Cheesaholics Anonymous

Cheese sale!

Those words can either get a cheesaholic frenzied in anticipation of a major cheese binge, or they may throw a serious damper on your appetite. There is something about food going on sale, never mind fermented dairy product, that always has me a little guarded. So I decided to get an answer from an experienced cheese retailer as to why cheese goes on sale. I asked my friend and illustrious cheese monger Ken Liss of Premier Cheese Market in Minneapolis what his perspective was, and this is what he had to say:

Why do cheeses go on sale? Well, sometimes they are reaching the end of their ‘useful’ life but are still good to eat. In other words, they are good right now, but may not be in a week or so. Another more common reason is that we’ve got too many of one kind and want to move them before they reach their ‘end date’. Lastly, sales are always a good old-fashioned way to get customers into the store!

So if the cheese you want is on sale, ask your cheese monger what the reason is. Keep in mind that if the cheese is really only a few days from being passé then you will want to buy small amounts.  Finally, insist on tasting a sample before buying.

Happy shopping!

Can I afford cheese right now?

Tough economic times are impacting everyone these days and I feel myself starting to double check prices and asking, “do I really need this”? But this cheesaholic has got to get her cheese on, and I want to assure you there is a way to do it (relatively) guiltlessly.

Cheese is expensive, and good artisan cheese can run as much as $40 per pound. Clearly there are some cheese choices that are more economical than others, so I’d like to share with you my thoughts on frugal cheese shopping:

• Only buy what you can eat today. The biggest money waster when buying cheese is buying too much and having to throw old cheese away. If you’re buying cheese for you and some lucky person to share over a meal, a ¼ pound is plenty (and is usually the minimum quantity a cheese monger will permit). If you are entertaining a group, figure two ounces per head per cheese as a general rule of thumb.

• Evaluate cheese prices across a category. If you are craving blue cheese, for example, look at the range your cheese monger has on offer within the blue family. The differential can be $20 per pound or more for a given cheese type. So try the low end first and if you like what you taste, then you’ve just scored yourself a deal.

• Make good use of multi-purpose cheeses. Again this plays into the “waste not, want not” thought. Harder cheeses like Gruyere and cheddar last longer, and because they are so versatile you’re less likely to have leftover cheese sitting in your fridge. Think of cheese you can add to sandwiches, soups, and pasta. And because they are considered to be “everyday cheeses”, there are great quality versions for $12 per pound or less.

I hope these tips encourage you to keep your cheese consumption up, and take some heat off your bills. Tough economic times mean many cheese makers might go out of business this season.  But let’s hope that those that survive view it as an opportunity to distinguish themselves from the masses by making really great product at great value. If you have great cheese deals to share, please post them below!