Finally, a cheese from Texas! Something that has eluded me and Colleen in the three years since we launched this blog. Thanks again to the magic of mail-order cheese, I was able to procure Grassias, a mixed-milk cheese from Dallas’ Mozzarella Company.

Before you accuse me of butchering the Spanish language and spelling the cheese’s name wrong, please note that it is correct. Inspired by its lemongrass wrapping, the name Grassias came from a Facebook contest. Gracias to the cheese lovers who suggested this creative moniker.

Paula Lambert, who founded the Mozzarella Company 30 years ago, ranks up with Mary Keehn, Allison Hooper and other cheese pioneers as one of the leaders of the American artisan cheese movement, and her Grassias, which combines goat and cow’s milk in 5-oz. button, showcases the ingeniousness and skill of a cheesemaker extraordinaire. Who else would have thought to add a simple belt of lemongrass to a milky fresh cheese to infuse it with a distinct lemon flavor? The tartness is most apparent in the outer edges of the cheese, of course, but the flavor seeps through the body of the cheese to add a subtle tang.

Unlike last week’s Laurier, Grassias doesn’t transform into a liquidy puddle at room temperature; it retains a solid, chalky texture while still spreading easily. This is a cheese for toast or crackers, not for spooning (unless, of course, you enjoy cuddling with cheese). Enjoy with a chardonnay or another crisp white wine.

I typically don’t buy cheese via mail order since I prefer to support my fabulous local shops, but recently Artisanal Cheese has been running a promotion offering a percentage off your order as a countdown to the Super Bowl. Never one to turn down a deal – or a chance to taste cheeses that I don’t usually see locally – I placed a large order and have been enjoying the fruits of FedEx ever since. My favorite from the box was this goaty beauty, Laurier.

Laurier is the delicious result of a collaboration between Vermont Butter and Cheese, makers of C+C favorite Cremont, and Artisanal’s director of affinage, meaning you can only find it at Artisanal (that’s where mail order comes in handy). An aged goat cheese adorned with a simple bay leaf to add a spicy flavor, Laurier bowls you over with its dreamy creaminess and full-frontal flavor. How goaty, you may ask? Well, my husband, well-known for his goat-cheese aversion, walked out of the room, and my sister, who prefers goat cheese to all others, found it to be overpowering. Of course, I loved it – mild, delicate chevres are wonderful, but it’s nice to have a button with some heft and spunk underneath that innocent package. Eating it was a – dare I say – sensual experience.

A sophisticated cheese that begs for a glass of wine, Laurier pairs nicely with a white Bordeaux, Gamay or Champagne. No other accompaniments are necessary beyond a knife. This is a cheese that demands to be enjoyed straight up.

What kind of cheese do you need when you’re nursing a broken heart? Thanks to my team’s pitiful performance Sunday, I was left with a grumpy disposition and the need for comfort food. Thankfully, I had just the fix in my cheese drawer – Ascutney Mountain from Vermont’s Cobb Hill Cheese.

There must be an evolutionary imperative for craving Alpine-style cheeses this time of year. Maybe it’s because the sweet nuttiness of these firm, yellow beauties remind us that spring will come once again. And I’m glad I found solace in Ascutney Mountain, which is made by the raw Jersey cow milk by the Cobb Hill community. Led by cheesemaker Sophie Starr, the team at Cobb Hill, “an intentional cohousing community” in Hartland, Vt., has created a cheese that’s hearty in texture but delicate in flavor. It’s aged anywhere from seven to 10 months, and I definitely could tell my wedge had been made with spring milk. I really dug the fruitiness, which made the cheese so sweet it was almost candy-like. Very appropriate, since I crave sugar when stressed or depressed. One nibble turned into two, then three, then oops! my entire slice was gone.

Ascutney Mountain’s crowd-pleasing flavor marries well with most wines, ales and lagers. I enjoyed mine with many glasses of sauvignon blanc this weekend. Next time I’ll try pairing it with my favorite sweet riesling to see if sweet-meets-sweet is too much or right on target. If you’ve had the opportunity to try this fantastic cheese, which pairings did you like best?

Will the belle of the (Cheese) Ball please stand up?

With the help of guest judges Tia Keenan (@kasekaiserina), Vickie McCorkendale (@culinaryvixen) and Kathleen Cotter (@thebloomyrind), we have three cheese ball creators to recognize for their creativity, resourcefulness and, of course, dedication to this holiday favorite. It wasn’t an easy decision by any means, but Tia, Vickie and Kathleen were up to the challenge. And the winners are…

In third place, our own Colleen with her Bourbon Bacon Cheese Ball!

In second place, Madame Fromage with her Point Reyes Pine Cone!

And the winner of the first Cheese Ball Invitational is…

Fromagette with her Aged Cheddar + Guinness Caramelized Shallot Ball!

