mild and sweet tasting pepper, and melted cheese on top. It was fresh and mild tasting but again I found myself wishing it had something else for flavor. A thin layer of salami or prosciutto would have given it a bit salt and fat that I was missing.

The restaurant staff were all very friendly and attractive. Our waiter was really nice and knowledgeable and encouraged us to sit back and relax and enjoy the food at our leisure, despite the fact that nearly every table was occupied and people were waiting to get a seat. We had a very enjoyable meal and I would definitely go back again. Next time we'll sit on the patio so we can watch the people walking by on the pier.

Papa Cristo's Gourmet Greek and Mediterranean Food, Los Angeles

My wife and I visited Papa Cristo's (2771 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90006) yesterday and found quite a few delights from Greece and other Mediterranean gourmet food products. This picture shows some of what we bought there. From left to right in the back row:

Amethystos 2006 - Dry white wine of Drama
La Espanola - Spanish Capers
Palirria Dolmades - Vine leaves stuffed with rice
Papa Cristos Greek Salad Dressing
La Espanola Clasicas - Olives stuffed with anchovies
Retsina Kourtaki - Retsina of Attica

Front Row:

Drunken Goat - Medium firm goat cheese made with wine
Prosciutto - Imported from Italy
Greek Salami

Papa Cristos is located in a neighborhood that is primarily Hispanic and offers a bit of the Mediterranean in the midst of all of the Hispanic markets and taquerias. The outside of the building is painted blue and white with Greek city scape murals. Inside is a gourmet market and a Greek Cafe.

We entered through the rear entrance into a small stock room and storage area, went past the kitchen, then went down a small flight of steps into the store. The store has many shelves full of pantry items like olives, olive and grape seed oils, capers, jams and jelly's, cherry and blackberry syrups, Greek honey, sardines and anchovies, dates, rice, roasted red peppers and all kinds of other treats. The long wall that separates the store from the dining room is full of Greek, Spanish, French, and other regional wines. There is a small hot food counter that had pre-cooked marinated lamb chops, spanikopita, tirropita, creatopita, Greek green beans, and other dishes you can take away with you.

The deli counter was smaller than I had hoped for but had a nice selection of charcuterie and cheeses from Greece and Italy. As with any good deli they offered to let me sample the products before deciding what to buy. I ended up with some Greek Salami and Italian Prosciutto, and a firm goat cheese called "Drunken Goat" which is soaked in red wine to give it a sweet, tangy flavor.

They also have a small desert counter with about 5 different varieties of baklava and other Greek treats. I bought a package that contains 4 varieties and had to sample it as soon as we got in the car. The piece of baklava I had was so full of nuts and honey, it was oozing out my mouth and down my chin. Yum, a little taste of heaven!!

The restaurant is nothing fancy. You order and pay for your food at a counter on one side of the store, and enjoy it in a large room full of tables and benches on the other side of the store. Unfortunately we did not have time to eat in the cafe but the menu was full of Greek delicacies and the plates I saw other people eating looked great. I'll definitely go back to try the food.

This visit to Papa Cristo's was the start of our Mediterranean tour of L.A. After we left there we went to the Getty Villa in Malibu to to view the fantastic Roman style villa and ancient artifacts from Greece and Italy. For dinner we headed down to Mediterraneo Restaurant and Bar in Hermosa Beach and had some fantastic Tapas and wine. All in all it was a great day and it's nice to know I can get a taste of the Mediterranean right hear in California.

Pastures of Eden Feta Cheese from Israel - The Best Feta Ever

I love cheese made from all kinds of animal milks and from a variety of different regions. There is almost no cheese I've ever tasted that I didn't like but I never thought much about feta cheese. I always considered it to be just an ingredient in many Greek and other Mediterranean dishes, and that was OK, but I never considered it as an option to eat by itself as an appetizer or on a cheese board.

That was my opinion before I discovered the best feta cheese ever. While shopping at Trader Joe's one day I needed to pick up some feta for the spanikopita I planned to make later that day. The first one I saw on the shelf caught my attention for a few reasons. First, it was quite a large brick of feta, almost a full pound, and the package was quite attractive. It comes in a green and yellow package with a cartoon drawing of green and white colored sheep. Secondly, I normally think of feta cheese coming from Greece but this product was imported from Israel. The name, Pastures of Eden, was also quite pleasing and made me envision those green and white sheep peacefully grazing in the most beautiful pasture God could create. I enjoy trying new products and since this seemed different then other feta's I've had I decided to buy it.

Later that day when I was preparing my spanikopita I removed the feta from it's package and noticed that it was quite a bit more dense, moist, and creamy than the Greek feta's I've had. It didn't crumble as easily as I expected because it's more spreadable and creamy than it is dry and crumbly. Then I tasted it and my mouth confirmed just how creamy and delightful it looked. From that point on I never treat feta cheese as just an ingredient in Greek dishes. I have elevated it to one of my favorite cheeses to eat by itself, on a cracker, or as the star ingredient of a dish such as feta fondue. The taste is fresh and tangy and slightly salty with a hint of the rich, gamey flavor of the sheep's milk. The creamy texture allows it to coat all of your taste buds so you can taste it with your whole mouth. The rich flavor really took me by surprise and I immediately had to have another taste, then another, and yet another. Luckily it was a large brick of cheese and I only needed about 3/4 of it for my recipe.

I love to use this cheese in antipasti salads. Combine chunks of the feta with your favorite charcuterie, olives, chunks of cucumber, red onions, grape tomatoes, olive oil, lemon juice, fresh herbs, salt and pepper. Add cooked pasta and serve it cold as a starter course before dinner, or as the main course for a light summer meal.

