It’s not like we ever need an excuse for upping our hot sauce intake, but Cinco de Mayo is as worthy an occasion as any. And for such a worthy occasion, we prefer a hot sauce that’s worthy of really being called a hot sauce. With that in mind, we just expanded our line of bottled up fiery flavor, and we want to tell you all about what we’ve got.

Let’s start by talking about Señor Lechuga, a blazingly spicy hot sauce that’s exclusive to Murray’s. Señor Lechuga produces three styles of hot sauce, each based on habanero peppers and Carolina reapers. Those things are eye-wateringly hot. But what makes Señor Lechuga so excellent is that the heat doesn’t come at the expense of flavor. You like things smoky? There’s a Chipotle rendition that brings both the heat and the smoke of a fire. Prefer a hit of sweetness? The Pineapple version tastes like Caribbean pepper sauce. Of course, you can also go the Original route if you’re looking for the straight dope. Hot sauces have as wide a range of texture as of flavor, and Señor Lechuga keeps the consistency thin, since a little of this stuff goes a long, hot way.

Wide-ranging flavors and textures? Sounds like cheese, no? In fact, hot sauce and cheese have a lot in common, which is why they pair so well together. For Señor Lechuga, we like to pair the Pineapple version with Piave Vecchio. The cheese is often likened to Parmigiano Reggiano, with a crystalline paste full of the concentrated sweetness of tropical fruit, which makes it a natural partner to the tropical profile of this particular hot sauce.

There are a couple other hot sauce and cheese pairings we are particularly fond of. One is Smoked Habañero Barbeque by Marshall’s Haute Sauce with Point Reyes Original Blue. To our mind, Marshall’s has made the perfect barbeque sauce: smoky and sweet with a balanced heat and a depth of flavor that comes from molasses, cinnamon, and cloves. Since Original Blue is extra creamy with a peppery pungency, it goes quite well with the Marshall’s.

And for an extra en pointe Cinco, we suggest Queen Majesty Jalepeño Tequila & Lime sauce with Don Froylan Queso Fresco. The sauce has a splash of apple cider vinegar and a bit of green apple to add complementary sweetness to the tartness and heat, and its flavor profile means it works particularly well with this fresh, smooth, subtle cheese. They make a killer one-two combo atop everything from enchiladas to eggs.

We so love the pairing of cheese and hot sauce that we’re devoting an entire class at our Bleecker Street shop to it. On Thursday, May 10, we’re turning up the heat with our favorite cheeses cranked up to eleven with our favorite spicy condiments. In conjunction with Heatonist, Brooklyn’s Purveyors of Fine Hot Sauce, we’ve come up with some fiery pairings that will make your taste buds scream. You can get your tickets here.

Have a happy Cinco!

Just across Newton Creek from Murray’s Cheese headquarters is the Brooklyn neighborhood of Greenpoint. The neighborhood dates back to the mid-1600s, when it was called Cherry Point. Drawing its inspiration (and its name) from the area’s rustic roots is one of our very restaurants in the area, Julian Calcott’s Cherry Point.

Julian is an alum of the West Village’s legendary Spotted Pig, and he opened his own restaurant back in 2016. It’s quickly gained acclaim for its seasonally-inspired menu and warm atmosphere. Here, for example, is the Michelin Guide:

“This charming Greenpoint restaurant…houses a buzzing open kitchen, great music, and jumbo windows that look out over the neighborhood, offering prime people-watching. Most importantly, though, Cherry Point is home to some luscious cooking compliments of Chef Julian Calcott.”

And here’s Zagat:

“Inside a refurbished 1930s butcher shop, this woodsy Greenpoint eatery by an alum of The Spotted Pig focuses on housemade charcuterie, American bistro dishes and seasonal sides and salads.”

And here’s us:

“Cherry Point. Oh, we really like Cherry Point. It is very, very good. So good is it that we want our customers all over the country to get a little taste. Perhaps we should collaborate with Cherry Point on a set of recipes for Great Taste at Murray’s. Hey, yes, that’s exactly what we should do. Okay. Let’s do it.”

Reader, done it we have. We are excited to share with you a three course menu that Chef Julian designed specifically for our Great Taste program, featuring a salad, a main dish, and a dessert. Best of all, they each have a cheesy element incorporated in an unexpected way. Let’s show you what we mean.

The first dish is the Spring Radish Salad with Goat Cheese. It looks like this:

The primary ingredients here are radishes (duh), basil, and greens. Chef Julian used pea shoots, but he notes, “You can use any greens you want. I would recommend something a little sturdier than arugula, though you can use arugula if you want.” He cited baby kale as an example of a green that would work well.

