skipatrolkid wrote:Crappy Cheese Comes From California... Would get if from Wisconsin...

if you only stepped out of your world of swiss cheese on burgers and parmesan on pasta you'd know that your statement is the farthest from the truth. The Cheeseries (?) in California are producing some of the best artisan cheese in America.

Had the serena at DYW#3 over the weekend. Paired well with the Iron Horse Cab Franc. It also paired well with the Vampire Pinot Noir. The wine itself was just OK, but with the chees it worked really nice. Flavor wise I couldn't tell you. It was definitely parmesan-y. Really good stuff.

California cheese? Humph, not for this Wisconsinite

I used to turn up my nose at California cheese until I tried Humboldt Fog.

My lord, that stuff is divine.

So I'm giving this stuff a chance. In for 2 - one for me and one for the family!

in for two and residing in wisconsin
also dividing by zero

Not a serious question at all:

Serena looks lovely, and Serenita is very pretty--but where's the third sister?

kaia420 wrote:California cheese? Humph, not for this Wisconsinite

Oh don't be such a snob.

We (from Chicago) visited Sonoma last year. Guess where it reminded us of? Wisconsin. Amazing produce. Great cheese. Great committment to quality.
Beautiful agricultural area. Except take out the soy and the corn and put in grapevines.

yumitori wrote:Yeah, really. I can buy like 50 pounds of Velveeta for $30. I'm sure it would be just as good.

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Oh, wait. I actually have taste. The real question isn't if I'm going to be buying, but how much.

God love you sir. I was trying to figure out how to react to this. You said it more succinctly and humorously than I could.

Seriously, a good quality cheese is expensive, but worth it. The interesting thing is, I can buy a good quality Parmesan that costs 10-15 a pound, and because its flavor is so much richer, I can actually use it in pasta dishes and have it cost less than the powdered Kraft carp, because the flavor is richer and stronger a little goes a long way. This is a good price for this kind of cheese. It costs twice this on igourmet.

yumitori wrote:Okay, serious question for 3 Sisters (I love the 'wheels of cows' picture on your website, by the way. Beats my grandpa's operation hands-down) -

I see these are raw milk cheeses. I find it difficult sometimes to find raw milk cheese due to the (excessive, in my opinion) health concerns. Have you had any problems from regulatory agencies regarding your cheeses because they are from raw milk?

Raw milk cheese is legal to sell in the US as long as it has been aged at least 60 days as far as I know. This is why the young cheeses like brie and such are supposed to be better in places where you can use raw milk for those cheeses. I can't speak for the 3 sisters and any problems with regulatory agencies, but I wouldn't think they'd have too many problems unless certain states have stricter rules than the fed government.

The raw cheese part is one of the reasons I would love to buy this cheese, but I shouldn't spend the money.

What is the best way to store these cheeses until the holiday season? Then after opening, what is the best way to store each cheese? Thanks.

stupid Zinerator deal on my door, I drank to much woot wine and now I bought silly woot cheese

1st time woot, now a owner of 2lbs of old moldy milk.

Well, first off, I kind of like seeing Three Sisters talking about their product here in an attempt to grab viewers. Shows that they have personal interest in pleasing thier customers.

Secondly, since I am not interesting in wine, and my mouth is drooling endlessly, I can't help but purchase this.
Considering the price that I have seen online, its 12 bucks for half a pound, and here they are offering two pounds for 25 bucks, that's a pretty good deal if you ask me.

As soon as I get the cash, I am making this purchase, no hesitation.

Looks good, I'll try it.

For the price per pound could't you buy steaks instead? Cheese instead of steak equals spoiled hippie.

dnaburns wrote:1st time woot, now a owner of 2lbs of old moldy milk.

No, not moldy, but bacterially challenged.

What's a good wine to go with this?
I was thinking a Sauvignon Blanc. Hell, if I go red I'll probably get an Australian Shiraz, a New World Sangiovese or a Chianti.

djatwill wrote:For the price per pound could't you buy steaks instead? Cheese instead of steak equals spoiled hippie.

