The Joy of Cheese

The Joy of Cheese January Events

2012-01-02T05:26:00.000-08:00

January 17 at 7:30 at Kupersmith, 49 Clinton St. (bet Stanton and Rivington): Kind of Blue

It's a Joy of Cheese January tradition, the blue tasting. There will be firm crumbly blues and oozy, creamy blues. There will be easygoing blues and mouth-numbing blues. We'll cover all bases with seven blues and two non blues for some semblance of balance. Tickets are $25 and you pay for your beverages separately. Tickets are available via Brown Paper Tickets, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/218884

January 25 at 7 pm the 92nd St. Y Uptown (92nd & Lexington): A Cheese and Wine Class

I love the 92Y's droll titles. Here's the deal: 8 awesome cheeses paired with 8 amazing wines. I'll discuss the cheeses and Beau Rapier of Uva Wines and Spirits will talk about the wine. Fun will ensue. Tickets are $50 and available via the 92nd St. Y, http://www.92y.org/Uptown/Event/Wine-And-Cheese-Pairing.aspx

For more details, try me on thejoyofcheese@gmail.com

The Joy of Cheese December Events

2011-11-18T11:35:00.000-08:00

The Joy of Cheese has a busy December in the works.

December 6 at 7:30 at Kupersmith, 49 Clinton St.: The Best of 2011

It's time for end of the year wrap ups, so why not sample the nine most interesting cheeses of 2011 that are available presently. Please join us Tuesday December 6 at 7:30 at Kupersmith (the gastropub formerly known as Clerkenwell), 49 Clinton St., for The Best of 2011 (I know, I know, not the most original title). Tickets are $25 and you pay for your drinks separately. Highlights should include Rush Creek, Rogue River Blue, some fantastic Belgian goat cheeses and much much more. Tickets are available via this link, http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/213097

December 7 at 7 at the 92nd St. Y, 92nd and Lexington: Cheese and Wine

It's that simple, eight phenomenal cheeses eight stellar wines, two hours of discussion about each separately and the eight pairings we choose. Tickets are $50 and available via the 92Y site, http://www.92y.org/tickets/production.aspx?pid=72983

December 15 at 7 at the 92nd St. Y, 92nd and Lexington: Cheese and Whiskey

Hey, why not live a little dangerously? At this event, we will offer one cheese and beer pairing, one cheese and wine pairing and four cheese and whiskey pairings. You've been warned. Tickets are $40 and available at the 92Y site, http://www.92y.org/tickets/production.aspx?pid=73106

The Joy of Cheese November Events

2011-10-31T22:45:00.000-07:00

Tuesday November 8 at 7:30 at The Clerkenwell, 49 Clinton St. The Swiss Cheese Conspiracy

It’s time for fondue (I know for some it’s never not time for fondue, but I digress), and that’s a good time to explore the nutty wonders of alpine cheeses, some from alpine regions and some not. In addition there’s a lot more to the Swiss cheese and firm cheeses that melt well; we’ll explore some of the best soft cheeses from this tradition as well. Overall, we’ll explore eight or nine cheeses. Tickets are $25 (you pay for your drinks separately) and available via Brown Paper Tickets,http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/209707.

Wednesday November 9 at Premier Cru, 1169 Madison Avenue (85th St.): The Six Best Cheeses for Holiday Entertaining.

Yes, it’s that time again too. Please join us at Premier Cru, one of the Upper East Side’s most gracious wine boutiques, for a stellar tasting of six cheeses that will pair nicely with holiday beverages. Each of these six cheeses will be paired with a wine chosen by Premier Cru owner Michael Eigen. The fun begins at 7. Tickets are $45 and available via Premier Cru, 212-534-6709.

Also on November 17 at 7:00, Maggie Fuller and I will lead a Beer and Cheese class at the 92nd St. Y. We will pair eight small producer Belgian and Scandinavian beers with eight exceptional cheeses and sample and discuss each. Tickets are $40 and available via this link, http://www.92y.org/Uptown/Event/BetterThanWine-Beer-CheesePair-1.aspx

The Joy of Cheese October Events

2011-09-29T08:22:00.000-07:00

Lots to report. Here’s the rundown.

October 5, 5-7:30 Cheesy Happy Hour at In Vino, 215 E. 4^th St.,

In Vino is bringing back the concept of the fromagier for a day, or well, for a Happy Hour. Starting October 5^th from 5-730 and hopefully becoming a regular event, we are starting a Cheese Plate Happy Hour. Cheese Plates of 3 will be half off, and I’ll be around to sample and discuss delights off of our fantastic list of Italian and contemporary American cheeses (I’ll probably hand out a few surprise cheeses too).

October 18 at 7:30 at The Clerkenwell, 49 Clinton St. The New Stuff.

What’s new? Please join us October 18 at The Clerkenwell, 49 Clinton St., as we will answer that question with nine of the most interesting cheeses that are new to the New York City market. Some will be domestic and others will be from Europe; all will be outstanding. Tickets are $25 and you pay for your drinks as you go. Tickets can be purchased at Brown Paper Tickets, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/203833

October 19 at 7 at Premier Cru, 1163 Madison Avenue. The Cornerstones

Please join us October 19 at 7 at Premier Cru, 1163 Madison, for a wine and cheese event called The Best Gruyere Ever and Five Other Cornerstone Cheeses. This tasting nwill focus attention on the work of leading European affineurs (masters at aging cheese) and the difference they make in familiar cheeses like Gruyere, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Stilton and others; for those unfamiliar with the work of Rolf Beeler, Marcel Petite, Neal’s Yard and others, it will be like having these cheeses for the first time again. We will sample and discuss six cheeses and they will be paired with six superb wines chosen by Premier Cru owner Michael Eigen. Tickets are $45 and available via Premier Cru, 212-534-6709.

October 26 at 7:30 at Breukelen Bier Merchants, 182 Grand St. Beer and Cheese Rules

The complex flavors and salty finishes of great, hand-crafted cheeses are a perfect match for the cane like sweetness that underpin so many of the best Belgian beers. Multiply those matches times seven and you have a very lucky evening. Please join us Wednesday October 26 at 7:30 at Breukelen Bier Merchants, 182 Grand St. in Williamsburg for a very special tasting featuring cheese from The Joy of Cheese and beer from 12% Imports. The Joy of Cheese is Martin Johnson’s roving cheese party; since 2005, he has held events all around the tri state area that focus on the wonders of the new wave of hand crafted cheese that is available to New Yorkers. Maggie Fuller from 12% Imports is one of the leading authorities on beer. She is a graduate of the University of California at Davis Brewmasters program and her company focuses on the work small producer Belgian and Scandinavian breweries. Tickets are $30 and available at Brown Paper Tickets, http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/203767

Three for Three: The Joy of Cheese September Events

2011-08-30T11:34:00.000-07:00

Three for Three: The Joy of Cheese September Events

After a quiet late summer, The Joy of Cheese will launch headlong into the fall season with three events on consecutive nights.

September 20 at 7:30 at Culturefix, 9 Clinton St (near Houston): Cheese and Beer Rules!

Cheeses and beers pair exceptionally well together, but what are some rules of thumb for matching them? What cheese balances the hoppiness of an IPA ,or what beer goes best with a earthiness and pepper of a classic blue? Please join us September 20^th at 7:30 at Culturefix, 9 Clinton St., as we celebrate the marriage of grains and curds with six wonderful cheeses accompanied by six New York state beers. This New York City Craft Beer Week event starts at 7:30. Tickets are $25; for tickets please visit http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/196694

September 21 at 7 at Premier Cru, 1163 Madison Avenue (86^th St.): The New, New World Classics

The exceptional quality of American cheeses like Humboldt Fog, Rogue River Blue, and Pleasant Ridge Reserve are old news by now. What are the next great American made cheeses? Please join us at 7 at Premier Cru, the exceptional wine shop on the Upper East Side; In the first of a three part monthly series, I'll sample and discuss six cheeses from America and perhaps Canada and down under. Premier Cru owner Michael Eigen will pair these six cheeses with six wines from his shop's stellar inventory. Tickets are $45 and available via Premier Cru, 212-534-6709.

September 22 at 7 at The 92^nd St. Y (92 & Lex): Better Than Wine, a Cheese and Beer Pairing.

Cheeses are often a good match for Belgian beers, and at this event Maggie Fuller of 12% Imports, a company that specializes in small producer Belgian and Scandinavian beer will pair eight of her favorite beers with eight of my favorite cheeses. We'll discuss the fromage and brews individually and why they work together. Tickets are $40 and available via the 92^nd St. Y box office, http://www.92y.org/Uptown/Event/BetterThanWine-Beer-CheesePair-1.aspx

The current Joy of Cheese schedule is always up at thejoyofcheese.blogspot.com and my daily musings on cheese including Fromage of the Day is at thejoyofcheese.wordpress.com

Any questions, feel free to contact me at thejoyofcheese@gmail.com

August 16th Event is Cancelled

2011-08-15T05:00:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, the August 16 Joy of Cheese Event at The Clerkenwell has been cancelled. Joy of Cheese events will resume in September.

August at The Joy of Cheese

2011-07-23T11:11:00.000-07:00

Tribute and Choice: The Joy of Cheese August Events

In two August events, the Joy of Cheese will range the spectrum of emotions. One event is a tribute to a recently deceased colleague; the other will be programmed by requests made at the Joy of Cheese Facebook page. Both will be interesting.

August 2 at 7:30 at d.b.a Brooklyn: Summer cheeses and Beers

It’s simple; shortly before this event, I’m going to buy the eight best cheeses I can find; we’ll pair them with four superb beers (all four will be favorites of Ray Deter in tribute to our fallen pal) and we’re going to do a tasting. Join us, it’s fun. Tickets are $25; for tickets please visit https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/185911

August 16 at 7:30 at Clerkenwell: By Request!

All Joy of Cheese events have a mystery cheese, but at this one the audience participation level will go way higher. I'm allowing people to choose the themes by posting what they'd like to investigate at The Joy of Cheese Facebook Page. Once I settle on the themes, it will be my task to make a logical sequence of the cheeses and an intelligent presentation. It should be fun. Tickets are $25 and available via Brown Paper Tickets,https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/189159

By all means attendees are welcome to attend these events without advance purchase, I just that they e-mail me to alert me of their intentions at thejoyofcheese@gmail.com.

The current Joy of Cheese schedule is always up at thejoyofcheese.blogspot.com and my daily musings on cheese including Fromage of the Day is at thejoyofcheese.wordpress.com

Any questions, feel free to contact me at thejoyofcheese@gmail.com

The Joy of Cheese Summer Events

2011-06-27T07:28:00.000-07:00

No grand themes, just some fun times over cheeses and beverages.

June 29 at 7pm at the 92nd St. Y, 92nd and Lexington

8 Cheeses and 8 Wines. I've chosen eight fantastic cheeses and Keith Beavers of Alphabet City Wines will pair them with eight superb wines. We'll present and discuss our choices, and solicit your views on the pairings. Tickets are $50 and available via the 92Y website, http://www.92y.org/Uptown/Event/Summer-Wine-And-Cheese-Pairing.aspx

July 12 at 7:30 at The Clerekenwell, 49 Clinton St. on the Lower East Side

Since it's 48 hours before Bastille Day, let's do 9 French cheeses in some theme or another. I'll present the nine best that are available in NYC and we'll discuss. Attendees pay for their beverages separately. For advance tickets, please visit https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/185153

July 14 at 7 at The 92nd St. Y, Cheeses and Hard Ciders

Come celebrate Bastille Day with us at the 92nd St. Y. I'll present eight either French or French-inspired cheeses and Kat Kelly will pair them with eight exceptional ciders including some from Normandy and some from the Basque regions in France. If we're lucky, we may have some locally made cider too. Tickets are $40 and available via the92Y website, http://www.92y.org/Uptown/Event/Hard-Cider-And-Cheese-Pairing.aspx

August 2 at 7:30 at d.b.a Brooklyn: Summer cheeses and Beers

It's simple shortly before this event, I'm going to buy the eight best cheeses I can find and pair them with four amazing beers and we're going to do a tasting. Join us, it's fun. Tickets are $25 and available at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/185911

Questions? drop me a line at the name of this blog at gmail.

No Event tonight but the rest of June is On!

2011-06-22T08:05:00.000-07:00

Sadly, there will be no event tonight at Culturefix. But classes at the 92nd St. Y for Thursday and next Wednesday are on!

Fromage Americain: The Joy of Cheese June Events

2011-05-28T08:54:00.000-07:00

Fromage Americain: The Joy of Cheese JuneEvents

It's old news that American hand crafted cheeses can stand alongside any in the world, but are there really two dozen of them that could be sold in any French Fromagerie without condescension or caveat. I think there are, and I'm going to present my choices during three Joy of Cheese events in June.

June 7 at d.b.a Brooklyn, 113 N. 7th St. Fromage Americain

Please join us Tuesday April 5 at 7:30 for a tasting of seven exceptional American cheeses with a slight emphasis on firm cheeses and seven beers chosen specifically to match them. I'll present the cheese; Ray Deter will present the beers. We'll both talk about why we think the combination works. Tickets are $25. For more information, visit https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/177507

June 14th at Clerkenwell, 49 Clinton St. Fromage Americain Part Deux

Same deal, nine superb American cheeses, this time with a slight emphasis on softer cheeses. I'll present the cheese and attendees can buy the beverages of their choice separate. Tickets are $25; for more information visit https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/178626.

June 22^nd at Culturefix, 9 Clinton St. Fromage Americain Part Trois

La meme chose, nine superb American cheeses, this time with a slight emphasis on newer cheeses. I'll present the cheese and attendees can buy the beverages of their choice separate. Tickets are $25; for more information visit https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/17863

By all means attendees are welcome to attend these events without advance purchase, I just that they e-mail me to alert me of their intentions at thejoyofcheese@gmail.com.

And in addition these?

June 23 Cheese and Beer at the 92Y and June 29^th Cheese and Wine at the 92^nd St. Y.

In July, our theme will involve French cheeses; I don't know how yet.

Funkee!! The Joy of Cheese May Events

2011-04-21T13:49:00.000-07:00

Funkee!! The Joy of Cheese May Events

Note the two e's and more importantly the two exclamation marks.

May is not a month for shy, subtle and gentle cheese. It's the month when the sun becomes a regular part of our lives again. It's when the coats become optional apparel during the day. It's the time when outdoors is the place to be. Yes, in May the funky days are here again.

And so is the cheese. We'll do what we do in three separate events.

May 3rd at 7:30 at d.b.a Bklyn, 113 N. 7th St. (between Wythe and Berry), Funkee!!

Seven aggressive cheeses, seven delicious beers. Commentary from yers truly on the cheese and special guest beer geek AJ Eckstein on the brews. The event last from 7:30-8:45, but the good times go on and on and on... Tickets are $25.

