Shitake Brie is delicious and beautiful

[Tiarella]

Boofer!  What a thoughtful and encouraging post!  Thank you!  I notice and appreciate how supportive you are across the wide range of the forum and often think you should have ambassador status here.  Maybe with a cool uniform sporting epaulets.  (did I spell that right?)

My offer of a box of bark is a serious offer.  It's not in short supply around here.....seemingly endless amounts surround me.  And since you are so nice I'd also send you some of the little leaf-adorned mini Valencay cheeses if I thought they'd survive the trip.  I have to confess that I ate two of them myself last night.  In fact, although the rind is too thick to be "correct" I actually very much like the succulent "snap" of it and the flavor is a nuanced play of melodies through the layers as they move across the palate.

[botanist]

Boofer, you mentioned eucalyptus bark as a possible alternative to birch.  Eucalyptus is extremely allelopathic to most plants, which is why little, if anything, grows under it.  I'm including a couple of references (links) to that, as well as one for its toxicity (terpenes in all plant parts).  Dogs have been known to be poisoned by chewing on their bark or leaves  :'(

You may want to check out plant toxicity for anything in advance of human (or animal) consumption.  And even if something is safe for human consumption, it isn't necessarily for animals, depending on the animal.

http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/2424020?uid=3739560&uid=2&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=21101457264843]http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/poison/Eucalsp.htm
[url]http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/2424020?uid=3739560&uid=2&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=21101457264843
http://www.publish.csiro.au/?paper=BT9900245
[/url]

[Tiarella]

Actually, it was Tomer who mentioned Eucalyptus, not Boofer.  I'm surprised that Walnut bark can be used given how thoroughly is suppresses competitive growth beneath it but Yoav says it's boiled and works fine so who knows about Eucalyptus....might work okay. 

[Boofer]

Actually, it was Tomer who mentioned Eucalyptus, not Boofer.  I'm surprised that Walnut bark can be used given how thoroughly is suppresses competitive growth beneath it but Yoav says it's boiled and works fine so who knows about Eucalyptus....might work okay.

Thank you for clearing the aspersions from over my head, Kathrin. And thank you for your bark offer. I will PM you.

Gee, I think that's the second time you improperly gave me something to say, botanist. ???

-Boofer-

[botanist]

Actually, it was Tomer who mentioned Eucalyptus, not Boofer.  I'm surprised that Walnut bark can be used given how thoroughly is suppresses competitive growth beneath it but Yoav says it's boiled and works fine so who knows about Eucalyptus....might work okay.

Thank you for clearing the aspersions from over my head, Kathrin. And thank you for your bark offer. I will PM you.

Gee, I think that's the second time you improperly gave me something to say, botanist. ???

-Boofer-

Mea mea culpa!!!  :( Totally unintentional, but no excuse for it!!  I'd send you some bark too, if I had any to send.

[margaretsmall]

Australian paperbark (sp. Melaleuca) should be a possibility - it was used widely by indigenous Australians as a wrapper for cooking food and now by foodies and bushies, especially from cooking fish. Easy to collect as the tree sheds the bark in good sized soft pieces.

[Boofer]

Mea mea culpa!!!  :( Totally unintentional, but no excuse for it!!  I'd send you some bark too, if I had any to send.

Not a problem. Thanks for the no-bark offer. ;)

-Boofer-

[Tomer1]

Actually, it was Tomer who mentioned Eucalyptus, not Boofer.  I'm surprised that Walnut bark can be used given how thoroughly is suppresses competitive growth beneath it but Yoav says it's boiled and works fine so who knows about Eucalyptus....might work okay.

It turns out it is poisonous.
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/poison/Eucalsp.htm

[Schnecken Slayer]

[/quote]

It turns out it is poisonous.
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/poison/Eucalsp.htm
[/quote]

Unless you are a Koala.  :D

[Tiarella]

Australian paperbark (sp. Melaleuca) should be a possibility - it was used widely by indigenous Australians as a wrapper for cooking food and now by foodies and bushies, especially from cooking fish. Easy to collect as the tree sheds the bark in good sized soft pieces.

Although Melaleuca oil has anti-fungal properties so it may not be good for blooms but maybe it would be great on hard cheeses to help prevent molds when that is your objective.  I've considered using essential oils to support or control rind invasions.

[Tiarella]

Boofer, How is Santa Claus going to get the bark to you in time for Christmas if you don't PM an address, hmmmm?    ;D

[Al Lewis]

It turns out it is poisonous.
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/poison/Eucalsp.htm

That's really strange as eucalyptus oil is used in cough drops and also in topical pain relievers and has many other medicinal uses.  Must have to really eat a lot.

http://www.aromatherapy-at-home.com/uses-of-eucalyptus-oil.html

[Tomer1]

eucalyptus is widely used to treat congestion

Its toxic effects are used as a medicine.  many drugs take advantage of the fact that you only make you half ill.  :o

[ArnaudForestier]

Absolutely beautiful, Tiarella.  I'm certain this was, and is, as scrumptious as it gets.  As a late newcomer (again... ;D), cheese to you.

I mentioned I've birch a-plenty, this thread is a great, instructive and inspiring thread, thanks.  I recently bought some spruce from Yoav, from his site (go, Iratherfly!), but I'd like to harvest fallen spruce, as well, and wonder if you or others happen to perhaps know of a source for something like this:



?  Back in my previous life making cheese, I looked, to no avail.  Anyone?

[jwalker]

I love Shiitake mushrooms , never thought of using them in a cheese.

The birch bark is a nice touch too.

So the mushrooms were just grated and dried , did you process them in any way ?

That's funny , I just made a couple of Bries two weeks ago , they came out too thin so I fused them together , it never even occured to me to put something between them for flavour.

A cheese to you ! ;D