You could, but for some reason wiping the mold off of steaks that have been sitting in the fridge for a few weeks just doesn't seem quite as appetizing. The meat will be gone in one meal. The cheese lasts, so longer enjoyment for the dollar.

The blue I got on Woot last year was amazing. I think I'm in for one as well. Might try to sneak it to our Woot Wine Tasting next month here in Jacksonville. Or at least every one can huddle around my car in the parking lot.

skipatrolkid wrote:Crappy Cheese Comes From California... Would get if from Wisconsin...

As a Tulare California cheese maker I have to say to this ... Huh? This person has obviously no connection with the dairy industry at all. California passed (more like left in the dust) Wisconsin as the #1 dairy state a long time ago. Happy cows are all over the Hilarides dairy... really. I have driven past the dairy many many times it is very modern and awe inspiring to any dairy industry person. Although I am local I have never tasted the cheese because it is not easy to find an outlet (unlike Bravo farms which is obvious) Looking forward to having this "treat" soon.

clayfu wrote:if you only stepped out of your world of swiss cheese on burgers and parmesan on pasta you'd know that your statement is the farthest from the truth. The Cheeseries (?) in California are producing some of the best artisan cheese in America.

I'm going to agree with you on the California cheese and take a chance. I make alot of salads and pasta dishs that call for grated parmeasan and this sounds like it would work wonderfully well.

We had these at NoVa/DC #7. I'm currently traveling and don't have my notes handy, so I'm winging this to the best of my recollection. I do remember I enjoyed both cheeses, with my personal preference being the Serenita.

They had a firm, but not hard texture, a ripe, but not stinky aroma. The Serena had a mild nutty flavor that reminded me of a very mild parm. The Serenita to my palate was more complex and rich. I remember thinking to myself that I was very curious to see what some heat would do to these and wanted to take some home to cook with... as I expected it to be very good.

I'll call home at a more reasonable hour and see if someone can find my tasting notes.

vbrtrmn wrote:The Boondocks was right, cheese IS the white man's crack.

*giggles*...awesome!

As mentioned earlier we had this at the NYC Spain tasting.
I did not take notes and can't remember the exact flavor profiles of the cheeses.
I opened both varieties and cut them up into cubes.

I noticed that they both were, for me, on the sharper side so I decided to pair them with a Really Good (that's the name of the company) tart cherry fruit spread. I also had out on the table quince, honey and Dalmata (sp?) fig spread.

When nibbling, I like to tone down sharp cheeses with a touch of sweetness and if serving this for a Thanksgiving or holiday party I would suggest just that.
This would also pair nicely with sliced delicious red apple or pear.

I remember them being sharp, nutty with a texture close to Parmesan but not as crumbly, an easy eating cheese. This would be fantastic in recipes, grated over pasta or baked. It has enough flavor to stand up to the heat and add punch to a dish.

I put these on a separate cheese plate for the tasting. Unlike the Spanish cheese plate, this plate was empty by the end of the evening.

refurbished cheese

kimjonny wrote:What is the best way to store these cheeses until the holiday season? Then after opening, what is the best way to store each cheese? Thanks.

Already answered, quite clearly, in fact. Read the blog.

It seems that many object to paying this much for cheese. Like wine, the range of prices is large. I've found decent cheeses at Costco for 8 - 12 a lb. But if you're into quantity, not quality, buy the big 5 pounder of orange glop for about $12. This handmade cheese clearly isn't for you, and your opinion clearly isn't for us.

Go ahead and call me a snob. I don't mind. That's the target audience for products like these.

The spelling error caught my morning eye:

Ripened: 2-4 months
Rind: natural
Coagulant: Microbial
Ingrediants: Raw Jersey Milk, Cultures, Enzymes

I learned several things in life, you don’t always get what you pay for, all that glitters isn’t gold and some people think they are as good as the cheese they can afford.. But that’s just my thoughts. If the pitch sounds good there will always be someone to believe it but you have to pay to find out.

two typos in the same writeup? Woot, you're slipping....

$30 for 2 lb's of cheese? HELL YEAH! This aint velveeta people.