Congratulations to our cheesy friends, and thanks to all who entered. And for those of you who didn’t, start experimenting now for the 2012 Cheese Ball Invitational.

Happy new year! For the second year in a row, my beloved Wisconsin Badgers will be playing for football glory in the Rose Bowl. You may remember last year, when the Badgers played Texas Christian University, I marked the occasion with a Wisconsin vs. The South cheese board, featuring Hook’s 7-Year Cheddar vs. Green Hill. Though the outcome wasn’t in my favor, at least the cheese board was a win-win. But this year, things get interesting, for my Badgers are facing off against a mighty foe – Colleen’s Oregon Ducks. It’s a C+C cheese showdown, folks. Who do you think will come out on top?

For such an important game, I’m taking a departure from the obvious this year and not serving Wisconsin cheddar during the game. Blasphemy, you may say, but I’m confident my selections will see my team through to victory.

Marieke Smoked Gouda

Like Colleen, I also have a curd-averse spouse, but he’s always happy when I bring a smoked cheese home from the shop. And since the Rose Bowl is a family event, I decided the Marieke Smoked Gouda would play a prominent role on our game-time cheese board. Made by Dutch immigrants Rolf and Marieke Penterman, who have a farm and cheese-making facility near Thorp, Wis., this signature gouda exhibits a gentle sweetness and creamy paste that are both heightened by the smokiness coming through the back end of each bite. While it would be excellent on a burger, I prefer my smoked cheeses straight up or in a mac. Today it will be featured alongside gluten-free crackers and crispy apples for a healthy game snack. If smoked cheese isn’t your thing, substitute any of Marieke’s award-winning goudas: The smoked cumin variety has received much recent acclaim, and perennial favorite foenegreek is easy to find.

Bleu Mont Dairy Havarti

Wisconsin cheese wizard Willi Lehner is well-known nationally for his bandaged cheddar, but he maintains regular presence at the mammoth Dane County Farmers Market with a variety of cheeses, including one of my favorites, havarti. For those of you who doth protest, proclaiming that havarti is too mild to merit any praise, I challenge you to taste Willi’s version and not become a convert. Yes, it doesn’t have as complex of a flavor profile as the bandaged cheddar, but a chunk of this creamy, sweet cheese with a hearty wheat cracker is pure comfort. It’s not only appropriate for celebrating Badger touchdowns, but it’s also a soothing remedy in case those pesky Ducks are in the lead. (Of course, that’s not going to happen, but I also didn’t think the Horned Frogs would come out on top last year. It’s smart to cover your bases.)

The Dark Side

Not an actual cheese (though wouldn’t that be an awesome cheese name?), but merely my moniker for Colleen’s “Oregon dream team” of cheeses:

Nocciola, Tumalo Farms

Caveman Blue, Rogue River

Up in Smoke, Rivers Edge Chevre

So what do you think, cheese/football fans? Whose team – and cheese board – will emerge victorious tonight? Which cheeses will you be serving during the game?

Y’all know that Colleen and I love a good fondue, especially around the holidays. Back when I still lived in Washington, D.C., we would celebrate New Year’s Eve by rounding up a bunch of fondue pots and have cheese fondue, along with a lot of wine. We were just at the beginning of our cheese obsession then, so I don’t remember if we used any special cheeses in our fondue, but we’ve stepped up our game considerably since then. I’m always on the lookout for good fondue cheeses and found a newbie that would make an excellent addition to my fondue pot – Prairie Rose by Milton Creamery.

The same Iowa farmers who make the spectacular Prairie Breeze cheddar recently have brought this Swiss-style cheese to market, and it’s a keeper. Unlike other Swiss cheeses that can leave an aftertaste that I can only compare to that morning breath, Prairie Rose has the same nutty flavor but with a much smoother finish. Though I still love pairing it with apples, I don’t need the slices to cleanse my palate as I have with other cheeses. It’s a gentle Swiss that still manages to pack a lot of flavor into each bite. I’d love to try it paired with a Wisconsin-made Gruyère from Roth Kase and maybe a few ounces of Willi Lehner’s garlic cheddar in my fondue pot. That would be a holiday meal to remember!

Production is still limited, so you may have a hard time finding Prairie Rose outside the Upper Midwest, but since I bought mine at Whole Foods, it may start making the national scene soon. A great seasonal substitute would be Challerhocker, a delicious Swiss I discovered last summer.

Are you making fondue for the holidays this year? Share your favorite cheese combinations with us!

Do you think that we’d stop talking about Wisconsin cheese once we hit December? Not a chance! In fact, our recent trip to America’s Dairyland gave us such great exposure to Wisconsin cheeses that we could do an all-Wisconsin cheese blog for the next six months. (I’m sure our friends at the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board would love that.) While we won’t go that extreme, we did taste some special Badger State cheeses that merit their own cheese plate for the holiday season. After all, is there a better time than the holidays to whip out coffee- or vanilla-infused cheeses? We think not.