For tickets visit, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/172724

May 17th (note, new date) at 7:30 at Clerkenwell 49 Clinton St. Classic Funk

Where did all this funky cheese begin, where is it going. I'm a big believer in core curricula and here we'll apply to the cheese. Please join us for a survey of eight cornerstone washed rind cheeses. Tickets are $25 and you pay for your beverages separately. For more info, visit

https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/172777

May 18th at 7:30 at Culturefix, 9 Clinton St. American Funk

Insert your own George Clinton joke here. It took a while for the new American cheesemakers to embrace the European tradition of washed rind cheeses, but over the last few years, we're showing we can get down with the best of the aromatic fromages from abroad. Please join us Wednesday May 18th at 7:30 at Culturefix, 9 Clinton St, for a sampling and discussion of the very best funky American cheeses. Tickets are $25 and you pay for your beverages separately. For more information visit https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/172784

As always, attendees are welcome to pay at the door, just notify me of your intentions at thejoyofcheese@gmail.com and I'll reserve space for you.

May at The Joy of Cheese

2011-04-18T09:35:00.000-07:00

The theme for May is Funkee!!

Yes, two e's and two exclamation points. Fans of strong smelly stuff, this is the moment you've been waiting for.

The sked breaks out like this:

May 3rd: Funk and Beer at d.b.a Brooklyn

May 17th Funk Classics at Clerkenwell

May 18th American Funk at Culturefix

Aside from the funky classes, there will be a One Night Stand (date tba) where we will bring the 8 best cheeses at that moment.

And I'll be teaching cheese and beer class May 12 and cheese and wine May 25 at the 92nd St. Y.

April at The Joy of Cheese

2011-02-27T12:54:00.000-08:00

April 5 at d.b.a Brooklyn, 113 N. 7th St. Hard Goats and Beers to Match

It might be a cheesemonger's stretch to imagine a goat singing to a cow the Irving Berlin classic Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better," but it wouldn't be inappropriate for a goat diary farmer to sing it to a farmer with a herd of cows. In the last two decades, "goat cheese" has transformed from meaning a soft squishy, fresh cheese perfect for a beet salad into a myriad of forms, flavors and textures. Please join us Tuesday April 5 at 7:30 for a tasting of seven exceptional firm goat's milk cheeses and seven beer chosen specifically to match them. I'll present the cheese; Ray Deter will present the beers. We'll both talk about why we think the combination works. Tickets are $25.

https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/163427

April 12th at Clerkenwell, 49 Clinton St. The Best Soft Chevres in NYC

Oozy, lean and delicious and the three best adjectives to describe the best soft goat's milk cheeses available to New Yorkers. The amazing thing is that not all of them are from abroad. Many of them come from Maryland and Illinois as well as the usual domestic suspects like Vermont, California, and the Pacific Northwest. Please join us Tuesday April 12 at 7:30 at The Clerkenwell, 49 Clinton St. for a sampling and discussion of eight of these sumptuous wonders. Tickets are $25 and you pay for your beverages separately.

https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/163619

By all means you’re welcome to attend these events without advance purchase, just e-mail me to alert me of your intentions and I’ll reserve space for you.

And in addition these?

April 7 Cheese and Wine at 92nd St. Y with a very special guest wine instructor.

Any questions, feel free to contact me at thejoyofcheese@gmail.com

What A Whole Lotta Cheese: The Joy of Cheese Mid-Winter Update

2011-02-21T09:27:00.000-08:00

What a Whole Lotta of Cheese: The Joy of Cheese Mid-Winter Update

A few days ago I wondered about the wisdom of calling this a midwinter update. Well mother nature set the record straight about that. Cheese tastings are still one of the best reasons to venture out into the chill and there are a whole lotta tastings coming up.

Here are the details

February 23^rd at 7:30 at Boxcar Lounge, 168 Avenue B

Wednesday night at 7:30, The Joy of Cheese, Martin Johnson’s five year old series of informal cheese tastings makes its first visit to Boxcar Lounge, 168 Avenue B. Please join us as we’ll sample and discuss eight of the finest cheeses available in New York. There will be showstoppingly dense and nutty alpine cheeses, buttery, sweet pecorinos, lean, herbaceous goat’s milk cheeses. Some of the cheeses will be from Europe and some from elsewhere. I’ll discuss the cheeses in terms of their flavor profile, geography and production techniques. It will enable you to become an informed shopper for these cheeses either at a retail counter or when surveying the cheese course at a restaurant. Tickets are $25 and attendees can purchase beers, wines and other spirits of their choice from the well chosen and abundant Boxcar list. For more information and ticket sales please visit Brown Paper Tickets, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/154183

February 24 at 7:30 at Culturefix, 9 Clinton St., The Joy of Cheese Presents Red, White and Beer.

Alpine cheeses and pecorinos are especially versatile cheeses and in this edition of The Joy of Cheese Red White and Beer comparison series, we will take six (maybe more) fantastic cheeses, including some amazing sheep cheese from northern Italy and dense nutty cheeses both from Switzerland and the United States (and maybe France) and compare them to see what pairs best with what. It all gets going Thursday February 24 at 7:30 Tickets are $30 ($24 if you buy online at and enter the password Serious) and available at Brown Paper Tickets, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/onsite/event/154017.

Attendees can buy tickets with cash at the door (there is no “Serious” discount) just alert me of your plans at thejoyofcheese@gmail.com.

March 1^st at 7:30 at d.b.a Brooklyn, 113 N. 7^th St: The Hard Italians

The Italians have a way with formaggio. Their cheeses almost always feature distinctive flavors and melodic finishes. The firm ones are often highlighted by a clear note of salt. The Italians aren’t known for their brewing but their hard cheeses make excellent companions to ales, lagers and many more brewed delights. Please join us Tuesday March 1 at 7:30 as we pair seven wonderful hard Italian cheeses and seven amazing beers. I’ll present the cheese; Ray Deter will discuss the beer. You will show up and we will all be very happy by evening’s end. Tickets are $25 and available at Brown Paper Tickets, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/158973

March 8^th at 7:30 at The Clerkenwell, 49 Clinton St.: The Soft Italians

Ooozy, goupy, luxurious and delicious. Those are the first four words that occur to me when I think of soft Italian cheeses and if they don’t occur to you at the thought of Tallegio, Brescianella, Quadrello et al, then you owe it to your taste buds to join us at 7:30 Tuesday March 8 at Clerkenwell, 49 Clinton St. for a tasting of eight fantastic soft Italian cheeses. Tickets are $25 and you pay for your drinks separately. For more information, please visit BPT at https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/158979

March 14^th at 7:30 at Custom American Wine Bar, 644 Driggs

The second edition of One Night Stand takes place at Custom American Wine Bar. As the name implies Custom specializes in small producer American wines, beers and bourbons. Our selection of eight cheeses will focus on those from the domestic artisan producers. Custom will offer a special flight of wines designed to match the cheeses. Tickets are $25 and attendees pay for their beverages separately. For more information, please visit Brown Paper Tickets, http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/156155.

By all means you’re welcome to attend these events without advance purchase, just e-mail me to alert me of your intentions and I’ll reserve space for you.

And beyond these?

March 16 An Italian tasting of some sort or another at Culturefix

March 17 Cheese and Beer at 92^nd St. Y with me and Ray Deter

Any questions, feel free to contact me at thejoyofcheese@gmail.com

Next Week at The Joy of Cheese

2011-02-18T06:51:00.000-08:00

February 23^rd at 7:30 at Boxcar Lounge, 168 Avenue B

Wednesday night at 7:30, The Joy of Cheese, Martin Johnson's five year old series of informal cheese tastings makes its first visit to Boxcar Lounge, 168 Avenue B. Please join us as we'll sample and discuss eight of the finest cheeses available in New York. There will be showstoppingly dense and nutty alpine cheeses, buttery, sweet pecorinos, lean, herbaceous goat's milk cheeses. Some of the cheeses will be from Europe and some from elsewhere. I'll discuss the cheeses in terms of their flavor profile, geography and production techniques. It will enable you to become an informed shopper for these cheeses either at a retail counter or when surveying the cheese course at a restaurant. Tickets are $25 and attendees can purchase beers, wines and other spirits of their choice from the well chosen and abundant Boxcar list. For more information and ticket sales please visit Brown Paper Tickets, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/154183

February 24 at 7:30 at Culturefix, 9 Clinton St., The Joy of Cheese Presents Red, White and Beer.

Attendees can buy tickets with cash at the door (there is no “Serious” discount) just alert me of your plans at thejoyofcheese@gmail.com.

February at The Joy of Cheese

2011-01-23T16:09:00.001-08:00

In three February events The Joy of Cheese will celebrate the best hard cheeses in New York City. Cheddars, aged goudas, alpine cheeses, pecorinos and other fine examples of expertly aged cheeses paired with superb wine or craft-brewed beers. Here are the details.

February 1 at 7:30 at d.b.a Brooklyn 113 North 7th St, The Joy of Cheese Presents Crunchy! Fine Hard Cheese & Great Beers to Match

The very best firm cheeses have distinct tangy flavors and pleasantly salty finishes; they are almost perfectly suited to pair with a variety of beers. At this event, I’ll present seven cheeses and Ray Deter, owner of d.b.a and host of Beer Sessions on Heritage Radio Network will present seven beers chosen to specifically the cheese. Good times will ensue. Tickets are $25 ($20 if you enter the password Serious when buying online) at Brown Paper Tickets, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/onsite/event/145253

February 8 at 7:30 at The Clerkenwell, 49 Clinton St. The Joy of Cheese & The Classics at Clerkenwell Present Red, Red Wine.

Yes, actually, you can pair red wines with cheese. It is harder to pair cheese with red wine than white ones due to the richness and complexity of flavors in most reds, but it can be done. Please join us February 8 at 7:30 at Clerkenwell as we explore eight cornerstone hard cheeses that pair well with red wines. I’ll discuss each cheese in terms of its geography, flavor profile, production style and of course why it pairs well with red wine. Tickets are $25 ($20 if you buy online and enter the password Serious) and available at Brown Paper Tickets, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/onsite/event/154010.

February 24 at 7:30 at Culturefix, 9 Clinton St., The Joy of Cheese Presents Red, White and Beer.

You can buy tickets with cash at the door (there is no “Serious” discount) just alert me of your plans at thejoyofcheese@gmail.com.

I hope to see you over some cheese.

-Martin

Blue: The Joy of Cheese January Events

2010-12-23T07:52:00.000-08:00

Every January The Joy of Cheese rings in the new year with a monthlong celebration of those most peppery and earthy cheeses—the blues. As winter wonderland slips into winter doldrums, we fight back, offering the finest Roqueforts, Stiltons, and Gorgonzolas (say nothing of Rogue River Blues, Fourme D’Amberts, and Sticheltons). It’s a good time for big beers and sweet wines, and these are the cheeses to match them. We will hold three tastings devoted to this theme.

Here are the details.

January 4 at 7:30 at d.b.a Bklyn, 113 North 7^th St. (between Berry and Wythe): The New Blues and Brews to Match.

Hey Blue, what’s new? At this event we will sample and discuss seven phenomenal blue cheeses that are relatively new to the New York City market. In addition we’ll pair those seven new blues with seven superb beers. I’ll discuss the cheeses, and Ray Deter will discourse on the beer. Tickets are $25 and available via Brown Paper Tickets, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/142602

Attendees can pay cash at the door, I just ask that they alert me of their intention at thejoyofcheese@gmail.com

January 18 at 7:30 at The Clerkenwell, 49 Clinton St. (between Stanton and Rivington): Classic Blues.

There is a canon of cheese and for the next few months at The Clerkenwell we will explore it. Our investigation begins with the finest Roqueforts, Gorgonzolas, Stiltons, et al. At this event we will sample and discuss eight phenomenal blue cheeses and why these particular varieties are superior to others in the marketplace. Tickets are $25 (attendees pay for their drinks separately) and available via Brown Paper Tickets, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/142611

Attendees can pay cash at the door; I just ask that they alert me of their intention at thejoyofcheese@gmail.com

January 20 at 7:30 at Culturefix, 9 Clinton St. (between Stanton and Houston): Old World vs. Our World

In what will surely be our bluest tasting yet, we will sample ten different blue cheeses, five from the northeast and five from Europe. We will discuss them thoroughly and beyond parsing them, we will vote on where the better blues come from on that evening. In other words, it will be earthy, peppery fun. Tickets are $25 (attendees pay for their drinks separately) and available via Brown Paper Tickets, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/142614

Attendees can pay cash at the door; I just ask that they alert me of their intention at thejoyofcheese@gmail.com

Questions? I’m at thejoyofcheese@gmail.com.

The Joy of Cheese January Events

2010-12-14T07:42:00.000-08:00

Tickets to these will go on sale in a few days, but here's the winter sked for now. More events will be added.
The theme for January is Blue. The Events will be as follows.
January 4: American Blues and Brews to match at d.b.a Bklyn. 7:30-8:45ish, $25
January 13: Old World v. New World: (4 old world blues v. 4 new) at Culturefix. 7:30-8:45ish, $25.
January 18: The Classics at Clerkenwell present 8 Cornerstone Blues. 7:30-8:45, $25

More info soon!

The Joy of Cheese December Events

2010-12-01T07:35:00.000-08:00

The Joy of Cheese 2010 winds down with one tasting and one 92Y event.

Dec. 7th at 7:30 at d.b.a Bklyn: Holiday Beers and Cheeses to Match

Holiday Beers tend to be sweeter and stronger than usual, and that makes them ideal matches for flavorful cheeses. Please join us December 7 at 7:30 at d.b.a Brooklyn, 113 N. 7th St. for a tasting of seven of the best holiday brews made even better by pairings with seven cheeses. Martin Johnson will discuss the cheeses and Ray Deter will talk about the beers. Tickets are $25. For more information visit https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/138914

You can pay cash at the door, but please alert me of your intention at thejoyofcheese@gmail.com

There is also a cheese and wine pairing class at 7 Thursday December 9 at the 92Y. For details, visit http://www.92y.org/shop/event_detail.asp?productid=T-LP5FW14

In January we will start the new year with our annual month of blues. January 4 at d.b.a Bklyn American Blues and Classic Brews. January 11th at Clerkenwell Classic Blues. The rest of the sked t.b.a

Nutty: The Joy of Cheese November Events

2010-10-28T15:11:00.000-07:00

Nutty: The Joy of Cheese November Events

Unfortunately the 11.11 event at Stella Manhattan Bistro has been canceled. The 11.16 and 11.17 events will proceed as planned.

Alpine cheeses are one of the best starting points into the world of high end cheese. They deliver familiar flavors–their primary overtone is reminiscent of roasted hazelnuts, cashews, almonds or macadamia nuts, or put more concisely, they are nutty–but the latest arrivals from Switzerland, Germany, France, and yes, the United States (yes Alpine can refer to just a style of cheesemaking) offer much more. There are strong overtones of fresh meadow, spicy herbs, and malt in the new cheeses. And those are just the firm cheeses. There are many delicious soft cheeses from Switzerland too. In November we’ll explore all of this in four separate events.

