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I am a complete bread freak. It started as a teenager in San Francisco ion the late 1960's. There was a bakery across the street from the school I went to. I would purchase a loaf of dark bake Sourdough bread and a quart of milk for lunch. Been back in recent years except for the school the rest of the area is a run down heap that to avoid getting sick you wear rubber boots and the bakery is a boarded up wreck.

I love Italian Stirato bread. Using King Arthur Bread Flour it is very easy to make yourself and if you use a good catch of wild caught yeast it can be as good as you can get it anywhere.

 
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Finished the last of my cheese (some very aged and mature and quite delicious Gouda) and thus, will have to replenish my demolished and devoured supplies over the course of the coming week.
 
DAMN!!!!! o_O Man crushed to death by 18,000 40kg wheels of Grana Padano cheese.



The man on the far left was the one killed, Giacomo Chiapparini 75.


Screenshot 2023-08-07 at 08.16.16.png
 
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DAMN!!!!! o_O Man crushed to death by 18,000 40kg wheels of Grana Padano cheese.



The man on the far left was the one killed, Giacomo Chiapparini 75.


View attachment 2242707
Yes.

I read about this.

I can well imagine that such a thing could kill you.

Actually, I have seen such shelves of (enormously heavy) wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano - set aside to age - in a sort of warehouse in Piedmont (it is a small family business, very highly regarded, which has been run by the same family for at least five generations).

These wheels of cheese are massive, and incredibly heavy (40kg).
 
The historical past of these hard Italian cheeses is so interesting. They were the MRE's of the Ancient Roman Empire. Everywhere Roman Legions went wheels of this cheese followed. This cheese was added to a soldier's bowl of Farro Soup the standard Roman eats while in the field.
 
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Here is a version of Farro Soup. As you can imagine its ingredients were predicated on were the Roman Soldier preparing it was located. But Farro Grain, Italian Parmesan cheese, and Garum were basic ingredients.


Screenshot 2023-08-08 at 12.50.52.png


Garum, Roman Fish sauce. I like fish sauce. I have the Italian modern Garum, colatura di alici, it is OK but Vietnamese Red Boat Fish Sauce totally blows it out of the water and is much cheaper.
 
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Today, I paid a visit to the cheesemonger's and bought some cheese.

My purchases included:

Gorgonzola Cremosa, Birbablu (two blue cheeses from Italy);

Camembert Rustique, and St Nectaire (two semi-soft cheeses from France);

Morbier, and Ossau-Iraty (both French, but the latter from the Basque country);

Two Pecorino cheeses from Italy: Mature Pecorino with truffle;

Standard Pecorino (for pasta dishes);

and, finally, Cancoillotte Badoz Nature (a French - almost liquid - cheese spread).

French bread was also purchased.
 
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I am a little irked to have discovered that one of the cheeses that I had bought and paid for earlier today (the Camembert) was not included in my purchases, while I was also charged for two other cheeses that I had not bought.

Clearly, a case of a genuine mix-up, amid much confusion, (the cheesemonger's, which was almost empty when I entered, filled up completely within minutes) but this is something that I shall have to attend to, tomorrow.
 
I am a little irked to have discovered that one of the cheeses that I had bought and paid for earlier today (the Camembert) was not included in my purchases, while I was also charged for two other cheeses that I had not bought.

Clearly, a case of a genuine mix-up, amid much confusion, (the cheesemonger's, which was almost empty when I entered, filled up completely within minutes) but this is something that I shall have to attend to, tomorrow.
Resolved today.

The cheesemonger's offered me a refund or cheese; need you ask which I chose?
 
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In order of appearance, Maasdam (a recent cheese from the NL), Tomme à l’ail de l’ours, Comté & Gouda with truffles.

All are excellent cheese, but honestly, the classic Comté is just flabbergasting. And it pairs so well with a Chassagne-Montrachet!!
 
View attachment 2246663

In order of appearance, Maasdam (a recent cheese from the NL), Tomme à l’ail de l’ours, Comté & Gouda with truffles.

All are excellent cheese, but honestly, the classic Comté is just flabbergasting. And it pairs so well with a Chassagne-Montrachet!!
Glorious selection, and I am salivating, just studying it.

But, no blues?

An oversight, surely?

Agree about a classic Comté - always superb - and how it pairs so well with a Chassagne-Montrachet (sigh) - do enjoy. A classic combination.

However, I have not had the Tomme à l'ail de l'ours - clearly, a garlic cheese in the Tomme style; what are the taste sensations, and how do you like it?
 
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Indeed, no blue cheese this time, no reason. The tomme is very nice, it’s smooth and the garlic is not overwhelming. It’s got a type of herb taste, too. You should try it! I discovered this cheese last year, only.
 
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Indeed, no blue cheese this time, no reason.

Well, it is a lovely selection; do enjoy.
The tomme is very nice, it’s smooth and the garlic is not overwhelming. It’s got a type of herb taste, too. You should try it! I discovered this cheese last year, only.
I shall, if opportunity permits.

