Cheese Whiz
EXPERT opinion
Name: Afrim Pristine Occupation: Maître fromager, Toronto’s Cheese Boutique
Cheese Whiz Four or five brilliant cheeses is all you need Start with the cheese-plate basics: A selection of goat, blue, firm, sheep and creamy will give your cheese plate different textures, flavours and nuances. Plus, it’ll look fantastic—we always eat with our eyes first.
Be Canadian proud Our country’s cheese knowledge has never been stronger. We’re producing
Cut like a pro I have cheese chisels and specific cheese tools that are needed to cut big wheels, but when working with a smaller piece at home, I recommend a Dutch company called Boska. They make incredible cheese knives at great value and very good quality. Plus, they do a really good job with both wood and stainless steel for different textures and styles of cheese.
such incredible products that the awareness is very high. People want Canadian cheese not because it’s Canadian, but because it’s fantastic—and they know what they are looking for: quality. It makes my job very easy.
Pay homage to your ingredients Serving your
Choose contrasting pairings If you have a salty
Offer your host the gift of cheese The Thomas
cheese, add a sweet component. A blue is perfect with fig chutney or blueberry compote; grapes and apples work well because they cleanse the palate as you’re travelling through the plate.
Hoe Stevenson Stilton from England is only made during the holidays, so it makes a great thank you. It’s spectacular, ages well and is beautiful with a big red wine or port.
Buy your cheese no more than a few days ahead Firm cheese stores longer than the creamier,
Celebrate the holidays with the cheese plate of your dreams Mine starts with Spanish sheep’s
more delicate ones, but if you buy too early—even a week is too long—you just won’t be eating the best product possible. If you have leftovers after a dinner party, wrap them up in wax paper and then cover with aluminum foil: This will allow oxygen exchange without exposing your cheese to air, which dries it out.
milk cheese: Manchego is accessible and adventurous at the same time. There’s a Quebec blue called Bleu d’Élizabeth from Sainte-Élizabeth-de-Warwick, which is one of the best cheeses in the world. I also love very fresh goat cheese from the Loire Valley, and four- or five-yearold Parmigiano-Reggiano with lots of umami. And one wild card: a bright, creamy cow’s milk cheese like Comfort Cream from Niagara’s Upper Canada Cheese Company. It’s fairly mild—not super, super stinky—and very rich in flavour.
Let your cheese breathe Much like a bottle of good wine, it should ideally sit at room temperature—between one and three hours before it’s served—so that it opens up in flavour.
cheese on a gorgeous piece of slate or marble does it the honour it deserves. I like rustic wood, too, which you can slice on and get more use out of.
Toronto’s Cheese Boutique has grown into a gourmet staple since 1970. Today their cheese vault holds the world’s largest log of Provolone (864 lb!) and a wheel of Parmesan that’s been aging since 2002. 64
HOLIDAY 2015
ricardocuisine.com
TEXT ISA TOUSIGNANT PHOTO CHRISTIAN LACROIX ACCESSORIES STYLIST SYLVAIN RIEL FOOD STYLIST ANNE GAGNÉ; JEFFREY CHAN COURTESY SAMUEL ADAMS (AFRIM PRISTINE)
CREATING THE HOLIDAY CHEESE PLATE CAN BE A DAUNTING TASK, BUT NOT IF YOU ASK AFRIM PRISTINE. THE MAÎTRE FROMAGER (A.K.A. MASTER CHEESEMONGER) AT TORONTO’S CHEESE BOUTIQUE HAS OVER 500 CHEESES ON OFFER AND MORE KNOWLEDGE THAN YOU CAN SHAKE A BREAD STICK AT. HE SERVES UP TASTY MORSELS OF HIS EXPERTISE.
