Pecorino Romano with Pinot Grigio pairs well for me.
A pie from Epirus - Northern Greece around Ioaninna where my mother's family orginates. They called it "kashopta* but I found it listed as "pepeki" so here it is:
Aged gouda is the bee's knees. Love it. I'm very interested in future notes about the Carre de L'est. Google tells me it's a square cheese with a natural rind and has a bit of a smoky flavor from the aging process.
Unfortunately, it seems I've developed a cold. Dairy is off limits. I can't imagine how I've caught one. Be it from an employee or touching something and forgetting to sanitize.
I find stilton stuffed dates and prunes to be nice.
Well I just learnt something, I knew "Lincolnshire Poacher" to be a folk song as well as:Another cheese I forgot to mention (some of the British cheeses have wonderful name - I have long been partial to Stinking Bishop - both as a name and as a cheese - it is fantastic, and its companion - Cardinal Sin is also exceedingly good) - is Lincolnshire Poacher.
This is a terrific rich, savoury - mouth-filling - cheese, with a lovely tart after taste.
Well I just learnt something, I knew "Lincolnshire Poacher" to be a folk song as well as:
A numbers station.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincolnshire_Poacher_(numbers_station)
Looked it up and it looks delicious.
To room temperature. Ideally you'll want to warm up the dried fruit so it's more malleable. The Saudis and Israelis have some varieties of dates that are massive and very rich. Sadly they're not exported much if at all.Do you heat the Stilton, or not?
This time of year (that is, approaching Christmas) you will sometimes find a variation on that theme in cheesemonger's as some will sell a vision of 'white' (that is, not 'blue') Stilton, but stuffed with tiny pieces of, say, dried apricot. A good version can be delicious.
I have also come across a seasonal cheese - I think it was a version of Wensleydale (itself an excellent cheese) - that came studded with dried cranberries.
To room temperature. Ideally you'll want to warm up the dried fruit so it's more malleable. The Saudis and Israelis have some varieties of dates that are massive and very rich. Sadly they're not exported much if at all.
White stilton with cranberry has been popular here. I believe I bought it last year.
I've had Turkish. They're rather delicious. No single variety tastes the same. A very remarkable fruit. And quite delicious when fresh, too. Except for the astringency of theme. I've had some zahidis that were extra dry. Almost as if they were candied fruit. Incredible.Turkish dates are excellent, as are Iranian ones.
And some parts of central Asia - Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan come to mind - also have brilliant dates, raisins, figs, apricots - in other words, excellent dried fruit. But, agreed, it can be quite difficult to lay hands on them.
French prunes (Agen prunes are particularly good) are also well worth looking at.
I've had Turkish. They're rather delicious. No single variety tastes the same. A very remarkable fruit. And quite delicious when fresh, too. Except for the astringency of theme. I've had some zahidis that were extra dry. Almost as if they were candied fruit. Incredible.
Tête de moine is another tasty one, but you have to have the little device to cut it properly!
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Hehe, I suppose it is named after a certain baldness pattern frequently associated with monks given the particular way in which this cheese is cut.Turkish apricots are also well with looking at - the really good ones are superlative.
Ah, that is a cheese that I haven't had the pleasure of sampling since an unfortunate fire in my cheesemonger's nearly two months ago.
As they have only just re-opened, I didn't spot it when I paid a fleeting visit on Saturday last. Must ask about it on my next visit.
Now, that is another cheese with an intriguing name.
Well another sign I choose the right country to move to - in the right continent. Tête de moine is produced right here in Switzerland! Link below!
http://www.tetedemoine.ch/en/
It's from the Jura region and the link above even has info about the special gadget to slice it.
http://www.tetedemoine.ch/en/products/how-to-use
There is even a fancy powered way to cut it.
http://www.tetedemoine.ch/en/products/rosomat
Or you can cheat and buy "rosettes" already sliced in packages. OF course it's better fresh.
When I visited the UN in Switzerland for a week one of the benefits was being able to sample their cheese like Tête de moine and Etivaz.
However, they did have in stock a cheese that I had never encountered before; this was a gGorgonzola with a difference - not the Cremosa, or the Cremificato (both of which I love), but an even more seductive and luscious cheese: A sort of cross between mascarpone and gorgonzola - a rich cream cheese with layers of Gorgonzola Cremosa running through it. Actually, an oozing breakfast cheese, for someone who likes creamy soft cheese at breakfast.