Cheese Admiration and Celebration
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@MelodiousMermaid, thank you for reporting back, especially with photo illustrations. Yummy!
Frankly, just that strawberry rhubarb fruit spread sounds good, let alone complemented by the rich cheese and toasted bread. Can't go wrong with garlic/herb/cheese, either. (I was torn between clicking "like" in appreciation of the photo report, and "inspiring" based on the yum.)
I've been thinking back to the discussion earlier in this thread about smoked cheeses with tart/sweet jelly/jam/syrup kinds of things, and also about how good some pomegranate molasses was on vanilla ice cream the other night.
It may be time for some more cheese+sweet/tart experiments at my house, too. Thanks for the inspiration!2 -
...I might have a bit of a cheese problem lol.
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@MelodiousMermaid, if I were nearby, I'd be willing to share your problem, so it's less burdensome, y'know? 😉😋
Gotta admit, though - my cheese drawer is pretty full, too. (Yes, I have a cheese drawer in my fridge.)3 -
I would be willing to help with this problem! I must admit, my cheese drawer is not up to my size standards so I also have a cheese shelf. In my next, richer life I will have a cheese fridge and a cheese room.4
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Tried the cremont last Thursday and the fontina today. I couldn't bring myself to like the cremont. Maybe it was because it is partially goat's milk? Not sure, but oh well... never know unless you try.
The fontina cheese was a win today. Since I read that it is most often served melted/combined with other ingredients, I decided to go for the same sourdough combinations I'd used for the camembert a few weeks ago. This was very much successful. I think I like the fontina more than the camembert, but they're pretty close either way!
Another cheese I tried today was Beehive red butte hatch. It was a very tasty cheese to have on its own.
Anyone else tried something tasty lately?1 -
MelodiousMermaid wrote: »Tried the cremont last Thursday and the fontina today. I couldn't bring myself to like the cremont. Maybe it was because it is partially goat's milk? Not sure, but oh well... never know unless you try. \
Did it taste "goat-y" to you, in a way you don't like? Or was there something else about it?The fontina cheese was a win today. Since I read that it is most often served melted/combined with other ingredients, I decided to go for the same sourdough combinations I'd used for the camembert a few weeks ago. This was very much successful. I think I like the fontina more than the camembert, but they're pretty close either way!
Another cheese I tried today was Beehive red butte hatch. It was a very tasty cheese to have on its own.
Anyone else tried something tasty lately?
I'm mostly hanging out with old favorites, such as the idiosyncratic goat feta from a local farmstead outfit, the same guys' sort-of-like aged goat tomme (it's full fat, which I gather makes it not legit tomme? I don't care), plus I just bought a small piece of Cypress Grove Midnight Moon today that I haven't opened yet.
I did get a small piece of truffle gouda (I forget whose) the other day, and ate half of it. I'm not really a truffle gouda fan based on past samples, but one of my friends was all gaga over truffle gouda recently so I got some for a retry. I'd still prefer plain gouda, with the long-aged ones particularly desirable to my tastes.
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I picked up a few hunks of delicious cheese today while doing my shopping. I decided that I shouldn't bring any of them home this time as I'm at the top of maintenance range, and cheese would help me stay there.... I picked up some Champignon, put it back. Picked up Cambazola. Put it back too. Picked up a tiny, tiny piece of Humboldt Fog. The price tag made me put that one back. Looked at a few kinds of brie and didn't even pick any up. Thought about goat feta.
I bought ripe melons instead. There's some really delicious local ones right now.
Although I have some fresh basil and ripe tomatoes, so maybe I should get some real mozzarella and make a Caprese.3 -
MelodiousMermaid wrote: »Tried the cremont last Thursday and the fontina today. I couldn't bring myself to like the cremont. Maybe it was because it is partially goat's milk? Not sure, but oh well... never know unless you try. \
Did it taste "goat-y" to you, in a way you don't like? Or was there something else about it?
I'm not sure what I would call goat-y, as this was my first foray into anything goat related. It was ...tangy, I suppose? Just a really strong twist to what I'd come to expect with the few fancy cheeses I've tried.
Truffled gouda, huh? I'd try that. Though I think I'd try it in some sort of baked/cooked format. I once made chicken breasts stuffed with a cooked spinach, garlic, and 18-month gouda mixture, then wrapped them in bacon before baking them in a closed dish. That was delicious.1 -
Saturday night, and I'm hitting the cheese drawer hard. 😆
I'd forgotten how good Cypress Grove Midnight Moon is. It's an aged goat cheese, rich taste, pale color, mostly very smooth but with a bit of those protein crystals that some aged cheese get (pleasant). I bought just a little chunk. That's probably a good thing, because even though I can usually moderate cheese . . . 😋.4 -
I like the individual servings, but they're so hard to find. The store usually orders them for holidays. I buy as many as I can and dole them out. I don't have any, but these will have to do.
