It’s Murray’s Mania!

Forget about the Sweet  16…. funky is so much better! It’s the cheese showdown of the year, and we are doing it up the only way we know how: big! And we’re asking YOU to crown the Champion of Curd!

When you cast your vote, you enter the contest to score some pretty rad swag. Complete and submit the full bracket by Wednesday, March 5^th  for a shot to win.  If you’re a real cheese wiz, and guess all of the winners, you’ll be entered into a drawing for a $100 Murray’s gift card.

It doesn’t stop there!

From March 6-30th, we’ll be pitting cheese against cheese in the greatest American cheese-off of ALL TIME. Come by one of our shops, in New York or nationwide, and give the two contending curds a nibble (the tasting schedule is to the right). Once you have settled on a favorite you can go online to vote for your favorite! Each time you vote, you’re entered to win big!

Prizes:

Grand Prize: Slam Dunk! We’re going all-out with this one! One lucky participant will win something really funky – a cheeselover’s dream trip to Seattle! That’s right, we’ll fly you and a pal out to Seattle, put you up in the Beecher’s loft, treat you to a fancy dinner at Boat Street Café, AND a day of cheese-making over Beecher’s Cheese!

 Runners Up: Even if you don’t win the grand prize, 15 will win a  spectacular cheesy gift set, packed full of Murray’s gear.

Below you’ll find some more information on the different producers we will be highlighting during Murray’s Mania. Click on the cheese for even more tasty info!

Want to learn more about Murray’s Mania, or enter the contest? Click here for details!

We’d like to thank all the little cheeses…and help you be fancy and impress guests at your Oscars Party with our 2014 cheese plate picks! We can’t wait to enjoy the show on March 2^nd and, obviously, cheese is a must.

When serving cheese plates, remember these rules of tongue:

-stick with 3-5 cheeses
-select a variety of milk-types (goat, cow, sheep, water buffalo) or styles (bloomy, washes, fresh, blue…)
-one ounce of cheese, per cheese/ per person
-let cheese sit out at room temp for AT LEAST an hour for ultimate flavor and texture perfection
-serve from mildest to strongest

The Best Dressed List

For the Red Carpet: Bijou – Downy, creamy, round baubles—forget diamonds, this cheese is a girl’s best friend.

For the Opening Number: St. Nectaire – Golden earthy tones are just the thing to bring substance and balance to your plate.

For the Ceremony: Ossau Iraty – Classic features keep this complex, French sheep milk cheese in style all the time.

For the After-Party: Bleu d’Auvergne— Slink into velvety royal blue to end the night with decadence.

Timeless Classics

The Ingénue: Torus – Elegant and coveted and by all with eyes and taste buds

The Meryl Streep: Parmigiano Reggiano ‘Bonati‘ – A classic that’s undisputed in its reign, respected and hailed as royalty; it can do no wrong.

The Foreign Contender: Scharfe Maxx – a powerful presence from abroad converts audiences with smoothness and flavors that evoke comfort foods

The Method Actor: Caveman Blue – raw yet refined; a tour de force; completely enfolds you in the authentic experience.

This Year’s Blockbusters

American Hustle – Fresh Mozzarella –There’s no faking this whole milk, Jersey-made favorite– it’s got smooth moves and groovy style.
Her(b) Goat Log –A soft-at-heart goat cheese that’s really just looking to connect…with your mouth.
Wolf of Wall Street –Blu di Buffala – It’s a bull market for buffalo milk blues, and this one tastes money both on and off your yacht.
Nebraska  – Prairie Breeze Cheddar –Too much family-time can wear you down…find comfort with a few bites of sweet, grassy cheddar.
Gravity – Torta del Casar – Much like Anton Cuarón’s blockbuster, this cosmically delicious washed-rind has a strong lead and thought-provoking complexity.

Best Supporting Accompaniments

Fig Jam – Sweet goes with savory like Carol Lombard goes with Clark Gable.  This spread is versatile and great to have on hand.

Marcona Almonds – A well-seasoned performance with salt-of-the-earth crunch. Think Brando in On the Waterfront…

Seashore Honey – Like Mary Pickford, this honey is pure gold, whipped into sweet, sweet perfection. It’s honey taken to a whole ‘nother level, doll.

By Rob Kaufelt, Proprietor of Murray’s Cheese

This week Murray’s opens its 100th location — you can find our newest cheese counter inside the Ralphs store in the heart of Studio City, California.  With this latest shop within a shop, Murray’s becomes the first coast to coast specialty cheese company in the US.

No one, myself included, could foresee that happening way back when us young mongers in our old mom and pop shop in Greenwich Village began introducing artisan cheeses to the neighborhood.  It would have been pure fantasy that this, the oldest cheese shop in New York, would become something bigger.

But our mission was to bring great cheeses to America at large.  Our approach at first was to teach what we had learned. We began to learn about Spain, England, France — the great cheese countries. But the main thrust was always the USA, and the local dairy farmers across the land who were beginning to make cheese to be proud of.

Now we have local cheeses in our stores in Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Georgia, Texas, California, with many more regions to come. On top of this, by year end we’ll have trained and certified over a thousand cheese mongers to proudly wear the Murray’s ‘Red  Jacket.’

We do hope that within a few years, there will be a Murray’s somewhere near you.  While it’s a far cry from that little shop on Bleecker where it all began, what you’ll find in your neighborhood is just like the Greenwich Village original – quality cheeses and a friendly, knowledgeable staff, some great prices, and a whole lot more.

Murray Greenberg, the founder, a refugee from war torn Europe, a little guy who sought a better life in America, would be amazed to see his name a household word across the land.

I am amazed myself!

Help us celebrate! Enter to win a $100 Murray’s shopping spree! Or come by one of our 100 stores on Saturday, February 1st for a day of cheese (and free Murray’s Melts in New York and LA!) Get the details here. 

PICK A BLUE

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MILD & CREAMY

GORGONZOLA DOLCE

Mild|Sweet|Velvety

CAMBOZOLA 

Milky|Sweet|Earthy

UNIQUE

BLU DI BUFALA

Earthy|Buttery

STILTON

Fruity|Deep|Mineraly

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NUTTY & SWEET

BAYLEY HAZEN

Rich|Balanced|Chocolaty

CAVEMAN BLUE

Sweet|Tangy|Mineraly

IN-YOUR-FACE

ROQUEFORT

Spicy|Intense

VALDEÓN

Bold|Spicy|Fruity

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    MIX IT IN

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RECIPE

1/4 lb of your favorite blue cheese

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon minced carlic

Black pepper (to taste)

Salt (to taste)

Hot sauce (to taste)

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DIRECTIONS

1. Break cheese up with for and mix together all ingredients

2. Add additions such as: honey, bacon, apples, nuts, mushrooms, or dried fruit

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