November 9 at 7:30 at Clerkenwell, 49 Clinton St. (between Stanton and Rivington), Way Beyond the Obvious: Swiss Cheese After Gruyere and Emmenthal. We’ll start our Nutty month with a survey of the finest cheeses from Switzerland and nearby areas. We’ll include the finest Gruyere and Emmenthal just as points of reference and then demonstrate how much broader the Swiss tradition is with seven other cheeses, including several soft cheeses and maybe a blue. Tickets are $25 and you pay for your drinks separately. For ticket information visit https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/134926

You can pay cash at the door, just alert me that you are attending at thejoyofcheese@gmail.com

November 11 at 7:30 at Stella Manahattan Bistro, 213 Front St. (near Beekman): The Red Menace. Red wines are harder to pair with cheese than white wines, but it can be done and alpine cheeses are often the best way to begin finding the right match for your tannins. At this event we will pair eight or nine cheeses with five red wines from the Stella menu and Jason Spingarn will discuss the wines. Tickets are $25 and available via Brown Paper Tickets, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/134927

You can pay cash at the door, just alert me that you are attending at thejoyofcheese@gmail.com

November 16 at 7:30 at d.b.a Bklyn, 113 North 7^th ST. (between Berry and Wythe): The Dark Side. Autumn is prime time for Porters, Stouts and other darker beers, and their coffee-ish and chocolately overtones are an ideal match for the nutty flavors of Alpine cheeses. At this event we will sample and discuss seven of each. I’ll discuss the cheeses, and Ray Deter will discourse on the beer. Tickets are $25 and available via Brown Paper Tickets, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/134931

You can pay cash at the door, just alert me that you are attending at thejoyofcheese@gmail.com

November 17 at 7:30 at Culturefix, 9 Clinton St., (near Houston St.), Red, White and Beer: American Alpine Edition. You can’t see the Alps from anywhere in America, but the cheesemakers feel the spirit. Great alpine cheese is being made in Vermont, Michigan, Wisconsin, Virginia, and even on Long Island. We’ll survey these by giving attendees a white wine, a red wine and a beer and let’s see which beverage pairs best with each of these six notably versatile cheeses. Tickets are $30 and available via BPT, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/134934

You can pay cash at the door, just alert me that you are attending at thejoyofcheese@gmail.com

Questions? I’m at thejoyofcheese@gmail.com

October and Sneak Preview of November

2010-10-14T08:01:00.000-07:00

Two More October Events and a Sneak Preview of November

There are two more exciting Joy of Cheese events in October
October 20th at7 at the 92nd St. Y, (92nd and Lexington): Better Than Wine
Maggie Fuller and I will present a survey of eight exceptional beers all from the 12% roster of stellar, small produer Belgian brews with eight extraordinary cheeses chosen to match them. Tickets are $40 and available via the 92Y website, http://bit.ly/dnzv8D

Then, the very next day...

October 21 at 7:30 at Culturefix, 9 Clinton St. (at Houston): Old World v. Our World.
Let's get beyond this side of the ocean or that (that’s so 2002). West coast wines have fared just fine in competition against their old world counterparts. American cheeses are routinely included in the mix of great cheeses of the world even in Europe. Let's get more specific: how do the cheeses made close to home compare with their European antecedents? Please join us October 21 at at 7:30 at Culturefix for a comparative tasting of five locally made cheeses versus five of the European cheeses that they are based on. Call it a World Series of cheese. Tickets are $25 and you pay for your drinks separately. https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/131622

Our theme in November is NUTTY. It is tentatively shaping up like this.
November 9 Not The Usual Swisspects at Clerkenwell
November 11: The Red Menace: Alpine cheeses and red wines to match them at Stella Manhattan Bistro
November 16: The Dark Side: Porters, Stouts and darker beers with hand crafted cheeses of Switzerland to match at dba Bklyn
Novmeber 17: Red White and Beer vol. 2: The American Alpines at Culturefix

For more information contact me at thejoyofcheese@gmail.com

Close to Home: The Joy of Cheese October Events

2010-09-24T18:08:00.000-07:00

Close to Home: The Joy of Cheese October Events

Twenty five years ago when the contemporary American hand crafted cheese movement took flight, its epicenters were in Vermont, the Hudson Valley, northern California and the Pacific Northwest. Three of those four regions continued to innovate at an astonishing pace and now no discussion of the great cheeses of the world is complete without mention of cheeses like Vermont Shepherd, Rogue River Blue, or Humboldt Fog. However until recently cheesemaking close to home seemed to plateau at the rank of interesting but not exactly text-your-friends exciting.

In the last five years or so that has changed dramatically. The cheesemakers at Cato’s Corner in Connecticut make a variety of washed rind cheeses that can stand up against anyone’s. The folks at 3 Corner Field Farms make firm sheep’s milk cheeses that rank among the world’s best, and Valley Shepherd in New Jersey makes such a wide variety of high caliber cheese that they even opened up their own fromagerie in Manhattan to sell them.

The October, The Joy of Cheese events will celebrate this groundswell of extraordinary cheesemaking close to home. In three events we will focus on local cheeses (including some that aren’t even on the market yet).

Without further ado…

October 5 at 7:30 at d.b.a Brooklyn, 113 N. 7th St. (between Berry & Wythe): The Local. Thanks to the fine work of breweries like Brooklyn, Kelso and Captain Lawrence, it’s not news that there is great local beer, but what local cheeses work best with them? This tasting will focus on a delightful series of local cheeses paired with brews from Brooklyn or not far from. I'll present seven extraordinary cheeses (one of them which is not commercially available, and Ray Deter, owner of d.b.a will present seven local brews that we have chosen to match them. It will be a fun way to learn about both. The event will last till around 8:45. Tickets are $25 and available via Brown Paper Tickets, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/128276

October 12 at 7:30 at The Clerkenwell, 49 Clinton St. (between Stanton and Rivington): Yes, New Jersey.
No, not New Jersey exclamation point, New Jersey period—several fine creameries have been emerged in the Mid-Atlantic States, and New Jersey is host to the best of them. We will have wondrous bries, washed rind cheeses, tommes, and pecorinos. I’ll present eight cheeses from The Garden State and probably one more that will remain mysterious. Tickets are $25 attendees pay for their beverages separately. Tickets are available at BPT, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/131122

There are also a few spots left for our September 28 cheese and beer event at d.b.a Bklyn and our September 30^th cheese and mostly Belgian beer event at Stella Manhattan Bistro.

For all of these events, attendees are welcome to pay cash at the door. I just request that you reserve a spot by e-mailing me at thejoyofcheese@gmail.com. I do all my own prep and my cheese purchases are pegged to the number of attendees I anticipate.

There are also two really really cool 92^nd St. Y events in October. On the 14^th at 7 Michael Steinberger, wine critic for slate.com and I will lead a cheese and wine pairing class. And on October 20 at 7, Maggie Fuller of Beer Ethos and 12% Importers and I will lead a cheese and beer. For tickets visit the 92^nd St. site, www.92Y.org

Sheepy!! The Joy of Cheese September Events

2010-08-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

Sheepy!! The Joy of Cheese September Events

Our September tastings will focus primarily on the wonders of sheep's milk cheeses. They are versatile, appealing and vastly underrated and we'll explore them in a variety of settings. Folded into this mix are a couple of events that will focus on Spanish and Portuguese cheeses (many of which are made of sheep's milk).

September 14 at 7:30 at d.b.a Brooklyn, 113 N. 7th St. (between Berry & Wythe): Pecorinos, Pyrenees, and Pilsners.
Yes, mind your P's. This tasting will focus on a delightful series of sheep cheeses made or inspired by the Basque and Tuscan traditions, and they will be paired with cool, crisp Pilsners. I'll present seven extraordinary cheeses, and Ray Deter, owner of d.b.a will present seven Pilsners that we have chosen to match them. It will be a fun way to learn about both. The event will last till around 8:45. Tickets are $25 and available via Brown Paper Tickets, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/124919

September 15 at 7:30 at Culturefix, 9 Clinton St. (at Houston): Red, White & Beer.
Firm sheep's milk cheeses are remarkably versatile when it comes to pairing with beverages and we will put seven of them to the test at this Joy of Cheese Workshop event. Each attendee will receive sample sizes of a red wine, a white wine and a beer, then they will be encourage to test each out with six fantastic sheep cheeses and see which ones pair best (the seventh cheese is a mystery cheese and separate from the pairing endeavor). Tickets for this event are $30, which includes the samplings of beverages, and available via Brown Paper Tickets, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/125004

September 21 at 7:30 at The Clerkenwell, 49 Clinton St. (between Stanton and Rivington): Spain v. Portugal
Two great cheese making nations, nine amazing cheeses. At this event we will offer four cheeses from each country in side by side comparisons and see who comes out on top (the ninth cheese is that pesky mystery cheese). Vegas oddsmakers say the attendees are favored to win. Tickets are $25 attendees pay for their beverages separately. Tickets are available at BPT, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/125012

Then we are holding two events in conjunction with New York City Craft Beer Week.

September 28 at 7:30 at d.b.a Brooklyn, 113 N. 7th St. (between Berry & Wythe) Pretty Things v. Funky Cheese.
Okay not all of these cheeses will be of sheep's milk nor will they be necessarily Spanish or Portuguese, but they will be delicious and funky and they should pair nicely with the beers of the Pretty Things Brewery in Cambridge Massachusetts. I'll present seven cheeses and Ray Deter will present seven PT beers chosen to match them. Tickets are $30 and available at BPT, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/121988

September 30 at 7:30 at Stella Manhattan Bistro, 213 Front St. (between Peck Slip and Beekman): Belgian Beers and Iberian Cheeses.
It's a natural! The crisp sweetness of many Belgian beers make them an ideal match for the salty, vegetal flavor profiles of Spanish and Portuguese cheeses. At this event, I'll present eight cheeses and Dave Herman (Porchetta, Spuyten Duyvil and a general all around beer authority) will present eight Belgian or Belgian inspired beers to match. Tickets are $30 and available at BPT, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/122000

In October our theme will be BOLD.

Questions? I'm at thejoyofcheese AT gmail.

The Joy of Cheese August Events: Soften

2010-07-22T21:57:00.000-07:00

Soften: The Joy of Cheese August Events

Most of the time we get a summer punctuated by heat waves; this year it seems like we have a heat wave occasionally punctuated by summer.
There is only one thing to do: soften. Getting all uptight isn't going to beat the heat. The only solution is to relax and acclimate to it. Our immodest suggestion is to eat soft cheeses. They are more luxurious, refreshing and in many ways, they are adult ice cream. This month, The Joy of Cheese offers four chances to soften with cheese.

August 3 at 7:30 NOTE NEW START TIME at d.b.a Bklyn, 113 N. 7th St. Softies & Saisons
We will launch our monthlong celebration of softer cheeses by pairing seven of them with saisons, farmhouse ales that are light, refreshing and occasionally fruity in the finish. I'll discuss the cheeses and Ray Deter will select seven saisons to pair with the fromage and discuss them. The event will run about 75 minutes and tickets are $25 and available via Brown Paper Tickets,
https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/120824
You can also pay cash at the door, but please let me know to expect you.

August 10 at 7:30 at Stella Manhattan Bistro, 213 Front St. (South St. Seaport) Buttery cheese n' Belgian beers
Buttery cheeses, Belgian beers (for the msot part). Need we say more? I'll select and discuss nine cheeses, and Maggie Consor Fuller will detail the joys of five brews she's selected from the Stella menu. The event will run about 75 minutes. Tickets are $25 and available via Brown Paper Tickets https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/120829
Again, you can pay cash at the door, please let me know to expect you.

August 12 at 7:30 at Culturefix, 9 Clinton St. Joy of Cheese Workshop, A Brand New Series Debuts. with Soft Comparisons
Please join us at 7:30 at a lovely new cafe, Culturefix, Clinton near the corner of Houston, for a new series, Joy of Cheese will debut a new event, Workshop. At Workshop (yes, capital W) events we will take more of a seminar approach and discuss several issues within the cheese world. At this first one we will deal with shopping for cheese, exploring the contrasts between 12 cheeses some from highbrow boutiques, some from middlebrow retailers and some from lowbrow outlets. Class size is limited, so reserve early! (You can always cancel a BPT purchase if something comes up). Tickets are $25 and available at Brown Paper Tickets, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/121266
Cash at the door is fine too; just let me know to expect you.

August 17 at 7:30 at The Clerkenwell, 49 Clinton St. Luscious.
Nine melty, oozy, totally sumptuous cheeses will be the focus of this tasting. Nuff said, right? Tickets are $25 and attendees pay for their beverages separately. This event usually last just over an hour. Tickets are available via Brown Paper Tickets, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/121096
Cash at teh door works too; just let me know that you plan to attend.

Questions or for more information about these events or perhaps hosting one at your home or office and even having private event at a public venue (an alumni association gathering or some such), contract me at thejoyofcheese aT gMail dotcom.

-MJ

The July Events

2010-06-27T09:48:00.000-07:00

Our July theme is Yes, Mr. DeGaulle, Way More: A Celebration of Fromage.
The tasting schedule is this.
July 13 at d.b.a Brooklyn, 113 N. 7th St. in Williamsburg: Fromage et Bier. 7 French cheeses and 7 (French or French inspired) beers to match. I'll discuss the cheese; Ray Deter will talk about the beer. Tickets are $25 and available via Brown Paper Tickets, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/118464
July 20 at Stella, 213 Front St. near the South St. Seaport: Fromage et vin. 9 French cheeses and 5 wines to match. I'll run my mouth about the cheese and Jason Springarn will run his about the wine. A good time will ensue. Tickets are $25 and available via Brown Paper Tickets, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/118467
July 27 at Clerkenwell, 49 Clinton St. on the Lower East Side: Les huit meilleurs fromages à New York City. 8 Great French cheeses you pay for your beverages separately.
Tickets are $25 and available via Brown Paper Tickets, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/118469

For more information on these tastings or having a private event, contact me at The Joy of Cheese AT G Mail.

The Joy of Cheese June Events

2010-05-27T14:21:00.000-07:00

The Joy of Cheese Presents Born in the U.S.A.

It's really nice. You can talk about American cheese these days without referencing Kraft. American hand crafted cheeses are gaining international renown both for their high quality and for their fearless experimentation. Many cheeses blend elements of two or more national traditions. There's a nice parallel to our national identity there.
Anyway, we are going to hold two tastings this month (Stella fans state your case and we'll do a third) built around the theme of American hand crafted cheeses. Here are the details.

June 15 at 7 at d.b.a Brooklyn, 113 N. 7th St. Dial V for Vermont
The title of this tasting is more than a Hitchcock reference. Vermont's tradition of culinary excellence is not a recent phenomenon. It dates back decades, even centuries. Small wonder there are over the 1000 dairy farms in a sate with fewer than 10,000 square miles. Please join us June 15 at 7 for a tasting that will celebrate the cheesemking prowess of Vermont. We will sample seven awesome Vermont cheeses and Ray Deter will select, pour, and discuss seven amazing beers to match them. Tickets are $25 and available via Brown Paper Tickets, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/114524
You can also pay cash at the door, but I prefer some notice to expect you as I'm also the prep guy.

June 22nd at 7:30 at The Clerkenwell, 49 Clinton St. Way Out West
Best Western indeed. The rise of American hand crafted cheese took root fastest on the west coast and pioneers like Mary Keehn and Laura Chenel created fine cheese and innovative business models in the early '80s that set the template for the wonderful world of American cheesemaking that we know and love today. Please join us June 22 at 7:30 for Way Out West, The Joy of Cheese's annual celebration of western hand crafted cheeses. If all goes well, we'll have fine cheeses from Oregon, Washington, Colorado, California and maybe just maybe, Idaho. The event is hosted by The Clerkenwell, 49 Clinton St. (between Stanton and Rivington). Tickets $25 and you pay for your beverages as you go. To purchase tix, please visit BPT, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/114529
Again, you can pay cash at the door; just let me know to expect you.

I can be contacted at a gmail account for thejoyofcheese.

