Winnipeg chefs get monastic blessing, government approval for cheesemaking

Two Winnipeg chefs carrying on the centuries-old tradition of making unpasteurized Trappist cheese finally have the blessing of the monk who taught them how to make it and approval from the provincialgovernment to sell it.

"It was a definite relief when[Manitoba Agriculture] said, 'It's good, you've passed, you can sell your wheels,'" Rachel Isaak said during a recent cheese deliveryto De Luca's Specialty Foods in Winnipeg.

"[We took] agreat big breath and [had] a good bottle of wine."

"It's been a very long process withlots of ups and downs," added her husband, DustinPeltier. "We're dealing with raw milk and there are extra precautions that need to be taken so it's safe."

Isaak, Peltier and Peltier's fatherhave been learning the tricks of the trade for more than a yearfrom a Trappist monk named Brother Albric.

He gave them wooden shelves from hisoriginal cheese cellar at the Notre Dame des Prairiesmonastery near Holland in southwestern Manitoba, along witha special salt-and-culture brine used to wash the cheese every other day.

The coupleformally took over production when the aging monk closed his cellar last January.

"We have to stop making the cheese because we don't have young brothers," Brother Albricsaid last winter.

"I'm getting older and it's too much for myself. Now before I get sick, I want to pass recipe on to someone else," he said.

"For me, it's the will of God. I'm old, I'm tired, I [have] nobody.It's time to finish."

Cheesemaking tradition

Brother Albric, 83, hadbeen making this cheese since he was 20 years old, starting at the Trappist monastery near Oka, Que.

When thatcheese cellar was sold and the process changed to use pasteurized milk, he got permissionto bring the traditional recipe to Manitoba.

Canadian cheesemakers can use raw cow, goat and sheep milk as long as the cheese is aged at least 60 days and doesn't contain bacteria such as salmonellaandE. coli.

Every morning, after prayers and breakfast, Brother Albricwould silently hand-wash dozens of the nearly five-kilogram wheels in his dim cheese cellar the last person in North America making the cheese with the traditional Trappist techniques.

Butwith no new monks joining the brotherhood, he realized he had to pass along the tradition and begangrooming Peltier and Isaak, who run a catering company called Loaf and Honey, to begin their own practice.

Peltierstumbled upon BrotherAlbric'scheese through one of his suppliers a fewyears ago, he said, and liked therich flavours of the unpasteurized cheese.

Brother Albrictrained Peltierin the monastery and instructed him to relay the information toIsaak, who wasn't allowed in the back of the monastery because she's a woman.

This spring, Peltier and Isaak made the first wheel of cheese in their newly constructed cheese cellar, on Peltier's parents' farm just north of Winnipeg.

Pilgrimage to the monastery

In June, they packed up their children and parents, and a cooler full of cheese, driving nearly two hours to the Notre Dame des Prairie Monastery "so Brother Albriccan try it and see if we've done it right, or if we're off the mark," Isaaksaid at the time.

"It's an art,"Peltieradded."As much as it is you have to do A, B and C, you still have to finesse it and because there is the cultures, it's unpasteurized, it's still alive."

They held their breath as Brother Albric touched, smelled and tasted the cheese.

"A good cheese when you bite, you have the trace of your teeth," the monk said in between bites.

"It's goodI like it. I like when it's creamy like this," he said, cutting into the cheese, taking a deep whiff, then biting into a small piece.

"Taste good, smell good, texture is good," he pronounced. "Perfect.Keep going."

"Yeah! Good! Perfect,"Peltiersaid with a look of relief on his face.

"We were confident but still a bit nervous," headmitted later.

"I'm very happy because if it was not able to keep going, everything would collapse. Now I'm happy," Brother Albric said.

Provincial approval process

That blessing received, thecouple had to get the provincial government's approval to sell the cheese in Manitoba.

Since spring, they have been sendingsamples to a labto test for E. coli, listeria, salmonella andstaphylococcus aureus.

They finally got word Sept. 19 that the cheese is safe to eat. They're approved to use it in their catering business, and sell it to people likePaoloDe Luca, purchasing manager at De Luca's Specialty Foods.

"There's a huge demand for it," De Luca said last week as he cut one of the wheels into slices and wrapped it up for sale.

"It's a local cheese, it's got a beautiful aroma, it's very creamy, very earthy-tasting, very unique and there's really nothing like it on the market," he said.

"I was lucky enough to be one of the first testers of one of the first batches of the cheese. The taste has not changed. It's phenomenal."

Peltier and Isaakplan to ramp up their production now and De Luca is looking forward to a more regular supply.

"We were selling quitea bit when the monks were making it. People have been dying to have it back in their shelves," he said.

"Ongrilled cheese it's unbelievable. Ifyou're mixing it in your mac and cheese, it gives a nice kick to it, a nice flavour," and on its own, it's"perfect with a nice glass of wine and fresh bread," he said.

The Winnipeg chefs are not allowed to use the old nameFromagede laTrappe BrotherAlberic'sname, or to reference the Trappist monks in any way.

They finally cameup with a name that respects the history of this cheese Prairie Tradition.

Learning the tricks of the trade

6 years ago

Duration 2:57

Two Winnipeg chefs carrying on the centuries-old tradition of making unpasteurized Trappist cheese finally have the blessing of the monk who taught them how to make it and approval from the provincial government to sell it.

With files from Aidan Geary.