The Cheesemonger: Shushan Snow

A clear benefit to residing in my apartment is consuming the cheese that I bring home. No one knows this better than the cat, Frankie. I realize that stories about pets are like dreams: they're invariably more interesting to the recounter (pet owner or dreamer) than to the listener.

I find it significant to share, however, Frankie's act of defilement this morning. Never before has she corrupted my research so blatantly as by jumping onto the kitchen table and carrying off in her jowls a wedge of cheese I had momentarily turned my back on.

I couldn't really blame her. Shushan Snow, from Shushan, New York, is 3-Corner Field Farm's take on Camembert, but made from sheep milk. As the name suggests, the shell is a white fluffy rind, covering a mild yet thoroughly complex paste.

Expect distinct aromas of straw, heavy cream, and damp earth. One of the more unique cheeses around, I praise the edibility of the rind - not bitter like some bloomies, and full of damp, wet stone fragrance, perhaps redolent of the caves that cheesemakers Karen and Paul Weinberg just finished at the farm.

I was able to catch Karen on the phone and she admits that it's better than ever; after 3 years of tinkering she feels she's got it just right. Its lingering, well-balanced finish is a perfect match for an Oloroso sherry.

Find Shushan Snow at Saxelby Cheesemongers for $10.99/each or at the 3-Corner Field stand at Union Square Greenmarket on Wednesday and Saturdays for $8/each.

Comments (8)

Remember: cats may love you, but they love themselves--and cheese, apparently--more.

posted by Jim of ChewOnThat on September 19th 2007 at 6:19am
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Try living with a Basset Hound. They can break into cabinets, refrigerators and covered garbage pails. They can telescope to twice their length to steal food from a stovetop.

posted by priscilla on September 19th 2007 at 6:46am
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Priscilla, so true! But there is nothing worse than a basset hound on a diet. I babysat a friend's diet-condemned basset hound for just a few hours and was almost brought to tears by that dog's ability to get into any and every possible food source. The near tears came when, despite what I thought was constant vigilance on my part, the dog managed to knock my full dinner plate all over the light-colored carpet and make off with huge chunks of chicken.

posted by J on September 19th 2007 at 7:40am
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How about a golden retriever that eats two whole Thanksgiving pumpkin pies, then barfs the entire holiday?

posted by MargaretR on September 19th 2007 at 11:47am
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my cat begs for the strangest foods... she LOVES edemame.

posted by pdxcarrie on September 19th 2007 at 1:34pm
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I have a kitten named Frankie! So far we've been lucky with our cats. With the exception of an occasional dash of whipped cream on their noses (I can't resist) they don't care for human food.

posted by kari-anne on September 19th 2007 at 2:15pm
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My cat will only beg for crunchy treats. Egg roll edges, toast, crackers...she's nuts. I bet if I put this lovely cheese on a cracker, she'd turn her nose right up. Good reason to go find some!

posted by chellebird on September 20th 2007 at 8:44am
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MargaretR, you have just added a new phrase to my lexicon...

"I was so sick after Thanksgiving dinner, I thought I would barf an entire holiday!"

"Well, no, I don't have the Christmas decorations up yet--what do you think, I can just barf an entire holiday?"

(I know, you meant TIME, and I don't...but it sounded sideways when I read your post!)

posted by kuroneko on September 23rd 2007 at 1:26pm
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