Ihsan and Valerie own and run the Formaggio Kitchen family of stores. As is true of any folks passionate about their jobs, work intertwines throughout all aspects of their lives. Their travels – frequent and far-flung – are largely dictated by the food producers they want to meet or to revisit, by rumors of new and exciting foodstuffs and/or food conferences such as “Cheese,” the biennial Slow Food festival held in Bra, Italy. Their larder and wine cellar are stocked with favorite items they have imported or new items they are testing out. Even when on holiday, they are in direct communication with all three stores, coordinating deliveries from Europe and generally checking to make sure everything is on track. (more…)
Posts Tagged ‘Ihsan Gurdal’
Introducing Ihsan and Valerie: Owners of Formaggio Kitchen
Posted in About Us, Cheese, Christmas, Gift Giving, Gifts & Wares, Grains, Rice, Flours & Beans, Hanukkah, Herbs, Spices, Salts & Peppers, Holiday, Jams & Preserves, Meats & Charcuterie, Olive Oil & Specialty Oils, Pasta, Staff Profiles, Wine, tagged Arraya, Bleu des Basques, Comté, food, food gifts, gift ideas, Ihsan Gurdal, rillettes, robiola, Sainte-Maure Belgique, Saveur du Maquis, Vacherin Mont d'Or, Valerie Gurdal on December 12, 2012 | 4 Comments »
Piment d’Espelette: Harvesting in the Basque Pyrenees
Posted in France, Herbs, Spices, Salts & Peppers, Producer Profile, Travelogues, tagged AOC, Aoxa d’Espelette, Espelette, Ihsan Gurdal, pepper, pepper flakes, pepper puree, Piment d'Espelette, piperrada, Valerie Gurdal on November 18, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
About this time last year, while traveling through the Pyrenees mountains, Valerie, Ihsan and I stopped for a few days to pay a visit to the small farm that produces one of our favorite products: Piment d’Espelette AOC. Piment d’Espelette (translation: peppers from Espelette) are bright red peppers grown in the town of Espelette and 9 surrounding communes. These peppers have a delicate, sweet-fruity flavor and a medium spiciness, a little milder than your average jalapeño. They’re most often sold dried, whole or pulverized into a flaky powder. (more…)
2010: A Good Year For Cheese
Posted in Cheese, France, tagged Cheese, Comté, fermier, Ihsan Gurdal, Jura, Kurt Gurdal, Pyrenees, Savoie, Tomme Crayeuse, Tomme de Savoie, Valerie Gurdal on December 17, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
This has been a good year for cheese at Formaggio Kitchen. We were lucky enough to visit several producers — both old friends and new acquaintances — who are sending us some incredible cheeses. Throughout the holidays, as family and friends come to town, or as you pack for a trip of your own, be sure to have a good selection of cheese on hand for simple snacking or to create an elegant cheese course. For help finding just the right cheese, here are a few highlights from our recent trips. (more…)
Our Friends Across the Pond: Neal’s Yard Dairy
Posted in Cheese, England, Producer Profile, tagged cheddar, Covent Garden, England, food, Ihsan Gurdal, Kurt Gurdal, London, Neal's Yard Dairy, Stilton, Valerie Gurdal, Wensleydale on September 16, 2010 | 2 Comments »

We carry a wide selection of cheeses from the British Isles: Stilton, Keen’s, Ardrahan, Berkswell, Montgomery’s, Wensleydale and Stichelton to name but a few. One of the reasons we can count on this rich diversity and exceptional quality is the passionate team of cheese caretakers at Neal’s Yard Dairy. (more…)





