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Eric Paul

@chzzy_e

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50 wheels of chz and you know it’s on. I rock the party until the breaka dawn.
Although I’m here to pound the curds, I’m still nice with the verbs.

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I am featured in @bardalumni magazine The Bardian this spring, following my induction into the New World Chapter of the @guildedesfromagers last fall. My induction into the Guilde meant a lot to me after 27 years in the cheese industry. This feature was also very special to me. I think about my educational experience at Bard daily. As the article says my experience was not traditional and sometimes I wonder how I relate to that part of my life after so many years later. Reflecting on my education in the ancient world/philology at Bard, its intersection and interaction with my contemporary life in cheese, and sharing these with my collegiate community. It means a lot. The article itself was a sweet experience as it brought three Bard alums together: written by Mattie John Bamman ‘04 and photographed by Kye Ehrlich ‘13.

The list to thank for their support in this journey is long. First, my wife Alifair Skebe; my children - Terran Paul, Autumn Paul, and Ava Champion; my parents Bob and Barbara Paul, my brother Ben Paul; my Bard College professor’s Bill Mullen, Carolyn Dewald; Dr Michael Sham, my professor at Siena College; my past and present colleagues at @fmabklyn - Brad Dubé, Dimitri Saad, Katie Geise, Ryan Skrabalak, Jessey Lashier, Kay Michaels, Gali Hernandez, Brian Cullen, and John Braga, and many more. Other friends in cheese, too many to name. Thank you all for your part in my academic and life’s journey. by @chzzy_e

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5 months ago

Overnight in Paris - part 2 of series of my trip this past September.

- View from our airbnb room
- beautiful architecture from our walk to an amazing dinner
- photos of the city at night
- a few photos of cheese. The second is of a large format, geotricum rind goat cheese made in the shape of a boat. The small wooden stick - either representing the oar or the mast (I can’t remember clearly) - comes with each cheese.
- The Gare du Nord train station

Paris will always have my heart. It was the first European city I travelled to after I fell in love with cheese, first with my mother in 2002 and then a year later with my love and future wife @project_attic. taken in Paris, France by @chzzy_e

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10 months ago

I have sat on this post for a while, deliberating the perfect, meaningful words for the wonders of this trip, my history in the cheese industry, and the accomplishments and glory of my dear friend and mentee the Punk Rock Parmigiano Princess @emdalbero. This morning’s commute to Brooklyn seems like as good a day a as any to finally share something with the world.

Many of you know I was in Europe in mid September. The trip was for Mondial du Fromage and then an overnight in Paris, an afternoon in Belgium and a few days in Holland visiting our excellent Dutch affineur Treurkaas. It was my first time visiting Belgium and Holland. Paris will always have my heart, but I loved these new explorations. More posts to come, maybe….

First was a quick tour of Tours for Mondial du Fromage. First was to attend the trade show for @fmabklyn.

But this was also for my induction into the International Guild du Fromage supported by both FMA and @rodolphelemeunier. I didn’t really know the extent of emotions I’d feel about my induction but 27 years in this industry were wrapped up in the meaning of this recognition.

But also was the emotions witnessing Emilia become the first American to win the title of Best Cheesemonger in the World at Mondial du Fromage. Emilia and I became dear friends as she was thrust into the Buyer role at Greene Grape Provisions at the beginning of the covid pandemic. From the start her fervent curiosity and constant work to expand her cheese knowledge and skill as a cheesemonger was evident and a joy to be a part of. We shared many laughs exploring the rich world of cheese together. I have enduring excitement and pride for her amazing accomplishments. Her sculpture was perfect - carving and negative space - a truly beautiful composition (see pics 7-13).

I’m am also proud of team USA and Courtney Johnson’s accomplishment of sharing the podium with Emilia with her third place finish. I know how hard and diligently they both worked to prepare for the accomplishment.

The rest of the photos are of a few notable moments at the trade show and the market in Tours. Beauty of the bounty, proudly on display.

Thank you for reading. by @chzzy_e

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10 months ago

Last week I traveled to Tours France, where I was inducted into the International Guilde de Fromager at the Mondial de Fromage. The International Guilde de Fromager is a professional organization promoting and connecting the work of cheese professionals around the world while also helping to maintain standards of cheese knowledge. Induction is by nomination.

I’ve been in the cheese industry for over 26 years. I fell in love with sharing with customers and people close to me the rich culture and geography of traditional cheeses. It became a place for me to research history and culture through cheese and to bring this to the American market. I feel lucky to have happened upon this world of cheese. Thank you to all who have supported me and been a part of this journey. by @chzzy_e

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a year ago

Some special moments in this industry come back around again when @cheezedawg94 takes a minute out of his honeymoon to think about me and bring back my absolute favorite goat cheese (now unavailable to import) from across the Atlantic which I used to sell as a young monger about 22 years ago. Meet Charolais, a raw goat milk, small format cylinder from Bourgogne with a dense, creamy, almost flinty texture and a full flavor of mineral, citrus, and pepper. The food, the memories, and the people are special. Thanks, Dawg, it means a lot. 😎 by @chzzy_e

