The Roth Kase Family of Cheeses – Part Four – The Landhaus Range of Cheeses

 

T Minus 7 Days and Counting…voting begins on Day 5…mark your calendars…I’m counting on you to get me to Wisconsin with The Lady…

 

Interesting coincidence, the second night of The Wisconsin trip, The Lady and her fellow Cheese Stewards (and hopefully this feline foodie) will be staying at The Chalet Landhaus in Madison. In German Landhaus means “Country House” and the pictures of the Chalet Landhaus do indeed resemble country homes I remember from my observation days in the German Alps quadrant…I recall a feline fraulein named Heidi…another story for another day…now that Mathilda has captured my heart, those days are nothing more than a fading memory. Although, back in the day, when everything was still intact, I was known to walk four miles to make the acquaintance of many a feline lassie…the internet makes courting much simpler, doesn’t it…but, you came to learn about cheese…and not my catting around days…

 

ButterKase

The first cheese in the Landhaus range is Butterkase and is very reminiscent of the German version of this cheese. As the name suggests, it is creamy and buttery; melts in your mouth and in your favorite dish as well. As you might expect the taste is mild. It is a semi-soft cheese that works quite well in sandwiches. Boar’s Head, a quality meat and cheese producer from Canada sells a version as well (which is sold in the deli area where The Lady works…gotta plug the “local” fare when you can…).

While wandering around the internet this a.m., I found a calorie-counting site that criticized Butterkase for its high fat content. Here’s a news flash for you food Nazis…it’s cheese!!! If it doesn’t contain fat, it’s not cheese…

This feline foodie gives Butterkase 4 Paws out of 4 Paws (partially cause I want to annoy those who criticize cheese for containing fat and…wait…here it comes…cause that’s all I’ve got).

Serving Suggestions: This cheese makes an excellent table cheese and goes well with many fruits and nuts (not to be confused with the food nuts mentioned above…). It does well in sandwiches, especially Panini, quesadillas. I like to melt it over a nice slab of Hamiguitan batomys recently discovered in the mountains of the Philippines. It’s quite tasty, although The Lady disagrees with some of my culinary choices…The Lady prefers to broil it over steamed veggies and serve it schmeared on a 34° Sesame Crispbread. It also goes well with Boar’s Head winter sausage and hot mustard.

Wine Pairings: A Washington State Pinot Gris

Beer Pairings: Pilsner

Source: Cow’s Milk

Fat Content: 50%

 

BrauKase

The Cellar Masters and Roth Kase gently wash the rind of this cheese with brewer’s yeast to impart a subtle, earthy flavor. The creamy interior of this cheese is balanced well with the assertive rind scent. This is a “stinky cheese” and I’d put it in the same category as Epoisses and Taleggio which are also stinky cheese that I have reviewed.

I give BrauKase 3 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).

Serving Suggestions: This cheese goes well with Salami, Pepperoni and other charcuterie. Chris, the chef where The Lady works loves to use this cheese grated into Gougeres, which The Lady made for the Man and this feline foodie recently. They were beyond yummy… I think you could also use this cheese in many gratins including one of root veggies.

Wine Pairings: An ice wine should pair well with Braukase

Beer Pairings: Porter, Bock, Amber Ale

Source: Cow juice

Limburger

Now I know what you are thinking and you would be right. This is one stinky cheese but in its youth, it has a relatively mild taste. The Man vetoed bringing it into the manse, so I had to find it elsewhere and sneak a taste. I like this cheese and am not sure what all the brouhaha is all about; Epoisses is just as stinky and Taleggio, well hold your nose there cowboy.

I give Limburger 3 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s still all I’ve got)

Serving Suggestions: It goes well with hearty, artisan bread and thinly sliced onions, after which you really want to gargle…You can wrap it in pastry dough and bake it. You should try it with Sausage and mustard.

The Lady has one customer who really loves this cheese and claims that both his wife and girlfriend do as well. The Lady has expressed some, actually many, doubts that he has either.

Wine Pairings: Merlot and California Cabs.

Beer Pairings: Dark beers and for the non-alcohol drinker, it goes well with apple cider.

Source: Cows’ milk.

 

Saint Bernard’s

Creamy, mild, and velvety, this naturally smoked cheese has a smooth and smoky flavor. The perfect addition to a charcuterie plate; excellent for slicing and melting.

I wonder if a Saint Bernard of the canine persuasion would like this cheese.

I give Saint Bernard 3 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got)

Serving Suggestions: The Man likes to melt this one on his burger…well, there’s a real newsflash…better call Fox News…according to Rebecca, a friend of The Lady at her Portland Store, Fox only reports “fake news” and The Man melting cheese on burgers should qualify… It also melts well on cauliflower and broccoli. You can mix it into mashed potatoes and cube it into spicy salad greens.

Wine Pairings: Cotes du Rhone reds

Beer Pairings: Amber ales.

Source: Cow Milk

 

Lace Kase

The last cheese in the Landhaus range is a “healthier, lighter” Swiss-style cheese with reduced fat…this should make the food Nazis happy. Be sure and tell them that there actually is a good-tasting cheese with less fat. It is so tasty that it has won some awards. (See below.)

I give Lace Kase 3 Paws out of 4 Paws…okay even I’m getting tired of my slug line…but cause that’s all I’ve got.

Serving Suggestions: Slice it on sandwiches and make a classic Ham n Swiss; grate it over a baked potato and add it to your favorite Omelet of frittata. It pairs well with carrots and other crudités veggies.

Wine Pairings: Cabernet Franc, Dolcetto, Riesling (you can pretty much never go wrong pairing cheese with Riesling…think of it as the “utility” wine)

Beer Pairings: Oktoberfest Beers

Source: Cow

Fat Content: Reduced as compared with a regular Swiss

Awards: at least 10 including a First Place from the American Cheese Society.

 

Please note: There are many more wonderful Roth Kase Cheeses that I will review at a later date; but I want time to devote to the BelGioioso Family of Cheeses before The Lady heads to Wisconsin; so for now, you can check out the other fine Roth Kase cheeses at their website and sample them at your local cheesemonger shop.

Follow me on:

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
•