cheese – Ann Street Studio

The French Cheese Culture

December 23, 2016December 31, 2016Posted in LifestyleTagged catering, cheese, cheese plate, cheeseplate, cured meat, food, france, french, hosting, lifestyle, provence, salami, still life, stilllife17 Comments

France is a culture of cheese, chief amongst the reasons we get along so very well. One of my favorite stops each Saturday at the market is with my local fromager, Clement. His wife’s family raise sheep and have been making cheese for generations. He attends five different markets each week, selling only the finest fromage, has been utterly sweet to me, and is extremely passionate and knowledgeable about his products.

For this particular cheese plate I created on an unexpectedly balmy December afternoon I asked Clement to recommend a variety of cheeses from different regions of France with different textures, colors, and flavor profiles. Some young, some aged, soft, firm, creamy, cow’s milk, goat, sheep. His suggestions of 5 cheeses (4 of which are available in the US from Murry’s Cheese, my FAVORITE cheese store in New York, and linked below!) led to the most beautifully decedent platter mixed in with a symphony of dried fruits, nuts, olives, tapenades, honey and saussions (cured meats) from the local market.

Continue reading “The French Cheese Culture” →

A Picnic in Provence

July 6, 2016June 22, 2017Posted in Lifestyle, Provence, TravelTagged cheese, food, food and wine, foodandwine, lacoste, lifestyle, marquis de sade, picnic, provence, travel12 Comments

It was perfect. A picnic in Provence where it is so simple, so easy, it’s practically laid out for you! Bouncing around visiting the little ancient villages perched on hilltops you are bound to bump into one of the farmer’s markets that migrates daily from town to town. Stalls of cheeses, cured meats, fresh eggs, provencal olives, rustic breads, almond based sweets and the most delicious seasonal produce all lined up for discovery. There is no flashy marketing, just the country staples.

It brought me such joy.

We’d pick up a bottle of local wine which, in this region, is treated much more like a casual daily ritual than a precious commodity. More like an expression of joy from the earth and the community, and the simple pleasures of life. I bought an old monogrammed linen sheet from a yard sale which provided ample space for all our accompaniments to rest in afternoons under cherry trees, or hilltop vistas, lying down for a nap or to read a book, or even just listening quietly to my Renoir playlist as I watched the clouds roll by in all their funny shapes up there in that big blue sky.

Below, caught in the wind under the cherry trees in a Reformation floral dress and Maison Michel hat.

Continue reading “A Picnic in Provence” →

A Southern Holiday Party

December 3, 2015December 4, 2015Posted in LifestyleTagged biscuits, brussel sprouts, catfish, cheese, dinner, Ecco Domani, eccodomani, food and wine, foodandwine, friends, holiday, home, merlot, pinot grigio, pinotgrigio, recipe, recipes, ribs, southern, southern cooking, southern food, southerncooking, southernfood, wine6 Comments

It feels like only a moment ago we were hosting last year’s holiday party for friends. My how fast a year comes and goes with so many new memories to stowaway in the vault. For this year’s get together in our new Upper West Side home I wanted to bring to life a piece of my past to make the meal even more personal and intimate by taking our friends on a culinary trip down south, to taste my southern roots and warm comfort food.

When I think about southern food I always think about BBQ and biscuits. A saucy slow cooked meat rolled in spices and balanced by the buttery softness of a warm biscuit. It’s sinful and wonderful and went beautifully with Ecco Domani’s full bodied Merlot. For the non-meat eating guests we offered southern catfish baked and served in my cast iron skillet my grandmother passed down to me which is seasoned with love, as I like to say, and a great compliment to Ecco Domani’s Pinot Grigio.

Of course, any time I host friends or family I like to start with a cheese plate for people to graze on while we finish preparing the meal. Following my simple rule I outlined in this post, I chose a wonderful soft goat cheese, aged gouda, manchego cheese to be accompanied by roasted almonds, apples and artisanal crackers. Wanting to start with a crisp and light wine, we opened Ecco Domani’s Pinot Grigio for the cheese course though it goes perfectly well with the Merlot too if you prefer.

In the end, no matter what you serve or what you wear, it’s about making memories with friends and loved ones, sharing stories, being at peace and above all, loving one another this holiday season. Cheers….

See below for entertaining tips and southern recipes created for this night by my friend Jared who is, as we call him, the cookie monster. Everything was served on handmade pottery (a wedding gift from my parents!) by Clayworks in the East Village and another very personal, homey touch to this intimate gathering.

