Nevat

For Catalan artisan Josep Cuixart, cheesemaking began with a road trip. About 20 years ago, he shepherded four goats into his car and drove 400 miles back to the farm near Barcelona where, amazingly, he still wanted to make cheese after all that quality time with his new herd.

At his Can Pojul production house, he perfected fresh goat cheeses before developing Nevat, an aged, soft-ripened cheese made by draining goat's milk curds in cheesecloth bags. Named for the Catalan word for snow, Nevat ages for two or three months until the rind is bloomy and the paste inside is soft and creamy under the edge but cakey and more dense toward the center. With a little time to warm at room temperature, the long lasting flavors are tart and mushroomy with just a bit of surprising grassy sweetness.

Blu di Bufala

From a burgh near Bergamo in northern Italy, two cowboy brothers--Bruno and Alfio--raised beef cattle in the province that's home to the nation's greatest concentration of DOP cheeses. In neighborhoods renowned for brave experimentation with milk's leap, the brothers imported bufala cow breeds from southern Italy in 2001 and got to work. About five years ago, they hit the magic combination, were lauded by fellow cheesemakers for their creation, and began distributing their blue made from milk usually reserved for creamy, silky mozzarella. The result is still creamy but the cakey loaf is tart, slightly gamey, and just salty enough to keep us reaching for another bite...so come in soon before we polish off this gem.

Bra Duro

Taking its name from the tiny city in northern Italy (where Slow Food was born), Bra Duro is a firm--or duro--cow's milk cheese made by combining two milkings from the same day. A dry salt rub is applied each day for six days before it's left to mature into a golden round, packed with sharp, nutty and buttery flavor. This D.O.P. is a nationally protected cheese and it's at the Goose but only for the lucky few who get here quick.

Valentine's Day Dinner for Two

The Goose will give you the goods;
the moves are up to you.

Have you seen Cupid lately? That boy likes to eat. Keep him happy and he'll save an arrow for you and your guest when you pre-order the goods for a romantic dinner for two from the Goose.

Order by Thursday, February 11: call 317.924.4944
Pick up on Friday, Feb. 12, or Saturday, Feb. 13
The package is $68 and includes:

a bottle of Fantinel Prosecco: bubbly, dry, and Italian...Mmmmmm

16 ounce, thick-cut, dry aged New York strip steak from Fischer Farms

two 6 ounce Cold Water lobster tails: surf and turf it up

chocolate Raspberry Dessert for Two from Rene's Bakery in Broad Ripple

And to keep the feelings alive, the Goose has stocked the makings for a pretty cocktail.
Sence rose nectar is the not-too-sweet extract of Bulgarian roses. Leonardo da Vinci drank a similar brew...kinda puts a new twist on Mona Lisa's smile, eh?

While Fantinel prosecco is interesting enough to enjoy solo, pick up a bottle of Sence at the Goose for this mood maker:

Rose Colored Glasses
1 part Sence rose nectar
2 parts Fantinel prosecco
twist of lime
mix, sip, smooch, repeat

NKOTB

Introducing, two new members of the Goose's gaggle...

Adam is new to Indy, but adjusting to a new address is old habit for this experienced barista. Growing up in North Carolina, he stayed in the state to finish his undergraduate degree in religion before splitting his time between the U.S. and Bosnia. He even met his American wife-to-be there while they were both volunteering with humanitarian and educational aid programs. Fluent in Bosnian, Adam and his wife plan to move back to the country after their son is born this summer. But in the meantime, we're lucky to get to know this funny southerner while he takes care of some seriously tasty drinks from the Goose's machina.

Ryan is a native Hoosier with lucky roommates. He got a reputation for being able to throw together high flavor, low cost dinners for his business school housemates and friends. It wasn't until his hungry audience said they'd paid more for worse meals that he began to think of cooking as a career. After working as a line cook in Zionsville and Bloomington, he left the business major behind and has been focusing on kitchen science ever since. Now his favorite part of mongering meat behind the counter at the Goose is sharing the details of quality products with customers.

Stop in and help us welcome Adam and Ryan to the Goose!

Jamon Iberico: that's Spanish for jamin' ham

Spaniards have good legs, and you can check them out at the Goose.

Just arrived is Jamon Iberico, the silky, sultry dry-cured ham leg that would made castonets play themselves.


Free-range pata negra hogs roam fields of oak trees in southern Spain and forage for the sweet bellota, or acorns, that lend their hams the rich, earthy taste. After curing for years--some as long as 36 months-- in the temperate climate of Spain's sun and sea, the hams develop a superlative flavor. At once sweet and savory, nutty and bright, it's a world treasure that's still new to the U.S.

The time and tradition of producing this nationally protected ham means it doesn't come cheap. But, for better or worse, the stars aligned to make the price tag a little more reasonable this time of year. And since the Goose got such a deal on this real-deal jamon iberico, we're passing the present along to you. Get into the Goose soon before this jamin' ham is j'all gone.