Marga's Foodblog

I love cheese and, like with almost everything else, my taste for cheese has expanded as I've aged. I'm almost to the point where I'd be willing to try those stinky cheeses my father loves so much. Michaella is a dairy-fiend herself and she is extremely fond of cheeses. She likes almost all of them, though I recently found out she is not fond of chevre. Her dad didn't use to like it either, and I think Mika has inheritted Mike's taste in food as well as his looks and personality.

I don't know very much about cheese, however, so I figured I'd start writing about different cheeses I tried so that I could remember which ones I liked and disliked and why. I'm starting with Stilton, even though I wrote a little bit about that cheese in my posting below, as it's a new cheese I tried today.

Stilton is a blue cheese from England. I found it at Safeway (Clawson brand) for $13 a lb. I really like it. It's quite creamy for a blue cheese, though it can crumble, and has an intense flavor that is still less pungent and bitter than other blue cheeses (like Roquefort or Gorgonzola). Indeed, it doesn't taste completely as a blue cheese - it even reminded me a little of gruyere. It was good in the blue cheese burgers I made, but it's actually one blue cheese I'd eat by itself. Indeed, it's recommended that you enjoy it alone with a glass of port, though I think it would also go great with the cherry preserves we had at Piperade. This is definitely a cheese I could serve as part of a cheese course or, as the British (used to?) do, as a finish to a meal.

Here is some more info I found on the web about it:

We buy it at Trader Joe's where it's usually available. Yesterday Mika had a couple of cracker/brie sandwiches which she enjoyed very much.

I'm having a wine & cheese "salon" tonight and these are the cheeses I'm serving. The descriptions are from the web, not mine.

From The Marketplace at Rockridge

Tomme Crayeose

Tomme Crayeuse is a cheese from Savoie (along the Swiss-Italian Alps) in France. Tomme basically means wheel, although it is a generic word for piece or section. The rind of Tomme Crayeuse is grayish brown with yellow moldy patches that develop as the cheese ages. The taste of the cheese is slightly soft with citrus notes and somewhat earthy flavors

Fleur Verte

The "green flower" of the Loire Valley in France. Fresh, milky white goat cheese dusted with dried herbs that beautifully highlight the tangy sweetness of the cheese. Spread on a baguette and serve with a crisp, tart sauvignon blanc or a light fruity red.

St. Agur Blue Cheese

A medium strong creamy blue cheese, made from cow's milk in Auvergne. It is excellent with full bodied red wines, great on bread for a snack or in a salad. Hard to find and extremely likable. Could be used as a more delicate substitute for Gorgonzola in sauces when Dolcelatte is out of season or too strong. The cheese has a very strong and spicy taste when rippens.

Le Tonneau

Le Tonneau is a new cheese from Switzerland. Its rind is dark in color, with grooves that resemble a barrel. Along with the character of a large cheese, it has a unique taste with a full, fruity flavor. It has a novel consistency and a softness, creaminess and delicacy never known before in a true cheese.

Midnight Moon

Aged one year, this firm cheese offers loads of flavor, including a hint of salted caramel. Intriguing and addictive, it is essentially a goat's milk gouda. Named "Best New Product in Show" at the 2002 Fancy Food show.

And from Trader Joe's, I got a:

I came across this cheese at PW Supermarket and gave it a try. It was wonderful. Though it's only double cream, it is the creamiest cheese I've ever tasted, it's texture was pure silkness and every bite (on sourdough baguette) seemed like a luxury. I also loved the taste, milder and less bitter than brie. It was quite a hit with my omnivorous 10-month old too.