Raclette Cheese.
So after a couple days of working very hard, I decided I needed a great reward.
Considering the fact that I hardly go out and I lack a significant other, I decided that a luscious cheese fest was necessary.
Many women substitute sex for food, I am one of those women who substitute sex for CHEESE.
Hence, my trek to the Upper East Side to my favorite of all favorites, “
Ideal Cheese Shop“. Now I know it looks like a lame bodega, with an unimpressive awning. I also know the name “ideal cheese shop” is somewhat boring. However, once you pass this deceiving storefront, you meet a wonderful store of great gems, most of which are goodies imported from France, Switzerland, and Italy. You can find specialty jams, drinks, flatbreads, and most importantly…CHEESE!
The cheese wheels of the storefront give a slight hint to what awaits you. The smell of the store is, to say the least, unbecoming. Do not browse inside if you are meeting a date later on in the night, he will not call you back.
In any case, here are some of my fruitful attempts of capturing some jewels in this store. Lurpak butter is one of my favorites, hard to find even at whole foods.
Rieme Sparkling fruit drinks. I love these because they are #1–french products, and #2–they are not too sweet. I pick up the grapefruit flavor and drink a bit before I pay the cheese monger.
Uruguay air dried beef..I cannot say how much I love this stuff. It is great as a meat flavored base for pasta sauces instead of using Pancetta. It doesn’t have that porky kickback flavor, and its also good just to slice over cheese and bread. So salty.
Gorgeous salami. If your boyfriend likes cellulite, eat lots of this as surely the combination of salt and fats will turn your thighs into the texture of Cottage Cheese.
Your dreams of looking like Kate Moss in the early 90’s are compromised; the uncontrollable urge to slice this ball of fat straight into your mouth is a lot stronger than starvation.
Assorted Cheeses, there was a whole section in the store devoted to bleu cheese, but I didn’t want to scare the Cheese monger with my paparazzi tactics. My hair is sufficiently doused with the stench of Pecorino Romano, and I wonder why I am single….
One of the cheeses I brought home from the store was a 1/4 wheel of the Raclette, which is an aged cow’s milk with lots of salt and skim milk. You can buy the whole milk variety but I like the lighter flavor. It’s a semi-firm cheese with great melting capabilities. In the good old days this cheese was used around campfires, melted into absolute heaven and placed over bread- sort of like S’MORES but way better. It is mainly a Swiss tradition but many French people enjoy this as well. Raclette starts the origins of Fondue, but with Fondue you add wine or other alcoholic varieties. The aging time for the cheese itself is about 3-6 months…
“Raclette cheese originated in the French speaking areas in the Alpine regions of the Valais canton in Switzerland. While the process of melting cheese has been around since ancient times, according to legends – local farmers or herdsmen in the valleys of the Swiss Alps set up camp for the night and the cheese that was laying around on stones at meal time, melted near the open fire and some farmer scraped it off the rock (not wanting to waste any of it of course), he then tasted it and thought it tasted divine. The idea quickly caught on amongst the group and this novel idea quickly spread throughout the valley and so the cheese became well known as the most ideal to melt. Other ingredients would accompany the meal like gherkins (pickled cucumber) and small onions and to drink; kirsch (cherry liqueur), herbal tea or Fendant (local white wine).
It was a filling meal and enjoyed for its great simplicity and heartiness. The concept was simple and the melting of the raclette cheese was to become a popular way to eat it. It was comfort food at its best and the tradition eventually spread to other countries beyond the Alps from visitors travelling from afar to enjoy the famous ski resorts in the Valais region.”
Cheese is placed onto the “Raclette Machine”. Yes there is a cheese heating machine especially made for this specific type of cheese. The cheese melts very slowly and my greedy eyes are ready to fall out of my head. A wheel of fortune if I ever saw one!
I prepare potatoes, fingerling and waxy yellow. I like to steam these in order to not interrupt the flavor of the Raclette. Restaurants in France serve it like this as well. Other sides you can use are bread and dried meats of course. Its better to keep the ingredients simple so you don’t miss out on the flavor of the cheese
Bubbling cheese. At this point, it is normal to scrape the melting cheese onto a dish to place on top of bread, potatoes and etc. Raclette in french means “to scrape”.