I also like to add the feta to a can of tomatoes to use as a simmering sauce for chicken. Season some chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and rosemary. Heat some olive oil in a skillet then add the chicken skin side down. Add some chopped shallots and garlic and cook until the chicken is browned, about 5 minutes. Turn the chicken over then add the tomatoes and some chicken stock and simmer covered for 20 minutes until the chicken is done. Remove the chicken to a platter then add the feta and some chopped olives. Continue simmering the sauce until it thickens. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve. This dish is simple but so delicious!!

Enjoy the best feta ever!

Spanish Dim Sum in Kuala Lumpur?

My daytime job requires me to visit Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia several times per year. The city has terrific Malay, Thai, Indian, and of course Chinese cuisine but I was really pleased when I discovered a restaurant in the Bangsar neighborhood called La Bodega Tapas Y Vinos. You might be asking yourself "How good could a Spanish restaurant in South East Asia be?" Well, I asked the same question and knew I had to try it to find the answer. Suffice it to say I make a point to go there at least once every time I visit the city.

I sat at the bar and ordered a bottle of vino and 5 or 6 different tapas including a Spanish cheese drizzled with an apricot glaze, lightly fried sardines, lamb chops, and a pate that was so creamy it was like butter. I've never had a dish I didn't love and the wait staff is very friendly and knowledgeable. The atmosphere is relaxed and comfortable and as with most restaurants in Bangsar it doesn't get crowded until around 10PM. So if you want to go for people watching be prepared for a late dinner.

Another good place for food of love from the Mediterranean is Moussandra. This restaurant is on the mezzinine floor of the KL Plaza on Bukit Bintang, near the JW Marriott Hotel. You can enter from inside the Mall but it is very difficult to find that way for some reason. I would enter from the street instead. Moussandra has a tiny but comfortable dining room with a small patio. The menu is a mix of Spanish and Greek and they have a nice wine selection.

On one of my trips I introduced a Korean friend of mine to the world of Tapas. The next day I heard her telling a Chinese colleague how we had eaten at a "Spanish Dim Sum" restaurant. I had to laugh but I guess from her perspective that is a very accurate description of Tapas in South East Asia.

Trip of a life time - Spain, France, Italy

My wife and I took a trip to Europe for our 10th anniversary. This is, by far, our favorite vacation to date. We spent time in Barcelona, Cannes/Niece, and Positano and had great food everywhere we went.

Our first stop was Barcelona. Our plane landed a little past 11:00pm and we were starving. By 1:00am we had checked in to our hotel and found our way to the first of many tapas bars we would visit. At 1:00am the bar area was packed with people drinking the local wine and eating the wonderful tapas dishes that were displayed beautifully behind the counter. We had heard about the dining culture in Spain for quite a while, but to see it first hand was quite exciting. Since the bar was crowded we took a seat at a table in the back where we ordered small fried fishes and other tapas plates. Since we were not very familiar with Spanish wines we just asked the waiter to bring us something that would go well with the dishes we ordered. We could not have been more pleased with the food and the wine we had. When our bellies were full we walked back to the hotel and had a very good nights sleep.

The next day we were walking around seeing some sights and discovered a Charcuterie on Avinguda Diagonal. The place was quite unique to me. It was part deli, part coffee shop, and part tapas bar. The deli part had at least 20 different forms of pig you could by in bulk along with an impressive selection of cheeses and some prepared dishes. In the back there was a coffee bar with an elaborate gold espresso maker as the centerpiece. The front of the store had several glass cases filled with small finger sandwiches and other tapas items you could eat in the store. We browsed through hundreds of choices and each picked 4 or 5 that looked tasty to us, then took them back to the coffee bar, ordered some espresso and ate our snacks. That charcuterie became our breakfast spot for the next 3 days and is the inspiration for the specialty food store I hope to open some day.

The third day in Barcelona we visited the famed La Boqueria market. I never knew true joy until this moment. I could barley contain myself and wanted to buy everything I saw. The fresh out of the sea fish, crabs, and clams, miles and miles of cheese and meat counters, the freshest vegetables I've ever seen. OK, I could have lived without seeing the fresh skinned sheep's heads with their eyes looking at me helplessly and their teeth gleaming so white against the reddish flesh surrounding it's face. But even that was awesome it's disgusting-ness.

The food in Positano, Italy and the island of Capri was just as fantastic. We stayed at the Hotel Poseidon ( http://www.hotelposeidonpositano.it/flash.htm ) which is a great little hotel up the hill from the main part of town with gorgeous views of the sea and the town. Our patio was directly over the outdoor dining patio and the wood burning grill they use to cook the meats and other stuff. Every night at 5pm they would light the grill and the sweet smell of the burning hard wood would drift into our room and make us hungry for dinner. We ate dinner at the hotels restaurant our first night and ordered the multi course dinner, which included two cheese courses. A combination of hard and soft cheeses to start with, then pasta, then grilled meat and a vegetable, then a combination of cheeses they had grilled over the hard wood. Oh, my gosh it was fantastic.

The next day we took a day trip to Capri. After shopping and hiking up to Villa Jovis we sat down in an outdoor cafe to have a glass of wine and a light lunch. While we waited for our food the waiter brought us a dish snacks to munch on. The dish was in the form of an octopus and when he placed it on our table he tapped it's head and said "Don't eat him, he's ceramic"

All in all, it was a fantastic trip and it really gave me an appreciation for the food (and wine) of the Mediterranean region. As this blog grows I will continue trying new foods and products and will report my findings.