LTHNLG - Mars Cheese Castle - 10/22 - 12:30pm - MOVED

Moderator Note: The venue of this event has been changed to Lauretta's Italian Bake Shop.

To quote jnm123:

"Hey, gang. What's better than a luncheon trip to the cheesiest of Wisconsin tourist traps, Mars Cheese Castle, just off 94 at Kenosha? A swift kick in the arse would be far, far worse, believe me.

It's actually a pretty cool place--I actually take out-of-town guests there, and they dig it. Recently remodeled & expanded, they have a large cheese room--obviously--with every permutation (and samples) of Wisconsin product imaginable, also from other states, and a wide variety of sausages, kielbasas, bratwurst, jerkys, etc.

Their ancient taproom serves up a homemade bloody Mary--made with V8 & pickle juice--that is decidedly tasty, coupled with a complimentary 'sidecar' of New Glarus Spotted Cow or Point beer. And their shopping area has a wide variety of microbrews and specialty & bakery products as well--last trip I snagged some dill pickle mustard that was lovely. I guarantee that you will not leave Mars Cheese Castle without buying something.

Their deli menu--

https://www.marscheese.com/media/menu/M ... tedDoc.pdf

--is small and seating is extremely casual but homemade quality stuff and solidly prepared. A liverwurst sandwich with warm German potato salad?! Come ON, who's in?"

_______________________________________________________________

I've got nothing else to add. See you on the 22nd. As always, bring a friend.

Mars Cheese Castle
2800 W Frontage Rd.
Kenosha, WI 53144
(855) 352-6277
http://www.marscheese.com/

Dave148 - Esteemed Coordinator LTH North Lunch Group
jnm123

Mars is nothing if not a tourist trap; it is where I learned that cheddar should not be aged past a certain age, slime factor. This was maybe 7 years ago. Cheese curd heaven, tho'.

If you haven't been there in 7 years, Chris, then respectfully back off. I know you're a cheese aficionado, but the recent expansion makes MCC a fun destination.

A question, though--for aged cheddar, although I haven't detected any slime in what I've bought from there. What causes the crystallization inside the cheese?

Pick up a loaf of their cheese bread. Delish!

The online store only lists about 8 kinds of real cheese, then limitless processed tubs (and I assume the chocolate fudge cheese is processed too). Prices seem high, especially $15 for 12 oz of curds???? I'm assuming the in store prices as web prchases requie styrofoam chests and ice packs to ship.

Sounds like the microbrewery is a main reason to go, but since I won't drive if I've been drinking, and I doubt anybody would offer to pick me up, I guess I'll skip, unless they have "infinitely" more in the store, such as sheep milk cheeses and blue cheeses (and especially sheep blue....).

On my food regimen, I don't eat a lot of (cow) cheese, bread, or processed meats. Does anybody already know from past experience know if they are at least nitrite/nitrate free? I know I can call and ask, please don't bother to tell me I can, and I am also NOT asking anybody else to call. It's just a mild curiosity.

Note: if you haven't had cheese curds warm out of the vat just as they were produced, you might like the stuff in stores, but anything not that fresh has been ruined for me.

--Carey

jnm123 wrote:If you haven't been there in 7 years, Chris, then respectfully back off. I know you're a cheese aficionado, but the recent expansion makes MCC a fun destination.

A question, though--for aged cheddar, although I haven't detected any slime in what I've bought from there. What causes the crystallization inside the cheese?

Calcium (Calcium Lactate) . I can't stand it. I like the taste but can't stand the texture.

I really wish this group would open up to those who aren't retired...... I went once because I had the day off, but the average person can't get together on work days for lunch. Weekends!!!!

Its not that we are all retired, we just have our priorities straight! Although I can see this one might be a little far for lunch hour.
Maybe the EC could start the LTH cheesehead dining group since it seems every other month its somewhere in friggin Wisconsin.

-Will

WillG wrote:Its not that we are all retired, we just have our priorities straight! Although I can see this one might be a little far for lunch hour.
Maybe the EC could start the LTH cheesehead dining group since it seems every other month its somewhere in friggin Wisconsin.

-Will

The radio silence and the sporadic rant from the minions is forcing me to change the location for the October venue. Stay tuned for further developments.

Respectfully, don't tell me to "back off." I have worked as a monger and specialty goods manager for over a decade. In NYC the home of specialty cheese. I can kid Mars about their "tourist trap" designation. I was opening a new store for a former company and we took a field trip to Mars; in a back room we tried extra-aged cheddars of unknown provenance, slimy, veritably-liquid cheddar, the apposite of a real cheddar (14 year cheddar...so, sad) ...ellipses...that aging does not work for cheddaring. The crystals are lactose precipitating from the paste as the cheese ages(that is the simple explanation). And, frankly, I despise neophytes who come looking for the crystals. Especially, when they describe them as "salt." The aged gouda hordes. Feh. And, before you jump on my back; I am as kind as I can be with my customers, I just cringe when I get these kind of questions. Simple chemistry.

Mars does have the best cheese curds I have ever had the pleasure to experience; I will give them that. Squeaky.

Christopher Gordon wrote:The crystals are lactose precipitating from the paste as the cheese ages(that is the simple explanation). And, frankly, I despise neophytes who come looking for the crystals. Especially, when they describe them as "salt." The aged gouda hordes. Feh. And, before you jump on my back; I am as kind as I can be with my customers, I just cringe when I get these kind of questions. Simple chemistry.

It's not lactose (and it's not that simple). The answer "Calcium (Calcium Lactate)" above is much closer. When lactose – a highly soluble sugar – is metabolized by various Lactobacillus species, it turns into lactic acid. This simple organic acid can complex with calcium ions to form calcium lactate which is not very soluble. But crystals can also form from amino acids that result from the breakdown of proteins during aging. Tyrosine crystals are the most common of these, but leucine is sometimes involved too. And mixed crystals occur as well.

If anyone wants an excellent introduction to the complexities of this subject, you can't do much better than Crystallization in Cheese by Mark Johnson, Ph.D from the Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research at the University of Wisconsin.

Mark Johnson wrote:Traditionally, calcium lactate crystals have been found in aged Cheddar cheese, Colby, aged Parmesan and aged Gouda cheese, with tyrosine crystals most commonly seen in romano, Parmesan and Swiss cheeses and more recently in Gouda and Cheddar cheeses made with Lactobacillus helveticus used as a flavor enhancing adjunct culture.

I’ll happily live with your disgust if it means I get more 12 yr cheddar or aged Gouda. I’m gonna call the crystalline deposits “Christopher’s crunchy bits” in your honor.