-MJ

June at The Joy of Cheese

2010-05-20T08:58:00.000-07:00

The theme for the tastings in June is Born in the U.S.A.

The tastings will be on June 15 at d.b.a Brooklyn and June 22nd at Clerkenwell.

I will think out the specific tasting themes later this week and post ticket sales details over the weekend or thereabouts.

-MJ

The Joy of Cheese in May

2010-04-20T09:35:00.000-07:00

May marks the fifth anniversary of The Joy of Cheese.
We will celebrate with tastings of Italian cheese. Here are the details.

May 11th at 7:30 at Stella, 213 Front St., It's a Robiola World... (i.e. softer Italians with wines to match)
Ooozy, sumptuous, and tangy soft Italian cheeses will be the focus of this tasting. We will pair eight (more really, it's fifth anniversary!) incredible Italian cheeses with five wines to match. Vanessa Conlin will choose and present the wines. Tickets are $25.
https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/109224

May 18th at 7:30 at The Clerkenwell, 49 Clinton St., The 8 Best Italian Cheeses in NYC
Soft, hard and in between, I will present the eight best Italian cheeses (and probably a runner up or two) as of the morning of May 18 when I do my shopping. Tickets are $25 and attendees pay for their beverages separately.
https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/109225

For more information, the joy of cheese AT Gmail.

June is All American!

-MJ

The Joy of Cheese Presents All About Chevre

2010-03-21T07:54:00.000-07:00

The Joy of Cheese Presents All About Chevre

It's a simple equation: warming weather calls for lighter, leaner cheese. The Joy of Cheese will celebrate the first full month of spring with a three week celebration devoted to goat's milk cheeses in all of their glory. The details....

April 6 at 7 at d.b.a Brooklyn, 113 N. 7th St. (between Berry and Wythe): The Harder They Come.
Who says all goat's milk cheeses are soft. At this tasting we will sample and discuss seven firm goat's milk cheeses and Ray Deter will present seven beers specifically chosen to match them. The tasting runs about 75 minutes; tickets are $25 and available via Brown Paper Tickets, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/104551

April 13 at 7:30 at Stella, 213 Front St. (between Peck Slip and Beekman): The Softies
Eight ooozy, dense, creamy and other soft forms of chevre will be in the spotlight at this tasting as we pair them with four or five beers to match. The tasting will last about 75 minutes. Tickets are $25 and available via Brown Paper Tickets, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/104560

April 20 at 7:30 at Clerkenwell, 49 Clinton St. (between Stanton and Rivington): Red, White and Chevre
Yes, now we break out the wine! For years chevre was thought only to pair with white wines, but at this tasting of eight fab goat's milk cheeses, we will show off its versatility. Tickets are $35 and available via Brown Paper Tickets, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/105174

More information connect at TheJoyofCheese which has boxes at both gmail and yahoo.

-Martin Johnson

The Joy of Cheese in March: Only the Strong Survive

2010-02-13T07:48:00.000-08:00

Unless you're a big college basketball fan, then March's 31 days represent the dog days of winter. Thus, it's a good opportunity to indulge in strong cheeses and appropriate counterparts in accompanying beverages. The Joy of Cheese offers four opportunities.

March 2 at 7 at d.b.a Brooklyn, 113 N. 7th St: Make It Funky!!
Perhaps that should be Funkee!!!! Washed rind cheeses or in the common parlance, stinky cheeses will be the focus of our monthly cheese and beer pairing. We will present seven wonderfully aromatic and soft wonders and Ray Deter will present seven beers chosen to match them. Tickes are $20 and available at Brown Paper Tickets, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/100048

March 9 at 7:30 at Stella, 213 Front St.: The Cheese Crunch
Nope it's not Rice Crispies but some cheeses have a certain snap and crackle to them. The long story involves bonding of amino acids and sodium; the short is that it's a component of the best Reggianos, Gruyeres, Aged Goudas and Cheddars, and those will be our focus for this tasting. I'll present eight cheeses, and noted wine geek Vanessa Conlin (Harlem Vintage, Pour) will select and discuss four wines that match them. Tickets are $25 and available via BPT, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/100065

March 16 at 7:30 at The Clerkenwell, 49 Clinton St.: Cheddar Smackdown
It's time to take a stand in this face off of old world cheddars versus new world ones. We will offer four head to head match ups and take a vote. Why wait for World Cup for England and the United States to do friendly battle? Tickets are $25 and you pay for your drinks as you go. Tickets are at BPT, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/100071

March 30 at 7:30 at d.b.a Brooklyn, Cheddars and Whiskeys.
Once upon a time the conventional wisdom held that cheddars were not worthy of great wine and instead should be paired with beers and whiskeys. We now know better (cheddars and earthy Bordeaux pair wonderfully) but at this tasting we're going to go old school and pair six or seven cheddars with whiskey or beer. I'll discuss the cheddars and Ray Deter will discuss the beverages. Tickets for this special event are $30, and available at BPT, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/100077

In April, All About Chevre, our annual survey of the world's best goat's milk cheeses.

For more info try me at The Joy of Cheese at either gmail or at yahoo.

The Joy of Cheese in February: It's Better With the Brits!!

2010-01-14T08:11:00.000-08:00

In February, our theme is It's Better With the Brits. Why? Well, think of the Monty Python cheese shop skit, or the Beatles and the Stones (or Elvis Costello and The Clash), or Wallace and Gromit. Where would America be without cheddar, which we learned to make from the Brits. February is better with British cheese.

February 2 at 7 at d.b.a Brooklyn, 113 N. 7th St. (between Berry and Wythe), English Classics and Beers to match.
Awesome Cheddars, the very best Stilton, hand crafted Leicester and Lancashire highlight this tasting of cornerstone English cheeses at d.b.a. I'll sample seven cheeses and Ray Deter will present seven amazing beers to match them. Tickets are a mere $20 and available via Brown Paper Tickets, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/95957.

February 9 at 7:30 at Stella, 213 Front St. (near the South St. Seaport), It's Better Without the Brits.
Who needs the Brits anyway, there are great hand crafted cheeses being made in Ireland. And for good measure we'll sample a couple from Wales and Scotland too. Overall, at this tasting we will celebrate eight great cheeses with wines (no not beer or whiskey, wine as these new Irish cheeses are better representatives of the French monastery tradition than most French cheeses). I'll present the cheeses and Vanessa Conlin will discuss the wines. Tickets are $25 and available via Brown Paper Tickets, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/95960

February 16 at 7:30 at The Clerkenwell, 49 Clinton St. (between Stanton and Rivington), The New British Invasion
The contemporary trend back toward hand crafted cheeses didn't start in California or Vermont; it started in England with the publication of Patrick Rance's Great British Cheese Book and his campaign for Real Cheese. It's grown from there to the formation of Neal's Yard and a cheesemaking renaissance of extraordinary proportion. At this tasting we will explore magnificent sheep cheeses from Devon and Reading, a unique cheddar from Lincolnshire and several other new creations. Tickets are $25 (you pay for your drinks separately) and available via Brown Paper Tickets, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/95967.

And in March? The theme will be Only The Strong Survive. Hmmm.

Sneak Preview of February

2010-01-10T06:45:00.000-08:00

The theme for February is It's Better With the Brits!
It's not etched in stone but the tasting sked looks like this.

Feb 2nd. It's Better With the Brits: Classic British cheese, classic British ales at d.b.a Brooklyn
Feb 9th. It's Better Without the Brits: Irish, Welsh, and Scottish hand crafted cheese and wines to match at Stella
Feb 16th The New British Invasion! Contemporary British Hand Crafted Cheeses with wine or beer to match at The Clerkenwell, 49 Clinton Street, A NEW VENUE!

Tickets will go on sale later this week

The First Events of 2010

2009-12-20T10:09:00.000-08:00

For the fourth consecutive year, The Joy of Cheese will devote January to blue cheeses. This year's series, Everyday...I have the blues, is split into several separate and complimentary themes. Here's the sked.

NOTE: THE JANUARY 26TH EVENT IS NOW AT THE CLERKENWELL, 49 CLINTON ST.

January 12 at 7 at d.b.a Brooklyn, 113 North 7th St. (between Berry and Wythe): Classic Blues and beers to match.
This tasting will pair five blues two non blues and seven beers that stand up to the pepperiness of great blues like Roquefort Mons, Colston Bassett Stilton and others. Tickets are $20 and the link to Brown Paper Tickets is http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/93499
January 19 at 7:30 at Stella, 213 Front St. (between Beekman and Peck Slip near the Seaport): New Blues and Belgian Beers to match.
This tasting will pair several of the best new blues from here and abroad and pair them with the sweeter beers of Belgium. Tickets are $40 and the Brown Paper Tickets link is http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/93500.
January 26 at 7:30 at The Clerkenwell, 49 Clinton St., we will do some classic and some contemporary blues in a presentation called Deep Blues and wines to match. There will be eight resonant blues with wines and beers chosen from the Clerkenwell menu to match. Tickets are $25, (you pay for your drinks separately) and available via Brown Paper Tickets, http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/94285

Also, join The Joy of Cheese Facebook Page where you will find links to interesting stories on cheese and a Fromage of the Day!

-MJ

We finish the year with beer

2009-11-10T21:04:00.000-08:00

We will close the year with two beer and cheese tastings. The first will be December 8 at d.b.a Brooklyn, 113 N. 7th St. in Williamsburg. We will pair six cheeses with six holiday ales. Tickets are $20 and available at Brown Paper Tickets, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/89125

The very next night, we will take the beer and cheese vibe to the 92nd St. Y where a noted beer expert and I will present eight beers and cheeses. Tickets are $50 and available via this link, http://www.92y.org/shop/event_detail.asp?productid=T-LP5FW01

-MJ

The Joy of Chese is Built for Comfort: The November Tastings

2009-10-27T09:01:00.000-07:00

No, I'm not talking about my waistline.

In November, The Joy of Cheese will present two tastings built around the theme of comfort cheeses. We're tumbling into autumn and what with cooler, if not downright colder weather, thoughts turn toward heartier cuisines. Our tastings will spotlight rich, full flavored cheeses that melt well or on their own pair with fruitier wines or stronger beers. Here are the details.

November 3rd at 7 at d.b.a Brooklyn: Comfort Cheese and Beers to Match
Please join us at 7 at d.b.a Brooklyn, 113 N. 7th St. (between Berry and Wythe, one and half blocks east of the Bedford Avenue L Stop, just out of Manhattan) for a tasting of six cheeses six beers that are perfect for autumn. Expect sweet Italian mountain cheeses, nutty alpine numbers, and crumbly aged goudas. Ray Deter will choose beers to match and discuss them. Tickets are a mere $20 and available at Brown Paper Tickets, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/86873

November 17th at 7 at Stella: Built for Comfort
Please join us at 7 at Stella, 213 Front St. (between Peck Slip and Beekman) for the final Joy of Cheese event at Stella in 2009. for two hours, possibly longer, we will sample and discuss nine excellent autumnal cheeses and Peter Jamros will present and detail the pleasures of four spectacularly full wines. Tickets are $40 and available via Brown Paper Tickets, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/86874

For further details, I'm at TheJoyofCheese@gmail.com.

The Joy of Cheese Presents a Local October

2009-09-30T09:55:00.000-07:00

The early October schedule will feature three tastings in 15 days, all focused on cheese made within a few hours drive of NYC.

October 6 at 7 at 10 Degrees, 121 St. Mark's Place in the East Village
We will present Farmer's Market, a sampling and discussion of ten of the best cheeses available at the nearby Greenmarkets. Once, a venue primarily for produce, some of the best nearby creameries showcase their wares at farmer's markets. We'll explore. There will be fruit (guess where from!), mystery cheeses, program notes, et al. Tickets are $25 and available at Brown Paper Tickets, http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/83184

October 13 at 7 at d.b.a Brooklyn, 113 N. 7th St. in Williamsburg, between Berry and Wythe
We will present the Local-Local Connection, seven cheeses made nearby and seven beers brewed nearby to match. Tickets are $20 and available via Brown Paper Tickets, http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/83188

October 20 at 7 at Stella, 213 Front St. near the South St. Seaport between Peck Slip and Beekman
We will present In the Vicinity, a tasting of nine local cheeses (including some from Brooklyn) and they will be paired with four incredible wines (which won't be made in the five boros). Peter Jamros will discuss the wine; I'll discuss the cheeses. Fun will ensue.
Tickets are $40 (it's typically a two-hour event), and available via Brown Paper Tickets, http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/83189

Beyond these tastings here's what's up

October 21 a Wine and Cheese pairing class at the 92nd St. Y
http://www.92y.org/shop/event_detail.asp?productid=T-LP5FW76

Then comes the Built for Comfort series, several tastings highlighting the best autumn cheese.

October 27, The Five Best Cheeses in NYC plus some runners up at Nectar Wine Bar
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/86783

November 17 at Stella and some dates in between t.b.a

Preview of October

2009-09-22T07:27:00.000-07:00

More details up by week's end, but here's the lineup for a busy busy October.
The theme is Local Cheese (or at least made by cheesemakers in the near vicinity).

October 6, Farmer's Market at 10 Degrees (cheeses all from nearby greenmarkets).
October 8, The 8 Best Local Cheeses in NYC at Nectar Wine Bar
October 13, Local-Local. Local cheeses and local brews at d.b.a. Brooklyn
October 20, In the Vicinity, 9 local cheeses and four great wines at Stella

Finally, one that won't be local at all,
October 21, Cheese and Wine pairing class at 92nd St. Y.

-MJ

The Joy of Cheese Presents a Sheepy September

2009-08-26T07:04:00.000-07:00

September 2009 is a bitch of month to try and schedule events. Labor Day is very very late, and Rosh Hashanah is somewhat early. That leaves a teensy tiny little window to schedule tastings. But every problem is an opportunity, so we're going to focus the entirety of our tasting themes on sheep cheese this month. Everyone knows Manchego, Roquefort, and Pecorino, but there's so much more to the story. We'll tell it in three separate events.
September 15 at 6:30 at Nectar Wine Bar: The 8 Best Sheep Cheeses in New York City
The 8 on the 8th series returns from summer hiatus with a survey course of great sheep cheeses from France, Italy and Spain (of course) as well as those from less renown ports like New Jersey, Portugal and England. Tickets are $25 and you pay for your wine as you go. There will be a flight of wines chosen by Jai Jai Greenfield, owner of Nectar Wine Bar. Nectar Wine Bar is at 2235 Frederick Douglass Blvd (121st St.) . Advance tix are available at Brown Paper Tickets, http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/79470
September 17 at 7 at d.b.a Brooklyn: Cheeses of Spain & Portugal, Beers from ???
Okay, not all the cheeses here will be from sheep's milk but most of them will be. The Iberian peninsula is a fantastic epicenter of sheep cheese production and we will investigate some cornerstone cheeses and several exotic ones as well. Ray Deter will present six beers to chosen to match our six cheeses. There will also be fruit, a mystery cheese and program notes. Tickets are $20 (it's a one hour tasting) and available via Brown Paper Tickets, http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/79469
September 22 at 7 at Stella: Not Cheap Cheese, Sheep Cheese!
One of the most underrated--okay Frank Bruni, overlooked--aspects of sheep's milk cheese is its companionability with a wide variety of wines. This will be our focus at the next Stella tasting. We will present nine extraordinary sheep's milk cheeses with four superb wines. I'll talk about the cheese and Peter Jamros will detail the deep dark secrets of the wine. Tickets are $40 (it's a two hour event) and available via Brown Paper Tickets, http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/79468

For more information, contact me at thejoyofcheese@gmail.com.