Espresso BellaVitano from Sartori will prove wrong those naysayers who think coffee and cheese don’t belong in the same room, let alone the same bite. Believe me, folks, it works. A wheel of Reserve BellaVitano, Sartori’s signature cheese notable for its nutty, Parmigiano-like flavor and cheddar-ish texture, is rubbed with espresso grounds, giving the rind a deep, smoky flavor that blends perfectly with the fudgy paste. Add a few bars of bittersweet chocolate to the plate and your guests won’t be able to stay away.

Vanilla Cardona, on the other hand, offers a sweeter bite since its rind has been rubbed with vanilla sugar and the goat’s milk from which it’s made has been infused with vanilla bean. Though it looks mild, don’t let the snowy white exterior fool you: The caramel and coconut notes come through right away. Depending on how strong your sweet tooth is, you might get a sugar rush from eating too much, so account for smaller portions when purchasing Vanilla Cardona.

There’s nothing particularly holiday-like about Hook’s 12-Year Cheddar - no special flavorings or festive wrappings – but after being aged for 12 years, the cheese forms sweet, crunchy crystals that make each bite almost like enjoying a candy bar. Heck, I’d choose a chunk of cheddar over a Chunky bar any day! And at a lower price point than Hook’s 15-Year Cheddar, you’ll be more compelled to share with friends. (I’m sure I’m not the only one who hoards her 15-Year, right?)

Which cheeses are you serving at your holiday parties this season? Share your finds with us!

It’s cheese ball season once again here at C+C, and this year we want to open up the cheesy festivities to all our readers. So Colleen and I are excited to announce the first Cheese and Champagne Cheese Ball Invitational! Throughout the month of December, we’ll post cheese ball recipes, stories and photos that you submit. All cheese lovers, regardless if you have a blog, are welcome to join us! Contact us at mncheese [at] gmail [dot] com or dccheese [at] gmail [dot] com with your submissions, and we’ll happily share them with the C+C community.

For inspiration, check out the Chow.com post from Monday about the creation of the turducken of cheese balls, a truly amazing cheese spheroid if there ever was one. That reminds us: if your cheese ball is not an original recipe — and it doesn’t have to be — please be sure to credit the source in your submission. We don’t like it when others steal our ideas (or posts or photos), so in the spirit of the season, let’s make sure we give the same respect to our fellow cheese culinarians.

Bloggers, if you post your cheese balls on your own site, please share your creations using the widget below. (And please be sure to include a link back to the 2011 Cheese Ball Invitational.)

We’re excited to see your favorite cheese ball recipes, and we’ll also be offering our favorite cheesy holiday treats over the course of the month. Come back often for cocktail and cheese pairings, holiday cheese plates, cheesy apps and sides, and cheese-centric gift ideas. Of course, there will be plenty of bubbly as well. Cheers to cheese!

Did you save room after yesterday’s turkey feast for cheese? We hope so, because according to the American Cheese Society, today is Blue Friday. Wrong color, you may say. Nope – the folks at ACS are getting a new tradition off the ground by encouraging cheese lovers to embrace the blues on the day after Thanksgiving.

In fact, blue cheese and the yuletide season go hand in hand across the pond, where it’s customary to serve a wheel of Stilton at holiday parties in Great Britain. But we think the quality and variety of American blues leaves you no reason to buy imported cheeses. Here are just a few of our favorites blues to consider for enjoying today and throughout the holidays. Make sure you pick up some port, too.

Midwestern Blues

I’m a lucky gal – the best blues from Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa are all regulars at my local cheese shops, and you really can’t go wrong with any of them. I picked up a slice of raw-milk Northern Lights Blue (above) Wednesday for a holiday cheeseboard, and my friend Katie and I couldn’t get enough tastes. Made by Joe Sherman, one of the originals behind Amablu Cheese, Minnesota-made Northern Lights Blue packs a spicy, vibrant punch with its thick blue veins and creamy, crumbly paste. It’s a show-stopper on its own or with apple slices, honey and a sweet tipple.

Colleen and I discovered Hook’s Bloomin’ Idiot almost two years ago – in Virginia, of all places – and became instant fans. (Perhaps you could say we were hooked – har, har.) It looks like brie, and the paste on its own is mild and creamy, but the rind contains mold spores that give the cheese the blue kick. Bloomin’ Idiot is not the easiest cheese to find, so snatch it up if you come across it.

