I had the pleasure of filming a segment on the new Murray’s Cheese Shop at Kroger off Whiskey Road in Aiken this week. It was a delicious educational cheese adventure!

Sometimes when working on segments, I start off by asking the question, "What would someone want to know about this topic?” So for this topic, I thought that someone might want to know why they should get cheese from Murray’s Cheese Shop instead of their regular grocery store.

Why should you buy cheese from Murray’s Cheese Shop versus the regular grocery store aisle?

Quality, quality, quality, which of course means flavor, flavor, flavor!
If you have never had the opportunity to try specialty cheeses, you may not realize the significant difference between cheese types and varieties.

Try before you buy.
The grocery stores have some specialty cheese available, but most of it is wrapped up tight and can be expensive and many of us (me included) do not want to purchase $15 worth of aged Gouda to see if we like it. Well, at Murray’s, you can try it before you buy it. For example, Tim tried the smoked mozzarella and loved it, me not so much -- but I did love the Humboldt Fog goat cheese, Tim not so much.

Expert advice:
The staff is passionate about cheese and they are eager to share their knowledge with you. Do you have a question about cheese or what you should pair it with or need a certain cheese for a recipe or wish to make a cheese substitution? At Murray’s you will get all the answers you need from the helpful staff.

Slice and wrap:
What I like about this is cost savings. Cost saving and specialty food don’t always go together. However, in my eyes, a value buy occurs when the improvement in quality is higher than the difference in price. You get what you pay for here without question. And remember: You will not be buying anything you don’t like because you can try before you buy. Also, if you only need a small amount you are not stuck buying that whole pre-wrapped portion from the specialty case. On the flip side, if you need lots of a certain cheese that can also be arranged. That is what I call customer service!

Variety!
Wow, there is a rotating selection of about 150 cheeses to choose from. Cheeses I tried and liked (Grafton Cheddar, Blueberry Stilton, Humboldt Fog, Parmigiano-Reggiano).

I’ll be back to try more cheese soon and I hope you will stop by and try some too. You will be glad you did!

Next up is the discussion of nutrition and cheese. When writing this segment, I wondered if people would think it strange for a dietitian to talk about or promote cheese. From a nutrition standpoint, cheese is thought of as a delicious whole food that is high in calcium, protein and well yes, saturated fat. So how is a dietitian supposed to highlight cheese in a healthy segment? Fortunately, I love good quality food as much as I love nutrition.

Consider these points:
Cheese is made from natural wholesome ingredients and is nutrient rich. Nothing artificial is used in making cheese as the characteristic flavors are developed based on cooking, handling and curing procedures. Cheese is actually quite lovely and a lot of care and time is taken to prepare the cheeses that you find at Murray’s Cheese Shop.

A little bit of good quality cheese goes a long way! In fact, good quality flavorful cheese can easily be integrated into a healthy diet by using it to accentuate other healthy foods. A little high quality cheese is a better flavor enhancer than a larger amount of a lesser quality cheese.

Murray’s was founded in 1940 in the heart of Greenwich Village. Murray’s cheese began as a wholesaler of butter and eggs but has evolved into a New York institution. In fact, Forbes magazine has deemed Murray’s Cheese Shop as “the world's top cheese shop”.

Murray’s mission is to bring customers the greatest cheese selection while staying true to its Greenwich Village roots. The flagship store on Bleecker Street features a rotating selection of 300 cheeses. The Murray’s Cheese Shop in Kroger stores will have a rotating selection of 150 cheeses in addition to many other specialty foods.

Some non-cheese specialty foods to try include:

• Roasted red tomatoes: try these in pasta, on bread or in a salad.
  
• Roasted garlic: try this in pasta, on bread, chopped in salad dressing or to add lovely flavor to brown rice.
  
• Edamame hummus: Try this on pita bread (topped with roasted tomatoes).
  
• Marcona almonds: These are DELICIOUS straight up (the hard part for my family is keeping portions in check here). Try these on salad also.
  
• Walnut preserves: Try this unique gourmet treat with cheese (of course with crackers).

For more information about Murray’s Cheese Shop and many of their products, check out their website.

Until next time: Eat well, live well.

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