KC Cheeses x Cheeselandia
Welcome to the beautiful world of Cheeselandia, where clouds of mozzarella cascade across the sky, over the ocean of blue cheese. Come on, don’t brie afraid.
Last Saturday I threw a cheese party in honor of #Cheeselandia and Wisconsin Cheese! I am all about appreciating cheese-makers, their art, and their cheese, so a party dedicated to cheese was an obvious idea. Read on to find out more about the cheeses served, the party features, and how you can throw your own cheese party!
(Also Wisconsin Cheese’s website is major goals)
“We dream in cheese.”
The Cheeses
SARTORI BLACK PEPPER BELLAVITANO
Before the party, I had never seen or eaten anything like this cheese before. The Black Pepper BellaVitano by Sartori is one of a kind. It’s rich, nutty and creamy combined with just enough zest to perk you up and open your eyes. Place it on top of crusty artisan bread and you have fluffy, savory, crunchy, creamy heaven on earth. It also pairs well with my favorite wine, Chardonnay.
I highly recommend trying this cheese. You will not be disappointed.
WIDMER’S CHEESE CELLARS 4 YEAR AGED CHEDDAR
Did you know that prior to 1850, nearly all cheese produced in the US was cheddar? WOW!
The Widmer family has been handcrafting their cheddar since 1922. Widmer’s Cheese has used all of that time to find the key to a lovely cheddar. This bright orange block of cheddar is impressive in every way: color, texture and taste. Due to its age, this cheddar is tangy and sharp. It cuts and crumbles easily, making it a perfect fit for recipes as well as on top of a cracker.
After the party I used the rest of the block to make an explosively tangy, tasty omelet!
ROTH CHEESE BUTTERMILK BLUE
“Bold, yet approachable”, their slogan, is exactly right. I have never heard more love for a blue before. Typically those who I chat with about cheese absolutely despise blue cheese and anything too stinky. They associate blue with “gone bad”. This, of course, is untrue.
Roth’s Buttermilk Blue is creamy, mellow and attractive. Soft and crumby, it’s created with fresh, raw milk from local Wisconsin cows. It’s tangy, yet not so strong, so you won’t get tired of it after a few bites. In a perfect world I would pair this cheese with honey and pears. In reality, I am scarfing it down by itself.
UPLANDS CHEESE PLEASANT RIDGE RESERVE
We called it “the potato” due to its natural, brown, washed rind, but that really is unrelated. Pleasant Ridge Reserve is an aged, alpine-style cheese. What is an alpine-style cheese? Traditionally, this style of cheese is produced through “transhumance”, where the herd grazes higher up the mountains in the summer. Pleasant Ridge Reserve is only made in the summer months while the cows are grazing the fresh pasture. The cheese is made to have very low moisture. “Combined with the washing of the cheeses exterior throughout the ageing process, the low acid environment in the cheese also promotes the growth of Brevibacterium linens which brings out some of the more intense flavors in the cheese and promotes the growth of the cheeses’ natural rind”. (Via the Oldways Cheese Blog)
Pleasant Ridge is the most-awarded cheese in American history, and I can see why. The care and technique it takes to make this cheese is incredible. I would definitely recommend trying this cheese; and hey, you can purchase a 10 pound wheel directly from their website! ;)
Party Features
PHOTO BOOTH
So easy and so fun. It took me about 20 minutes total to create my own props and hang the background.
I created cheese-themed props, a slice of cheddar and a macaroni noodle, with yellow construction paper, orange construction paper, scissors, tape and food skewers. I free-hand cut the shapes with my scissors, taped on a few fun accents with the orange paper and then taped them onto their sticks!
To finish it off, I found this wonderful rainbow tablecloth at Target for only $3.99. I am positive I will use it again! It’s so pretty!
COCKTAIL BAR
“Cocktail bar” is probably too formal to describe what I actually set up for the party, but HEY, it’s fine. I wanted to please the crowd with a variety of options, so I provided beer, wine and a mixed drink.
At a local liquor store I grabbed a few Dark Horse wines, which I have been loving recently. Their canned wine is delicious and extremely convenient. Buy one and go! No corkscrew needed.
I also bought a variety pack of Avery Brewing beer that included their White Rascal, El Gose, Avery IPA, Liliko’I Kepolo. I will definitely be buying this variety pack again; it was very popular at the party. My favorite is the El Gose, I can’t resist sours!
Lastly, I snagged some Kraken and some Coke to make rum and cokes. I forgot how smooth and rich Kraken is.
To finish off the cocktail bar I displayed a basket full of koozies, a mug full of striped paper straws, and of course plenty of cups and ice!
SWEET AND SALTY SNACKS
Along with the cheeses, I wanted to provide some different flavors. I ran over to Aldi and got the following:
Cheese puffs
Chocolate covered donuts
Popcorn
Carrots
Hummus
Summer sausage
Crackers
Raspberries
Strawberries
Where to Find the Cheeses
Since I’ve been watching you drool on your keyboard, I thought I would be nice enough to let you know where you can find these cheeses! For purchasing cheese, I have some suggestions for ya:
Whole Foods is partnered with Wisconsin Cheese on a national level - and we have a new, beautiful Whole Foods here in KC!
The Better Cheddar is a local KC cheese shop and specialty food market. You’re guaranteed to find some amazing Wisconsin cheese here.
Check your local grocer, such as Hy-Vee or Price Chopper. They may have a more curated selection of Wisconsin-specific cheeses.
Some cheese makers have retail options on their websites where you can order from them directly! I have linked the websites above for the four cheeses we enjoyed at our #Cheeselandia party.
A large specialty retailer like Murray’s Cheese has a great selection of Wisconsin-based cheeses.
Thanks for coming to Cheeselandia with me!
