Our cheese tasting this weekend is consistent with the spicy flavors predominant in our meals this week. We found and enjoyed a new cheese from Carr Valley in Wisconsin, Cranberry Chipotle Cheddar Cheese.
This gorgeous white cheddar cheese is made from cow milk and infused with cranberries and chipotle peppers throughout. The white cheddar cheese itself is mild and somewhat creamy in taste and texture. The smokiness and spiciness of chipotle pepper is predominant and lingering with a satisfying warmness. While visually there are more cranberries than chipotle, the cranberries offer just a slight hint of tanginess and sweetness, mostly contributing to firm up the consistency of the cheese and offer a stage for the chipotle to shine.
Aspects of this cheese are reminscent of a Pepper Jack or Jalepeño Monterey Jack cheese, with a pleasant mild flavor with smokey tones and a lasting bite of spice. Rarely in fact are such flavors as distinct in a cheese from the first bite through the finish. One notices the mild cheddar, then the smoke, and finally the full-on chipotle heat as a lasting impression, tasting this cheese on a fresh baguette.
We paired this cheese with a classic bottle of cabernet sauvignon, opting for a full bodied balanced wine, rather than challenging the spiciness with a Rhone style or granache wine. This pairing worked well, and elevated the mild fruit and pepper notes in a way the cheese may not have achieved on its own.
In short, this is one great spicy cheese, not too subtle, but with flavors that avoid overwhelming despite the potency of chipotle. Enjoy this with a range of dishes that can benefit for a bit of Tex-Mex smoke and sizzle, or on its own as a tasty treat.
An egg-white omelet is a perfect example of a dish that always needs a little bit of a kick. For our Sunday morning breakfast, I made these paper-thin egg-white omelets with our new favorite Cranberry Chipotle Cheese melted inside and topped with a little bit of salsa and sour cream. ***
I would like to thank Katherine at Smoky Mountain Cafe for giving me this sisterhood award. I share it with all my wonderful foodie friends.
