Today we would like to introduce Miranda McQuillan, a cheesy friend, whose friendship goes back several years. Miranda is a Kroger Cheese Steward Lead in Omaha, Nebraska in Baker’s, part of the Dillon’s division. (Her cheese shop is located at 888 Saddle Creek Road inside the Baker’s.)
At the young and impressionable age of twenty-one, while still in college, Miranda moved to France and became a Francophile for life… She fell in love with a handsome Frenchman; but alas, not to be and two years later found herself back in the US managing a cheese shop for Wild Oats (which sold out to Whole Foods in 2007 but recently began its comeback as a marketplace chain specializing in organic and local foods). She claims her love of cheese began there but The Lady and I suspect that her love of France is truly the roots of where she began her journey as a turophile. She has been working at Baker’s for over four years, running two of their four cheese shops and training Cheesemongers for them.
Currently she has more than five hundred members in her cheese club and has hosted more than thirty cheese seminars. In her “spare” time she writes the cheese column for Food and Spirits of Omaha and conducts food tours in Omaha through her company, Miranda’s Cultural Adventures.
Here are her delightful answers to our questions:
1. Your perfect/favorite pairing.
The true Comte with Cherry preserves from Bonne Mamman, raw almonds, a rustic grain bread, and a bottle of Jura yellow wine of course(rare) so also The Beaujolais for a red, or Dark Side Vanilla Porter by Empyrean Brewing Company for beer.(prefer the AOC green & blue higher priced version to the Comptois)
2. Build us your dream cheese plate.
Petit Basque, Bucheron, Sharp white Canadian or Oregon Cheddar(Tillamook or Beecher’s Reserve Truckle), Sartori Bellavitano Merlot, and Robiola Bosina Italian Soft ripened and French Blue St. Agur with honey. Bianco D’Oro Italian salami, and bit of prosciutto di parma. Serve with nut mix, Fig jam, Onion chutney or pickled veggies with best crustic(crusty and rustic) fresh bread available-gotta see & feel it!
3. What’s your favorite grilled cheese?
That’s easy! Croque Monsieur or if I feel like an egg, Croque Madame! They may very well be the original grilled cheese sammies!
4. Tell us one non-cheese fact about yourself.
I LOVE to laugh and make you laugh, so I do some Improv and Storytelling (Shocking, a funny talkative Cheesemonger!? Who knew!)
5. If you could have dinner with any famous person, alive or historic, who would it be and why?
(I am an Aquarius by number, so this is a hard question!)
Lorne Michaels from SNL! I would love to just talk about life, tell each other some awesome stories, eat dinner. I would bring him cheese – a comedic pairing! Probably end up being more drole than hilarious..but I’ll take it!
Our thanks to Miranda for spending some time with us… and you can like her page on Facebook: Miranda’s Cheese Club.
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