Ewephoria for the Tastebuds

If you google "best cheese in NYC", Murray's is at the top of the list. I've read many an article on the company and its been recommended to me time and again. Murray's has found the secret recipe for a successful cheese shop: They don't just buy and sell cheese, they add the Murray's special touch. In cellars dug into the belly of Manhattan, they cave age each cheese to perfection. This is an entire art unto itself known as "affinage".

They have an incredibly knowledgeable staff, who will explain the differences between the cheeses, give you samples galore, share their own opinions, and suggest pairings for each cheese.

At the height of rush hour in Grand Central Station, my fellow cheeser Maddie and I were drawn into a calmer and cheesier world as soon as we stopped at the Murray's counter. A cheeser named Stanley assisted us in tasting about ten cheeses, before we settled on three.

nytimes.com

To learn more about Murray's, their caves (you can take a tour) and their cheeses (you can take a class), check out:

Murray's Cheese, a New York City landmark since 1940.

And to learn more about the interesting art of affinage (refining- the same word is used for metals) read this great NY Times article:

Cheese: A Coming of Age Story (NY Times)

I decided to feature one of Stanley's personal favorites this week. The name, the flavor, and the buying experience were a winning combination. The cheese is called Ewephoria, a pun only comprehensible to an English-speaking ear. Murray's explains that this cheese was made to suit American tastebuds. It has a candy finish, like you just ate a sweet pastry. I didn't even know that was possible, but I learned from Ewephoria.

The cheese comes from North Holland, and is described as "hard", "dry", and "caramelly" by Murray's. It starts out like an ordinary cheese, but quickly morphs into something extraordinary- part cheese, part dessert. The name says it all- this cheese launches the tastebuds into a state of euphoria.

Oh Ewephoria, 

I hereby crown ye Cheese of the Week.

*Clap*Clap*Clap*Clap*Clap*Clap*Clap*Clap*Clap*Clap*

Here's to a week filled with stories and cheese that are not only sweet but smart shelled too, dry as a dead whale but excitement-inducing all the same.

Sweet:  

I was quite surprised by the sweet, candy-like finish of this cheese. It was unexpected, but completely welcome. This 85 year old Spanish duchess must have shocked the crowds when she began to dance the flamenco for her new (60 year old) husband- but they roared with approval at her sweet performance.

Rich Spanish duchess weds for third time at age 85 (MSNBC)

Smart Shelled: 

As I learned from the article on affinage (see above), even the rind of a cheese contributes to the taste. In Japan they've decided to take a cue from cheese and pay more attention to the outside of their smartphones: Now the cases are smart too. They can monitor your body weight, tell you if you've been exposed to radiation, and, most importantly for a cheeser- check to see if you have bad breath.

Smart phone cases monitor health, test for bad breath (Tech Radar)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk

Dry: 

There's nothing drier than a fish out of water... except maybe a whale in a field. Although experts claim that this dead whale washed up 1/2 mile inland in East Yorkshire last week was carried in by a high tide, I'm skeptical. It seems pretty clear that she just wanted a tour of the countryside.

Beached Whale Lands In Yorkshire Countryside, Half A Mile Inland (Huffington Post)

Excitement Inducing: 

Upon tasting Ewephoria, I couldn't help but exclaim out loud how great it was. The cheese's name indicates that this is a common reaction. Steve Jobs was responsible for inducing countless "oohs" and "ahhs" with his innovative products. He will be missed dearly. 

In Memory of Steve Jobs (Wall Street Journal)

http://en.nolapeles.com

Now go out and eat some cheese.