Who doesn’t love cheese? I don’t remember a time when I didn’t like cheese, and I was quite a fussy eater as a child. Though most of my early cheese memories consist mainly of cheddar, I do remember having mini Babybel with my brother and sister when our family visited France and loving it. Whether it was about the taste, or more about the enjoyment of unwrapping the thick, red, wax casing it came packaged in, I don’t know, but it was probably my first taste of French cheese, and it was delicious.
My tastes have evolved since then, and I am amazed whenever I go to the grocery store at the sheer number and variety of cheeses available here. There are so many to choose from and I still haven’t figured out a system to work myself through all the cheeses offered on the shelf of my local supermarket … though we now have a new house rule: no more than two cheeses in the refrigerator at any one time, or it really stinks up the place!
To date, I have tried French, Belgian, Swiss, Dutch, German, Spanish and Greek cheeses here and to be honest, I can’t really pick one favourite … it just depends on the mood you’re in.
I will say this though, in my cheese travels I have discovered the following:
Cheeses for this week
- I love goat and sheep milk cheeses
- I am obsessed with Port Salut
- I think I favour semi-soft cheese
- I actually ike stinky cheese
- The Feta cheese here is to die for. I guess it’s because it’s the real deal – imported from Greece
- I could eat cheese every day and not get sick of it
I am also trying to learn more about cheese itself – how it’s classified, types of rinds, aging processes, differences between regions where they’re produced etc … there is so much to learn. There are numerous books and sites on the subject, but at the moment there are two programs which have me captivated – Pour l’amour du Goût and La France au Menu.
Camembert crudités avec confiture de cerise rouge
They are both hosted by this crazy Frenchman, Vincent Ferniot, who goes around to different French towns and visits the best of the best shops/hotels/restaurants in terms of traditional French gastronomie – cheeses, breads, chocolates, wines, charcuterie. He’s hilarious, the show is awesome, and while I eagerly learn about cheese this way, I’m equally excited about learning by experiencing, and by that, I mean tasting!
sucrésalédeluxe 