Tag Archives: 2021

Queso Diego April Virtual Meeting Announcement

April is grilled cheese month, and we will be having our first virtual grilled cheese meeting on Tuesday, April 20th! Unsurprisingly, this will require a somewhat different format to our usual grilled cheese meeting. Ideally, everyone will have a ‘pre-made’ grilled cheese ready to present, and everyone can share their creations, perhaps while making a second sandwich if there’s more than one person at your house!

Below is information for our zoom meeting, I hope to see you Tuesday!

Topic: Queso Diego April Meeting
Time: Apr 20, 2021 06:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Zoom invite was sent out to the club email list.

Queso Diego March Virtual Meeting Announcement

Please join us on St. Patrick’s Day Eve for “Mold is Green(ish), Mold is Gold(en)” to celebrate Irish cheeses and greenness.

There will be a presentation about Irish cheeses and Molds (the fuzzy kind, not the forms)……..and we are having a St. Patrick’s Day themed cheese board contest. Winners will get prizes (sorry, no pots of gold).

6pm – DEADLINE for photo entries (see below)

6:30 – 7pm: Social Hour

7pm – Presentation and Contest (voting will be about half way through the presentation and winners will be announced after the presentation)

Zoom information was sent to the members email list.

CHEESE BOARD CONTEST:

Cheesy rules:

One entry per member
Must be original design and made by member (not professional)
Minimum of 2 and maximum of 4 cheeses
At least 50% of the cheeses must be Irish, green(ish)/mold(ish), or specifically made for St. Patrick’s Day
Photo submitted by 6pm, March 16th at the very latest, earlier is better (see instructions below)

Cheese boards should be cheese-centered, as we are a cheese club

So, who are the judges???………………..you are! Cheese board photographs will be presented to the group during the March meeting and then we will take a vote/poll to decide the winners.

Photo entries:

Submit one photo to mjrhjm@hotmail.com
Include your name with the photo
Submit no later than 6pm, March 16th

Your name will not be included when the photographs are presented for voting.

Queso Diego 10th Anniversary Virtual Celebration

Please join us to celebrate 10 years of Queso Diego with a CHEESE & MUSIC PAIRING, Tuesday, February 16, 6:30pm

We will be pairing the cheeses listed below with different genre of music to discover how the music impacts the taste, smell, and/or sensation of cheese. Several genres of music will be played for each cheese, including at least one from the country of origin for each cheese. Much like different wines, music can change the tasting profile of cheese.

Here’s how it works:

You obtain one, two, three, or all four of the cheeses (from your cheese cave, refrigerator, or local cheese shop).
You obtain one bottle of bubbly, after all this is our anniversary and traditionally, it is “bubbly and cheese” to celebrate. If desired, you acquire other liquid refreshments you’d like to enjoy during the pairing (some general and specific, non-alcoholic and alcoholic recommendations for each cheese are listed at the bottom, if you need some ideas).
Optional: Headphones/ear buds – wearing headphones/ear buds helps you focus on the music and blocks out background noise in your environment (e.g., sounds of traffic, barking dogs, sounds of refrigerator).
We supply the music, pairing presentation, and polling questions.

The Cheeses*

FRENCH BRIE
SPANISH MANCHEGO (aged 6 mo)
ITALIAN PARMIGIANO-REGGIANO
AMERICAN (USA) AGED CHEDDAR (3 – 5 years)

*Note: The countries listed for each cheese are commonly associated with the style. Feel free to vary, as needed or desired. For example, you could get a brie-style cheese from Germany or Vermont. Work with your local cheesemonger/cheese shop (e.g. Smallgoods and Venessimo).

Pairing Ideas**

FRENCH BRIE – Champagne, Pellegrino (w/lime), cider from Normandy, Saison or other farmhouse beer

SPANISH MANCHEGO (aged 6 mo) – Merlot, Green Tea, Spanish Sidra Cider, Nut Brown Ale, Tawny Port, Sherry, amber spirit (aka aged)

ITALIAN PARMIGIANO-REGGIANO – Champagne, Merlot, Chardonnay, Amber Ale, Moretti or Peroni beer

AMERICAN (USA) AGED CHEDDAR (3 – 5 years) – Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Black Tea, 2 Towns Bad Apple Cider, Sherry, Stout, Alaskan or Stone Smoked Porter, German Rauchbier, Bear Republic Red Rocket Ale, Anchor Steam Beer

**The celebration will be focused on cheese and music pairings (i.e., beverage pairings optional)

A Zoom link was sent to the club email list. If you didn’t receive it, contact the officers.

Queso Diego January Virtual Meeting Announcement

Are you having Cheese People withdrawals, too???

Got the Cheese Chat blues because not all your friends and family are as enthusiastic about cheese as you?

We miss meeting “live,” but going to a monthly Queso Diego meeting provides the continued opportunity to share, discover, learn, and converse with other Queso Diego members.

This month let’s connect and share our cheese discoveries (or re-discoveries) of 2020 or 2021 AND we’d like your to hear your ideas for 2021 meeting topics. We all need new ideas and would like to try new cheeses, cheese recipes, cheese uses (aka building a cheese house), etc.

Some 2021 discoveries have already been shared, Raclettewurst from Larry and Czech-style marinated camembert recipe from Deborah. Have they tried them? Perhaps they will share some insight at the meeting. I have discovered two items new to me this year already, too (to be shared at the meeting 😉). Also, do you wonder what happens to a cheese house (like a gingerbread house) after December? Don and Carol will let you know at the meeting (it was the perfect ending to their cheese house).

Also, we might let it slip or be giving hints about what is in store for the 10-year anniversary party (February 16)………..yup, QD will be 10-years old this year and we plan on celebrating.

The meeting link was sent out to the members email list.