For last year’s holiday party we set individual photographs I had taken of each guest at their place setting to not only arrange the seating in a beautiful visual way but for each of the guests to take home a gift from the evening. This year I decided to create individual bouquets for each place setting that the guests could take home and enjoy for the days to come. Living in New York City this is a wonderfully easy way to play with your creativity. On 28th and 7th is the most fabulous flower market where you can find anything your heart desires. I love more than anything exploring in and out of these shops and creating my own story though flowers.

Above, setting the table in Maud Heline’s Arlanik white button up shirt dress made in Brooklyn (ps- it’ has pockets!!)

Continue reading “A Southern Holiday Party” →

Murray’s Cheese Shop

October 13, 2011August 20, 2012Posted in New York, UncategorizedTagged cheese, food, murray's Cheese Shop, murrays, New York CityLeave a comment

A legendary cheese shop in Greenwich Village with hundreds of imported, local and artisanal cheeses makes my little heart sing in joy!

Shooting a cheese story for Cup of Jo led us to this fromage haven to stock up for the Perfect Cheese Plate, the Adventurous Cheese Plate, & Perfect Pairs…. and then I died a happy-cheesey-death.

Continue reading “Murray’s Cheese Shop” →

The Food Diary of a Brocavore~

April 21, 2010Posted in UncategorizedTagged Brocavore, cheese, olives, recipe, wineLeave a comment

From Mike’s Food Diary:

Entry #3: Olives with Porch Grown Herbs

Ingredients:

· 1 Tbsp of chopped herbs like oregano, parsley or thyme

· 2 Tbsp of diced cheese and preferably firm and made with goats milk

· 1/2 clove garlic chopped

· 1/2 tsp of good olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix. Transfer to a serving dish. Simple.

Variations

Use basil, fresh rosemary, or tarragon
Omit the cheese
Serve warm by placing all the ingredients in a sauté pan over low heat for 5 minutes

Wine Recommendation

The briny quality of olives induces thirst, so pair them with a cool, vigorous glass of white wine. Let’s say a crispy Pinot Bianco from Northern Italy or a sleek Muscadet from France.

The Food Diary of a Brocavore is an ongoing collaboration project with words & recipes by Mike of whats up stairs and photography by me. Please do enjoy other entries from The Food Diary of a Brocavore!

March 9, 2010August 14, 2012Posted in UncategorizedTagged bread, cheese, food and drink, watkinsLeave a comment

An artisan’s lunch~

From the Cheese Shop

March 9, 2010August 14, 2012Posted in UncategorizedTagged brie, cheese, chutney, food and drinkLeave a comment

This is probably one of my favorite things: brie, chutney & bread

From the Cheese Shop

March 9, 2010August 14, 2012Posted in UncategorizedTagged bread, cheese, food and drink, wasiksLeave a comment

From the Cheese Shop

Molly & Jamie~ At the Green Market

February 11, 2010Posted in UncategorizedTagged at the green market, cheese, cheese plate, farmers market, food and drink, molly and jamie, molly shuster, union square, what is freshLeave a comment

~ Story and styling by Chef & Food Stylist, Molly Shuster. Photography by me.

From the Chef:

For my 25th birthday, I went on a trip to Paris. Yes, this makes me just about the luckiest girl there is and my experience in France was only confirmation of that fact. I fell in love with Paris- the food, the city, the people, the pastries! All of these were enough to make me consider packing my bags and staying for good.
Of all the wonderful food I had while in Paris, nothing quite compared to the incredible cheese that could be found throughout the city. Virtually all the cheese in France comes from small local dairies. The variety was astounding, as were the myriad differences in color, texture, age, smell and taste.

Dinner in France inevitably includes hours of laughter and conversation with friends, fresh bread, multiple bottles of delicious cheap wine, and a cheese course to finish the meal. Offering anywhere from 3-6 varieties, the cheese course quickly became a favorite part of my Parisian suppers. Happily, this is a tradition I can practice anywhere.

Unlike in the US, cheese in France is made with unpasteurized milk. All American milk is required by law to undergo pasteurization due to health laws. While this inevitably makes for a different kind of cheese, there are American dairy farms using traditional methods to produce beautiful, artisanal dairy products. Next time you are at your local farmer’s market, check out all the different varieties being offered.

An ongoing collaboration, please do see more recipes from our series!

January 26, 2010August 14, 2012Posted in UncategorizedTagged cheese, cheese plate, food & drink, food and drink, omgsexyfood, parmigiano, reggianoLeave a comment

The fun thing about working with a chef and food stylist is that they have big blocks of Parmigiano Reggiano laying around their kitchen. Now, the important question, do I take a bite when she’s not looking?….

Out takes from our cheese plate photo shoot.