So instead of having to scrape it, I like to just let it fall naturally onto a plate.
It is truly an enjoyable process, because the cheese continues to melt and people will just sit around, drink, and talk for hours. I’d say that this Raclette cheese is very inducive to socializing. A quarter wheel will feed about 5-6 people.
Steamed potatoes and broccoli. Very easy. Simple.
Last touch– Since I am trying to drink less, I decide to drink some of this non alcoholic beverage. This drink is very good to balance out the salty kickback flavor of the cheese. Grapefruit is my favorite.
So I am ready to eat, but not quite just yet…..
Now, I am ready!
Category: Food | Tags: feature 44 comments »
January 29th, 2009 at 12:52 am
As Liz Lemon would say, “I want to go to there…”
You take amazing photos by the way. What kind of camera do you use?
January 29th, 2009 at 12:57 am
Hello wool,
thank you.
I take them with NIKON D90.
I wish I had the nikond300 but thats
for later on when I am more successful and have more money in the bank.
January 29th, 2009 at 1:07 am
oh my goodness, thank you so much for this post!!! Cheese is my other life, I find ways to eat it with anything, or maybe just buy itself. I may very well be stopping by that shop this weekend.
January 29th, 2009 at 1:16 am
uhhhhhhhh
yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
this post makes me hungry
January 29th, 2009 at 1:25 am
I love cheese too.. .
January 29th, 2009 at 1:56 am
The existence of a cheese heating apparatus is out of this world.
Do you think the air dried beef would be good in a vodka-sauce pasta dish?
January 29th, 2009 at 2:30 am
burn these bones
You read my mind about vodka sauce pasta dish. The Braseole (the air dried beef) I posted is perfect for the background hint of meaty flavor.
In the vodka sauce you’re guests will be wondering.. “what is that something i can’t quite put my finger on it…” if you add the Braseole.
Such a perfect marriage.
January 29th, 2009 at 3:15 am
that machine is a dream. an honest to goodness dream.
But can you use it (or is there anything similar) for other um….wheeled cheeses? It seems convenient for when you don’t want to bake/melt a whole round of camembert…..(or maybe something with a harder rind than that). oh now I’m just rambling because I’m thinking of cheese, meat, vodka sauce and my next trip to market.
January 29th, 2009 at 3:19 am
Marina,
I am actually wondering the same thing! I don’t use it other than Raclette but I imagine that it would work perfectly for a semi hard cheese, something that isn’t completely soft and runny like Brie.
January 29th, 2009 at 7:36 am
OH my god, you took me on such a journey. That picture of the melting cheese was too much…
January 29th, 2009 at 10:02 am
My housemate used to have raclette parties all the time that year, and use a variety of cheeses, until one fateful day when he made blueberry pancakes for dessert and somehow made everyone ill. Still, was nice while it lasted.
January 29th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
HOW COULD YOU GO TO THE UES AND NOT TELL ME?!
:-\
January 29th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
Yum, I love chese w/ potatoes and brocculi!
January 29th, 2009 at 2:45 pm
am drooling….
i adore raclette too, but today i think i’ll have to settle for a grilled cheese sami. comfort food at its best.
January 29th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
your blog is like a list of every dieters most deadly (and delicious) sins
January 29th, 2009 at 4:36 pm
Amazing post Ji!
We found this norweigan cheese the other day that is called ski queen.. it’s so great..
I love Bodum wares so much.
It’s really fun also making really nice look setups for meals at home. This looks like perfection. I especially like the napkin you’ve got it all sitting on.
+ the garlic !!!
January 29th, 2009 at 4:50 pm
mmmmm i just had a raclette feast last night…we are on the same cheese wavelength!
January 29th, 2009 at 9:23 pm
I just wanted to say I love your blog! You write about my two favorite loves, fashion and food! AND now even better, you wrote about cheese! I just moved to NYC and it’s great to hear about food here. Thanks!
January 29th, 2009 at 9:48 pm
Oh God, cheese porn! I’m suddenly very hungry and dreaming about the delightful (yet satisfying) simplicity of good bread and cheese…
January 30th, 2009 at 3:50 am
I am now convinced I must have raclette cheese and the cheese melter … if I had an extra $200 lying around. What did you cook the broccoli and garlic with?