No semi-washed rind, or soft cheeses, either, and I must admit that I am partial to some of those.

For my own cheese, I am almost completely out, and just have some splendid Ossau-Iraty to see me through until I pay my next visit to the cheesemonger's.
 
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Today, I visited the cheesemonger, and purchased some cheese.

Two blues were bought, both Italian: An almost liquid Gorgonzole Cremosa, and a slice of Birbablu.

The other cheeses were all French:

Aged (36 months) Comte, some Camembert Rustique, and some ripe Reblochon.
 
View attachment 2246663

In order of appearance, Maasdam (a recent cheese from the NL), Tomme à l’ail de l’ours, Comté & Gouda with truffles.

All are excellent cheese, but honestly, the classic Comté is just flabbergasting. And it pairs so well with a Chassagne-Montrachet!!
I meant to ask you what the Gouda with truffles was like - how did it taste, and so on.

This is not a cheese that I am familiar with.
 
Ah funny because I just bought some more yesterday! Well it’s very smooth, they didn’t put a lot of truffles in it…so I don’t know if you’re familiar with “truffle fries” (it’s actually truffle oils), it can be too much. Here on that cheese it’s the opposite. The texture is nice and it’s a great combination with Gouda. Have a try and let me know!

I’ll have to come back next week because they sold out their Maasdam (they are advertising it a lot also) and Tomme à l’ail de l’Ours.
 
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Ah funny because I just bought some more yesterday! Well it’s very smooth, they didn’t put a lot of truffles in it…so I don’t know if you’re familiar with “truffle fries” (it’s actually truffle oils), it can be too much. Here on that cheese it’s the opposite. The texture is nice and it’s a great combination with Gouda. Have a try and let me know!

I’ll have to come back next week because they sold out their Maasdam (they are advertising it a lot also) and Tomme à l’ail de l’Ours.
Thank you.

I have seen (and sampled and savoured) truffle cheeses (including the invariably excellent Moliterno al Tartufo), but have never encountered a version with Gouda.

On the topic of Gouda, their goat's cheese is simply superb, as is their sheep's cheese, and I recommend that you try them both.

Agreed, re truffle; it is the sort of thing that can be overpowering if one has an exceptionally generous hand with truffle or truffle oil; a hint, a flavour, a reminder, of its presence is more than sufficient for one to be able to appreciate and fully enjoy such a cheese.
 
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I paid a visit to the cheesemonger today:

Three blue cheeses were bought:

Gorgonzola Cremosa and Birbablu from Italy, and Bleu des Basques Brebis (an artisan sheep's milk blue cheese from the French part of the Basque country).

Semi soft washed rind cheeses included:

Époisses, (gloriously ripe), and St Nectaire, (both from France), and Taleggio (from Italy).

Hard cheeses took the form of:

Ossau-Iraty (a fantastic sheep's milk cheese from the French Basque region), Goat's (milk) Gouda (which is always wonderful), from the Netherlands, and Zamora (coated in rosemary) - a sheep's milk cheese from Spain, and, for pasta (and related) dishes, some Pecorino Romano, and Parmigiano Reggiano.
 
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Today, I visited the cheesemonger:

The cream (organic, etc) that I had hoped that they were holding for me was not there, alas.

Irksome, to say the least.

Also, they were completely out of Gorgonzola. Also irksome.

Anyway, cheeses were bought:

They included:

Three blue cheeses: Birbablu, (an Italian beer washed cheese), Roquefort, and Bleu des Causses (which is similar to Roquefort, but made from, or with, cow's milk, rather than sheep's milk), both French.

Soft or washed rind cheeses were: Époisses, Flocon de Savoie, Camembert Rustique, Cancoillotte (all French, and all more of less soft; the Époisses was almost liquid). And a slice of Taleggio, which is Italian.

And then, there was hard, or sort of, hard cheese: Morbier, (another French cheese), an excellent sheep's milk Gouda (Netherlands), and amazing Queso al Romero (a stunning sheep's milk cheese from Spain, that is wrapped in rosemary).
 
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Some cheeses were bought today:

Three blues, two of which are Italian: Gorgonzola, and Birbablu, and then, the French Bleu des Causses.

Two stunning hard cheeses from the Basque country, from the same producer, one from sheep's milk, the other from goat's milk, both coated in rosemary: Queso al Romero (with sheep's milk), and Queso de Cabra al Romero (from goat's milk).

And, of the soft cheeses, two from France: Époisses, (as liquid as Époisses should be), and Camembert Rustique.
 
While in the cheesemonger, I bought some cheese today.

These included:

Two French blues: Roquefort, and Bleu d'Auvergne, both classics of their kind.

Some semi-soft washed rind cheeses: Époisses (gloriously liquid, exactly how I like it), and Durrus, an Irish washed rind cheese which was wonderfully ripe.

And also, a (sort of hard cheese) the superb Tomme Brebis (a stunning cheese that is a blend of sheep's milk and cow's milk), from the French Pyrenees.

I still have some of the two amazing rosemary coated cheeses from last week.
 
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