From The Rogue Creamery’s inauspicious beginnings in 1935 has come one of the finest artisan cheese operations in the world today. In 2002, Ig (Ignazio “Ig” Vella, affectionately known as the Godfather of artisan cheese) hand selected Cary Bryant and David Gremmels as the new owners of what is now known as The Rogue Creamery. Of utmost importance was to carry on the tradition of hand-milled cheese. Bryant and Gremmels hit the ground running. Within a year, they were producing award-winning cheeses.

Morimoto Soba Ale Cheddar ….  Chocolate Stout Cheddar …. Chipotle Cheddar …. Smokey Blue …. Crater Lake Blue

In celebration of the American artisan cheese renaissance, igourmet.com would like to take this July 4th to applaud the dedicated craftsmen who are putting the United States in the same class with the long-standing European kings of cheese making. If you’ve never tried the new stars of the American cheese scene, make time this month to enjoy some of our farmhouse favorites. Here’s a sneak peak at some of the delicious cheeses from the U.S. Be sure to visit www.igourmet.com to see the complete selection of Great American Cheeses!

igourmet.com carries dozens of butters from all across the world, including; New Zealand, France, Denmark, Great Britain, Ireland and the United States. Useful for cooking, melting, or as a spread, butter is one of our favorite all-around food products. Without butter, dining would be a lot less interesting.

See more of my Father’s Day Gifts list at ThisNext.

Dads love food. And as the old saying goes, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. In one simple click, you can impress Dad with a truly grand gesture of your appreciation and respect. Our extensive list of Father’s Day gifts will coax a smile out of even the most serious man. Treat your Dad to one of our award-winning gift baskets, assortments of specialty cheeses and meats or one of our ever popular Of-the-Month Clubs, for the gift that keeps on giving.

This miracle fruit, Synsepalum dulcificum, is native to West Africa. The berry contains a protein called miraculin, which binds with the taste buds and acts as a sweetness inducer when it comes in contact with acids. This protien makes tart lemons and hot peppers sweet tasting. The berry can also make cheap tequila taste as good as Patron! Read more about it here. To experience the fruit you may attend a “Flavor Tripping Party” hosted by Franz Aliquo in NYC. The fruit is also availabe by mail order through various specialty suppliers in New York, including Baldor Specialty Foods and S. Katzman Produce or via the web at  www.miraclefruitman.com. (A freezer pack of 30 berries costs about $90 with overnight shipping.)

Baked Polenta with Grilled Italian Vegetable Medley

1 17.8 oz bag of Instant Polenta

1 28 oz can Menu Mixed Grill Vegetables

2 Quarts water

¼ C Extra Virgin Olive Oil (plus more for oiling pan)

Olive oil

Black Pepper

Salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly oil a 9”x13” baking pan with olive oil

In a heavy bottomed pot, bring water and 2 tsp salt to a boil.  Add polenta and quickly stir to avoid any lumps.  Reduce heat to low, and continue to stir occasionally for 5 minutes until cooked though and has a thick consistence.  Stir in olive oil.  To make a black polenta, omit the salt and add ½ C black olive tapenade after cooking polenta.  For a fuller flavor, stir in grated Parmigiano Reggiano, Grana Padano, or Pecorino Romano. Other nice additions at this stage are 2 tsps of fennel seeds, 1 tsp of oregano, or 1 tbsp of fresh, mined rosemary and a minced garlic clove.