It Ain’t Easy Being Cheesy
For me, it is easy being cheesy… been spreading the food puns pretty thick in my Instagram lately so I’ll put that on the back burner for now…I am a cheese lover and aficionado, going to cheesemaking camp in Vermont with the acclaimed Peter Dixon at Consider Bardwell Farm was a career highlight. If we were friendly (we are, right?) I would even call myself a whore for the cheese, turophile extraordinaire, there’s nothing more than I love than a big gooey piece of Mt. Tam from Cowgirl Creamery or a nice hard piece of classic Parmigiano, I savor it all.
Dare I say, I do have this one problem with cheese. How to store it. Let’s say I go to the Sickles Cheese Department and drop some real dough on curds. There have been times where I have gobbled the entire piece of cheese or cheeses purchased (ahem, please refer to the “whore” comment above, it’s for real) but sometimes I don’t. And then what, what do I do with the remaining wedge? I spent $28.99 a pound on Ossau Iraty and now I am going to shove it in the refrigerator?! The refrigerator is no place for cheese. That’s like a walk of shame for that poor beautiful LIVING creature! Yes, cheese is alive with microbes and bacteria and all good stuff. Plastic wrap suffocates the curds and the refrigerator sucks the life out of it, making it withered and dry. Poor dried up little cheese pucks, sadly wasting away…
Then I heard about this wonderful invention by my new #ladyboss friend, Jessica Sennett, The Cheese Grotto (imagine superhero music here please). This Virginia-crafted, American-designed amazing little box is like a humidor for your cheese! A handmade breathable cave that regulates humidity and airflow naturally! By Gouda, I think we’ve got it (sorry, I was going to stop doing that)! This is an attractive and useful piece of equipment that fills a kitchen need that I’ve had for a long time. I love the streamlined plyboo (sustainable bamboo plywood) construction, the ease of use, and it’s function. Cheese needs proper airflow and moisture to age and keep well. The Grotto’s air vent and clay moisture brick are uniquely analog solutions in one box.
Would you like to see the Cheese Grotto in person? I’ll bring it over and we can have a cheese party. And as you can see from the pictures, the Grotto is also fun at parties (sometimes I’ve been known to be fun at parties too). I am not the only one who thinks The Cheese Grotto is great; this box of joy has been featured in The New York Times, Saveur Magazine, Vogue Magazine, you know, small little publications like that. (I try to keep good company).
Keep your cheese love affair alive, treat it with care in the Cheese Grotto and it will cultivate a long term relationship. Leave the whoring for enjoying the cheese, not the walk of shame to the refrigerator.
Now you can Relish your Cheese! Check it out or buy it here.