Quite amusing, and such jokes tend to age quite well.
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The Cheese thread.......
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Quite amusing, and such jokes tend to age quite well.
I adore Humboldt Fog! First discovered it at Whole Foods and have been a fan ever since. I also love their Truffle Tremor. The Cypress Grove folks have some wonderful cheeses!
Ah, I didn't know that the French cheeses imported into the US are 'bland and listless'. How sad.
Properly aged, and matured Morbier is quite lovely.
Very ripe (sun warmed) tomatoes are needed with such a dish. But agree, done properly, it is quite delicious.
Another quite delicious variant is sun-warmed vine tomatoes (tomatoes that grew up where the sun actually shines warmly), mozzarella (buffalo mozzarella, naturally, very fresh), and Parma ham.
Have you tried aged goat's Gouda? (From the Netherlands): Superb. Aged cow's Gouda (say a three year old) is stunning, but the aged goat's Gouda is outstanding.
Agree. But try the goat's version and let us know what you think.
Hm.
I had an Italian Pecorino with black truffles (Moliterno Pecorino), a sharp, salty, earthy, tangy cheese. Yum.
This must be a first, @thewap - a post of yours with which I find myself in full unambiguous agreement.
Nevertheless, I agree and applaud. Any cheeseboard that includes Pont L'Eveque, Reblochon, Roquefort, and Gruyere meets with my full approval.
What? Cheese is off the menu as well?
Why can't you have a goat's cheese as an occasional treat?
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Obligatory Cheese War commercial. Enjoy! 
BL.
BL.
This must be a first, @thewap - a post of yours with which I find myself in full unambiguous agreement.
Nevertheless, I agree and applaud. Any cheeseboard that includes Pont L'Eveque, Reblochon, Roquefort, and Gruyere meets with my full approval.[/QUOTE]
Nevertheless, I agree and applaud. Any cheeseboard that includes Pont L'Eveque, Reblochon, Roquefort, and Gruyere meets with my full approval.[/QUOTE]
I am not sure whether they do, or not.
To my mind, a good cheeseboard will present a compelling and seductive mix of tastes, textures, colours, and enticing aromas.
Anything I offer will always have two (at a minimum) hard cheeses. One will often be an aged Gouda - for some reason, I keep returning to this cheese, and love the sheer perfection of a well produced aged Gouda.
Curiously, I actually prefer the aged goat's Gouda, but the aged cow's Gouda is also superb. This is a delicious and robust cheese, tangy, sweet, and salty all at the same time. Think of something slightly akin to salted caramel....the really aged versions will have tiny nuggets of sweet crystalline perfection that will explode in your mouth when you eat them.
Now, the Netherlands has a whole family of cheeses that are similar - Old Amsterdam comes to mind. (For blue lovers, a blue Gouda also exists - I've had it and it is lovely).
An Irish Coolea, perhaps, might also adorn this cheeseboard instead of the Gouda.
Then, the other hard cheese will not be sweet; perhaps a sharp mature cheddar - Montgomery cheddar from England is superb, rich, dense, savoury, and offers an explosion of taste.
Lincolnshire Poacher (yum) also falls into this category, as does Leicestershire cheese (which comes in a deep, rich, burnt orange colour).
Or, an aged Comté - wonderful. For those who prefer less of a challenge, I would substitute a younger Comté.
This is where Emmenthal, or Gruyere can also make an appearance, representing the hard cheeses; these Swiss hard cheese offer a slightly nutty, slightly sweet yet deeply savour flavour.
At a pinch - and I have done this - the cheese is a cheese, after all, and can be eaten (with rapture) as such, I have also offered a hunk of genuine (aged) Parmesan on such a board. (Sweet, salty, crumbly, explosive and wonderful).
Parmesan is an astonishingly good cheese to eat - as a cheese. It is simply stunning, and - it gets grated so often - people sometimes forget that as a cheese it is amazingly good. (A red wine - such as Ripasso - compliments it very well).
Next up are the 'aromatic' cheeses; and France is well represented here: There are the 'soft-rind' cheeses, and there are the beauties from Normandy.
Normandy brings Camembert (Camembert Rustique is my favourite) or Brie (Brie de Meaux) both of which I love. There are others, too, but this pair are head and shoulders above their competition. On the board, when ripe, they ooze, dreaming of world domination. A nice piece of French bread will suffice to halt their oozing march.
