By WILLIAM RICE
From The Chicago Tribune
October 04, 2000

Fine cheeses, those with evocative odors and distinctive flavors, have a limited life and, like fine wine, they evolve in flavor and character as they age. Often heralded by a distinctive, sometimes overpowering, aroma, these "specialty" cheeses may be pure white or gnarled and ugly on the outside; inside, they may be hard or soft or somewhere in between. At their peak, the taste will be complex, with nuances that can suggest herbs, nuts, damp earth, salt, cream, butter or other sensory elements in nature's flavor arsenal.

These characters put off some people while captivating others. Few other foods have the flexibility to be served before dinner or as part of any course that follows.

The fall entertaining season is a good time to become acquainted with a range of specialty cheeses and learn how best to use those that please you.

We provide here an introduction to the international family of specialty cheeses.

Per capita consumption of cheese in this country increased nearly 60 percent between 1980 and 1997 with a sharp upturn in 1999 that has continued into this year, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. Most cheese merchants agree with Chicago wholesaler Sofia Solomon of Tekla Inc. that consumers and restaurant chefs all have become more knowledgeable, more experimental and more willing to take on strongly flavored cheeses.

Giles Schnierle, whose Heartland Trading Co. in Chicago specializes in domestic cheese, thinks of himself as a missionary, making converts a few at a time.

"We have artisanal cheeses as good as anything from other parts of the world," he says.

THE CONFUSING WORLD OF CHEESE

There is no single system for identifying and categorizing cheese, and types often overlap. But in general cheese is identified by its milk type, firmness, fat content and special features.

Important sources of milk for cheesemaking are the cow, the goat and the sheep. Too simple? Then keep in mind some of our finest cheeses are blends of two or all three of these milks.

Cow's milk products dominate the international cheese roster. The popularity of goat cheese ("chevre" in French) continues to grow in this country. In addition to the lightly tangy fresh goat cheese such as Montrachet, there are firm cheeses such as Valencay (also known as pyramid) and strongly flavored, hard, aged goats such as crottin de Chavignol. Sheep cheeses are seen in specialty shops more often, but sales are way behind the other two. Look for pecorino from Italy, manchego from Spain, feta and kasseri from Greece and a pair of sheep's milk blues, French Roquefort and Spanish cabrales.

Firmness depends on the amount of water remaining in a finished cheese, which may be extra-hard (Parmesan), hard (gruyere), semi-hard (cantal), semi-soft (Monterey Jack) or soft (ricotta).

Fat content also varies. The richest are the double-creams and triple-creams, meaning soft, creamy cheeses that are 60 to 74 percent butterfat (petit-Suisse) or more than 75 percent butterfat (explorateur, Saint Andre).

Special features may include a washed rind, bloomy (soft white) rind, ash rind, or cheeses that are smoked, brined, blue-veined or wrapped in leaves.

BUYING THE CHEESE

Taste, look for artisan producers, and understand that cheese changes: Factor in how long after purchase it will be served. Seek out the cheese store or department that provides personalized service; cheese is a complicated subject and to find a guide and advisor is only common sense, especially considering the price of fine cheese.

Mitchell Cobey, owner of Mitchell Cobey Cuisine in Old Town, says he asks the customer when he or she plans to serve the cheese. At a party? Before dinner? With what accompaniment? A salad perhaps, or wine?

Ari Weinzweig, co-owner of Zingerman's in Ann Arbor, Mich., a market with a notable cheese selection, asks his customers: "What do you like, mild or strongly flavored? Young or aged? Is it for eating or for cooking?

"For a cheese board I recommend a range of flavors and textures," Weinzweig says. "Rather than buying a single cheese, a large wedge of brie, I encourage the customer to try smaller portions of two or three cheeses that provide new flavors and textures. Price is a factor, of course. In general, cheeses at the high end of the flavor spectrum are at the high end of the price spectrum too."

Weinzweig often suggests a three-cheese selection of Vermont Cheddar, gruyere and Stilton. "I give tastes of everything until the customer is happy. No matter how much the salesperson knows, you're playing roulette if you buy without tasting."

At Whole Foods Market on Huron Street, cheese department manager Dannie Ray Sullins tries to keep a customer's cheese selection to three or four. For example, Parmesan, Capriole Farms goat cheese from Indiana and brie; or, alternatively, a mild Corsican sheep cheese, Cantal (semi-hard cow's milk cheese from the Auvergne region of France) and strong Munster from Alsace.

Experts will warn you away from pre-sliced or grated cheese because they become dry and lose flavor quickly, but if the god of convenience must be served, buy only a small amount.

CHEESE PRICES

With a product as unpredictable and fragile as cheese, it can be worth paying more in a store where the cheese is carefully tended and where samples are available. In general, larger volume specialty cheeses will sell in a supermarket for $5 to $10 a pound. Small production and special cheeses may cost $12 to $20 and beyond.

Recently the price of raw-milk aged brie at Whole Foods was $20 a pound. Treasure Island had a mass-produced brie for $8 a pound. The highest price found at Whole Foods was $26.50 for Reblochon. At Treasure Island, the high price was $16 for 3-year-old Parmesan.

SERVING CHEESE

Always bring cheese to room temperature to maximize flavor and normalize texture. As in buying, provide a selection of divergent milks, textures and intensity of flavor. Special knives, small with dull blades but good for spreading, are recommended for each diner; larger, sharper knives of various shapes are used to cut cheeses on a platter for serving.

Present small cheeses whole, cut disks of cheeses in half, slice wedge-shape pieces to the point, not across. Super-hard Parmesan can be cut into chunks away from the table with a short, very strong knife.

Before the meal: A cheese board, ideally containing two or three cheeses and crackers or thin slices of French bread, is an accepted part of the cocktail hour. Avoid cheeses that run or crumble.

Between the main course and dessert: Serve one to three cheeses with wine or present a portion of a single cheese beside a small salad.

After the meal: Traditionally, a single cheese, usually a blue veined cheese such as Stilton, is served with port. Fruit and nuts may be offered too.

STORING CHEESE

Cheeses are not meant to linger in the refrigerator. With the exception of very hard cheeses for grating, the best policy is to buy only enough for immediate needs. Inevitably, there will be leftovers, too expensive and one hopes, too good to discard. Wrap in aluminum foil, wax paper or plastic wrap. Store as near the bottom of the refrigerator as possible; the vegetable compartment, which has higher humidity, is deal, especially for soft cheeses. Hard cheeses can be wrapped in plastic wrap and may last several weeks. Wrap fresh and soft-ripened cheeses in wax paper or, briefly, in plastic wrap. They will not keep as long and should be discarded if mold appears on the surface.

COOKING WITH CHEESE

In The Cheese Lover's Cookbook and Guide (to be published in November), Paula Lambert cites such cook's problems as curdling, stringiness and toughness. "The secret," she writes, "is to cook cheese at a low temperature and not to cook it for too long." She counsels adding starch (flour) to prevent curdling, acid (lemon juice) or alcohol to avoid stringiness, and adding cheese toppings only at the end of cooking to avoid toughness. High-fat cheeses melt better than low-fat.