In honor of actual cheese....Grand Ewe Sheep Gouda!

We are CLI have not discussed cheese for some time. To remedy that, we have a nice story from one of our illustrious interns: The other day I was at the store and accidentally bought the wrong kind of cheese. But like all serendipitous accidents, this one has turned out to be a true blessing. For how often is it that one craves and yearns for just a tiny sliver of a delicious goat cheese from Holland? Not often! My friends, I bring you Grand Ewe Gouda! It is light yet crunchy, sweet yet salty, and of course beautiful yet understated. I imagine it would go quite well with a nice baguette and some organic honey. Perhaps a blueberry honey? You be the judge. I am soo thankful to the sheep of Holland (or the Netherlands if you prefer) for giving us such a delicious treat! CLI Intern

Cheese Loving in Toronto

Dear CLI readers!

The name of this blog is, of course, Cheese Lovers International, and so we apologize for not posting too much about said love. In the hopes of nullifying you, we hope you might like this picture taken recently on a trip to Toronto, Canada!

Love,

Cheese Lovers International
Editorial Board

A new cheese to drool over (well, new for CLI anyway!)

The other day one of the interns at CLI was making herself a sandwich with honey roasted turkey and drunken goat cheese. What an odd combination, we thought! But alas, we were wrong. The intern was generous enough to let one of the editors try a piece of this divine sandwich, and, dare we say, the cheese was quite good! With a mild fruit flavor, it kind of reminds us of a warm Spring day when children rummage through forests in search of pots of gold after chasing a rainbow! In fact, the drunken goat really brightened our day! Of course, the traditional way to enjoy this Spanish cheese is to savor it with olives and perhaps some chorizo!

Jesus H. Christ!!

We, the staff of Cheese Lovers International, have just sampled a piece of heaven. There is this delicious thing called "Drunken Goat" cheese, and it simply divine! The cheese is soo superb that we may have to revert to a poem to express our content at discovering this diamond in the rough:

My eyes are closed
Closed but not shut
They widen at your taste
At your majesty
One taste, one glance
At your glory
And my heart is won

Try drunken goat cheese with some delicious "entertainment crackers" from Whole Foods, and a dash of clover 100% natural honey, and you, too, will know divinity.

Another cheese that you will probably think is amazing

Cypress Grove Chevre in California is, to some, the mecca, zion, or holy grail of cheese. Indeed, some of the staff here at Cheese Lovers International (CLI) hold this place very dear to their hearts due to the large variety of exquisite cheeses originating from this cheese haven.

One such cheese is called the "Lamb Chopper." Not to be confused for a cheese one should eat with a lamb meal, this cheese is buttery, nutty gouda-style cheese made from organic sheep's milk. Its semi-firm texture and good meltability make this cheese great whether served at room temperature or cooked into a hot dish. Some of the interns here at CLI like Lamb Chopper served with fruit.

Incidentally, another of our interns is about to eat this cheese with some honey turkey in either a tortilla or some bread (as a sort of sandwich or wrap, if you will). We will let you know how it turns out!

Cheese snobbery!

Cheese snobs: a group of people who believe that good cheese can only from Europe, specifically France. They think American cheese can never be formidable or worthy of their attention. They have probably never tried delicious northern California cheese. And they scoff at the idea that something as pure and sweet as macaroni and cheese can't taste...scrumptuous!

To these charlatans I say "WHATEVER"! Cheese snobs are ruining the sometimes ill-refined palatte of the novice cheese eater. True, there are some "cheese products" that would serve humanity best if they were banned from the planet (like Kraft singles), but this does not mean the world is not big enough for various forms of cheese. For example, I have tried Mexican cheese, and eventhough everytime I eat it I get really sick, this does not mean that it is not actually a worthy and even delectable. After all, who am I to say what is good cheese and bad? I am not the cheese hegemon! Or the cheese police inspector! (Though that position sounds fun).

So, I say, to all you cheese snobs out there. Have an open heart! Try to break free from your imperialist notions of cheese! Take a trip out to Vermont or northern California! While your delicate sensibilities may not warm to this, surely your love of the divine master (cheese) will pull you there...

Gruyère de Comté

Last night I was lucky enough to have discovered a delicacy called Gruyère de Comté. Gruyère de Comté has been around since the 12th century! Even before the time of Henry VIII! Even before the invention of existentialism or democracy!

One can only deduce from the extraordinary fact that cheese that has been around this long must be delicious. And it is! Comté is unpasteurized with a texture that is relatively hard and flexible, and the taste is mild, slightly sweet, and a bit on the nutty side. A cheese this refined must be eaten with only the most elegant of wine and paired with some delicious bread. I can picture it now: the scene is a nice winter lodge in the French alps, there is a fire roasting five feet away from you, it's snowing and there is smell of rich mahogany in the air. The feel of the supple leather couch you are lounging on is soft and smooth from all the years of wear and tear, and it fits your aching soul like a little league glove owned by your great uncle, Marcus. Suddenly a lovely gentleman dressed in a well-fitting server's uniform walks up to you and says, "May I interest you in more Comté, and while I'm at it, may I top off your pinot noir?"

