For the third time this week, I am pouring a glass of wine while my curds gently soak in their water bath. Already sliced on the plate are some green zebra tomatoes I stumbled upon, champagne mangos (where have these been hiding my whole life?), flaked pink salt from the Murray River in Australia, tender treviso and a basil vinaigrette made with white balsamic vinegar. In less than five minutes, I¹m going to have fresh mozzarella. In ten minutes, dinner.

Not just any grocery store mozzarella. No. No. No. We’re talking fresh mozzarella. The creamy, slightly salty tang and gentle toothiness of hand-pulled mozzarella. Mozzarella that I’m making myself.

Sometimes a few simple ingredients come together to create something spectacular. The individual elements compliment each other so well that, when combined, the results are so delicious they border on magical. Think bacon and eggs; chocolate and strawberries; brats and beer; mango and mozzarella.

Moist, sweet and soft, with a springy yielding texture unlike any other cheese, the process of making fresh mozz is very simple, and the results are blissful. Indeed, the fresh cheese classes at Datz are among the most requested.

Start with a pound of fresh mozzarella curd and three quarts of 150° water.
In a bowl, crumble, cut or shave the curd to about the size of a marble, and then pour the water over it. Make sure the water covers the curd. Let the mixture sit for three minutes, gently stirring with a spoon or your hands (if you can handle the heat!). When the curd is melted and lump-free, start pulling it gently. When the color becomes pearlescent and gentle ribbons appears in the texture, shape it into balls and drop it into a cool, salted water bath. A gentle dunk is all it needs to set, really.

Don¹t believe me? Take the class on Sunday May 16 ($25, 6 pm) and find out.
But between now and then, you can find fresh mozzarella at The Fresh Market and better Publix Supermarkets to quench the urge for this delicious twist on the classic caprese.

Mango Caprese with Basil Vinaigrette

• 1/2 C chopped fresh basil leaves, plus whole leaves for layering
• 3 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 T white balsamic vinegar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 8 radicchio leaves, thick ends trimmed
• 2 large mangos, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
• 8 slices fresh mozzarella

Blend the chopped basil, oil, and vinegar in a food processor or blender until basil is mostly pureed. Season with salt and pepper.
Overlap radicchio, mango, mozzarella, and basil leaves on plates.
Drizzle with vinaigrette and serve, passing additional vinaigrette on the side.

There is only a slight difference between B.epidermis, the bacteria found on cloistered regions of the human body, and Brevibacterium linens, found on the skin of a washed-rind cheese. At least when it comes to aroma. So why then do we trust and enjoy, a cheese that smells like body odor, but not body odor per se? For enthusiasts of washed-rind cheese, its bodily odor activates our “cheese pheromones.” Indeed, the cheeses with the funkiest smell ((i.e. Epoisses, Taleggio, Cowgirl Creamery’s Red Hawk, all of which are available at Datz, by the way) often have the sweetest centers that melt like a dream. Their earthy funk adds flair to mild foods, and as they cook, the silkier ones form a sauce that coats food in a film of smooth, creamy luxury. These are cheeses that inspire cooks.

You can thank the monks for this lovely discovery.

During the Middle Ages, Trappist monks in Europe began rubbing the beer and spirits for which their establishments were celebrated on their cheeses to keep the rinds from cracking. The fact that the practice only made the cheese more delicious was simply fortuitous.

Because washed rinds were traditionally Trappist cheeses, it is not surprising that they pair well with beer. The monks who make these cheeses are also master brewers and would naturally want their two creations to taste good together. I like them best with Trappist beers, but they go well with Belgian beers in general, whose slight sweetness plays off the flavors in the washed rind’s interior.

Pairing with wine is simple, too. Aromatic whites are generally the way to go. Off-dry Gewurztraminers, Rieslings and lightly oaked Viogniers work like Belgian beers to highlight the cheese’s sweetness. If the cheese is European, it goes especially well with the wines of the region. Epoisses loves pinot noirs and chardonnays from the Burgundy area where it grew up, for example.

So hold your nose if you must, but try not to judge a cheese by its odor. If it’s too strong for you on its own, try easing into a good washed rind with a recipe that incorporates it into a classic dish. Like grilled cheese, for instance.

In honor of Grilled Cheese Month (April), we present the following recipe: Tallegio Grilled Cheese with Caramelized Onions and Arugula. In this sandwich, melted Taleggio makes one of the creamiest grilled cheeses you will ever taste. Offset by the sweetness of the caramelized onions and peppery arugula, the flavors are perfectly balanced. The crunch offered by country wheat and walnut bread only sweetens the deal.

