AlwaysPartying: Brooklyn Cheese Experiment

Arthur Bovino — September 14, 2009

Pete Taylor, Josh Knowlton & Billy Denniston of Propeller Pale Ale, unanimous homebrew winners.

On Sunday at the Bell House (view site) in Park Slope, Brooklyn, amateur cooks and homebrewers battled to see whose cheese-based dishes and beers would take top prize at the Brooklyn Cheese Experiment. The well-attended and much-photographed event was sponsored by Murray’s Cheese Shop, the Vermont Cheese Society and Council and Sixpoint Craft Ales and presented by thefoodexperiments.com hosts, Theo Peck and Nick Suarez. It featured 17 cooks and 8 teams of homebrewers who were competing for cash prizes and gift certificates to Brooklyn Brew Shop, Brooklyn Homebrew and Whisk. A portion of the ticket sales were being donated for ovarian cancer research.

A judging panel included: Bon Appétit’s restaurant editor, Andrew Knowlton; Taylor Cocalis, the director of Education at Murray’s; the Vermont Butter and Cheese Company’s Adeline Druart; Chanterelle’s fromager, Adrian Murciathe; and the brewers of Sixpoint Craft Ales. They awarded top three categories for best food and beer. Audience members also voted on their top three favorites. Alyssa Lees’ cheese puff was given special distinction and awarded her two tickets to a show at the Bell House.

AlwaysHungryNY.com’s favorites were beers by Propeller Pale Ale and 309, and entries by Alyssa Lees, Team Pirates’ Booty and Rebecca Lando. Several of the winners, like Bonnie Suarez, Alyssa Lees, Team Pirates’ Booty and Rachel Crawford were returning winners of June’s Brooklyn Beer Experiment. Pictures of the dishes follow.

Panel Awards: Beer

1st prize: Propeller Pale Ale, $100 gift certificate for Beer Table.
2nd prize: Spätsommer Dunkelweizen, $50 gift certificate for Brooklyn Beer Shop.
3rd prize: 309, $50 gift certificate for Brooklyn Home Brew.

 

Audience Awards: Beer

1st prize: Propeller Pale Ale, $150, “mystery beers” & their beer highlighted at Brooklyn Brew Shop.
2nd prize: Squirrel Tail Farmhouse Ale, $100 and “a big bag of grain.”
3rd prize: Spätsommer Dunkelweizen, $50.

 

Panel Awards: Food

1st prize: Tomato Soup w/Parmiggiano, Piave & Provolone Cracker, Bonnie Suarez, $250 gift certificate to Jimmy’s no. 43.
2nd prize: Knafe Nabulysa w/Akkawi & Rose Water Syrup, by Evelyn Kim, $50 Whisk gift certificate and a set of cheese knives.
3rd prize: Fig & Blue Cheese Gruyère Puff by Alyssa Lees, $50 gift certificate to Bierkraft.

 

Audience Awards: Food

1st prize: Righteous Bun by Gabriel Vallejo, $150 and a ticket to Murray’s Boot Camp.
2nd prize: Bonnie Suarez, $100 and a private tour for six of Murray’s Cheese Caves
3rd prize: Homemade Ricotta Cheesecake w/Sea Salt Dulce de Leche by Rebecca Lando, $50 and a seat at Murray’s Cheese 101.

 

Alyssa Lees’ Fig & Blue Cheese Gruyère Puff.

 

David Klopfenstein’s “Stinky Slider” stuffed w/Morbier, on a Camembert Biscuit w/Roquefort Mayo.

 

Bonnie Suarez’s Tomato/Ricotta/Basil Soup with a Parmiggiano, Piave & Provolone Cracker.

 

Frank Celenza’s “Vespa” Mac n’ Cheese w/Hog Jowl, Red Stripe Beer Caramelized Onions, Fontina & Cheddar Cheese.

 

Anu Ogirala’s Paneer Poppers.

 

Erik Michielsen’s Cheese Lollipop with Bacon.

 

Merrie Factor’s Pissaladiére Éclair with Goat Cheese.

 

Noah Berland’s Torched Cheese over Polenta.

 

Rachel Crawford’s Lasagna.Cheese-O-Rama.

 

Cathy Erway’s (noteatingoutinny.com) Bagel Chips w/Homemade Ricotta & Smoked Bluefish.

 

Johanna Johnson’s (prettygirlsuseknives.com) Mac o’ Lantern White Cheddar Mac & Cheese w/Cheddar Biscuit Crust.

 

Ajay Bhai’s Bellissima’s Enchiladas.

 

Gabriel Vallejo’s (Team Pirates’ Booty) Righteous Burn Cheesesteaks on Mini Waffles w/torched Swiss & Gruyère.

 

Courtney Yadouga’s Mac and Cheese.

 

Katie Myers’ Cheddar & Bacon Gougere.

 

Evelyn Kim’s Knafe Nabulysa with Akkawi and Rose Water Syrup.

 

Rebecca Lando’s (rebbecalando.com) Homemade Ricotta Cheesecake w/Sea Salt Dulce de Leche.