-MJ

The August Events

2009-08-02T06:22:00.000-07:00

August 11 at 7 at 10 Degrees, 121 St. Marks Place in the East Village

More Good Cheese for Hard Times, the latest in our exploration of inexpensive hand crafted cheese. We will sample and discuss 10 cheeses made on small farms run $25/pound or less. In it the process, we will go over how cheese is made, where to shop, and good pairing strategies. In addition, there will be fruit, a mystery cheese, and dark chocolate. The tasting will run from 7 until around 8ish. Tickets are $25 but you pay for your drinks separately, though it's 2-4-1 happy hour at the bar till 8. Advance tix are available at Brown Paper Tickets, http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/76508

August 18 at 7 at d.b.a Brooklyn, 113 N. 7th St.,
Cheese and Beer, a summertime potpourri. I'm going to pick six cheeses (well seven including the mystery cheese) and Ray Deter, the owner of d.b.a., will pick six beers to match. It's a recipe for a very happy hour. The tasting runs till about 8. Tickets are $20 and available at Brown Paper Tickets, http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/76511

For more information contact me at thejoyofcheese@gmail.com

-MJ

The July events part one

2009-06-17T09:02:00.000-07:00

Lots of events in lots of places!

July 7 at 7 at 10 Degrees, 121 St. Mark's Place, (bet 1st Ave and Avenue A)
The Joy of Cheese Presents Good Cheese for Hard Times vol. 2. Great cheese need not cost a great amount of money. We will present the second in our three part series of cheeses that cost $25 per pound or less with a focus on the soft cheeses in that price range. Tickets are $25 and you pay for your beverages as you go. Tickets are available at Brown Paper Tickets, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/70923

July 16 at 7 at Stella, 213 Front St. (bet Peck Slip and Beekman)
The Joy of Cheese Presents The Stella Seven: Francophile's Delight. It's durn near impossible to think about Cheese without France coming to mind. Francophile's Delight will offer nine affineur aged French Cheeses and four wines to match. I'll discuss the cheeses in terms of their geography, production style and flavor. Peter Jamros will reveal the deep dark secrets of the wine. Everyone will leave with smiles on their faces and Paris on their minds. Tickets are $40 and available via Brown Paper Tickets, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/70918

July 21 at 7 at d.b.a. Brooklyn, 113 N. 7th St. (bet Berry and Wythe)
The Joy of Cheese Presents The JoC dba six pack. In the second of our series on cheeses and beers we will focus on the glories of French Farmhouse Ales. These lovely dense and refreshing beverages pair beautifully with cheese and to prove we will focus on six of each. In addition, weather permitting, the tasting will take place in the outdoor patio area of the bar.
Tickets are a mere $20 and available from Brown Paper Tickets, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/70926

For more info, find me at thejoyofcheese AT gmail.

Have a beer, and upcoming tastings

2009-06-10T08:58:00.000-07:00

It's only recently come to light, but beer and cheese are more compatible together than wine and cheese. The reasons for this are complex and have to do with the hops and sweetness of beer balancing out the complexities of cheese. Still not convinced? Come to The Joy of Cheese/d.b.a Six Pack, a new series at d.b.a Brooklyn, 113 North 7th St. in Williamsburg (a block and half west of the first L stop into Brooklyn, Bedford Avenue). This summer we will offer hour long tastings that feature six cheeses and three beers. There will be program notes, dark chocolate, fruit, and plenty of discussion about both cheese, beer and their pairings. Admission is $20 and space is limited so act now!
Tickets are available at Brown Paper Tickets.

Sneak preview of July
July 7 at 10 Degrees: Good Cheese for Hard Times vol. 2

July 15 at Nectar Wine Bar: The 8 Best Vermont Cheeses in NYC
July 16 at Stella: The Stella Seven presents Francophiles Delight
July 21 at dba Brooklyn: Cheeses and I.P.A.'s

-MJ

Late May and early June Tastings

2009-05-06T20:48:00.000-07:00

After five tastings in eight days, I'm going to use the weeks leading up to Memorial Day to catch my breath and get ready to launch into our summer series. Here's the lowdown

May 28 at 7 at Stella, 213 Front St (between Beekman and Peck Slip or just north of the South Street Seaport, due east of the Fulton/B'way Nassau stop of the 2,3,4,5,A,C,J,and M trains), the third edition of the Stella Seven will focus on Italian Cheeses. No, not any ole Italian cheese, but rare Italian cheeses, Foglia Di Noce, Cinerino, and several that are just starting to make it to these shores. In addition to nine cheeses (seven plus two mysteries), there will be four wines presented and discussed by Peter Jamros (former Wine Director of Babbo and Otto), and of course there will be fruit, dark chocolate and program notes. Tickets are $40 and available via www.brownpapertickets.com (use Stella as a search criteria) by May 8.

June 2 at 7, the Joy of Cheese returns to its home base, 10 Degrees, 121 St. Mark's Place (between First Avenue and Avenue A) for the start of a new series, Good Cheese for Hard Times, 10 cheeses all under $25/pound. Admission to the event is $25 and you pay for your drinks as you go. Tickets will be on sale at www.brownpapertickets.com after May 8, use 10 Degrees as a search criteria.

June 8 at 6:30 at Nectar Wine Bar, 2235 Frederick Douglass Blvd, (121st St.), we will present the next edition of our 8 on the 8th series, The 8 Best Cheeses of the American West. The tasting will feature great obscure cheeses of California, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. In addition there will be a suggested flight of wines from Jai Jai Greenfield owner of Nectar Wine Bar and Harlem Vintage. Tickets are $25 and available after May 8 at www.brownpapertickets.com (yep, use Nectar Wine Bar as a search critieria).

For more information hit me at thejoyofcheese@gmail.com

-MJ

The Joy of Cheese partial April sked

2009-04-03T09:46:00.000-07:00

April is coming together slowly at The Joy of Cheese.

However......there will be cheese!

April 8 at 6:30 at Nectar Wine Bar, 2235 Frederick Douglass Blvd (121st. St.), we will explore The 8 Best Italian Cheeses in New York City. Tickets are $25 and you pay for your wine as you go. Advance tickets are at brown paper tickets dot com. Use Nectar Wine Bar as the search criteria.

April 29 at 7 at The 92nd St. Y, I am team teaching a wine and cheese pairing class. We will investigate 8-10 wines and 8-10 cheeses and discuss. Tickets are $50 and advance sales are at the 92StY.org box office.

April 30 at 7 at Stella, 213 Front St. near the South St. Seaport, we will hold the second edition of the Stella 7, Nine cheeses four wines $40. More information on that soon.

More information in general? E-me at thejoyofcheese on gmail.

More March Cheese Tasting Madness

2009-03-02T07:39:00.000-08:00

March 11, The Joy of Cheese launches a new series, The Stella Seven, at Stella, 213 Front Street. The venue is near the South St. Seaport, a five minute walk from the Fulton St/B'way Nassau stop of the A, C, J, M, 2, 3, 4, and 5 trains. The tastings will take place in a separate salon room accessible via the bar.
Our first tasting there will focus on cheeses of Spain and Portugal. As part of the $40 admission ($45 at the door), there will be sample sizes of four absurdly good Iberian wines served and discussed by Peter Jamros from Regal Wines. Of course in addition to the seven cheeses, there will also be two mystery cheeses, fruit, dark chocolate, and of course program notes.
You can buy tickets in advance at Brown Paper Tickets, http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/57728

For more information, try me at The Joy of Cheese aT Gmail.

-MJ

Swiss and Cheddar in March

2009-02-13T21:35:00.000-08:00

No, it's not our response to the economy. The dead of winter is a great time to investigate the alpine cheese tradition and it's a fine time to delve into the wonderful world of cheddar.

Sunday March 8 at 1:30 at Nectar Wine Bar, 2235 Frederick Douglass Blvd (120-121st. St.)
The Joy of Cheese Presents the 8 Best Swiss Cheeses in New York City.
No, I don't mean Finlandia v. real Swiss Emmenthal or Jarlsberg v. Leerdammer, we're talking Hand-Crafted cheese! We will have the best Emmenthal on the planet and a fab Gruyere but there will also be two or three rare firm cheeses from Switzerland as well as several soft gooey ones (but no Vacherin, sorry). Of course, there will be mystery cheeses, fruit, dark chocolate, program notes, and wine recommendations from the fantastic team at Nectar Wine Bar. Tickets are $25 (you pay for your wine as you go) and available either at the door or more safely via Brown Paper Tickets
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/54883

Tuesday March 10 & Wednesday March 18 at 7pm at 10 Degrees, 121 St. Mark's Place (1st Avenue and Avenue A)
The Joy of Cheese Presents Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Cheddar But Were Afraid to Ask
We'll have Old World Cheddar, New World Cheddar, and everything in between. They've been making cheddar for nearly a millennium now and there are more offshoots and flavors from this cheese than you might imagine. You'll never take it for granted again. We'll sample six or seven absolutely off-the-hook wonderful cheddars as well as six or seven potent variations on cheddar.
The optimal pairing is whiskey, but we understand if you have to go to work the next day. The 10 Degrees bar is well stocked with red wines, beers and other fine alternatives. As always there will be mystery cheeses, fruit and dark chocolate.
Tickets are $40 ($35 via Brown Paper Tickets) and you pay for your drinks as you go.
The Brown Paper Tickets direct link is http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/56938

Contact me at thejoyofcheese at gmail.

-MJ

The Joy of Cheese Presents The 8 Best French Cheeses in NYC

2009-02-03T08:06:00.000-08:00

The Joy of Cheese Presents the 8 Best French Cheeses in New York City

Later for governing a nation with more than 750 cheeses (yes Charles DeGaulle was off by more than half in his famous comment "how can you govern a nation with 325 cheeses"), how do you even get a grip on all this fromage?

The Joy of Cheese will try. On Sunday afternoon February 8, at Nectar Wine Bar, 2235 Frederick Douglass Blvd, we will conduct a tasting featuring eight true cornerstone cheeses of this fantastic cheesemaking superpower. Ideally, the tasting will focus on the work of France's leading affineurs, masters of aging cheese, and one of the talking points will be how France became such a fromage haven.

Our roster of cheeses will include fantastic Loire Valley chevre, wonderful Pyrenees Sheep cheese and a great blue, as well as better Roquefort, St. Nectaire, and Tomme De Savoie than you can get in most Parisian fromageries.

The tasting is the latest in our series of 8 on the 8^th at Nectar Wine Bar, in which we introduce people to eight varieties of cornerstone cheeses in different themes. Next month we will tackle Switzerland and in April, we will focus on Italy.

The February 8^th tasting begins at 1:30 and is expected to last 75 minutes. Admission is $25 and attendees pay for their drinks as they go. There will be a roster of suggested wines chosen by Nectar Wine Bar owner, Jai Jai Greenfield as well as fruit, dark chocolate, mystery cheese, and program notes.

Tickets are available via http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/54300 and reservations and questions can be fielded at thejoyofcheese@gmail.com.bbb

The Joy of Cheese January Events

2008-12-13T20:58:00.000-08:00

We're going to start the year with a bang--four events in three venues. Let's get right to the point.

Thursday January 8 at 6:30 at Nectar Wine Bar, 2235 Frederick Douglass Blvd.
The 8 Best Cheeses in New York City
Let's get back to basics with a tasting of the eight best hand crafted cheeses available in New York. No, I'm not saying exactly what we'll have, but expect names like Beeler, Mons, Cravero and Guffanti to be in the house. Oh, okay, I'll divulge this much, the Roquefort alone will be worth the price of admission. Tickets are $25; there will be dark chocolate, fruit and at least one mystery cheese (which may be ninth and/or tenth best cheese in Gotham), you pay for your drinks as you go. For reservations contact me at thejoyofcheese@gmail.com or pay in advance at
https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/50650

Tuesday January 13 at 7 at The 92nd St. Y, 92nd and Lexington Ave
A Wine and Cheese pairing class.
I will co-lead a class with noted wine expert Meg Staloff featuring six phenomenal wines and six remarkable cheeses to match. It's a class whose theme will be revisited on April 1 and 29.
Tickets are $50 and available on the Y's website,
http://www.92y.org/shop/event_detail.asp?productid=T-LP5FW35

Wednesday January 14 and Tuesday January 27 at 7 at 10 Degrees, 121 St. Mark's Place
Blue Blue Blue!!!
Our third annual survey of six (maybe seven) of the finest blue cheeses in the world balanced by six (again, maybe seven) non blues that will match the sweet whites and ports that are recommended with these superb cheeses. The tasting will take place in the newly redecorated salon room at 10 Degrees.
Tickets are $40, $35 in advance via Brown Paper Tickets
https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/50658

I'm happy to answer any and all questions during the tastings and in advance at thejoyofcheese@ gmail.com

-MJ

The Joy of Cheese Presents Alpine Nation

2008-10-27T21:15:00.000-07:00

With the holidays closing in, there's only one set of Joy of Cheese tastings in November (and no public events in December) so we're closing out the year with alpine cheeses. There will be three segments to this tasting: American Alpine cheeses (I know that geographically, the actual Alps don't extend across the Atlantic ocean, but one taste of some new Americans like the Leelanau Aged Raclette and you'll see that the cheese making wisdom does). The second subset of the tasting is on the soft cheeses of Switzerland; it's an interesting country with influences of German, Italian and French cheesemaking mixing together. And lastly we'll end with a series of unique and rare Alpine style cheeses from Switzerland.
The tastings will be held WEDNESDAYS November 12th and 19th at 10 Degrees, 121 St. Mark's Place, in the East Village. Tickets are $40. You can make reservations via e-mail at thejoyofcheese AT Gmail or you can buy tickets in advance with a slight discount via www.brownpapertickets.com.

-MJ

The Joy of Cheese Presents the October Tasting Schedule

2008-09-30T15:32:00.000-07:00

Big Cheeses for Big Wines
October 14 and 21 at 7ish at 10 Degrees, 121 St. Mark's Place

It's hard to pair cheeses with the big red wines that become all the rage during autumn and winter. Some cheeses conflict with the deep flavors of the wine; others are simply overwhelmed by the wine. October 14 and 21 (yep, just two Tuesdays), we will taste and discuss twelve or so cheeses that are distinctive enough to pair well with rich red wines. Expect great cheese from Portugal, Sardinia and of course, Georgia (yeah, the state). As always there will be mystery cheeses, fruit and dark chocolate.
Tickets are $40 at the door and there is a 10% discount via www.brownpapertickets.com after October 2.

When in Rome...
October 19th at 1:30 and October 22nd at 6:30 at Nectar Wine Bar, 2235 Frederick Douglass Blvd.
We will survey 12 or so of the very best Italian cheeses. Expect cheese from some of the finest Italian producers and affineurs such as Madaio, Guffanti, Cravero, and Cora. We will present ten of the cheeses in five pairs and each pair will be accompanied by a sample size of a wine from the superb Nectar Wine Bar collection and a description from Nectar manager Beth Baye.
Tickets are $50 and available either at the door or via www.brownpapertickets.com after October 2nd.

