Cheese of the month club?

[Chile Chef]

First of all let me say, I'm sorry if I have this in the wrong sub forum and some one can move it to the proper sub-forum.

But what's the best cheese of the month club to join?

I want to try lot's of cheese around the world from mild to stinky.

[BreezyCooking]

Many, many years ago before one could find the terrific assortments of cheese now available in mainstream supermarkets, I belonged to one of those "cheese of the month" clubs. What a waste!! Overpriced cheeses + outrageous shipping costs because of the perishability. If I were you I'd make my own "cheese of the month" club & save a lot of $$$$$. Start by cruising the markets in your area to see what cheeses are locally available & then go home & read up on them. Once a month, splurge on one that sounds interesting to you & keep notes on which ones you like. Simple as that. And you have the internet to help with your research, unlike "way back when" where we had to use books.

[GB]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BreezyCooking Start by cruising the markets in your area to see what cheeses are locally available & then go home & read up on them. Simple as that.

Depending on your location simple as that just may mean simple as going to the moon. If I were to go to my local markets I would find run of the mill swiss, cheddar, blue, and other usual not out of the ordinary cheeses. Nothing that most people are not already familiar with or exciting or anything that would need to be researched. The closest place for me to find decent cheese is a half hour away and that place is relatively new. Short of that I would have to drive to Boston an hour away and that is not taking traffic and parking into consideration. And I am lucky that I live relatively close to Boston so that I can go in there for cheese if I really want. Others may not live that close to someplace that has any sort of variety.

I agree that those xxx of the month clubs are usually way overpriced and the items you get are usually not that great (they beer of the month club my office got me last year was some of the worst beer I ever had), but for some people it may just be the only option to experience new types of cheeses.

[Wyogal]

I agree with Breezy. If you live in a decent sized town, I'm sure you could find a local market with great cheese. We have one here, tiny neighborhood store that has the best selection of cheese in the state. One can even sample the cheese before they buy it. Warning, though, good cheese can be expensive and since you are on a food budget, you might want to think this through. The advantage of a local market with a good cheese selection is that one can usually get smaller amounts of cheese, like a 1/4 lb instead of having to spend $20 just to try a cheese.
BTW, I hear there's some good canned cheese from Turkey...

[GB]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wyogal If you live in a decent sized town, I'm sure you could find a local market with great cheese.

Size of the town really has nothing to do with it. I grew up in the largest town in the country and when I lived there you could not find a local market with great cheese.

[BreezyCooking]

Okay - if it's a situation where there's absolutely no source you can visit once a month for a good cheese fix, I still say avoid a "cheese of the month" club & simply visit one of the many online cheese purveyors. You'll still have to pay shipping, but the selection & quality of the cheese will be much better. There are too many good ones for me to list, but "Murray's" in NY is famous for their cheese, & "igourmet" also has interesting selections. I've sent a number of their cheeses as gifts & have gotten fabulous feedback. It's just a matter of research.

[GB]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BreezyCooking Okay - if it's a situation where there's absolutely no source you can visit once a month for a good cheese fix, I still say avoid a "cheese of the month" club & simply visit one of the many online cheese purveyors. You'll still have to pay shipping, but the selection & quality of the cheese will be much better. There are too many good ones for me to list, but "Murray's" in NY is famous for their cheese, & "igourmet" also has interesting selections. I've sent a number of their cheeses as gifts & have gotten fabulous feedback. It's just a matter of research.

Excellent suggestion. You will find much better quality doing the work yourself instead of relying on a club. the club idea is great, but the execution is usually poor.

[Bigjim68]

I agree with Breezy. Even in Richmond there are at least a half dozen specialty stores with a good variety, and good prices, of cheese. Often here they are attached to wine outlets. Also we have a couple of upscale supermarkets which carry a fair amount of specialty cheese. Another advantage is that most of them will cut you a small sample in the store. The problem with anything of the month clubs, aside from being overpriced, is that you are forced to take what is offerred.

[chefkathleen]

Gourmet Food Gift Baskets, Cakes, California Wines – Dean & DeLuca Is a good online place that I have used. Good quality food.
Locally there are wine shops/stores that have cheeses and things to pair with wines. You don't have to buy the wine but, just the cheese if you want.
Also here there are ABC liquor stores that have a nice selection of cheeses.
The only "of the month" product I have liked is Wine of the Month. 2 bottles avg. about $24.00 with S&H. California wines not international.

This is assuming that there is no "upscale" markets where you are. There were several in Texas when I lived there that were excellent in the cheese dept.

[Alix]

I've found that a little legwork goes a long way. Go to your "Little Italy" and other ethnic sections of town. Find a mom and pop type store and you will likely find some amazing stuff. Wander around in person instead of via the internet. There are things in your own hometown you will never find on the internet.