Dutch Parrano: How cool?????

Yesterday, following the advice of a cheeseman at Fairway, I bought this wedge of Dutch Parrano, a cheese I’d never had – actually, a cheese I’d never heard of.  My plan was to serve it, along with olives, sausages and salted almonds, with drinks before dinner, then I completely forgot to pull it out of the fridge.  (Also forgotten was the fennel and apple salad, but that’s another story.)

We just drove up to Connecticut and I thought I’d cut up the cheese so we could munch it while making dinner.  On first taste it seemed like a perfectly pleasant - okay, not distinctive - cheese, but I must have underestimated it big time because, according to Fairway's description of my purchase - are you ready for this? - I had bought: 

                        “The hippest cheese in New York.” 

Hip.  Hip.  My cheese is hip!  I'm dying to know:  Is Dutch Parrano hip where you live? 

Comments

[Dorie]

Lien, I guess the Parrano marketing people haven't returned to the Netherlands yet. Having made a fuss over the cheese abroad,they just might try to make it a star in its homeland.

It's been so much fun to read all your comments - and fun to see how effectively a product can be hyped.

[Lien]

Not hip overhere in the Netherlands at all, I'm afraid

[izzy's mama]

Dutch Parrano may have been hip but I'd say that was back at least five or more years ago. Sorry but it is old news. I used to buy it all the time back then at Fairway and thought it was great (I suppose it still is.

[Dorie]

Because of all your comments, this whole "hip" thing gets funnier and funnier. I think Toni may have summed it up when she said that Dutch Parrano might have a good publicist.

[Klary]

I live in The Netherlands, and over here, Parrano is not hip...

[Cathy]

Well, it's hip where I live...3 blocks from Fairway! ;-} That sign has been up for two years, at least; surely Parrano has been surpassed in hipness since then.

[Toni]

Methinks Dutch Parrano has a good publicist.

[Dorie]

Jamie, that wasn't me at JFK Wednesday night, but I was there Thursday morning! Funny. However, I think if I saw you I'd recognize you from all your terrific grilling books, and I really would have loved to have met you. One day, I hope ...

Misook -- aren't you glad you now know you were one of the early "hipsters"?

As amusing as this whole hip-cheese thing is, what's nice is that the cheese made a good bacon-tomato-and-Parrano panini. Just as the marketing sites say, Parrano melts nicely.

[Jamie Purviance]

I am sorry that this comment has nothing to do with cheese. Actually I'm dying to know if I saw you at JFK airport last Wednesday night. If it wasn't you, it was someone who looks very much like you in the photos on this (excellent) blog and your (even better) books. I would have asked at JFK, but I was afraid to intrude. Somehow this way seems less bothersome. Please, was it you I saw?

[Misook]

I was introduced to this full flavored cheese over a year ago by my cousin Susan who lives in DC but had no idea it is the "hippest" cheese in my own city until I read your post.

[Dorie]

Maria – thank you so very, very much for telling me that you and your father made the lemon tarts for your brother’s wedding. It makes me extraordinarily happy to know that you made them – for a wedding! – and that you and your family enjoyed them. It’s the best news an author can get. And I love that the food for the wedding was all homemade. Lucky brother! Lucky guests! Again, many thanks for sharing this with me and, of course, congratulations to the well-fed newlyweds!

Kelly-Jane, it’s so funny that you should write about the Brownie Buttons. I was just looking at the recipe and trying to decide whether to make them or full-sized brownies.

[Kelly-Jane]

Never heard of it either!

I made your fudge buttons a couple of days ago, they are just the cutest, most delicious little mouthfulls! Chocolate and orange is one of my very favourite combos. Thanks for a great recipe :)

[Maria]

I just wanted to thank you for your wonderful recipes! Last weekend my brother got married and my dad and I did all of the food for the reception. Well, we made your lemon tarts and they were amazing! Everyone was raving about them! It was so much fun too, we had a tart factory in our kitchen:) So thank you!

[Dorie]

I think it's hysterically funny that in Salt Lake this cheese is being touted as THE cheese in New York. Thanks for the giggle, Katherine.

And thanks for the links to more info on Dutch Parrano. The piece in the SF Chronicle was really interesting, but Jose, I know this won't come as a surprise to you, but the official DP site is all Dutch to me. But I can find Leerdammer and Old Amsterdam in my local markets.

Actually, along with the Dutch Parrano, I bought a Gouda that had been aged for 4 years. You can't compare Parrano and Aged Gouda and I don't think anyone should try, but, because I love very full flavored cheese, I prefer the Aged Gouda -- it's very firm, sharp, a little salty and powerfully nutty; all the butteriness of traditional Gouda has been aged out of it. It's a terrific grating cheese and a great cheese with wine.

And speaking of great cheeses -- Rosa, I'm with you on aged Comte, one of the world's most magnificent cheeses and few select and finish cheese better than Marie Quatrehomme. I've bought Aged Comte from her shop, but never knew from which producer it came. Next time I'll ask for Marcel Petite specifically -- merci.

[Rosa]

Marie Quatrehomme's 36-month old Comté from Marcel Petite - now that's a hip cheese! Who says New York is cooler than Paris?

[José]

This is the link to the page of the producer of Parrano.
http://www.uniekaas.nl/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=15&Itemid=42
Unfortunately, the page is in Dutch, but perhaps it gives you an impression of how 'hip'the cheese is.
If yoy can get them I should give the cheese Leerdammer or Old Amsterdam a try.

[Katherine Allred]

My little local cheese shop in Salt Lake bragged about it being THE cheese in New York.

See what the San Francisco Chronicle thought about this cheese last year. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2006/04/27/WIGCFID8JU1.DTL&type=wine