January 30th, 2009 at 8:46 am
NET NET-
roast garlic
Blanch broccoli
saute with red pepper flakes and olive oil
lastly garnish with flaked salt.
Remember when you use this to eat with cheese you want to keep flavors relatively simple so the flavor of cheese shines.
January 30th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
Seriously, the bubbling cheese pic, is almost not safe for work! haha. Looks too good!
February 3rd, 2009 at 10:04 am
Your web is a delicious dinner for eyes :*
Warm regards,
Fashion-abuse
February 4th, 2009 at 8:50 pm
Your posts are beautiful and hilarious. I don’t which was more satisfying– that you’re as big a foodie as I am and love Monsieur FX, or that you intro’d with BIG. HIlarious.
February 9th, 2009 at 4:57 pm
woa….Broccoli dish..that looks so goooood….
can you post something about Broccoli?
March 9th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
god, you can even make a cheese post sexy!
looks awesome!
August 5th, 2009 at 12:03 am
Oh wow. I love cheese. This post is absolutely food porn material.
October 12th, 2009 at 5:28 pm
i’m so drawn in by your blog! by the way, have you tried goat’s milk raclette? fantastic! and if you are ever in Williamsburg, BK, the Bedford Cheese shop is the ONLY place in nyc that carries it (that I know of)
October 14th, 2009 at 10:47 am
I found it!
And I will have to eat Raclette soon again! <3
October 17th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
wonderfull!
compliments
if you want visit my website
ths!
October 17th, 2009 at 6:51 pm
why ARE you single? If I ever end up in New York, I’ll definitely find this store.
Ps, have you ever seen the other style of raclette grill? it consists basically of an electric tabletop grill that has a couple inches space underneath the grill, directly under the heating element, for six (or so, depending on the size) personal cheese pans. the idea is the same, potatoes, vegetables, pickles and melted cheese. on top, you can grill your ham and slash or pineapple or whatever else your mind concieves delicious with melted delicious on it. wonderful stuff.
October 18th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
Amazing to see the progression of you from then till now!
October 18th, 2009 at 4:59 pm
Thanks!
October 25th, 2009 at 1:07 am
Beautiful post! My husband is Swiss, we have Raclette once a month or so during the cold months. The tabletop grill the “Swissman” mentioned is what I’ve mostly seen in homes in Switzerland.
We take mushrooms and bacon and cook on the grill top to top the cheese.
In Switzerland, where they eat bread with everything, I’ve never seen bread with Raclette, only potatoes.
Beautiful blog/webzine. Thank you!
October 28th, 2009 at 8:33 am
[...] Raclette Cheese [...]
November 25th, 2009 at 4:28 pm
Sad about Lurpack being hard to find. It’s my favourite too….easier to find in England. If you have Harris Teeter I found it there…..
ps. You are amazing
December 7th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
goddamn i remember reading about raclette in Heidi (except they never specified it as being raclette) as a child and really, really wanting some. now i know how to make it myself. awesome.
January 3rd, 2010 at 4:05 pm
Sweetie, you bought Italian cheese for a Swiss dish!!??!! Are you crazy? Come to Switzerland and I’ll show you the difference…
January 17th, 2010 at 8:41 pm
this post isn’t receiving the attention it deserves! thank you for championing affordable but unforgettable, simple and effective culinary delight. <3
January 23rd, 2010 at 10:27 am
your pics are really fab ^.^
January 24th, 2010 at 2:02 pm
Happy to assist w Nikon D300. You re brilliant.
January 29th, 2010 at 3:43 pm
i find it so wierd that lurpack is so find in the us when it’s in every corner shop here in britain!
April 4th, 2010 at 11:12 am
[...] this recipe while searching for Raclette recipes, which I have been obsessed with ever since I saw this incredible post by one of my favorite bloggers LUXIRARE. Raclette is best described as a Gruyere-type cheese that [...]
June 3rd, 2010 at 6:33 am
this mught be very selfish of me.. but please post more..
Once i got introduced to you and your amazing creations (specifically food.. YUM!).. i got hooked..
and i want my daily fix please…
Thank you so much for being ultra creative.. and making me want to creative.. !!
PS: MORE FOOD POSTS PLEASE.. !!
uve got a huge fan base in Kuwait