Feel free to hit me with questions at thejoyofcheese AT gmail

-Martin

The Joy of Cheese September schedule

2008-08-31T08:11:00.000-07:00

We're back and everything is okay.
There will be two tastings in September. On the 9th, 16th, and 18th at 7:00 at 10 Degrees will focus on classic English cheeses and their contemporary counterparts. England has exerted an enormous influence on American cheesemaking traditions, and we will delve into the reasons for that. However the current wave of exceptional cheeses from England and America are sort of engaged in an interesting dialogue which we will also discuss.
10 Degrees is located at 121 St. Mark's Place in the East Village. Tickets are $40 but there is a 10% for purchasing them in advance at Brown Paper Tickets dot com.
On the 21st at 1:30, and the 24th at 6:30, at Nectar Wine Bar, 2235 Frederick Douglas Blvd., we will turn our attention to the cheeses of Spain, Portugal and Colorado (yep, that Colorado). This will be a survey course of the fine cheeses of the Iberian peninsula plus a quick detour into Colorado where some of the best cheeses take their cues from Spanish cheesemaking traditions.
Tickets for the tasting are $50 but that includes sample sizes of five wines chosen specifically to accompany these cheeses. Again advance tix are available at Brown Paper Tickets dot com.

More info? contact me at thejoyofcheese at Gmail.

-MJ

The Joy of Cheese calls an audible

2008-08-16T08:10:00.000-07:00

The Joy of Cheese changes the schedule

Due to a family medical emergency, there will be no tastings the week of August 18-22.

This means that the tastings scheduled for August 19 and 21 at 10 Degrees and August 20 at Nectar Wine Bar are cancelled.

The tastings will resume August 26^th at 10 Degrees with our survey of great Italian affineurs.

From the department of Coming Soon, we have a tasting that pits classic English cheeses v. the new wave of Great British cheesemaking on September 9, 16, and 18 at 10 Degrees.

Then at Nectar Wine Bar on September 21 and 24, we will survey the cheeses of Spain, Portugal and Colorado (un hunh, that Colorado).

The Joy of Cheese plans a busy busy August

2008-08-04T20:59:00.000-07:00

In the five weeks between now and Labor Day weekend, there will be eight Joy of Cheese tastings. Rather than spam you anymore than I already do, this is our August schedule.

Joy of Cheese (Uptown) Presents The Old World Cheeses of Nectar Wine Bar

This tasting will present the five old world cheeses of Nectar plus seven (or more) delectable new ones from leading affineurs overseas. In addition, Nectar’s manager Beth Baye will present five wines specifically chosen to match the five pairings of cheese.

The tastings are Sunday afternoon August 10^th at 1:30 and Wednesday evening August 20^th at 6:30.

The setting is Nectar Wine Bar is at 2235 Frederick Douglass Blvd (8^th Ave). 212-961-9622.

Tickets are $50 (the price includes the wine) and are available via Brown Paper Tickets, http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/39761 or make reservations by e-mailing me at thejoyofcheese@gmail.com or thejoyofcheese@yahoo.com

The Joy of Cheese (Downtown) Presents La Dolce Formaggio

Which may not be grammatical but true fans of legendary Italian Director Frederico Fellini fans won’t care. This tasting will present the 12-14 examples from the work of the three leading Italian affineurs, Luigi Guffanti, Gianni Cora and the fine craftsmen and craftswomen or Casa Madaio. It’s just the thing for summer-ey dry sparkling wines.

The Tastings are at 7:00 Tuesdays August 19^th and 26^th as well as Thursday August 21^st.

The setting is 10 Degrees, 121 St. Mark’s Place in the East Village.

Tickets are $40 and you pay for your wine as you go, but the tastings take place during two-for-the-price-of-one happy hour. You may buy advance tickets (and get a 10% discount) at Brown Paper Tickets via this link, http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/40386. Or you can make reservations by e-mailing me at thejoyofcheese@gmail.com or thejoyofcheese@yahoo.com.

Also there are a few settings left for the August 5^th edition of our July series Classic French Cheese vs. Le Nouveau Fromage (imagine an adventure movie starring cheese), and there are an abundance of them for July 29 and 31. These tastings are at 10 Degrees. If you’re new to The Joy of Cheese, a small tasting is the introduction. Advance tickets are available at Brown Paper Tickets, http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/36983

And of course feel free to reserve at the yahoo or gmail addresses.

I hope to see you over some cheese!

-MJ

The July tastings

2008-07-01T20:53:00.000-07:00

There are two sets of Joy of Cheese tastings in July.
The first is Sunday afternoon July 20 at Nectar Wine Bar, 2235 Frederick Douglass Blvd. nectar is a fabulous new wine bar opened last month by the folks who made Harlem Vintage into one of Manhattan's leading wine boutiques. The Joy of Cheese is in charge of the cheese program there, and I'll be conducting a survey tasting on the new world portion of the menu, Constant Bliss, Kunik, Bayley Hazen Blue, Pleasant Ridge Reserve and the Jasper Hill Cabot Clothbound Cheddar. We will introduce five cheeses that represent the next step beyond these superb cheeses and of course there will be two mystery cheeses and dark chocolate at the finish.
In addition, there the cheeses will be paired with a flight of wines from the Nectar wine list.
Tickets are $50 and available via www.brownpapertickets.com

Then July 29, 31 and August 5 we return to our downtown homebase, 10 Degrees, 121 St. Mark's Place, to conduct Classic French Cheese vs. Le Nouveau Fromage, a tasting that will contrast what the French think of as basic cheeses (their Kraft) with what new and exciting cheeses from the leading French affineurs.
Tickets for this event are $40 at the door, $35 via www.brownpapertickets.com

-MJ

The Joy of Cheese Presents the Midwest v. the South, a comparative tasting

2008-06-05T11:59:00.000-07:00

The Joy of Cheese Presents the Midwest v. the South

American hand crafted cheesemaking has little of the way in appreciable roots in either the Deep South or the Midwest (though large scale cheesemaking has deep roots in Midwestern states), however, both regions have played host to ambitious cheesemakers who in the last decade have begun producing exceptional cheeses. Which region is doing better? Let’s hold a taste-off and find out.

In the third of a six month series of comparisons and contrasts called Taking Sides (which isn’t entirely accurate, you can choose to like both), we will investigate the cheeses from the Midwest and the South. In this manner, I hope we can begin to gain a sense of the flavor properties that each region exerts on a cheese.

The final lineup isn’t known right now, but my plans include cheeses from Alabama, Texas, Louisiana, southern Indiana, Minnesota and of course, Wisconsin

There will be dark chocolate (probably from a foreign country), fruit (west coast) and two mystery cheeses. I am happy to answer questions about these cheeses and about cheese in general

The tastings are Tuesdays June 17^th and 24^th and Thursday June 19^th

As always the tastings run from just after 7 until around 8:30 at 10 Degrees, the wonderful wine and high end spirits bar at 121 St. Marks Place in the East Village . Admission to the tasting is $30 and you pay for your drinks as you go (but it’s 2-4-1 Happy Hour till 8).

Reservations are a must. Contact me at thejoyofcheese@yahoo.com or thejoyofcheese@gmail.com.

The Joy of Cheese blog is up at http://thejoyofcheese.blogspot.com

Next tastings: July 29^th, 31^st, and August 5^th Taking Sides part four, the cheeses of France in some comparative setting.

-MJ

correction on dates

2008-04-30T17:57:00.000-07:00

the June tasting series is on the 17th, 19th, and 24th, not 22nd, 24th and 29th as mentioned below.

The corrected May announcement is below

The Joy of Cheese Presents East v. West

American hand crafted cheesemaking has roots in both the East Coast and the West Coast. 30 years later, which coast does it better? Let’s hold a taste-off and find out.

In the second of a six month series of comparisons and contrasts called Taking Sides (which isn’t entirely accurate, you can choose to like both), we will investigate pairs of cheeses from each coast. In this manner, I hope we can begin to gain a sense of the flavor properties that each region exerts on a cheese.

There will be several interesting contrasts including goudas from Oregon and Connecticut , bloomy chevres from California and Massachusetts , and washed rind cheeses from Virginia and (hopefully) Washington state.

There will be dark chocolate (probably from a foreign country), fruit (west coast) and two mystery cheeses (which will be from one coast or the other). I am happy to answer questions about these cheeses and about cheese in general

The tastings are Tuesdays May 13^th and 20^th as well as Thursday May 15^th

Reservations are a must. Contact me at thejoyofcheese@yahoo.com

The Joy of Cheese blog is up at http://thejoyofcheese.blogspot.com

Next tastings: June 17^th, 19^th and 24th Taking Sides part three, the cheeses of the American South versus those from the Midwest ..

-MJ

The Joy of Cheese Presents East v. West, a comparative tasting

2008-04-28T21:21:00.000-07:00

The Joy of Cheese Presents East v. West

American hand crafted cheesemaking has roots in both the East Coast and the West Coast. 30 years later, which coast does it better? Let’s hold a taste-off and find out.

The tastings are Tuesdays May 13^th and 20^th as well as Thursday May 15^th

Reservations are a must. Contact me at thejoyofcheese@yahoo.com

The Joy of Cheese blog is up at http://thejoyofcheese.blogspot.com

Next tastings: June 22^nd, 24^th, and 29^th, Taking Sides part three, the cheeses of the American South versus those from the Midwest ..

-MJ

The Joy of Cheese Presents Taking Sides vol. 1, a comparative tasting

2008-04-06T07:54:00.001-07:00

The Joy of Cheese Presents Goat v. Sheep

For nearly two years, The Joy of Cheese has engaged in survey courses of cheese from different regions and different styles of cheese making. Now, we’re going a tad deeper. .

In the debut of a six month series of comparisons and contrasts called Taking Sides (which isn’t entirely accurate, you can choose to like both), we will investigate pairs of similarly made cheeses from the same region with one key difference. One cheese in each pairing will be made of sheep’s milk and the other will be of goat’s milk. In this manner, I hope we can begin to gain a sense of the flavor properties that each region exerts on a cheese.

For instance we will feature a firm goat and a firm sheep from the French Pyrenees. We will also have leaf-wrapped fresh goat and sheep cheeses from Tuscany. There will be two blues from Devon England, two fresh cheeses from nearby, and so on and so forth.

There will be dark chocolate (only one), fruit and two mystery cheeses (which will not be compared against one another). I am happy to answer questions about these cheeses and about cheese in general.

The tastings are Tuesdays April 22^nd and 29^th as well as Thursday April 24^th

As always the tastings run from just after 7 until around 8:30 at 10 Degrees, the wonderful wine and high end spirits bar at 121 St. Marks Place in the East Village. Admission to the tasting is $30 and you pay for your drinks as you go (but it’s 2-4-1 Happy Hour till 8).

Reservations are a must. Contact me at thejoyofcheese@yahoo.com

The Joy of Cheese blog is up at http://thejoyofcheese.blogspot.com

Next tastings: May 13^th 15^th and 20^th Taking Sides part two, the cheeses of the East Coast versus those from the West Coast..

-MJ

The Joy of Cheese Presents The Local

2008-03-11T09:00:00.000-07:00

The Joy of Cheese Presents The Local

The epicenters of great American cheesemaking are Vermont, northern California, the Pacific Northwest, and Wisconsin. But this region is no slouch either and we’re going to prove it.

There are great washed rind cheeses being made in Connecticut, outstanding sheep cheese is made both in Hudson Valley and in Southern New Jersey and there is even great hand crafted cheese made in five boroughs. Those cheeses comprise the focus of our next tasting, The Local. We’ll introduce and discuss 12-14 cheeses made in either New York Connecticut or New Jersey.

There will be dark chocolate, fruit and two mystery cheeses. I am happy to answer questions about these cheeses and about cheese in general.

The tastings are Tuesdays March 25^th and April 1^st as well as Thursday March 27^th

As always the tastings run from just after 7 until around 8:30 at 10 Degrees, the wonderful wine and high end spirits bar at 121 St. Marks Place in the East Village. Admission to the tasting is $30 and you pay for your drinks as you go (but it’s 2-4-1 Happy Hour till 8).

Reservations are a must. Contact me at thejoyofcheese@yahoo.com

The Joy of Cheese blog is up at http://thejoyofcheese.blogspot.com

Next tastings: April 22, 24 and 29: Taking Sides: Goat versus Sheep, a series of side-by-side contrasts of goat and sheep cheeses from similar regions.

-MJ

The Joy of Cheese Presents Pasteur's Delight

2008-02-14T21:59:00.000-08:00

It’s time to stop treating pasteurized cheeses as if they were uniformly dull.

Some of the best new cheeses are made from the Pasteurized milk as are some of the most reliable classics, and so are a few cheeses that we think are made from raw milk.

To pasteurize or not to pasteurize is an issue with both flavor and health consequences and we’ll discuss them in the next Joy of Cheese tasting. We’ll survey 12-14 cheeses not made from raw milk. In addition, to an alarming variety, you’ll be able to tell your expecting friends that there’s a whole lot more than aged gouda for them to eat.

But we’re going to have some amazing aged goudas too.

There will be dark chocolate, fruit and two mystery cheeses. I am happy to answer questions about these cheeses and about cheese in general.

The tastings are Tuesdays February 26^th and March 4^th as well as Thursday February 28^th

As always the tastings run from just after 7 until around 8:30 at 10 Degrees, the wonderful wine and high end spirits bar at 121 St. Marks Place in the East Village. Admission to the tasting is $30 and you pay for your drinks as you go (but it’s 2-4-1 Happy Hour till 8).

Reservations are a must. Contact me at thejoyofcheese@yahoo.com

The Joy of Cheese blog is up at http://thejoyofcheese.blogspot.com

Next tastings: March 25, 27 and April 1: The Local, great hand-crafted cheeses of New York, Connecticut and New Jersey.

-MJ

The Winter season at 10 Degrees

2008-01-07T06:07:00.000-08:00

Our winter events at 10 Degrees begins with It's Better to be Blue, a survey of excellent blue cheeses, January 22nd, 24th and 29th. See the preceeding post for more information.

The series continues, February 26, 28 and March 4 with Pasteur's Delight, a tasting focused on the very best cheeses NOT made from raw milk and a discussion of the Pasteurization laws.

Winter ends with The Local: the cheeses of NY, NJ, and Connecticut, March 25, 27, and April 1.

Details soon.

-MJ

The Joy of Cheese Presents It's Better to be Blue

2008-01-07T06:01:00.000-08:00

The Joy of Cheese Presents It’s Better to be Blue

Blue cheeses are thought to be one thing: strong. Yet there are many different levels and degrees of strength and pepperiness (yes that’s a word I just made up) as well as a broad array of overtones to be enjoyed from blue cheeses.

In our second annual survey of blues, It’s Better to be Blue, the Joy of Cheese will explore many different blues, balanced by other cheeses that pair well with ports and sweet white wines. We’ll investigate at least 12 and probably more cheeses and I promise, your palette won’t be exhausted by 9:00.

There will be dark chocolate, fruit and two mystery cheeses. I am happy to answer questions about these cheeses and about cheese in general.

The tastings are Tuesdays January 22^nd and 29^th as well as Thursday January 24^th

As always the tastings run from just after 7 until around 8:30 at 10 Degrees, the wonderful wine and high end spirits bar at 121 St. Marks Place in the East Village. Admission to the tasting is $30 and you pay for your drinks as you go (but it’s 2-4-1 Happy Hour till 8).

