American Cheese

And I don't mean Velveeta.

I remember the first time I tasted California goat cheese. It was 1979, at The Cheese Board in Berkeley. “A young woman named Laura Chenel just brought it in,” said Sahag Avedisian (he and his wife Elizabeth Valoma founded the cheese store collective), “and you should try it.”

It was, I thought, one of the most delicious things I’d ever eaten. I’d had fresh goat cheese in France, but very young cheeses don’t travel well and this was a flavor that didn’t exist in America. I took the soft, fragrant cheese down to Kermit Lynch’s wine shop (at the time it was just a tiny storefront), and asked what would be a good match. “Fino sherry,” he replied. That bottle cost $2, and I found the pairing so delicious I pretty much lived on it all summer.

I wasn’t the only one who fell hard for Laura’s cheese: Alice Waters and Wolfgang Puck both built dishes around it until the cheese became one of the cornerstones of what was then known as “California Cuisine.”

I got to know Laurie pretty well, and at some point a business publication asked me to write about her. Ergo this article; I think it’s a fascinating look at one woman’s passion and persistence.

Incidentally Chenel sold her company to a French company, Triballat in 2006.

I asked for Roquefort. The cheesemonger unwrapped the wheel and offered me a taste. I love the classic blue, and nodded happily as the salty bite of the cheese hit my tongue. Then, looking rather sly, he  unwrapped another wheel, scooped up a small bit and held it out. “Now taste this,” he said.

The flavor was extraordinary, unlike anything I’ve experienced before. It was round, deep, rich, slightly sweet and fruity with that blue edge that hovers on aching intensity. The texture was tender as fudge.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Rogue River Blue,” he replied. “And don’t ask the price.”

Of course I had to. Choking a bit, I studied the leaf-wrapped blue-veined cheese, wondering aloud how it’s made.

“They make the cheese with organic summer milk then wrap it in Syrah grape leaves that have been soaked in Clear Creek Pear Brandy. Then they leave it to age for a year.”

This special Rogue River Blue is remarkable stuff. It costs a fortune, but it’s a rare treat, available in limited quantities during the fall. This year it will be released on September 22. Try to taste it now because it’s usually gone by Christmas.

Speaking of Sherry… This menu is from a New York lunch honoring three great Spanish chefs. I think it was 2003, and I remember that sherry sorbet with particular fondness.

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