http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/24/dining/a-culinary-tour-of-cuba.html 2014-12-22 17:32:46 A Culinary Tour of Cuba A home for artisanal cheeses, Cassoulet Week, bacon bread and more food news. === To Learn: The next culinary tour of Cuba organized by the chef Douglas Rodriguez will give visitors an early view of the country after the lifting of sanctions by the United States. The eight-day trip in March includes five cities and dining in paladars (restaurants in people’s homes), meeting with chefs and participating in the art and culture of the island. Mr. Rodriguez, whose parents were born in Cuba, will also cook during the tour: To Age: Thirteen years ago, Susan Boyle and Benton Brown bought three industrial buildings in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, and found uses for most of the space. But they never knew quite what to do with the tunnels in the basement once used for a brewery. Then, after Mr. Brown took a cheesemaking class, he realized that the setup would be ideal for aging artisanal cheeses, which requires the right conditions. When I visited recently, the wooden shelves in the climate-controlled tunnels were laden with hundreds of thick wheels of cheese, but Crown Finish Caves, as it’s called, still has room for lots more. Chaseholm Farm Creamery in Pine Plains, N.Y., has been using the space, and its wheels of washed rind cheese, aged 60 days in the cellars, are now being sold at Whole Foods. Called Crown Dutchess, the cheese has a thin salmon-colored rind with a fruity aroma. Inside, the texture is semisoft and satiny, with a briny, nutty flavor: To Sup: One of the joys of living in a place with distinct seasons is that winters are cold enough to enjoy cassoulet, a casserole of meats and sausage with beans and a bread-crumb topping from southwest France. For a week in January, about 30 New York restaurants will feature cassoulets. Among them are French ones like Benoit (whose chef, Philippe Bertineau, organized the event), DB Bistro Moderne and Cherche Midi, and also, surprisingly, Má Pêche, Porsena and SD26. Claudette will be serving a blood sausage cassoulet, Estela plans monkfish cassoulet, and Osteria Morini will interpret bollito misto as cassoulet: To Serve: Miso glaze on fish has become as routine as tuna tartare, but a miso glaze can be innovative again. At Picholine, Terrance Brennan applies it to foie gras. His glaze is brushed on seared foie gras, which is then quickly run under a salamander. And, yes, you can try this at home. I did, and my guests swooned. Best to buy a whole lobe of fresh foie gras from a source like Dartagnan.com and cut six slices crosswise, ½- to ¾-inch thick. Dust with salt and pepper, sear about a minute and a half on each side in a cast-iron pan, spread the glaze on one side of each slice and run them under a hot broiler so the glaze starts to bubble. Mr. Brennan mixes miso with persimmon purée, but smooth apricot jam works fine. You need 3 tablespoons each of red miso and jam for six servings, and you can omit the chef’s turnip garnish: To Slice: This hefty and handsome wreath of bacon-and-onion bread from Blue Ribbon’s 140-year-old hearth oven can serve as the centerpiece of your holiday table. Matt Deliso, the baker, studs it with chunks of good smoky bacon and sautéed red onions, with the flavors pervading the loaf. It’s sold by the piece, but give the market 24 hours’ notice and an entire six-pounder can be yours: To Toast: Avoiding alcohol does not mean toasting with seltzer. Even the French do it with a new nonalcoholic sparkling rosé Muscat “wine,” which is now available here. It’s made by Château d’Estoublon in Provence. The pale pink quaff is lightly kissed with touches of sweet raspberry: