Stilton

anyone know where i can buy this cheese??

Pretty much anywhere, depending on how specific you're being...it's a fave of mine, I've bought it at Whole Foods and People's Market (or whatever it's called now) in Evanston, I think I've even bought a cryovacd one at the Jewel - don't know if those were domestic or imported, tho - I'd assume domestic. Usually it's with the blue cheeses. Another don't miss is Huntsman (or Stilchester,) which is Stilton layered with Double Glouster or some kind of cheddar.

Are your plans just for eating, or do you have a recipe?

just for eating... i checked my local jewel and i didn't see it, but i'll try the nearest whole foods. the Huntsman sounds delicous; thanks for the info!

I believe at Trader Joe's you can find a Stilton with pieces of dried apricots. It's surprisingly very good!

Sharona

Mhays wrote:Pretty much anywhere, depending on how specific you're being...it's a fave of mine, I've bought it at Whole Foods and People's Market (or whatever it's called now) in Evanston, I think I've even bought a cryovacd one at the Jewel - don't know if those were domestic or imported, tho - I'd assume domestic.

Is "domestic" Stilton possible? There are only a handful of dairies, all in Britain, that are licensed to produce this cheese.

http://www.stiltoncheese.com/

If Korbel, Tott's and André, among others, can claim their products are "Champagne," why not a domestic Stilton?

Yeah, I dislike the mis-labeling, but it's certainly not uncommon.

nr706 wrote:If Korbel, Tott's and André, among others, can claim their products are "Champagne,"

This is another case of deciding whether we want to let names mean whatever we (or some marketer) want them to mean or whether we'll refuse to let names lose their meaning through misuse. I'll sip a glass of Korbel, but I will call it "sparkling wine." It does say "Champagne" on the label, just like some dishes that proclaim they're of "crab" actually contain "krab." That don't make it so, even if common parlance (and fundamentally dishonest labeling) encourage confusion about what a food actually is.

David "Getting off the high horse now" Hammond

David Hammond wrote:Is "domestic" Stilton possible? There are only a handful of dairies, all in Britain, that are licensed to produce this cheese.

What I meant was that I don't check unless there's evidence of processing, so there could be faux Stilton for all I know - especially at the Jewel.

The apricot Stilton sounds really good - it's one of those cheeses that pairs really well with lush fruits: pears, of course, but dried apricot sounds like an interesting combo. Now I'm hungry, and I just finished the last of Louisa Chu's stinky cheeses....

Mhays wrote:The apricot Stilton sounds really good - it's one of those cheeses that pairs really well with lush fruits: pears, of course, but dried apricot sounds like an interesting combo. Now I'm hungry, and I just finished the last of Louisa Chu's stinky cheeses....

Funny. We just had some of Louisa's Parm for dinner; it was an embarrassing amount of rich fromage at the picnic.

On the subject of blue cheese, I picked up a wonderful buttermilk blue from Whole Foods on Halstead last week. The funky combination of the salty buttermilk base and the natural sharpness of the blue made a great combination.

YourPalWill wrote:On the subject of blue cheese, I picked up a wonderful buttermilk blue from Whole Foods on Halstead last week. The funky combination of the salty buttermilk base and the natural sharpness of the blue made a great combination.

nice... sounds delicious

I love Stilton, and I have never seen a domestic, or any non-English cheese being marketed as stilton. Neals Yard Dairy makes a very good one, and is often available at Whole foods or Sams wine (at least at their Highland Park location). The quality can vary....most that I have had has been very good, but sometimes the needle holes where the bacteria is injected dont seal up and they can dry out a bit which adds an annoying crunch to the cheese.
Another similar cheese is Shropshire blue, which is an orange Cheddar blue, that I find to be more consistent. This is also fairly commonly available, in about the same $15-20/lb price range.

-Will

my husband recently picked up some fantastic stilton at The Cheese Stands Alone, on Western just south of Wilson.

I was under the impression that proper Stilton isn't pasteurized and is therefore illegal in America in its native form because of FDA policies. I believe that you can get pasteurized Stilton stateside, but the original stuff is contraband.

AFAIK, US law prohibits cheeses from unpasteurized milk but only those that are less than sixty days old.

Also, technically "Stilton" is made from pasteurized milk. (link) though 'experimental' unpasteurized versions using the same recipe may be found.

I stand corrected. I think that it's the unpasteurized stuff that the foodies seek out:

Sumptuous Stilton
It’s an open secret that Neal’s Yard is experimenting with an unpasteurized Stilton. The Stilton Cheesemakers’ Association (which controls all Stilton production in the U.K.) insists all of the stinky blue cheese must be pasteurized to use the name, so when it comes out at the end of the year, expect threats of lawsuits—and an incredible-tasting cheese. If you make friends with cheesemaker Randolph Hodgson, you may just be able to get a taste of the work-in-progress (17 Shorts Gardens, Covent Garden; 44-020-7240-5700).

http://nymag.com/travel/spring/2006/london/index4.html

[quote="sazerac"]AFAIK, US law prohibits cheeses from unpasteurized milk but only those that are less than sixty days old.

Is this just for imported cheses, or does the same rule apply to US produced cheeses? I ask, because I frequently purchase a New York State raw milk cheddar that I am pretty sure is aged for more than sixty days.

Thanks.

Jyoti

Issues surrounding the use of raw vs. pasteurized milk will be addressed by Judy Schad of Capriole Cheese on Tuesday, 10/16/07, at Pastoral, 2945 Broadway, 7:30. $40.

I've had little problem finding stilton at Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and even Costco. Trader Joe's has the best prices, but at Costco a giant hunk is pretty affordable. I've got a hunk just under a pound that was a little under $7 sitting in my fridge...

As I was driving the new cheese manager of Fox & Obel to the "L" this morning, she was just commenting on the presence of delicious Neal's Yard "Colston Bassett" Stilton and how tasty it was right now. I thought, reading this forum, that folks would want to know. Cheers!

Lollardfish wrote:As I was driving the new cheese manager of Fox & Obel to the "L" this morning, she was just commenting on the presence of delicious Neal's Yard "Colston Bassett" Stilton and how tasty it was right now. I thought, reading this forum, that folks would want to know. Cheers!

I had some Colston Bassett a few nights ago, and it was indeed very good. Judy Schad of Capriole pronounced it the "best of the English Stiltons." I liked it a lot, too, though I actually preferred the Jasper Hill Farm Bayley Hazen Blue, which I found both creamier and more tangy, though both were good enough to eat a lot of.

Who is the new F&O cheese manager?

David Hammond wrote:
I had some Colston Bassett a few nights ago, and it was indeed very good. Judy Schad of Capriole pronounced it the "best of the English Stiltons." I liked it a lot, too, though I actually preferred the Jasper Hill Farm Bayley Hazen Blue, which I found both creamier and more tangy, though both were good enough to eat a lot of.

Who is the new F&O cheese manager?

I've not actually had the Bayley Hazen but will have to rectify that soon, apparently.

The new manager is Shannon Perry, recently moved here from Minnesota and the Premier Cheese Market (http://www.premiercheesemarket.com). Also my wife.