la.foodblogging

Being someone who adores fancy cheeses, I am lucky enough to have a fantastic cheese store right in my ’hood for when I get those compulsive cravings for cheesy comestibles.

The Artisan Cheese Gallery offers a vast selection of all sorts of exquisite and boutique cheeses imported from all over the world, as well as all from over the States.

Every month they host evenings where you can sample selected cheeses and wines for a modest fee. I recently attended a fantastic introduction to certain French wines that were perfectly paired with French cheeses. It was then that I discovered a certain ambrosia known as Chaource. [pronounced - "shah - oourse"]

Chaource is a small village and commune in the Aube (aka the Champagne) region in France, about 120 miles south-east of Paris. Tourist sights include churches from the 12th and 16th centuries. But it is the cheese that is named after this village that I am most interested in describing.

Their heavenly stinky cheese has been made since the early 14th century in this small town. Similar to Brie and Camembert, but with a creamier texture, Chaource is a traditional cheese.

It is made from unpasteurised cows’ milk and the fat content is a minimum of 50%. When aged, Chaource becomes very creamy and a bit runny. Strong in aroma when fully matured, Chaource is redolent of mushrooms with a rich, earthy and creamy flavor. Chaource is good to eat at any stage of maturation. When young, Chaource is very smooth. When aged, the cheese is creamy. When fully matured, Chaource is nutty and a little bit salty.

Chaource is made in miniature wheels that gives it an elegant appearance. It is ideally paired with Champagne or, alternatively, with a dry white wine such as Sancerre or Chablis.

Chaource is easy to obtain. I suggest you call the Artisan Cheese Gallery to ensure they have it in stock. It will take approximately three days to get it in for a special order if they don’t have some on hand.

Owner Melody Dosch at Artisan sells the Chaource for $20.00 per whole cheese, or $44.00 per pound. The cheeses usually arrive fairly ripe and ready to eat, having been flown over by plane from France.

*Remember to let your cheeses come to room temperature before you serve them*

Upcoming events at the Artisan Cheese Gallery include:

May 15 - Spanish Wines and Cheeses
7:30 p.m.

June 20 - Beer and Cheese, the Ultimate Pairing
7:30 p.m.

July 17 - Wines and Cheeses from Napa and Sonoma
7:30 p.m.

August 15 - Washed Rind Cheeses and Libations
7:30 p.m.

September 18 - Kosher Wines and Vegetarian Cheeses
7:30 p.m.

October 17 - Fondue at Artisan Cheese Gallery
6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

November 20 - The Other American Cheese and Wine (NO – not Velveeta!)
7:30

I urge you visit their website and get onto the Artisan Cheese Gallery’s mailing list and be sure to make a reservation if an event takes your fancy – prices will vary, depending on the offering.

Artisan Cheese Gallery

12023 Ventura Blvd.,
Studio City, CA 91604

Phone: (818) 505 0207
Fax: (818) 505 0282

Store Hours:
Mon-Sat 10:30AM—7PM
Sunday 9AM—5PM

By MaxMillion (see more of her posts). Max Million is the nom de 'net of Pauline Adamek. Born in Sydney, Australia, Pauline has lived in Los Angeles for the past thirteen years and finds it agrees with her. She has been reviewing films and filing celebrity-based interview articles since 1991, and has filed stories from various international film festivals, including Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Toronto and Sundance. She completed a family cookbook and has also written novels for 8-12 year olds. She is the creator and host of ArtsBeatLA.