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Why is it called Midnight Moon?0
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MelodiousMermaid wrote: »MelodiousMermaid wrote: »
Any recommendations on how to enjoy this best? Open to snacks/meals... wherever it would best be experienced.
With really special cheeses - I'd guess this will be one - I just like to eat it plain, in relatively small pieces, savoring every bit. This may be a minority approach, though!
Report back on what you think of it, if you're willing?
So I went to try this on its own for snack yesterday... but found that it's overripe. No mold, but softer than cream cheese (gooey/sauce-ish when trying to cut into it). So I revamped the plan and heated it up on broccoli for supper. It turned out pretty decent, but it leaves me wondering what the flavor of a properly ripe wedge would be. Fairly disappointing regarding the snack, but at least it was salvageable.
Will be having a chat with the cheese island people about selling overripe cheese. I don't think it serves their purpose in trying to get people to buy more and varied kinds of cheeses. Or perhaps it might in my case, as it piqued my curiosity, but I'm somewhat annoyed to have paid money for the cheese.
I won't argue with your conclusion, because you tasted the cheese and I didn't, but one of the most transportational cheeses I've had was a locally-made farmstead Camembert style (so sort of Brie adjacent) that was ripe to the point of flowing out of its rind when cut. The flavor was utterly amazing. I can't describe it, but rich and luxurious.
I admit, that was hard to eat in slices (🤣), but a spoon would've worked. In practice, I spread it on the most neutral-tasting crackers or bread I had in the house at the time.
There's a tendency of some cheeses in this general style to develop a slight ammonia tinge to the aroma that's off-putting (wasn't true of the cheese described in my first paragraph, but of a later one). The cheesemaker suggested to me that letting such a cheese sit in the air at room temperature would allow that to dissipate, not interfere with the flavor. Was he giving me a sales job? Dunno. Haven't had an example to try this with, since.
He wasn’t just giving you a sales job. This is standard practice in cheese making, as I’ve learned. I’ve had a few lovely cheeses ripen with a slight ammonia odor, and typically airing them out clears it right up. I’ve had to throw one away though, because no matter how long I aired it out, the ammonia odor wouldn’t dissipate and I could taste it. Yuck.
I made a couple of cheeses over the summer while MIA from this thread- a Manchego and a white stilton. They were both “teacher” cheeses, as they taught me some lessons even though neither made it to the eating and enjoying stage. I learned summer brings flies, and flies love cheese. I was not aiming to make a casu martzu out of either one, so the sight of maggots meant the bin for them. Now that cooler temps are here, I’ll try again. I’m planning to make some cheeses for Christmas gifts, so they need started ASAP to make sure they get proper aging time. First up, a farmhouse cheddar this week!3 -
MelodiousMermaid wrote: »...I might have a bit of a cheese problem lol.
Hey, quit raiding my fridge! 😂
I have no less than 10 cheeses in my fridge right now. In my defense- a cheese tray makes a nice keto friendly lunch.
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Nicoles0305 wrote: »MelodiousMermaid wrote: »...I might have a bit of a cheese problem lol.
Hey, quit raiding my fridge! 😂
I have no less than 10 cheeses in my fridge right now. In my defense- a cheese tray makes a nice keto friendly lunch.
I think I'm sitting at about 12... It's just so good.2 -
Today's grocery store run netted some tasty results
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In a weak moment, I bought some cheese today I'd never heard of. Red Leicester. So far I've been able to keep my paws off of it, but we'll see how long THAT lasts.2
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In a weak moment, I bought some cheese today I'd never heard of. Red Leicester. So far I've been able to keep my paws off of it, but we'll see how long THAT lasts.
Red Leicester is a fairly mild cheddar like cheese from the UK. I’d be surprised if it sets your world alight when you do get around to trying it. 🤷♀️
I don’t buy it often - it’s best use is providing colour to a béchamel based cheese sauce when colour is desirable. Mostly I’d use a mature cheddar plus a pinch of paprika if I was looking for depth of flavour plus colour.1 -
In appreciation of soft Goat's Cheese - specifically a Welsh Abergavenny - I had the first of the years Figs roasted with Goat’s Cheese, Thyme and a chilli infused honey tonight. Served in the centre of a big salad. This years addition was a bed of 50g (raw weight) of Pearled Spelt, as I’ve struggled with bumping the calorie count to be appropriate for this favourite dinner in previous years. Heaven on a plate!
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I don't know if I posted this before, but there is this amazing licenced fromagerie in Melbourne called Milk the Cow. They do cheese and wine, it's their thing.
I left my job of 6 years a few months ago and my amazing EA, who knows me too well, was in charge of my going away gift. She got me a voucher for 2 people for a 4 course cheese degustation with matched wines AND another $135 in vouchers for cheese. SO MUCH CHEESE!!