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a year ago

Puppy be hounding, Loïk in the surrounding. by @chzzy_e

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2 years ago

In Patrick Rance’s classic tome, The French Cheese Book, he says that there is nothing more satisfying than eating Vacherin Mont d’Or and finishing it off by tossing the spruce bark on the fire and sitting back and watching it burn. It seemed fitting to reenact this as we happened to finish a wheel of @uplandscheese Rush Creek Reserve on the evening of the first snow storm 🌨️ of winter. 🔥 by @chzzy_e

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3 years ago

Happy Thanksgiving from our table to yours. Thankful for family to share great cheese plates like this with and also for all of you to share this little journey of cheese and life. The maple cream in the last photo was an amazing experience, bringing a little moment from a trip to Vt this past summer to this holiday plate. It has an amazing silky texture and was insane with the blue and made the triple creme and the Vacherin a delicious dessert bite. by @chzzy_e

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3 years ago

@vtcheese Council Cheese Buyer’s Tour day two:

1) @blueledgefarm
2) @vontrappfarmstead

Greg Bernhardt and Hannah Sessions founded Blue Ledge Farm in 2000, after they met at Bates College as art students. They milk about 120 goats (about 155 goats total) and get cow’s milk from a neighboring herd of Ayrshire cows, 4 miles away at MoSe Farm. They make 55,000 to 60,000 lbs. of cheese a year. Among their cheese is an FMA house favorite Lake’s Edge and Middlebury Blue which may be the best value in an American artisanal blue cheese out there in the market.

Next we visited Von Trapp Farmstead, owned by the grandchildren of the family whose story was told in The Sound of Music. It is a farmstead steeped in tradition and history. The farm milks about 45 cows and makes only about 60,000 lbs. of cheese a year. The farm practices organic, restorative agriculture. The photo of the creamery shows Mt. Alice in the distance. Von Trapp’s Bloomy rind cheese Mt. Alice is named after this Adirondack peak. The cheese plate also shows Oma, Von Trapp’s washed rind cheese that they make and is ripened by the Cellars at Jasper Hill Farm. Their Mad River Blue may be the best kept blue cheese secret in America! Additionally, the farm has recently started making organic yogurt.

Two things crystallized in these visits:
1) 60,000 lbs of production for both farms is truly a tiny amount of cheese.
2) All I can say is “wow!” I forgot how beautiful VT is in the summer!

#cheese for life #cheeseislife #farmsteadcheese by @chzzy_e

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3 years ago

Day 1 in Vt: a little visit to @parishhillcreamery on the way to join the @vtcheese Cheese Buyers.

1. The Parish Hill Creamery cheese making house.
2. An overview of Parish Hill Creamery’s cheese.
3. A batch of Cornerstone - 15 pieces and an amazing helper.
4. The man and his make room.
5. The American cave that inspired them all @vermontshepherd.
6. A quick brief stop at VT Shepherd.
7. The Parish Hill piggies have their dinner.
8. The Parish Hill piggies washing down their meal with some fresh whey.
9. A Parish Hill piggie takes an after dinner whey bath.
10. One of my rambunctious and very sweet hosts.

Not pictured: sharing dinner with @cheesemakers journey - an assortment of parish hill cheese, including an amazing raw milk cream cheese; smoked babaganoush made by Alifair (@project_attic) w/ country bread; sausages from @asmallgoodco and @olympiaprovisions; a refreshing summer salad; and an assortment of @treehousebrewco beer.

#cheeseforlife #cheeseislife #cheeselegends #wheyfedpigs by @chzzy_e

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3 years ago

Tonight, a flight of Grana style cheeses (L to R)
- Parmigiano Reggiano
- Sbrinz
- KM39 by @chzzy_e

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3 years ago

Day 1, part 1 - Madrid.
- 6:30 arrival and Spanish breakfast.
- Plaza de Toros.
- Salon Gourmet: we spent Thursday at a food show in Madrid.
- Molí de Ger, a farmstead producer in Catalonia making raw cows milk cheese. Pere Pujol is the cheesemaker who exhibited great skill in his cheeses. Puigpedrós is an excellent washed rind cheese with a pudgy, semi firm texture and a sweet meaty, yeasty flavor. He also made an excellent blue cheese that had a lovely balance of a creamy texture and the flavor is full but not too strong.
- the second cheesemaker is Stro. André. They make Cebreiro DOP, a cows milk cheese in Galicia, made in both a young and an aged version. It has a unique shape resembling a chef’s hat or mushroom. The fresh one has a creaminess and some good acidity. The aged one is similar acidity to an Afuega’l Pitu, but with higher moisture and some mushroom and yeasty notes.
- the third cheesemaker is Queso Ruperto. It is run by two cousins who source the milk solely from their family farm. All of their cheeses are raw sheep sheep. Their Abuelo Ruperto is one of my favorite aged sheep’s milk cheeses of Spain and their washed rind cheese (known internationally as Ruperto Corteza Lavada), is an excellent washed rind that is unique bc it is made from sheep’s milk which is uncommon. We saw this cheese at every ship we visited on day 2
@fmabklyn @forevercheeseco #cheeseforlife #cheesetraveler by @chzzy_e

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3 years ago