My Favorite Cheese Retired. Now What?
Send us Fan Mail Nancy’s Camembert was more than a favorite cheese—it was part of my cheese origin story, my farmers market days, and literally Episode 1 of Curd Is the Word. Now that it’s retired, what are we supposed to eat? This week, I’m going back to my earliest Brie memories (hello, Starbucks bistro box), talking about how a palate actually evolves, and looking at three American bloomy-rind cheeses worthy of filling at least part of the Nancy-shaped hole in my heart. First up is Llanes from Blakesville Creamery, a buttery sheep’s milk bloomy rind I first tasted at the Cheesemonger Invitational—and later sold at my own farmers markets. I also share some behind-the-scenes Llanes intel straight from Blakesville head cheesemaker Veronica Pedraza, including why its name means “wool merchant” and why sheep’s milk curd can apparently double as cement. Then there’s St. Stephen from Four Fat Fowl, a lush Jersey cow’s milk triple cream that might actually be an even easier candidate for your next baked-cheese situation. Finally, I fall down a research rabbit hole with Velvet Sister from Pennyroyal Farm, a Camembert-inspired goat-and-sheep milk cheese from a California farm I had somehow never heard of—and now desperately need to visit. Plus: what a bloomy rind actually is, why the same cheese can taste completely different depending on ripeness, a quick detour into the Cheesemonger Invitational, and why becoming a Certified Cheese Professional has only made me more curious about the cheeses I haven’t tried yet. Mentioned in this episode: • Blakesville Creamery — Llanes • Four Fat Fowl — St. Stephen • Where to find St. Stephen • Pennyroyal Farm — Velvet Sister • Pennyroyal Farm cheeses • The Cheesemonger Invitational If you’ve ever had a beloved cheese disappear—or you’ve found the cheese that filled the void—come tell me about it. Stay cheesy.
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