Hubster and I were going to do the degustation tonight, but we've been sick and I'm just getting back on track, so we've pushed it off, but I can't wait. The vouchers I'm going to spend on their fondue kit - all the cheese for a fondue for 10 people plus a bottle of Reisling, and have a fondue night later in the year.3 -
Ooo, so much vicarious cheese enjoyment here in the cheese thread tonight! Thank you all for sharing . . . the photos and comments, if not the actual cheese. My cheese du jour is more pedestrian (still tasty), but I appreciate seeing and hearing the many goodies you're eating and planning.
@BarbaraHelen2013, that salad looks fabulous! Yum!1 -
BarbaraHelen2013 wrote: »In a weak moment, I bought some cheese today I'd never heard of. Red Leicester. So far I've been able to keep my paws off of it, but we'll see how long THAT lasts.
Red Leicester is a fairly mild cheddar like cheese from the UK. I’d be surprised if it sets your world alight when you do get around to trying it. 🤷♀️
I don’t buy it often - it’s best use is providing colour to a béchamel based cheese sauce when colour is desirable. Mostly I’d use a mature cheddar plus a pinch of paprika if I was looking for depth of flavour plus colour.
It was worth the try. Kind of like cheddar, but more dense and less "creamy." It's always fun to try new things. That was my excuse to actually bring some cheese home with me.2 -
BarbaraHelen2013 wrote: »In a weak moment, I bought some cheese today I'd never heard of. Red Leicester. So far I've been able to keep my paws off of it, but we'll see how long THAT lasts.
Red Leicester is a fairly mild cheddar like cheese from the UK. I’d be surprised if it sets your world alight when you do get around to trying it. 🤷♀️
I don’t buy it often - it’s best use is providing colour to a béchamel based cheese sauce when colour is desirable. Mostly I’d use a mature cheddar plus a pinch of paprika if I was looking for depth of flavour plus colour.
It was worth the try. Kind of like cheddar, but more dense and less "creamy." It's always fun to try new things. That was my excuse to actually bring some cheese home with me.
The only excuse I need to bring home cheese is that it's cheese. Enough said.
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I was walking through a store, and they had some Humboldt Fog labeled as Petit Basque. That was only $27 per pound versus $32. I treated myself to a two-ounce chunk. I will open it probably really soon and eat half. Maybe I can save the other half until tomorrow....
Wow. Cheese twice in one week. I'm livin' large.3 -
The cheese haul from our recent trip to Amsterdam. Three pieces of jonge beleggen (young slightly aged gouda) which is hubby's favourite for breakfast. One piece of oude geitenkaas (old goat gouda) which similar to pecorino and my favourite.
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Check this out: Tonight my Jarlsberg is grinning at me! 😃
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That's a very cheesy grin Ann.5
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As so many people, I love cheese, especially the good quality ones but I'd settle for low quality if there is nothing else. I have no real favourites, I like the vast majority of them, perhaps with Parmigiano, Roquefort, Beemster goat Gouda, Époisses, ripe-runny Camembert on top, but there are many others, all of which I totally love.
While it was heart-breaking to me, I stopped eating cheese altogether after a series of experiments earlier this year.
It turns out that in order to achieve what dietitians call "full and satisfied" I need to eat approximately 850 g worth of a semi-hard cheese, such as industrial cheddar. That is approximately 3,400 kcal and a load of saturated fat. The results are wonderful: I feel great, am totally satisfied and lose all interest in food and don't even think about it for at least four hours. It is the only food and quantity thereof I have ever found that does that and I love it.
Everything else leaves me hungry and unsatisfied. Since I gain weight on less than half that amount even when I exercise, and since eating less turns it into a trigger food that compels me to eat tons of other foods until I am uncomfortably full and still very hungry, I decided the time had come to cut it out altogether. The result has been great so far. While hunger is constant, which it also was when I did eat cheese, it is more tolerable and I continue to lose weight, albeit rather slowly.
So, although it pains me to think about it, no cheese for me anymore. It is just not worth the trouble it causes me, and I console myself with the thought that cows, sheep and goats like my decision, even if they don't necessarily like the reasons for it.
Two products that I found come very close to good cheese are stinky tofu, which I don't eat due to the extremely high salt content, and nattou, which I totally love and which gives me satiation but zero satiety.4 -
We got back from vacation in Bologna last night. This is our small cheese haul.
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@BartBVanBockstaele
Your stinky tofu recommendation reminds me of an anecdote when my Dutch husband attended a protracted family reunion. Hubby doesn't care for Asian breakfasts (typically noodle soup) and ate toast with stinky fermented tofu in the mornings, which he discovered in my uncle's fridge, as it reminded him of very ripe brie. My Chinese family were amazed to see the white guy who married into the family eating stinky tofu for breakfast.2
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