Soft cheeses which are washed-rinds (the rind is often washed in something such as beer, or wine), include Münster, Regal du Brasseur (with beer) from Alsace, Livarot, and the notorious (but sublime) Epoisses.
In France, Alsace is home to some of these cheeses, but there are others such as Milleen's and Gubbeen from Ireland. Many of these cheeses can charitably be described as 'aromatic'.
The taste does not usually reflect the nose - as the taste is rich, unctuous, creamy yet sweet and delicious with incredible depth.
Pont l'Eveque and Taleggio (the former from Normandy, the latter from Italy) can also be found under this heading. Reblochon, too.
As can the wonderfully named 'Stinking Bishop' (this cheese comes with a rind washed in a perry cider), the taste is every bit as seductive as the name, a particular favourite of mine from England. (The same stable plays host to an excellent hard cheese, which goes by the name of Cardinal Sin).
Then, there are the blues. Personally, while I accept that blues can be divisive, I have rarely met a blue I disliked, and many have been on the receiving end of my affections and attentions. And greed.
For once, I will start somewhere that is not France.
England gives us one of the very best blues - the classic Stilton. At its best, this is an outstanding cheese, and when it is in season (yes, before and after Christmas) this is difficult to beat. I love it. Bassett Stilton, a cheese from the actual,village of Stilton is stunning. (Bath blue is also excellent). Notes of toffee, yet tempered by a salty depth of rich and robust (yet beautifully balanced) flavours, tempt us.
Ireland offers the outstanding Cashel Blue.
However, this is a cheese which must be served mature - three to six months at least. Most commercial outlets sell it too young, when it is white, crumbly, and a little chalky. Mature, it becomes more liquid, and turns a deep cream colour, bordering on buttercup yellow, which is offset by the blue veins. In fact, it looks almost obscene, but tastes, - quite simply - divine.
From Italy, there is the astounding Gorgonzola; a personal favourite; I eat this on bread, crackers, toast (more breakfasts than I can count have come in the form of Gorgonzola on toast). Personally, I prefer the Dolcelatte - or Cremificato - versions. In a cheesemonger's, these resemble the surface of a particularly disquieting planet, the sort where you would meet a disturbing, and possibly, squelching end were you silly enough to attempt to set food there.
Other blues - wonderful cheeses all, any of which will bless a cheeseboard with its presence - include three from France, the classic Roquefort, and Blue d'Auvergne, and Forme d'Ambert.
And then, we have the goats' cheeses, which can range from hard, to soft.
Any cheeseboard I serve will usually feature two hard cheeses, a semi-soft washed rind cheese, at least one blue, and a goat's cheese........
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Treat yourself to one of the Snowdonia Cheese Co's 200g offerings: http://www.snowdoniacheese.co.uk/cheese/black-bomber/
If you grow your own tomatoes, the Black Bomber does go very well with the impossibly sweet Sungold cherry tomato.
Generally, I'm not a big fan of Cheddar + additives – though I have had a good, strong Warwickshire Cheddar with chilli – so I might be tempted by Snowdonia's Red Devil.
Something I love this time of year when the tomatoes are oozing with delicious ripeness right off a local vine is my particular "take" on Caprese. I pull together the Mozzarella, the fresh, juicy tomatoes, the fresh Basil, and toss in a few Kalamata olives for additional kick, and drizzle really nice, well-aged Balsamic vinegar and grind a bit of pepper over the lot and enjoy. Mmmmmm!
I personally love eating pecorino romano. All that sheepy goodness is wonderful.
1 lb is $16 at Costco compared to other places where it's $27 a pound. I've been buying it since my Costco began carrying it earlier in the year.
But Cheddar from Cheddar - such as the Montgomery Cheddar do not contain additives.
Really good cheese from a cheesemonger's has usually been bought from the producer, rather than the sort of enterprise that produces industrial quantities of the stuff.
In general, I don't buy cheese in supermarkets: I take my cheese seriously, and this means that I usually buy it from a cheesemonger.
Hm.
In a yurt - on the richly carpeted earthen floor of a yurt, near Naryn, in eastern Kyrgyzstan, not too far from the spectacular Tien Shan mountains and the stunning Lake Issyk-Kul, I once - some time ago - had mare's milk, and mare's milk cheese.
Let us simply say that it was an unforgettable experience.