Here’s where things get unexpected: You knead the ingredients with your hands. “You’re making your own vinaigrette,” Chef Julian explains, “using the cheese as an emulsifier.” As you work the ingredients together, the salad dresses itself. This is a salad that’s quite literally handmade.

Here’s how to make the Cherry Point Spring Radish Salad with Goat Cheese.

Next up, the main dish. This plate is quite a beauty—crispy, juicy chicken over a bed of risotto-style peas. Check it out:

That’s the kind of plate you can expect to find in an acclaimed restaurant. Indeed, it was invented in one. But you can make it at home quite easily. The cheesy surprise here: the peas get their creamy, risotto-y consistency from a shaving of Pecorino Calabrese and a dollop of mascarpone.

And bringing it all home is one of the most astounding tarts you will ever have. It’s made with Gjetost and preserved walnuts. Seriously, this stuff is straight up nuts. It tastes somewhere between flan and pumpkin pie, yet somehow even better than both.

This has already become our go-to dessert for wowing guests, not least because the filling contains only five ingredients and is a super cinch to make. Here’s how you go about doing it.

If you’re looking to bring some restaurant-level results to your cooking game, we cannot recommend these recipes more enthusiastically. Really, it’s as easy as, well…tart.

Bob Dylan famously proclaimed, “Mama, you’ve been on my mind,” and that’s precisely how we’re feeling with Mother’s Day approaching. As a lyricist, Dylan is notoriously dense, but we’ve consulted with a few great literary minds, and we think we’ve figured out what the Nobel Laureate was getting at in the subtext of that song.

“Clearly, Dylan’s point was that he feels the best way to show affection to his mother—and indeed, to mother’s all over—is to send the gift of cheese,” said Curd Vonnegut.

“Curd is exactly right,” confirmed Ayn Rind. “Dylan makes the irrefutable point that cheese is a perfect—nay, the perfect—gift for Mother’s Day.”

Far be it from us to disagree with the experts, so we’re not even going to try. Instead, we’re going to share with you our guide for Mother’s Day gifting. Presenting, the gourmet way to make mom say cheese:

UBRIACO PINOT ROSE

Moms know it: wine and cheese is a classic pairing. The Italians know it too, to the point that they decided to combine the two items into one. This aged cow’s milk cheese is a rose-rinded wheel that’s aged in a tub of sparkling wine. You heard that right. That long, boozy bath delivers a fruity aroma and the flavor profile of a sweet white vintage—something between a buttery Chardonnay, citrusy Sauvignon Blanc, and syrupy Gewurztraminer.

WHITE WINE LOVER’S COLLECTION

But perhaps mother would prefer her wine and cheese as individual entities. We’ve got you covered. Here’s a collection that we put together specifically to pair with white wine. It has four different cheeses, a tablet of dark chocolate, buttery oat cakes, and whipped maple cream. Just pick up a bottle or two of white and this incredible collection is complete.

PORTA ROCCA

Porta Rocca is made by the legendairy Italian creamery Quattro Portoni. Buffalo produce the richest of milks, and this wheel is creamy and mild, with the slightest tang of thick, fresh yogurt. Pair it with some grapes, nuts, and blossom honey to make a Mother’s Day cheese board for the ages.

BURRATA LOVER’S COLLECTION

Burrata is the It cheese: It’s delicious. It’s eminently photogenic. It goes well with everything. And here, it brings a luscious, ribbony texture to a trinity of Italian classics. Laid out alongside buttery, vibrantly green Castelvetrano olives and silky sheets of ruby-red Prosciutto di Parma, it serves as the anchor of a brilliant trio. Mama has just gotta burrata. Like, a lotta. Could she keep from smiling at this collection? We think notta.

BE HOME BLACK & WHITE MARBLE CHEVRON BOARD

Your mother deserves to be treated like royalty, so this artful board is the ideal centerpiece for her Mother’s Day spread. With its black and white chevrons, it looks like it would be at home in a French court. It also looks like it would make for the coolest backgammon board ever. No games here, though—this board is as sturdy and reliable as it is aesthetically elegant.

BE HOME NESTING BOWLS

Made of vibrant, hammered copper, these serving dishes are as perfect for holding dips like hummus and chutney as they are for snacks like nuts, pretzels, and dried fruits. An added bonus: you can easily measure how much you’re serving, as they nest from a quarter cup at the smallest to a whole cup at the largest.

And there’s even more where that came from. Take a peek at the complete Murray’s Mother’s Day Gift Guide.