Makes 2 sandwiches
Ingredients:

• 1 medium-sized yellow onion sliced
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 large handful arugula, washed
• 1/2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
• Divided 4 slices country walnut bread
• 5 ounces sliced Taleggio
• 1/2 inch thick Pinch of salt

Directions:

• Begin cooking onions in canola oil in a medium-sized saute pan over high heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Lower heat and cook for 20 minutes, or until onions are caramelized and sweet tasting, stirring occasionally.
• Add up to 2 tablespoons of water to onions when necessary to prevent burning and sticking. Let cool.
• Toss arugula with olive oil in a separate bowl.
• Spread 1/2 tablespoon of butter on one side of each bread slice, using 2 tablespoons total.
• Begin building one sandwich by spreading 1/2 tablespoon of butter on the unbuttered side of one of the bread slices.
• Layer half the arugula on top of the butter, followed by half of the Taleggio and half of the caramelized onions.
• Top with another piece of bread, buttered side up. Repeat steps for the second sandwich.
• In a medium saute pan over low-medium heat, melt the remaining tablespoon of butter and add the sandwiches, arugula side down.
• Resist the urge to flip until the first side is golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip, turn heat to low, salt the top slice of bread, and wait until the second side is golden brown, about 5 minutes.
• Serve immediately.

I adore French cheeses.  I cannot keep the secret any longer… my favorite cheese (this week) is the French roquefort Gabriel Coulet Cosse Noir.  This cheese – probably the world’s greatest blue cheese – truly is tenderness poured into a rock. I’m not kidding, either. Gabriel Coulet is produced entirely from the milk of the ewes that feed on the vast plateaus found in the Aveyron. It is the quality of the milk, the processing of the curd, the adding of “penicillium roqueforti” and finally the ripening in natural caves that give us this unique and remarkable French cheese. The taste is complex, but quite outstanding… soft, creamy, slightly salty, with an after taste that leaves the palate craving for more.

Ahhh, but I digress. Recently I had the true honor of meeting a fellow cheese lover and a French Colonel (for all roads due lead to MacDill, didn’t you know?). Monsieur and I had a good hour-long cheese chat, sampling cheeses from all over the globe starting in France with the famous Brillat Savarin, Comte and Fromage D’Affinois. From there we ventured all over Europe – Ubriaco al Prosecco from Lombardy, Cahill’s Irish Porter from Limerick, Cana de Cabra from Murcia. I was most impressed with Monsieur’s experience with cheese, but what caught me by surprise was his delight with American artisanal cheeses. Where I wonder and fuss over the miracles of French penicillin, Monsieur fell hard for the Purple Haze from Mary Keene’s California creamery.  More and more I am discovering that cheese has power, a miraculous “je ne sais quoi” that can really unite us.

Case in point: Happy Birthday to Datz for one great year, and Happy 100th Birthday to France’s premier cheese store, Androuet.

I wish I was at work right now… Who says that shortly after midnight on a Wednesday, but it’s true. Datz has spoiled me. Especially when I am home, and I cannot sleep. Late nights and a tad bit of hunger will bring out the foodie in me.

So I find myself standing in front of an almost empty pantry – yes, there¹s a jar of Coupla Guys sauce and Moulins Mahjoub couscous. Some pantry I tell you.  But pasta at midnight –never.  I hesitate with fear, but slowly open the refrigerator… only to find… CHEESE.  I have cheese?  Is this a dream, a cheese mirage? Merde! It’s true. I do have cheese. And not just any cheese, but a small wedge of Beecher’s Flagship Cheddar. I am in turophile Heaven.

Beecher’s flagship is a product of open vat cheesemaking at its finest. Kurt Beecher Dammeier founded the company in 2002 at Seattle’s historic Pike Place Market, and since then Beecher¹s has risen to the top like curd from whey. Indeed, in 2009 the American Cheese Society awarded Beecher’s the second place prize for aged cheddars. So were talking sensational simplicity–creamy, robust and nutty. Use this in your mac and cheese next time.  No joke, it really is that good. And…the perfect midnight snack.

Datz’s February Culinary Education courses will be posted very soon. Be sure to check out the really cool cheese classes we are offering and remember to register early. Who knows, cheese might change your life. It has certainly changed mine at 12:40 am when I couldn¹t sleep.

Good night and cheese dreams friends.