2
3
1
Dream Team 4
1
Fresh Goat Cheese
2 Bleu d’Élizabeth 3 Comfort Cream 4 Parmigiano-Reggiano 5
5 Manchego
ricardocuisine.com
HOLIDAY 2015
65
Name: Afrim Pristine Occupation: Maître fromager, Toronto’s Cheese Boutique
Cheese Whiz Four or five brilliant cheeses is all you need Start with the cheese-plate basics: A selection of goat, blue, firm, sheep and creamy will give your cheese plate different textures, flavours and nuances. Plus, it’ll look fantastic—we always eat with our eyes first.
Be Canadian proud Our country’s cheese knowledge has never been stronger. We’re producing
Cut like a pro I have cheese chisels and specific cheese tools that are needed to cut big wheels, but when working with a smaller piece at home, I recommend a Dutch company called Boska. They make incredible cheese knives at great value and very good quality. Plus, they do a really good job with both wood and stainless steel for different textures and styles of cheese.
such incredible products that the awareness is very high. People want Canadian cheese not because it’s Canadian, but because it’s fantastic—and they know what they are looking for: quality. It makes my job very easy.
Pay homage to your ingredients Serving your
Choose contrasting pairings If you have a salty
Offer your host the gift of cheese The Thomas
cheese, add a sweet component. A blue is perfect with fig chutney or blueberry compote; grapes and apples work well because they cleanse the palate as you’re travelling through the plate.
Hoe Stevenson Stilton from England is only made during the holidays, so it makes a great thank you. It’s spectacular, ages well and is beautiful with a big red wine or port.
Buy your cheese no more than a few days ahead Firm cheese stores longer than the creamier,
Celebrate the holidays with the cheese plate of your dreams Mine starts with Spanish sheep’s
more delicate ones, but if you buy too early—even a week is too long—you just won’t be eating the best product possible. If you have leftovers after a dinner party, wrap them up in wax paper and then cover with aluminum foil: This will allow oxygen exchange without exposing your cheese to air, which dries it out.
milk cheese: Manchego is accessible and adventurous at the same time. There’s a Quebec blue called Bleu d’Élizabeth from Sainte-Élizabeth-de-Warwick, which is one of the best cheeses in the world. I also love very fresh goat cheese from the Loire Valley, and four- or five-yearold Parmigiano-Reggiano with lots of umami. And one wild card: a bright, creamy cow’s milk cheese like Comfort Cream from Niagara’s Upper Canada Cheese Company. It’s fairly mild—not super, super stinky—and very rich in flavour.
Let your cheese breathe Much like a bottle of good wine, it should ideally sit at room temperature—between one and three hours before it’s served—so that it opens up in flavour.
cheese on a gorgeous piece of slate or marble does it the honour it deserves. I like rustic wood, too, which you can slice on and get more use out of.
Toronto’s Cheese Boutique has grown into a gourmet staple since 1970. Today their cheese vault holds the world’s largest log of Provolone (864 lb!) and a wheel of Parmesan that’s been aging since 2002. 64
HOLIDAY 2015
ricardocuisine.com
TEXT ISA TOUSIGNANT PHOTO CHRISTIAN LACROIX ACCESSORIES STYLIST SYLVAIN RIEL FOOD STYLIST ANNE GAGNÉ; JEFFREY CHAN COURTESY SAMUEL ADAMS (AFRIM PRISTINE)
CREATING THE HOLIDAY CHEESE PLATE CAN BE A DAUNTING TASK, BUT NOT IF YOU ASK AFRIM PRISTINE. THE MAÎTRE FROMAGER (A.K.A. MASTER CHEESEMONGER) AT TORONTO’S CHEESE BOUTIQUE HAS OVER 500 CHEESES ON OFFER AND MORE KNOWLEDGE THAN YOU CAN SHAKE A BREAD STICK AT. HE SERVES UP TASTY MORSELS OF HIS EXPERTISE.
2
3
1
Dream Team 4
1
Fresh Goat Cheese
2 Bleu d’Élizabeth 3 Comfort Cream 4 Parmigiano-Reggiano 5
5 Manchego
ricardocuisine.com
HOLIDAY 2015
65