"Yes, please, mon seigneur. Please don't forget to alert the concierge that I will having an early night, and to make sure my usual brandy is waiting for me when I retire...."

The Encyclopedia Britannica of Cheese

This is an excellent book, and anyone who loves cheese or wants to learn more about the world's greatest invention should read this. The intro says it all:

"Cheese is a mysterious, passion-inspiring, mind-boggling force of nature that leaves in its wake a sensual afterglow and longings for more. Arguably the world's most popular food, cheese nourishes the body, energizes the spirit, and satisfies hunger on all levels. It waits quietly in the wings to be noticed yet demands attention once on stage. It sustains, it teases, it begs an encore. As well it should. For cheese is one of humankind's greatest treasures."

Humboldt Fog

I love goat cheese. It's soo creamy and soft. I love how you can eat with it bread, fruit or all by itself. It's a cheese lover's cheese.

This particular creation, called Humboldt Fog (from the foggy county in northern California), is mild, tangy and lemony. Isn't it beautiful? It's made at Cypress Grove Chevre, and next time I am in California, I WILL visit this cheese heaven! Another cool thing is that Cypress Grove Chevre is owned and operated by a mother-daughter team. I bet these two women are FIERCE!

Danish havarti cheese -- an iconic legend

Danish havarti used to be one of my favorite cheeses. The most delicious thing to do with havarti is to make this open-faced sandwich, which I will kindly describe below:

Ingredients:
A long baguette of your choice
Mushrooms
Sundried tomatoes
Olive oil
A pan to cook on or maybe an oven pan

Cook the mushrooms on a skillet or in the oven with some olive oil, and at the very end add the sundried tomatoes so they can warm a little. Next only slightly toast the baguette, and put the havarti cheese on top so that it can melt a little. Next add the cooked mushrooms and warmed sundried tomates on top of the slightly melted cheese. Garnish with a little black pepper if you'd like, then eat away!

I wish I hadn't just posted this because now I'm completely starving.

What is YOUR favorite cheese?

I am conducting a poll about cheese. Like, what is your favorite kind? I can't tell you what MY favorite is because, well, it's top secret. It's important to know what kind of cheese your friends like, just as important perhaps as knowing their favorite movies! Like, if your friend's favorite movie is "License to Wed," you might want to rethink the friendship. Or if your friend's favorite movie is "Halloween," that means your friend is kind of weird and likes to scare people! I find that people who like movies like "Anchorman," "Blades of Glory" or "Babe" are really, really cool.

I digress; So as I've said, knowing what kind of cheese your buddy is into can really help you determine a lot. And remember, be as honest as possible! The poll is on the left side of the page!

By the way, that cute little mouse was not harmed in the production process of this post! I am a friend to cute animals!!!

Port wine cheddar: A long lost love of mine...

Long ago, port wine cheddar was something I could not live without. How quickly the heart forgets long lost loves! How feeble is the mind and heart! How swiftly does loyalty get betrayed when eyes are cast upon other, more "exotic" cheeses!

Luckily, a kind neighbor of mine was serving this at her house recently, and my eyes burst in excitement as I exclaimed "Port wine cheddar!"*

One of my old rituals involved eating port wine cheddar with some delicious, fresh sourdough bread. I used to eat this cheese with some other bread, but I can't remember the name right now.

*My eyes did not actually "burst," but my heart almost did!

A wonderful cheese; Full of zing!

I recently had this gorgonzola piccante, and it was scrumptous.* You must eat this with some red wine, and you MUST have a soft bagette. More ideal is to pair it with berries, pears, peaches, plums, walnuts and honey. The cheese is a bit overpowering to eat alone.

*Note: I did not actually eat the exact cheese pictured, but rather at a place called 'Inoteca in NYC.

A cheese bread recipe

For those of you (Angela, since you are the only one reading this), try making this delicious looking cheese bread. Once you make it, do me a favor and send me a slice or something in the mail. Thanks in advance!

http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2008/03/28/hot-cheese-bread-grip-it-and-rip-it/

Gouda Parrano + entertainment crackers + honey = Immense pleasure

For a wonderful late afternoon snack, try having some gouda parrano cheese (aged 60 days or more) with some wheat "entertainment" crackers and some honey of your own choosing. This is a truly divine way to spend a late afternoon or early evening break.

If you are starving and wondering how long this will fill you up until your next meal, I'd say 6 crackers with several thin slices of cheese will satisfy you for about 20 minutes. For example, I just had some gouda parrano with entertainment crackers with some honey about 20 minutes ago, and I am already starving.