Procuring Red Leicester

I was having a conversation over drinks earlier this week with a co-worker. He's a Londoner unfamiliar with Chicago and living here for a few months. Not surprisingly, our conversation turned to food. He mentioned how the one thing that he really misses from home is red leicester cheese.

"Well, that shouldn't be too hard to find," said I.

"Wow! If you could find me some, that would be terrific," he replied.

So, I made a note to myself to make some phone calls in the morning to track down a hunk of what I thought was a pretty common cheese.

Here's my call log, in order:

The Cheese Stands Alone: "Sorry, we dont' carry that." Understandable, I guess. It's a small shop.
Pastoral: "I've never heard of that cheese." Which shocked me since I'm not a cheese-seller and I've heard of it. Anyway, nothing there.
Marcy St. Market: "No, sorry". I thought they'd have it for sure, since it seems like a good beer cheese to me.
Fox & Obel: "No. But I can order it." Nice, but that's my last resort.
Whole Foods, Sauganash: "We had some when we opened a few weeks back, but we're out. I can order it."
Whole Foods, North Ave.: "No, sorry."
Whole Foods, Lakeview: "Yep, I've got a wheel. Come in anytime, there's plenty."

I'm astounded that this took me seven phone calls to find. Is it that uncommon? Or is it just in such low demand?

(My next step was calling smaller gourmet shops that don't specialize in cheese but carry a selection.)

It was a point of pride for me to find this cheese for our Londoner guest and I'm glad I did.

The Red Leicester


Best,
Michael

eatchicago wrote:Pastoral: "I've never heard of that cheese." Which shocked me since I'm not a cheese-seller and I've heard of it. Anyway, nothing there.

That is, indeed, an absolutely shocking admission, as I've heard of it and believe I've actually purchased it in Chicago (Treasure Island, I think). I can't believe that you talked to Daniel (the Fromager), but if you did, I'm beyond shocked...aghast.

Hammond

David Hammond wrote:

eatchicago wrote:Pastoral: "I've never heard of that cheese." Which shocked me since I'm not a cheese-seller and I've heard of it. Anyway, nothing there.

That is, indeed, an absolutely shocking admission, as I've heard of it and believe I've actually purchased it in Chicago (Treasure Island, I think). I can't believe that you talked to Daniel (the Fromager), but if you did, I'm beyond shocked...aghast.

I'm not sure who I talked to, and I don't want to disparage the guy too much, he was very helpful otherwise. The conversation continued with him asking me to describe it so he could help me find a comparable alternative. I briefly described it but noted that it was a specific request, so no alternative would do.

Best,
Michael

eatchicago wrote:
I'm astounded that this took me seven phone calls to find. Is it that uncommon? Or is it just in such low demand?

I think it's low demand since Leicester is basically a cheddar cheese with a flakier texture.

Why do I get the sneaking suspicion this just an elaborate lead in for a monty python skit...

I think I saw Red Leicester at Trader Joe's (on Clybourn) recently (or maybe it was a layered cheese that included Red Leicester among other cheddar-types).

how are you on tilset?

Can't resist:

Monty Python: Cheese Shop

-ramon

I want to say I've seen it at Trader Joe's in either Orland Park or Downer's Grove, but this would have been a year ago. Last I've seen it was two weeks ago, but in Ann Arbor at Zingerman's, which doesn't help you much (going for , IIRC, $35 a pound!)

I have definitely bought it at People's Market AKA Wild Oats in Evanston, which has (had) a very nice cheese counter. However, I have not been there since it was bought by Whole Foods (the main reason I ever shopped there was that it wasn't Whole Foods).

It is a wonderful cheese. Just out of interest, how much did it cost at WF?

How 'bout Amazon.com. $12.99/lb.

(I know online doesn't really fill the bill for this thread, but I can't help but be amused by the number of things Amazon sells. Occasionally the reviews and tags can be amusing. See bananas at Amazon)

I would give the design/packaging actually 5 stars, but it's just not as portable as people claim. While others call it, "a delight," the curve and length of the banana can create packing issues, and the peel can be a hazard when not discarded properly. Other than that the fruit is one of the better ones out there to consume.

-ramon

All the cheeses mentioned in the Monty Python sketch:

Red Leicester, Tilsit, Caerphilly, Bel Paese, Red Windsor, Stilton, Emmental, Gruyère, Norwegian Jarlsberg, Liptauer, Lancashire, White Stilton, Danish Blue, Double Gloucester, Cheshire, Dorset Blue Vinney, Brie, Roquefort, Pont l'Evêque, Port Salut, Savoyard, Saint-Paulin, Carré de l'Est, Bresse-Bleu, Boursin, Camembert, Gouda, Edam, Caithness, Smoked Austrian, Japanese Sage Derby, Wensleydale, Greek Feta, Gorgonzola, Parmesan, Mozzarella, Pipo Crème, Danish Fynbo (mispronounced 'fimboe'), Czechoslovakian sheep's milk, Venezuelan Beaver Cheese, Cheddar, Ilchester, and Limburger

-ramon