You will not often get a chance to eat a cheese made from raw milk, as stores are not allowed to sell it...it can only be purchased directly from a dairy. This is truly a treat of epicurious proportions. I love to travel to Europe, because they are no so ridiculously regulated, and you can eat wonderful delights, such as this, readily.

Cheese is one of the foods that is transformed from one distinct form, to another, using a biological action. Foods like this are truly miracles. Breads, wines, beers, and cheese. If I were to ever be convinced of the existence of a higher power, it would be because of the gift of these foods.

And remember, there is NO FOOD than cannot be improved by the application of either CHEESE, or a pork product.

In for at least 1 (2lb's), as soon as the Wootoff is over :-)

It's expensive; but let me say this as a big cheese lover and ex-pat Brit.

Jersey's make excellent dairy products. Cream, clotted cream, butter and cheese. Their milk is probably too fatty for most tastes but that's what makes the other products good.

We need cheese.woot

CHEESE>>>>>>>>LIve an hour away from several Amish cheese producers and have some aged sharp cheddar in the frig. These places have over 50 varieties. I love the product, but the doctor told me to limit it because of my cholesterol levels. I'm hoping all of the WOOT red wine cuts the effect.

neilxt wrote:It's expensive; but let me say this as a big cheese lover and ex-pat Brit.

Jersey's make excellent dairy products. Cream, clotted cream, butter and cheese. Their milk is probably too fatty for most tastes but that's what makes the other products good.

Excellent point, the Jersey is a lower yield cow that produces outstanding milk/cream for cheeses, etc. More proof of a commitment to quality. Holsteins are usually used because of yield, not quality,

tgmarus wrote:I learned several things in life, you don’t always get what you pay for, all that glitters isn’t gold and some people think they are as good as the cheese they can afford.. But that’s just my thoughts. If the pitch sounds good there will always be someone to believe it but you have to pay to find out.

Or... There's a sucker born every minute. I agree. But it not's always the pitch. Is a $30 bottle of wine 3 times better than a $10 bottle? I'll never know. We all have our price point.
But when I go to DC, I don't mind paying to enjoy the experience at Jaleo's or Legal Seafood, where just a glass of wine might set one back $10. All the pitching in the world won't get me into McDonalds across the street.
I might hate this cheese, who knows. But economics is about behavior, not always just about money. Woot knows this. That's why they are so good at getting us to click their stupidly large button!

1lb. SERENITA

* Type: Farmhouse
* Family: Semi-Hart!
* Shelf Life: 90 days
* Milk: Raw rBST-free Jersey Cows milk
* Ripened: 2-4 months
* Rind: natural
* Coagulant: Microbial
* Ingrediants: Raw Jersey Milk, Cultures, Enzymes
Ingredients

woot you ever heard of speel checker? or a good ol proof reading?
yes speel is intentional

Now if only this was sharp cheddar or havarti, I'd be all over it! And after seeing that wheel of cheese on 'Til Death, I really want a wheel!

Three Sisters Artisan Cheese
Current numbers (updated each minute):

First sucker: MaskedMarvel
Speed to first woot: 0m 16.313s

Last wooter to woot: cheron98

So *I* was damn lucky enough to attend two tastings over the past couple of weeks, both of which were the lucky recipients of this cheese. I preferred the serenita over the serena, but both were DAMN tasty. The serena makes a great pairing with the Cab Franc (as tommy mentioned above) and the serenita paired with Old World style Merlot... match made in heaven.

SO good. So glad to see it so soon. Because I just ate the last of my serena last night

Any other winea to be offered during the WootOff? If so what might be a good general time for us to be heads up, WD?

gnarf wrote:1lb. SERENITA

* Type: Farmhouse
* Family: Semi-Hart!
* Shelf Life: 90 days
* Milk: Raw rBST-free Jersey Cows milk
* Ripened: 2-4 months
* Rind: natural
* Coagulant: Microbial
* Ingrediants: Raw Jersey Milk, Cultures, Enzymes
Ingredients

woot you ever heard of speel checker? or a good ol proof reading?
yes speel is intentional

And "proofreading" is one word.