Reservations are a must. Contact me at thejoyofcheese@yahoo.com

The Joy of Cheese blog is up at http://thejoyofcheese.blogspot.com

Next tastings: February 26, 28 and March 4: the Pasteur’s Delight, a tasting of cheeses that are NOT made from raw milk

-MJ

So what's next

2007-11-15T13:25:00.000-08:00

Well, nothing for a few weeks while we let the holidays blow over.

It doesn't mean we're idle, however. I'll be busy setting up the menu and cheese program for a new wine bar owned by the folks who created Harlem Vintage. Our debut tasting will be in early January.

Meanwhile the next Joy of Cheese event at 10 Degrees in the East Village will be in late January. We'll do our second annual survey called Ports and Blues and Other News.

-MJ

A Man Called Rolf

2007-10-22T09:10:00.000-07:00

The Joy of Cheese Presents A Man Called Rolf

Switzerland is one of the great cheesemaking nations of the world and Rolf Beeler is out to prove it. His Gruyere is so dense and wonderful that people have it and break out into song (well not just anybody, the singing man was a professional opera singer). His other cheeses make people who aren’t musicians hear music too.

There’s a lot more to the Switzerland tradition than Emmenthal and Gruyere and we’re going to explore them in the November tasting series at 10 Degrees. Expect cheeses like Forsterkase, Half Moon, Riesling X Sylvaner, Fricalin and maybe, just maybe…a very special seasonal cheese. Most of the cheeses will be by Rolf Beeler but not all; we will introduce cheeses by up-and-coming affineurs as well, and we will probably sneak an American into the mix for comparison.

Overall we will investigate 12-14 cheeses; there will be dark chocolate, fruit and two mystery cheeses. I am happy to answer questions about these cheeses and about cheese in general.

The tastings are Tuesdays November 6^th and 13^th as well as Thursday November 8^th

Reservations are a must. Contact me at thejoyofcheese@yahoo.com

And The Joy of Cheese now has a column, The Joys of Cheese at moli.com

http://www.moli.com/p/moliview/6_197451/article

Next tastings: January dates tba, our second annual celebration of Ports and Blues

-MJ

Cheese that's rocking my world these days

2007-10-20T21:56:00.000-07:00

Tarentaise: a wonderful Vermont interpretation of the French classic Tomme D'Abondance. Whereas its inspiration offers a gentle balance of nuttiness and earthiness, Tarentaise, especially when aged nine months or longer, is a big burst of roasted macadamia nuts. I love it melted.

Persielle Des Tignes. Speaking of mouthfuls, this cylinder of firm goat's milk cheese hails from the Rhone Valley and it's a big mouthful of dirt. In a good way. Show this to the next person who says you can't pair goat's milk cheeses with red wine. This baby screams for a Chateauneuf du Pape.

Bleu D'Auvergne Mons: Not just any ol' Bleu D'Auvergne, but the one from Herve Mons! Harvey's spin on the basic French blue is a sweet creamy and biting. You'd almost think it was a Roquefort.

The World needs more Cheesemongers!

2007-10-20T06:55:00.000-07:00

Friday late afternoon, I was at Dean and DeLuca's Soho branch waiting behind a customer who was getting a nice spread of cheese. The customer looked at the wide variety of chevres available and wondered aloud where to begin. I pointed him to Gianni Cora's Caprino Castagna, a beautifully supple fresh goat's milk cheese from Tuscany wrapped in chestnut leaves. When his counterperson returned, the customer mentioned that he was interested in a chevre and that this Caprino Castagna looked interesting. The counterperson immediately brushed aside his interest and talked him into Humboldt Fog, a well known goat cheese from Northern California. Excitedly, the counterperson said"it's a goat cheese but it's not stong!" as if that was some sort of ringing endorsement.

Oh well. Great cheese counters should have competent staff, but that's probably asking too much these days.

-MJ

The next tasting

2007-09-28T08:18:00.000-07:00

The Joy of Cheese Presents Cheeses to pair with Autumn wines

Ever notice that all of the wine and cheese pairing strategies come from the wine community? At The Joy of Cheese we’d like to counter that with some wisdom from the cheese side.

Autumn wines tend to be a fruitier and sweeter than their warm weather counterparts, and to a cheesemonger way of looking at the world, that means it’s time to break out the more aggressive cheeses. At our next Joy of Cheese tasting, look for such off the beaten path delights as Shawandase from Long Island (yes, Long Island), Rocotiere from France, Calcagno from Sardinia and a host of other loud and proud cheeses.

The tastings will take place October 16, 18 and 23 at 10 Degrees, the wine and high end spirits bar at 121 St. Mark’s Place in the East Village. The tastings start just after 7 and run until 8:30. Tickets for the tasting are $30 and attendees pay for their wine (or any other spirit that suits them) at the bar separately. To reserve space, e-mail me at thejoyofcheese@yahoo.com.

Our tastings usually begin with an introductory cheese, then a flight of three cheeses followed by a round of fruit, and a mystery cheese to keep folks on their toes. This flight/fruit/mystery cheese sequence is repeated twice then at the end, we finish with a round of chocolate (usually 60% dark from Jacques Torres). I’m happy to answer any and all questions about cheese. Although many of the regulars call these classes, instead they are more like informal discussion groups where a delicious series of cheeses are served.

Next tasting: A Man Called Rolf, the cheeses of the great Swiss affineur Rolf Beeler November 6, 8 and 13.

The Essential Problem for high end retailers of cheese

2007-09-26T09:01:00.000-07:00

You probably have friends who cook and friends who don't, but both go to great restaurants.
When the friends who cook tell you about their meal, they go into some detail, for instance, they may have had the monkfish seasoned with lavender and fennel, drizzled with blood orange juice and roasted in a banana leaf. When your friends that don't cook tell you about their meal, they tell you that they had the fish, it was great.

Here's the issue for cheesemongers. The overwhelming majority of customers don't make cheese and what's more, that overwhelming majority haven't even handled cheese.

Thus our cherished lexicon, pressed, raw, washed, etc. is all Greek to them. And if they're Greek and speak their native tongue, then it's all Swahili or some such. Thus they're all in the boat of the person who doesn't cook yet goes to great restaurants.

So for cheesemongers the issue is selling cheese and bringing them up to speed on cheese. It's hard work. Most customers at a cheese shop would like to just say, I'll have what I had last time and hope that you know what that means.

-MJ

The next tasting

2007-09-11T07:35:00.000-07:00

The Joy of Cheese Presents Cheeses of Spain, Portugal and Colorado, yes, that Colorado

There’s a lot more to cheesemaking in the Iberian Peninsula than Manchego.

The first Joy of Cheese event of autumn will focus on the great cheesemaking traditions of Spain and Portugal and how these techniques have spread to unlikely places.

Our selections will likely include Queso De Mano (an American), Serpa, Monte Nebro, Roncal, Quinta Boa Vista, Pau, Garrotxa, Serena and several rare varieties.

Your wine drinking may be shifting toward sweeter whites and more red in general and these cheeses are an ideal match.

The tastings are scheduled for Tuesdays September 25^th and October 2^nd as well as Thursday September 27^th.

Reservations are a must. Contact me at thejoyofcheese@yahoo.com

The Joy of Cheese blog is up at http://thejoyofcheese.blogspot.com

Next tastings October 16, 18 and 23: Cheeses for Autumn Wines

-MJ

okay, so how did I get into cheese?

2007-09-05T12:08:00.001-07:00

This is probably my most frequently asked question.
It's a long story but this is the easy, short version.

I grew up in a family that loves to cook, and I caught on before I was in the third grade.
I worked in the deli section of a big superstore in Dallas when I was in high school.
In 1984, needing a part time job while I got my writing career underway, I took a gig at Bloomingdales flagship store in Manhattan working in their fresh food area. I figured it would be a lot like my gig in Texas. Wrong. The inventory was WAY more exotic, the clientele WAY more haughty and our training was in obsequiousness rather than product. My young colleagues and I were ambitious and we needed this job to facilitate our other pursuits work, so we taught ourselves about fine cheese and charcuterie and had a blast doing it.
Bloomies liked to broom the staff every two years or so and since I hadn't been hired as a columnist at the Times just yet, I had to move to another shop, Petak's, on 90th and Madison. The clientele were richer but the cheese was in sad shape. I took over the department and built an outpost for American farmstead cheeses. That worked out really well; from 1986-91 we were a must do on any foodie's Manhattan trek. I was even offered a job at Neal's Yard in London but turned it down, the writing career was starting to take off.
After that I spent several years gradually downsizing my involvement in the business while becoming a full time freelance writer.
Post dotcom crash, 9/11 and music industry meltdown, I hung on to my cherished dream of a career until in early 2003 when bereft of savings, down 65K on my credit cards, four months behind on my rent, and with not even a $25 record review assignment in my inbox, I decided it was time to return to the food biz. I lucked into a 3/4 time job Garden of Eden 14th and 5th Ave. They had an excellent cheese department and even better they were in close proximity to several of the city's best wine shops. Better still, neither of my coworkers drank, so I by default became the resident wine and cheese pairing expert. Since I loved cheese and liked the selection, it made me a popular fellow. Shortly after I began working there the writing career regained it's old pace.
Still I was the third man of three in a department that probably should have had five employees. After ten months I was beyond exhausted. That's when a friend suggested I start this business of holding cheese tastings. I left Garden of Eden and took a generally less exhausting position at Bedford Cheese Shop and got this going.
And here we are!

-MJ

for those just tuning in...

2007-09-05T11:57:00.000-07:00

The Joy of Cheese is a tasting service. I will come to your home (or for alumni associations and the like, come to a venue of your choosing) and hold a cheese tasting. Unlike some well known retailers, when I hold a tasting I don't hold back. We investigate anywhere from 12-14 cheeses (sometimes more) plus dark chocolate, and fruit. And to make sure you don't just bliss out, there are two mystery cheeses and the answers to the riddle lie in the flavor of previously tasted cheeses. Prices start at $300 for groups of 10-12 or so.
I also do the same sort of events on a monthly basis at the wine and high end spirits bar, 10 Degrees, 121 St. Mark's Place, in the East Village. The events start just after 7 and run until about 8:30. The cost for the cheese tasting is $30 and you pay for your drinks as you go (but at 7 you get to take advantage of happy hour discounts).
The upcoming schedule for the tastings goes a little like this.
September 25, 27 and October2: Cheeses of Spain Portugal and Colorado (yes, that Colorado)
October 16, 18 and 25: Cheeses to pair with autumn wines
November dates tba: A Man Called Rolf, the best Swiss cheeses on the planet.

Slight revision to the upcoming sked

2007-08-15T18:04:00.001-07:00

I've thought it through a bit and there will be no tasting September 18.
Instead the Spain and Portugal series will run September 25, 27 and October 2.

Everything else remains the same.
Cheeses for Autumn Wines October 16, 18 and 23

A Man Called Rolf: November tbd

The Joy of Cheese greatest hits: December tbd

Ports and Blues and Other News 2 January 2008 tbd

And Cheeses for Summer Wines August 16 and 21.

-MJ

The August Tastings

2007-07-29T10:24:00.000-07:00

The Joy of Cheese Presents Cheese for a Summer Evening

That’s a riff on a movie title and the first few people to correctly identify the film get extra cheese at the tasting.

Anyway, we all know about summer wines; they’re bright, dry, spicy and above all, often chilled to take the edge of the heat. What cheeses match them? You might want to avoid a deep, dense Gruyere but why not a lighter Alpine make like Tarentaise or Seelisberger? A classic grassy English Farmhouse Cheddar probably has too much heft but what about a variant like Doddington or Mrs. Kirkham’s Lancashire? Many chevres are perfect for summer wines but which ones are best?
These questions and more will be addressed at the next Joy of Cheese Tuesday Tasting at 10 Degrees, 121 St. Mark's Place. We’ll rumble through at least 12 and probably 14 or 15 cheeses that match warm weather wines. Our selections will likely include most of the above as well as wonders like Hoja Santa from Texas, Myrtlewood from Georgia and Bra Duro from Italy.
This should be a lot of fun. These are cheeses that should pair well with almost every white wine on the menu and the rose. If you insist on drinking red wine or beer, I won’t take umbrage.

The tastings are scheduled for August 14th and 21st as well as Thursday August 16th

As always the tastings run from just after 7 until around 8:30 at 10 Degrees, the wonderful wine and high end spirits bar at 121 St. Marks Place in the East Village. Admission to the tasting is $30 and you pay for your drinks as you go.

Reservations are a must. Contact me at thejoyofcheese@yahoo.com
The Joy of Cheese blog is up at http://thejoyofcheese.blogspot.com

Next tasting: Cheeses of Spain and Portugal September 18, 25, and 27.
-MJ

The Next Tastings

2007-07-23T08:32:00.000-07:00

Where to from here?
The Joy of Cheese tasting sked for remainder of 2007

August 14, 16 and 21: Cheeses to pair with Summer Wines

September 18, 25 and 27: Cheeses of Spain and Portugal

October 16, 18 and 23: Cheese to match Autumn Wines

November: A Man Called Rolf: The Joy of Cheese Rolf Beeler celebration

December: Our greatest hits: the most loved cheeses from the 2007 tastings.

The Joy of Cheese presents Mostly Mons

2007-07-02T09:33:00.001-07:00

The Joy of Cheese Presents Mostly Mons

Move over Mozart, July is time for great French cheese, and those cheeses are typically aged by affineurs.

The July edition of the Tuesday Tasting series at 10 Degrees will hold a post-Bastille Day celebration with a survey of great French cheese and the focus is on the work of affineurs like Herve Mons, Chantal Plasse and Pascal Bellevaire. We will explore the extraordinary range of cheeses handled by these three and we will do some A-B comparisons of cheeses from affineurs and those not. Expect at least 12 and probably 16 or 17 great cheeses from all over France.

This should be a lot of fun. These are cheeses that should pair well with almost every white wine on the menu and several of the fruitier reds.

The tastings are scheduled for Tuesdays July 17^th and 24th as well as Thursday July 19^th.

Reservations are a must. Contact me at thejoyofcheese@yahoo.com

Next tastings August 14, 16 and 21: Cheeses for Summer Wines

-MJ

The Joy of Cheese Presents the Young Americans

2007-05-31T18:07:00.000-07:00

The Joy of Cheese Presents The Young Americans

Yes, I’m big on David Bowie.
With July 4th approaching, let’s celebrate the rising American hand-crafted cheesemakers.
America’s hand crafted cheese tradition actually goes back to Plymouth Rock (some of the first New England settlers were from dairy farming communities, but it got lost in the rush to industrialize. Now, that tradition has been revived and Americans are making cheeses that match any in the world, even France and Italy. So we’ll investigate our own changing national heritage of cheese by sampling at least 12 and probably 15 different superb--and possibly extraordinary--cheeses from all over America, even obscure places like Georgia, Idaho and Texas.

This should be a lot of fun. These are cheeses that should pair well with almost every white wine on the menu and several of the fruitier reds.

The tastings are scheduled for Tuesdays June 12th and 19th as well as well as Thursday June14th.

