| MANHATTAN DINING |
For
the Little Miss Muffet in All of Us
|
| 'Say
Cheese' offers entertaining primer on brie
and its brethren |
| by Charlotte Eichna (published
05-13-2004) |
| |
| In Egypt way back
when, a desert bedouin stored some milk in
a leather satchel and set out on a journey
in the scorching Saharan sun. When he went
to refresh himself several hours later, all
he found were chunky curds and whey. |
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| Thirst-quenching?
No. But the mistake was delicious, and experts
think that this is how humans first stumbled
upon the creation of cheese, that rich, fatty
delight that has tantalized mankind ever since
and helped pizza reach new heights of delectability. |
| |
| These days, cheese is a lot
easier to come by, and you probably don't
think twice about chucking that cellophane
package of pre-wrapped slices into your shopping
basket. But the self-proclaimed "singing
chef" Jackie Gordon thinks you should.
Indeeed, Gordon wants you to be picky about
all your food starting withcheese, and has
designed a cabaret wine-and-cheese pairing
performance called "Say Cheese"
to educate the average consumer about this
complex delicacy. |
| |
| But of all the foods
that people blindly consume, why cheese? |
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| "I look for
where I consider a trouble spot," explained
Gordon, who personally found the process of
selecting a cheese to be overwhelming. Friends
agreed with her, and the idea for "Say
Cheese" was born. |
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| The Brooklyn-born
Gordon spent several months researching the
history of cheese and logged hour upon hour
of tastings and classes at the Artisanal Cheese
Center, 500 W. 37th St., where five maturing
caves help 250 cheeses reach their optimal
flavor.(The word "artisanal" refers
to cheeses that are hand-crafted in small
quantities, according to the "old ways.") |
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| Some of the more interesting
tidbits she picked up? |
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| Contrary to what some hard-core
cheese fanatics think, brie skin isn't supposed
to be eaten. The skin is actually mold that
has been sprayed on the cheese so that it
ripens from the outside in. While it won't
hurt you, the skin doesn't add anything to
the cheese, and actually clashes when the
brie is paired with a wine. |
| |
| Say Cheese is the latest in
a string of food-centered performances that
seem to be taking theater by storm. Set in
the intimate subterranean Laurie Beechman
Theater of the West Bank Cafe, located at
407 W. 42nd St., the show begins with a rendition
of songs(Including the heartfelt" If
I Could Date Cheese") by the talented
Gordon, who is clad in a fabulous hand-made,
cheese themed gown. |
| |
| The singing chef then proceeds
down a brief but interesting path of cheese
history as the drools over a plate of six
cheese samples, courtesy of Artisanal (you
are asked to refrain from nibbling to the
proper point in the show). The anticipation
is tangible, and thankfully not long before
Gordon moves on to the actual tasting. |
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| After a brief description, the
audience samples a cheese with each of the
two reds and two whites provided. The Gordon
moves on to what is probably the best part
of the show. |
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| "How did you find the Taleggio
with the Trimbach Riesling?" she calls
out. The crowd eagerly shouts out responses
which run the gamut . They're based on a five
point scale, where two is "great"
and negative two is "hideous." While
occasionally a diner would find one combination
stunning that the rest of the audience found
a horror, or vice versa, consensus was surprisingly
easy to come by, It was democracy at its crudest-a
beautiful thing. |
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| Then, too the program for the
show provides a worksheet that allows you
to record tasting notes and even offers ,
meaning "Say Cheese" can become
a permanent culinary resource. |
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| Terrance Brennan, chef and proprietor
of Artisanal and Picholine, helped Gordon
bone up on cheese knowledge but didn't understand
the concept of "Say Cheese" until
he saw the production. |
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| "It was witty," said
Brennan, "it was funny, entertaining,
educational. |
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| Asked why he decided to et involved
in "Say Cheese," Brennan responded,
"Anything to spread the word on the curd." |
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| If, after Gordon's introduction,
the newly converted curdaphile wants to learn
more about this lactic delight, Artisanal
offer two-hour classes that cost $75 and include
wine. Visit www.ArtisanalCheese.com for more
information. |
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| "The more people know,"
said Brennan, "the more they can enjoy
a good piece of artisanal cheese." |
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Now go forth and spread the gospel.
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