by Diana Cercone
It was 1965 when Margaret Thatcher said “If you want something done, ask a woman.” Since then those words have been uttered many times. But seldom in context of a 17-year-old. Unless we’re talking about Alida Saxon. Now, years later, she’s owner/chef and cheese monger of RSC Ateliier & Immortal Milk in Stockton. Though her grandfather instilled in her the value of a well-prepared meal and was experimenting with baking at age three, her professional culinary journey didn’t begin until a fateful night—what Graham Greene would call “a moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in.” She was 17 and had been working for three years as a back water/food runner at a country club near her home town of Pittston, PA. But on that night, she did what two grown male line cooks were too afraid to do at the end of the night: stick their hands down a very full, clogged sink.
Walking in as they argued, she remembers saying, “It’s only food.” And with that, she stuck her hand far into the sink and saved the owner the cost of a plumber—and maybe a referee. With more sass and confidence of a typical teenager, she repeated the scenario to the owner and told him he needed a woman in the kitchen.
He asked only one question: Did she want to cook? Her resounding “yes” was all he needed. She was promptly promoted to line cook. And from that day forward, her good-humored sass, gumption, innate understanding of food, passion and playfulness have catapulted her to working in top restaurants, especially in Portland, OR, where she refined her culinary skills, to working in Hunterdon County (The Pass in Rosemont and the Rosemont Supper Club on the former Tullamore Farm) to now.
I caught up with her recently at RSC Atelier & Immortal Milk Cheese. Tucked in the Eagle Gas Station Center at 10 Risler Avenue in Stockton, it’s not a coveted spot most chefs would want to set up shop in. But I did say Alida has sass and a healthy dose of moxie to more than measure up to her culinary prowess.
One step inside confirms it. Sunshine spills in through the picture window, showing off an array of hanging plants and creating a gourmet secret garden. For though the shop is only 438 sq. ft., it brims with tantalizing treats without feeling the least bit crowded. Instead it’s warm and inviting—beckoning you to explore all it offers. Of course, the sweet aroma of Alida’s focaccia bread baking in the oven helps.
When I arrive Alida is preparing chicken of the woods mushrooms she foraged for the day’s sandwich special. A recent inspiration she had created one night at home for her dinner, braising the wild mushrooms with shallots in white wine and butter, then topping them with coppa and Grand Noir blue cheese on a toasted baguette. So good, she said, she had to offer it to her customers.
Another of her cheese creations, now a customer favorite and one you’ll find in the refrigerated section, is her take on Fromage Fort, a classic French spread. Alida makes hers with cheese, white wine and garlic. She then spreads a healthy smear on a thick slice of her focaccia bread and vacuum seals it. To enjoy, pop in a 375° oven for 5-7 minutes, then place under broiler until bubbly and golden. Magnifique!
You’ll find it and other prepared foods in the large, glass-door refrigerators. These hold Alida’s freshly prepared foods such as lobster ravioli, portobello mushrooms stuffed with sausage and spinach, and savory apple tart with sharp cheddar, shallot and thyme. Popular also are her soups—like her Greek Wedding Soup, made with lamb meatballs instead of the traditional beef and pork.
It’s still fall and already some of Alida’s staunch customers are asking when she’ll make their winter favorites. Like lasagna Bolognese, cassoulet, pot-au-feu and chicken pastina soup. She doesn’t have it in her heart to disappoint them, so look for them and others on her weekly menu. Both the prepared entrees and soups are subject to change weekly due to availability, season and Alida’s creative muse. Best to sign up for her weekly newsletter to plan ahead or to order (rosemontsupperclub.com).
Commanding their own shelf in the refrigerator are her popular salad dressings: Caesar, blue cheese and lemon vinaigrette. On another you’ll find rich butters from France and Italy. Rounding out some other fresh offerings are whole chicken (available also roasted, cooled and packed for pickup only by preorder), breasts, drumsticks and thighs; steaks and hamburgers; and duck confit, which she cures, confits and packages in house. French customers have told her hers is better than that in France.
In the freezer, you’ll find soups, sauces and a variety of cut meats. Prepared meals are never frozen; but, if you’re lucky, there may be a braised dish, e.g., short ribs or BBQ pulled pork. Except for focaccia, breads can also be found in the freezer.
Alida is particular about where she sources her ingredients, using only organic, humanely raised, non-hormone, antibiotic products, and, where possible, local. For chicken she turns to Griggstown Farm; Chapel Hill Farm for its Randall Lineback grass-fed beef; and Jurgielewicz Farm for duck. Local farms include Roots to River, Bobolink Dairy and Bakehouse and Gorgeous Goat Creamery.
For tinned fish, you’ve come to the right place. Alida carries 15 different ones, such as Patagonia Spicy White Anchovies. Then there’s a variety of spices, dried herbs and fruits in an area Alida likes to call her personal pantry. The portion-size bags are perfect for single cooks or small-space pantries.
Like lessons learned from her grandfather, Alida also learned to love cheese at an early age. No PB&J school lunches for her. She dined on chunks of cheese and salami. Over the years, her love and knowledge of all things cheese have only grown. So, just like Greene predicted, Immortal Cheese Company was inevitable.
On any given week, Alida offers a changing roster of 18-25 cheeses. Just don’t look for those you’ll typically find in other markets. They’re perfectly fine, she says. It’s just that she wants to help you expand your cheese world and enjoy the breath of its styles, textures and tastes.
For example, if a customer says he likes Manchego, she’d recommend one similar but with a more pronounced flavor profile or one that holds crunchy calcium crystals that explode in your mouth like tiny flavor bombs. Or, she may order a cheese just because she thinks a particular customer would enjoy it.
That’s one of the reasons she started The Cheese Bar. From six different cheeses (these can change daily or even hourly) and three meats (e.g., beef or lamb salami, chorizo de Pamplona, bresaola), you can create your own Cheese Box. Sizes vary from Personal to Sharing (for 2-3 people) to Gather (4-5 people). Choose from all cheese or a mix of cheese and charcuterie. Each box is finished with an assortment of sweet and savory treats. Perfect for snacking, lunch-on-the-go, Happy Hour with friends or a delicious way to begin an evening at home.
Then there are Alida’s cheese boards. So in demand are they, she ordered special cheese platters in three sizes: Small, three cheeses; Medium, five cheeses; and Large, eight cheeses. For garnishes Alida adds various fruits—some dried, others pickled or poached—and nuts, smoked or candied, as well as preserves and local honey.
Some of the cheeses she’ll have at Thanksgiving are Sequatchie Cove Ebenezer, a cow’s milk cheese inspired by traditional styles like Vacherin Mont D’or, it comes wrapped and aged in spruce bark; Urze, a robust and savory raw sheep’s milk cheese from the Serrada Estrela mountains of north-central Portugal; and Maison de la Truffe Brie, studded with black truffle mascarpone is beyond luscious. But like her weekly menu, her cheese board selections can vary as well. Check her website www.immortalmilkcheeseco.com for complete list and pre-orders.
The name of her cheese shop, Immortal Milk Cheese Company, she says, is a play on the now familiar quote: “Cheese is milk’s leap to immortality.” With her well curated cheese selections, Alida is making it a reality.
RSC Atelier & Immortal Milk Cheese Co. are located at 10 Risler Street in the Eagle Gas Station Center in Stockton, NJ; rosemontsupperclub.com; immortalmilkcheeseco.com; 908-399-3171.
Diana Cercone is an area freelance writer who specializes in food, art and travel.