Yeah, yeah, yeah, Europeans have quite a handle on cheesemaking (well they have been at it for awhile), can you say Spanish Manchego, Italian Parmesan Reggiano, Dutch Gouda, French Camembert, and let's not forget the Brits and their Stilton.
But, you old world cheese snobs, let me enlighten you to the world class artisanal cheesemakers we have right here in the good old US of A. And lucky for those of us who reside in the Chicago area to have easy access to said US cheese makers, via the
Great American Cheese Collection.
I was introduced to the Great American Cheese Collection, a number of years ago, at my 'homebase' farmers market (the
Evanston Farmers Market). To my dismay (and I am sure the dismay or fellow market-goers), the Great American Cheese Collection left the market a few years ago. Dang, with my cheese hook-up gone, I now had to go back to grocery stores and gourmet shops, in the hopes of finding the lovely cheeses I had been exposed to, thanks to the Great American Cheese Collection. Tease me like that.
Fast forward to this past year and voila, Great American Cheese Collection, who represents sixty-seven cheese producers (that currently equates to about 300 cheeses represented), is once again accessible to us mere mortals, and not just our favorite restaurants. This is glorious indeed.
Giles Schnierle, the cheese expert aficionado behind Great American Cheese Collection, has been passionate about cheese for quite awhile. One visit down to his warehouse (at 4727 S. Talman), a few tastes of cheese, and a few cheese stories later (get Giles going, he is a master story teller) and you will soon get Gile's passion for the oldest made food in the world (oh, in the running with mead, but since that is a beverage...).
Great American Cheese Collection is the single largest source for American speciality cheeses. Representing cheesemakers, from as near as Wisconsin and as far as Washington, Vermont and Louisiana. Not just any old cheese, but award winners that are rated some of the finest in the world.
So now that a trip down to "the Back of the Yards" 'hood is in my Saturday morning routine, why don't you come along? Giles is open to the public every Saturday from 10am - 1pm. You can just forget about that new year's detox diet you were planning, and indulge in some fine, fine cheese. Wait, not just cheese: ribs, pulled pork and tamales can be had as well. And, any given Saturday a favorite chef of yours (yep, Giles cheeses are to be found at a number of your favorite drinking and dining destinations: Province, Cibbo Mato, Bristol, In Fine Spirits, DMK and The Gage just to name a few) could be firing up the grill, and who knows what BBQ delectable you could be in store for.
If you need to hit a produce market for your non-cheese products you are in tons of luck. A mere few blocks west of Great American Cheese Collection, you will stumble into ethnic produce market heaven:
Pete's Produce. Now, if that doesn't make the trip to this neck of the city worth it...
mo
moira@efete.net
Labels: cheese, Great American Cheese Collection
Post a Comment
<< Home