Apologies – by 'additives' I meant the kind of things in that link. Things like bits of chilli, apple, chives. To my mind a good cheddar should be just that; if I want anything else (A good friend makes very good red onion marmalade at this time of year) I prefer do it myself!
While it doesn't surprise me, there is a cheese really called Donkey cheese?!! I have never heard of this, let alone tasted it! Is this something you can purchase in the states?
One of the few cheeses I like with 'additions' - not 'additives' - is the version of Wensleydale with cranberries that is available around Christmas time; for once, as a seasonal speciality cheese - this works well on a cheeseboard.
There was a delightful cheddar (was it really 'cheddar' or did I just think it was?) I had some time ago, from the UK, which was streaked with blue mold. I think maybe Shropshire Blue? Ouf, delicious in any event.
As you suggest, buying from a cheesemonger also allows one to sample small quantities of unfamiliar products. The purpose of my original post to Applefanboy was to suggest that despite him ‘downsizing’ he could acquire an individual 200g cheddar and not feel he was depriving himself too much!
Black Bomber is coated in black wax (hence the name of course) However, the 200g version would barely be described a ‘grenade’.
I was pleased to see your mention of Cashel Blue in your earlier post. I believe they also make a sheep’s milk version which I would be interested to try.
I grew up in Fethard, County Tipperary where they’re made. When very young I met the Grubb family (who make them) a couple of times.
By the way, my use of the word ‘additives’ was to indicate a gentle disdain – not for reasons of purism, authenticity, etc. – as a single person I simply find it impractical to keep more than a couple of cheeses on the go! It’ll invariably be ‘extra mature cheddar plus one’ purely for the versatility of cheddar. Additions reduce the versatility somewhat!
The ‘plus one’ is frequently Roquefort.
Your guests must love your cheeseboard!
The sheep's cheese version of Cashel Blue (which is easily one of the outstanding blues of the world, especially when allowed to age - mature- properly), is called Crozier (blue).
I have had it, and can attest to the fact that it is also excellent, but, personally, of the two, I would still prefer the Cashel Blue on my cheeseboard.
Yes, my guests do rather like my cheeseboard. Mind you, I am partial to it myself - breakfast (and supper, for that matter) has been known to take a similar - if slightly more muted - form.
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Yes, that sounds like Shropshire blue.
This is one of the few blue cheeses that presents with a different appearance.
Of course, the blue is, well, blue, but the rest of the cheese is that burnt orange colour you get with - perish the thought, a certain shade of colour that you will find in some Le Creuset products, - or, for that matter, some cheddars, (rather than the creamy white colour of the non-blue part of most blue cheeses).
It is made in Serbia and very spendy. I have not seen on sale in the US, I had it while in Europe.
I prefer pecorino romano to parmesan. Or at least I run out of it more often.
I like mozzarella w/ a slice of very good tomato, fresh basil, a splash of balsamic vinegar. And I like it when my nephew's wife makes a whole tray of it and invites people like me to have some during a leisurely stroll towards having something else like.. maybe an eggplant dish, or some samosas w/ some other cheese and spinach!
Other favorites: provolone, swiss, cheddars, feta, goat cheese w/ cranberry bits, yes I fell for that; gouda, brie, and I probably left some out. I like some nice swiss cheese with a bit of good mustard handy to dip a corner in, others like cheddar alternating with apple slices. Feta all summer in so-called Greek salads, no idea if really Greek but I make them until one day in late September when it's still 40ºF at lunchtime and I know it's time to switch to something else because the tomatoes will take a frost hit that very night.
The Greek do in fact make a salad, but it's not really called a Greek salad. That's an Anglican name given to the salad. Think of it as a typical day to day salad, with a nice slap of goats milk feta. Good stuff. Some places over there smash the kalamatas with the backside of a knife (good god) and depit them for your pleasure. Which is sad because it's a pleasure to suck on the pit of a kalamata, a good one that is. Lots of flavor in them. I know a few other people IRL who do that.
I, like some other people here, love feta cheese but am I the only one who thinks that it smells a little (or a lot) like stinky feet or sweaty gym socks? It is delicious but if I close my eyes and smell it, I can easily imagine that I'm smelling a sweat drenched pair of gym socks that have been worn for several days in the summer by someone who has a serious case of athletes foot.
Mecha
Mecha