As always the tastings run from just after 7 until around 8:30 at 10 Degrees, the wonderful wine and high end spirits bar at 121 St. Marks Place in the East Village. Admission to the tasting is $30 and you pay for your drinks as you go.

Reservations are a must. Contact me at thejoyofcheese@yahoo.com

The Joy of Cheese blog is up at http://thejoyofcheese.blogspot.com

-MJ

The new Whole Foods Cheese Department

2007-04-19T09:09:00.000-07:00

Whole Foods, that juggernaut of upscale shopping has opened a new store on Houston Street and in stark contrast to their other New York City outlets, this store is serious about cheese.
It's a persistent mystery to me that WF rather ignores cheese in New York City. Until now, there stores had the same Citerella caliber selection of middlebrow cheeses. For a store that labors so mightily to tell you how much they value locally grown produce and small producer goods, it always felt like something of a contradiction that when it comes to cheese that they would buy so many factory made products and sell them in precut, cellophane suffocated pieces.
I rather suspect that that was the plan for Houston Street and that what is now the cheese cave was going to be a wine shop. However, in one of NYC's most unfortunately quaint laws, you can't sell wine and food under the same roof. Since WF makes a lot of money selling food, the wine had to go. Enter cheese.
Great cheese is sold in NYC but it's typically done at the boutique level (my weekend employer, The Bedford Cheese Shop is one such boutique), so I'd often wonder what it would look like if a big store sold great cheese.
Now I know.
And it is pretty but I doubt it'll last. WF hired away a buyer from Artisanal, brought in big name consultants, and hung pictures from Neal's Yard. They have cheeses from Rolf Beeler, Herve Mons, Luiggi Guffanti and several other key figures that cheese lovers revere. So far so good. The one thing they didn't do was train the staff.
Hell of an oversight. If you can't present great cheese well, then the public that doesn't know the diference will stick to the middlebrow cheeses since they cost about half as much.
I've been three times and each visit I keep wondering what they'll put there next.

More All About Chevre Tastings

2007-04-15T21:53:00.000-07:00

In addition to April 17, 24, and 26 we're also on for May 1.
Official word below.

The Joy of Cheese Presents All About Chevre

No, it’s not just “goat cheese.” Not anymore. Cheeses made from goat’s milk are essential offerings of every great cheesemaking nation and we’re going to try something from everyone. Leaf wrapped soft cheeses from Tuscany, firm chevres from the Pyrenees, old favorites from Switzerland and Italy, Goat goudas from Holland and California, hopefully even a great British goat or two, and of course several from other parts of America. In addition we’ll be doing a few comparisons of the industry standard then and now.

This should be a lot of fun. These are cheeses that should pair well with almost every white wine on the menu and several of the fruitier reds.

The tastings are scheduled for April 17th, 24th, 26th, and May 1st. .

As always the tastings run from just after 7 until around 8:30 at 10 Degrees, the wonderful wine and high end spirits bar at 121 St. Marks’ Place in the East Village. Admission to the tasting is $30 and you pay for your drinks as you go.

Reservations are a must. Contact me at thejoyofcheese@yahoo.com

-MJ

The Next tastings at 10 Degrees

2007-03-30T22:31:00.000-07:00

The April series is called All About Chevre. If I felt more secure in my branding, I'd have called it The Joy of Chevre, but hey. maybe next year.

12 (probably 14 or15 really) interesting goat's milk cheeses of varying textures and nationalities, will be sampled and discussed. As always there will be dark chocolate, fruit and the mystery cheeses (though you know what animal the milk comes from)

The tastings are presently slated for April 17, 24, and 26. If all goes well, there will be several others within this theme too.

-MJ

Green Veggie of the moment

2007-03-30T22:06:00.000-07:00

I like big, leafy green veggies and as best I can tell they like me too. Which is why I've been loving the recent overabundance of Swiss Chard. Seems like every retailer, not just the usual suspects is rocking the straight out of a good food porn shot, chard, red, green, whatever.

I could live off the stuff especially sauteed with shallots or sweet onions.

-MJ

Pairing back the Martini Madness sked

2007-03-09T11:05:00.000-08:00

Blame it on the weather, or blame it on a certain local glossy, either way, the tasting sked is getting pared back. We'll do the Martini Madness tasting on the 13th and 27th.
Unless persuaded otherwise, the 15th, 20th, and 29th are cancelled.

-MJ

Only the NY Times could...

2007-03-07T10:32:00.000-08:00

...suggest wine with barbecue and keep a straight face.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/07/dining/07barb.html?ref=dining&pagewanted=all

I dig Blue Smoke, but their house ale, brewed by the Brooklyn brewery, is the only way to go.

-MJ

The best reason to shop at Murray's

2007-03-06T23:57:00.000-08:00

Ottomanelli's is right down the steeet. Black Angus Ribeye, $13.99 a pound, cut to order. Black pig pork chops, $7.99/lb.

Second best reason is the selection.

-MJ

Now, it's set in stone

2007-03-06T23:50:00.000-08:00

The Spring Tasting Sked

All About Chevre: April 17, 24 and 26

Viva Italia (first anniversary celebration of The Joy of Cheese @ 10 Degrees with many extra cheeses and delights)
May 8,15, 17 and 22

The Young Americans (artisanally made cheeses from new American creameries)
June 12, 19 and 21

The tastings take place at 10 Degrees, 121 St. Mark's Place, 212-358-8600

A Joy of Cheese tasting consists of 10 cheeses within a theme, two mystery cheeses, dark chocolate and fruit.

For reservations contact me at thejoyofcheese@yahoo.com

-MJ

the website is wrong

2007-03-06T21:50:00.001-08:00

No, not this blog, but my own, www.thejoyofcheese.net website.

The prices for level one tastings are now $300. Level 2 cost $425. Level 3 no longer exists.

-MJ

bread

2007-03-06T21:45:00.000-08:00

Just remember this: if you have to ask if the bread is fresh, then either a. you shouldn't be buying bread from this particular establishement or b. you shouldn't be buying bread.
Fresh baked bread, even that from a great local bakery like Amy's, Sullivan Street or Balthazar, has a slightly wilted sad look on the second day. No shop in their right mind will sell it.

Yes, I get asked a lot if the bread at Bedford Cheese is fresh from that day, my back winces as it's no fun to lug 15 bags of bread in every Sunday and Monday morning.

-MJ

cheese

2007-03-06T21:36:00.000-08:00

Cheese can be many things. For instance, it can be grassy, dense, sweet, salty, nutty, light, vegetal (in many variations), fruity (in many variations), funky, barnyard-ey, concise, and well you get the idea.
Cheese isn't the following: strong or mild. There's too much to a cheese's personality to sum it up so simply.
If you're shopping at a place where the cheesefolk routinely describe cheese in such a reductionist manner, then either A. they don't know cheese, or B. they don't know english. Neither is a good situation.
There are at least 300 great cheeses available to New Yorkers and they should be purchased from folks who can tell you whether they're grassy, nutty, etc. and whether they pair better with a Pinot Noir or a Riesling.
People with a binary undestanding of cheese flavor probably aren't cheese lovers and they certainly aren't doing their cheeses justice.

-MJ

Best cheap wine of the moment

2007-03-02T16:30:00.001-08:00

When Union Square Wines and Spirits moved from their Union Square West location to 13th St. and 4th Avenue, they knew that competition was coming from Trader Joe's wines and their renowned Two Buck Chuck.
Well leaving aside the fact that I've yet to have a wine from TJ's that wasn't either cooked or simply a vast disappointment (even at the price), USQ has the answer, a Malbec from Astica that retails for a meager $4.99. It's very drinkable with a enough distinct dark fruit to be a bargain at twice, maybe even three times the price.

Just for the record, I'm pairing it tonight with Ascutney Mount.

-MJ

what to read

2007-02-27T20:48:00.000-08:00

Guide du Fromage by Pierre Androuet
The english edition is old and out of date and still a great resource, you can probably find one on www.abebooks.com for less than $30. Well worth the effort and expenditure.
The Cheese Primer by Steve Jenkins
A fine "101" cornerstone book, by the man who has done more for specialty cheese retailing in New York City than anyone.
The Cheese Plate by Max McCalman
From the maitre fromagier at Artisanal comes his take on a cornerstone book. Not as complete as the "Primer" but well worth the time and some excellent food porn photography
Cheese: A Connoisseur's Guide to the World's Best by Max McCalman
His 102 (or is it 201) book, a superb consumer's guide to the best cheeses in the world and what to pair with them. The pairing ideas are worth the price alone; he goes well beyond the conventional wisdom.
American Farmstead Cheese by Paul Kinstedt
Truly one for the curd nerds. This is an intro text for everyone interested in learning cheesemaking at the University level.
The World of French Cheese by Patrick Rance
Okay, this one is grad level stuff, and a beautiful 600 pages in which nearly 100 are devoted to the idiosyncracies of geography. It's dense and wonderful and worth searching the rare book sites for it.

A few blogs
http://saxelbycheese.blogspot.com/
Anne Saxelby runs the coolest cheese stand in town, an American artisanal cheese shop in the Essex Market on the Lower East Side.
www.curdnerd.com
needs no explanation
www.cheesebyhand.com
The blog of Sasha Davies and Micahel Claypool, who drove across the country and back in 2006 visiting many of the major creameries that are putting American cheesemaking on the international map

Cheese and Coffee?

2007-02-27T20:40:00.000-08:00

No, that's not an upcoming tasting.

It's just that 10 Degrees isn't the only great cheese program downtown.
Think Coffee, 248 Mercer St. also http://www.thinkcoffeenyc.com/ has launched it's own hand-crafted cheese and wine program. It offers a bunch of fine cheeses including Lincolnshire Poacher, Marcel Petite Comte, Seankanter, and everybody's favorite new American classic, Humboldt Fog.
The wines are heavily tilted toward old world with a nice diversity of dynamics.
Best of all, Lincoln and Shane, the two folks who run it, know their shit.

It's a coffee shop at heart so it's only open till midnight, but when in the Village, it's where to go.

-MJ

Cheese of the Moment, 02.26.07

2007-02-26T16:01:00.000-08:00

I love almost all sheep cheeses: pecorinos like Grand Old Man or Foja Di Noce, Manchego styles like Roncal or Zamarano, Brits like Berskwell and Spenwood, Americans like Weston Wheel, Shepherd's Basket, and of course Vermont Shepherd, and of course I particularly love the firm cheeeses from the French Pyrenees like Ossau Iraty, Abbey De Belloc, and Tourmalet.
I also love almost all the cheeses aged or distributed by Rolf Beeler.

So it's a mystery to me how I let Stanser Shafkase escape my notice for soooo long. It's a sheep cheese (the name transliterates sheep cheese) from the German side of Switzerland yet it has all the balance and delicate sweetness of the Pyrenees delights, as well as a bit of the hazelnut middle that distinguish so many cheeses of Switzerland. It comes to the U.S via the caves of Rolf Beeler outside of Baden.

I'd pair it with a Pinot Noir, and I'm eager to see what Dave at Spuyten Duyvil thinks about beer matches.

-MJ

Future Joy of Cheese Tastings

2007-02-25T18:38:00.000-08:00

The 10 Degrees tastings after the Martini Madness will be All About Chevre in April (probably April 17th and 24th and 26th but that's not etched in stone yet). And Viva Italia (probably the 8th , 15th and 17th).

Should be fun.

-MJ

Martini Madness Takes over 10 Degrees

2007-02-23T21:05:00.000-08:00

The Joy of Cheese Presents Martini Madness

I was chatting with Max McCalman of Artisanal one night and he offhandedly said, you can’t pair cheeses with vodka, can you?
I took it as a challenge, not a decree. The more I thought about it the more I liked the idea. Find 12 cheeses that don’t have a strong funky finish, but are still distinctive, intriguing and flow well together. After thinking about the matter for a few minutes, I had 30 possibilities.
The next step was to figure out when to schedule the tasting. I chose the dead of winter because, well, it’s the dead of winter. Martinis and great cheese seem like the perfect way to brighten the dull days between Valentine’s Day and the arrival of spring.
So please join us for a tasting that will roll through some JoC faves like Doddington and Ascutney Mount as well as many other cheddar, gruyere, manchego, percorino and aged gouda variants. Although this menu will be heavily titled toward firm cheeses—and we’ll discuss how the production of each varies--there will be a few softies. I doubt we’ll have any blues (but you never know). Of course, there will be dark chocolate, fruit and a couple of mystery cheeses.
I’ve pegged these cheeses to classic gin and vodka martinis, but if that isn’t your drink, cosmos, sweet white wines or a pinot noir will also pair well.

Tuesdays March 6th, 13th, 20th, and 27th as well as Thursday March 15th and 29th from 7-8:30 at 10 Degrees, 121 St. Mark’s Place, 212-358-8600.

10 Degrees is a stellar wine and upscale spirits bar that opened in May.
Tickets are $30; you pay for your drinks separately.

To reserve space contact me at thejoyofcheese@yahoo.com

I hope to see you there!

-Martin
www.thejoyofcheese.net

Cheese Lovers of the World Unite!

2007-02-23T20:34:00.000-08:00

Okay, maybe not the world, but cheese lovers of New York City unite!
Welcome to the Joy of Cheese blog.
For those of you new to this, The Joy of Cheese is my roving cheese party business. Since May 2005, I've gone to homes from Park Slope to East Brunswick holding cheese tastings. And since May of 2006, I've held monthly tastings at 10 Degrees, the wine and high end spirits bar in the East Village at 121 St. Mark's Place.
Why?
To bring cheese to the people!
There's more truly great cheese available to the Gotham public now than ever before, yet the gap between the people interested in that cheese and the cheese itself has never been greater. Routine specialty food retailers like Fairway, Citerella, Zabar's, Garden of Eden, Gourmet Garage, etc., carry a small--very small--fraction of these cheeses if they carry any at all. Unless you frequent a select handful of places like The Bedford Cheese Shop (where I work on weekends), Murray's, Artisanal, Stinky Bklyn, Saxelby Cheesemongers or Formaggio Essex, you might never encounter some of the great culinary wonders.

But why?
Well, I've worked in and around specialty cheese since 1984, with a prominent gap from the mid '90s until 2003, and when I returned I wanted to find a way of working in this business without doing the 60-hour a week retail hell that I'd endured in the late '80s and early '90s. The Joy of Cheese was just such a vehicle. I enjoy talking to people about cheese. This is a way to do it and have them have fun while they listen.

Okay, but what is a Joy of Cheese tasting?
It involves 8-10 cheeses within a theme, fruit, dark chocolate, and two mystery cheeses (no I'm not asking people to sample a cheese then stand up and say "oh, why that's Ticklemore, a firm chevre from Devon England" or "oh, that's the Tuma Persa from Sicily." More power to you if you can identify those cheeses, but mostly the mystery cheese is a way see if you're paying attention to what your palate is telling you. The cheese will always reference a type of milk or a cheesemaking tradition from earlier in the tasting.
Anyway, there's an introductory cheese, followed by a flight of three cheeses, fruit and a mystery cheese, another flight, more fruit and another mystery cheese, another flight and dark chocolate to finish. During the tasting, I'll talk--have you noticed I'm kinda wordy--about each cheese and I'm happy to field questions about cheeses from fat content to the politics of pasteurization.
Even I have fun, though I'm ready to keep quiet for the rest of the night by the time the tasting is over.

See other posts for tasting schedule.

-MJ