If goat cheese is more your thing, seek out Billy Blue from Wisconsin’s Carr Valley Cheese. You can’t beat the combination of a fresh, snowy white chevre with the spiciness of the blue. Sheep’s-milk cheese fans will love Big Woods Blue from Shepherd’s Way Farm in Minnesota.

Pacific Northwest Blues

No list of noteworthy American blues would be complete without Rogue River Creamery’s award-winning cheeses. Rogue River Blue (above), which won Best of Show at the 2011 ACS Conference, was the inspiration behind today’s event. A leaf-wrapped, pear-brandy-washed hunk of blue lovin’, Rogue River Blue is “a testament to Oregon’s terroir,” as Colleen put it in her original review. Buttery, silky, smokey, fruity – all are apt descriptors but fail to give the complete picture. You’ll just need to buy a piece and try it for yourself.

You also can’t go wrong with sister cheese Crater Lake Blue, which, despite being made from cow’s rather than sheep’s milk, closely mimics the taste of our dear Roquefort. Rogue River also makes Smokey Blue, which gets its signature sweet and nutty flavor from the Oregon hazelnut shells over which it’s smoked.

New England Blues

Ah, memories – our very first cheese post three years ago happened to be an American blue. Bayley Hazen (above), from C+C favorite Jasper Hill Farm, will always have a soft spot in our hearts, and a place in our cheese drawers. How can we resist its creamy, salty, raw-milk-tastic bite?

Hubbardston Blue goat cheese (right) is an unusual blue I discovered this summer when I was getting my anniversary cheese deliveries from Cowgirl Creamery. A surface-ripened cheese from Westfield Farm in Massachusetts, this goat cheese gets its blue inoculation while it’s still in the milk phase rather than as a chevre. After aging 30 days, it develops a dusty gray rind and a mushroomy taste.

New England is also home to one of our noted cheese innovators, Laini Fondiller of Vermont’s Lazy Lady Farm. Though we’ve only written about Fondiller’s Barick Obama on C+C, she also makes Lady in Blue, a raw-milk, soft-ripened blue that’s currently in season. Unfortunately, I’ve never seen it in Minnesota, so perhaps one of our New England readers can give us the scoop.

Southern Blues

If your cheese-lovin’ heart belongs to Dixie, look no further than Georgia’s Sweet Grass Dairy, which makes an excellent raw-milk blue called Asher Blue (above). When I’m not obsessing over Sweet Grass Dairy’s Green Hill, I enjoy this assertive, creamy cheese. You can taste the love Jeremy and Jessica Little put into each wheel, which is pierced 50 times by hand to develop the blue veins that run thickly through the paste.

Deep in the heart of Texas, the Mozzarella Company turns out mini loaves of Deep Ellum Blue. Called “a blue cheese for people who don’t like blue cheese,” this cow’s-milk cheese is aged six weeks to develop a moldy blue exterior. Its name derives from the Dallas neighborhood where the cheese factory is located – ironically, an area where blues singers used to perform.

Which American blues will you be purchasing today? Share your finds with us!

I have to admit that I’ve never been a cranberry sauce fan. The stuff from the can was so unappealing to me growing up, and I think my mom felt the same way, because I don’t remember seeing it on our Thanksgiving table when I was a kid. But I don’t remember homemade cranberry sauce, either, so maybe we just skipped up, just as we passed up pumpkin pie for chocolate cream. But a few years ago, Colleen created a recipe for cranberry sauce that rocked my taste buds – and those of my oldest son, who flips his lid whenever cranberries reappear at Trader Joe’s because he knows that I’ll make him Auntie C’s special sauce. I’ve already made the sauce twice this year, and when a rare cup of leftover berries entered my refrigerator after dinner Friday night, of course I thought, “I bet this would go fantastically with cheese.” Turns out I was right!

At one of the Wisconsin Cheese Originals seminars I attended during our Wisconsin cheese trip, I sampled Dunbarton Blue, a cheddar-blue hybrid created by Chris Roelli of Roelli Cheese Haus. Shullsburg, Wis., has been home to Roelli Cheese for almost 100 years, but only recently has the creamery switched from making commodity cheeses to artisan varieties. Dunbarton Blue is a case in point – Roelli crafts small batches of raw-milk cheddar and adds Penicillium roqueforti to create minerally blue veins throughout the cheese. Some wedges have more veins than others; mine had very few, but I could still taste the hint of blue with each bite of meaty, mushroomy cheddar.

Dunbarton Blue’s hearty flavor is a perfect foil for a sweetly tart accompaniment such as cranberry sauce, and using a cinnamon-spiked biscuit as a base ties together the bite. Pass around a platter of these treats before Thanksgiving dinner and you need no other appetizer besides a glass of full-bodied red wine or a flute of bubbly. You have other things, like that big bird in the oven, to worry about on Thanksgiving. Buy some cheese, spoon up some extra sauce and give yourself a break.