Behold! The Power of Cheese!

[IggytheBorg]

Last night, I had some raclette & kefaltoyori w/ some smoked almonds & Italian bread. The raclette was entirely too mellow & forgettable. I couldn't for the life of me detect a flavor nuance. Surprisingly, b/c it is imported from Switzerland. But the Kefaltoyri was awesome. Hard & slightly crumbly, & pretty salty, it had a nice depth of flavor like manchego or dry jack. Really good stuff & recommended.

[IggytheBorg]

Enjoyed a smoke and some cheese (the last of my Appenzellar and Cabrales Spanish blue from Wegman's, and part of a hunk of gruyere I was inspired to buy based on all the talk there's been re: gruyere in this thread), crackers, some sopressata, an apple, and a single beer (Ithaca Brewing Co's Christmas ale). The gruyere may have been a bit too old, because it seemed a little too hard & waxy, but the subtle, almost smoky flavor was still great. Outshined by the other 2, but damned good. Meals don't get much better.

[Lisa]

In honor of Lisa, "one of my people", as she once commented:

Sharp provolone is incredible. I've never actually tried an imported variety. KNow why? Because the Auricchio/Belgioso brand made in WI is exactly the same as that made in Italy. Sharp, chewy (if somewhat waxy), and it goes with everything. My favorite sandwich cheese by far, w/ ham, salami, even turkey. Throw in some briney olives & salami or pepperoni & a lil' crusty artisan bread, and you got a meal.

Oh, god, yes, I love Provolone. In a world where I love every kind of cheese you can put in front of me, Provolone (and Brie) are my favorites.

And this is for Martin, because it concerns him! Martin, remember how back at CHUD you gave me some instructions on how to do some decent vegan meals every so often? I can't believe I forgot to tell you this - probably out of embarrassment - but I found this vegan soy cheese that was so amazing.... that I ate the whole block over the course of two days! I swear! It was a small block, but still! It was supposed to be like a mild white cheddar, but god, it was just so silky and perfect, and I ate it all just that fast! I never bought it again, because clearly, I don't have the restraint to just have it a little at a time. And I thought of you - I'm noshing down this whole thing of cheese, thinking to myself, "God, wait till I tell Martin that I just ate this whole packet of cheese in two days!"

[IggytheBorg]

Irish Cheddar. Particularly Tipperary brand. Has a strong, almost . . . I want to say musty flavor? But in a good way, I assure you. Very, very different from American & British cheddars. Haven't had a Canadian cheddar, but I've got my eyes peeled for them, as I hear some of them are quite good, too.

[nerdious dorkus]

Rolled out of Seattle's Cheese Festival minus $40 with this:



(Link in case picture does not show up.)

[IggytheBorg]

Niiiiiiice.

[BillyG]

For lunch I got out a box of crackers and a block of gouda. Shit was bombdiggity.

[V]

Was your Gouda smoked?

If so... BRAVO!

If not... tsk tsk.

[Lesley]

Ugh I love gouda soooo much.

[BillyG]

I honestly didn't know gouda could come not smoked.

[IggytheBorg]

Ever try it aged? I've seen it offered for sale as old as 5 yrs. It gets hard & crumbly, kind of like parmagiano-reggiano, and develops a much more complex flavor than un-aged gouda has. I don't particularly care for it, though, because it develops a caramel like sweetnes that I don't like in cheese. BUt many leading authorities swear by it. As for un-smoked, REALLY well made un-smoked gouda can be good. There was a Hickory Farms like mail order outfit called the Swiss Colony (based outta MN< IIRC) that sold a big 2 lb wax enshrouded ball of gouda referred to as the "Pet Gouda", and THAT was good shit. Otherwise, it's just kind of blah, IMO.

[IggytheBorg]

Tried some Ubracio and Tilsit for lunch yesterday. Ubracio is something I'd seen around but always avoided purchasing. Not sure why. It's a semi-hard cheese w/ holes deliberately poked in the top, which are then filled w/ must (the skins of grapes that have been pressed for wine making), & covered with some kind of leaf to prevent mold growth. The cheese has a mild flavor, with winey, fruity notes very evident. Not something I'd typically gravitate toward, as I prefer more robust cheeses, but would appeal to milder fans or beginners. The tilsit I'd had before, and it's always been a favorite. Very strongly flavored. Kind of reminded me of a more assertive, less salty Havarti. Maybe some Swiss Emmental after notes. Great with strongly seasoned crackers or breads.

[IggytheBorg]

As far as my favorite cheddars go, I like cabot a lot, and they're widely available (at least in the Northeast) in the regular dairy case. I especially dig the Seriously Sharp; it's apparently a "mistake"; when a batch of sharp cheddar somehow gets screwed up & ends up being TOO sharp, they sell it as this. Sometimes tastes. . . off, as not every batch is the same. But when it's on, it's a beautiful thing. Grafton Village is also awesome. They make a 5 yr old which tastes great, but has a gritty, slightly crunchy consistency (as all cheddars aged over 2 yrs tend to), which I find somewhat unpleasant. But grated & melted over a steaming hot bowl of my homemade chili. . . dat's some good magic right there. Tillamook is also supposed to be fantastic, but for some reason I have never gotten around to trying this, even though King's sells it.

My sister in law, knowing how much I love cheese, bought me a block of 6 yr old Canadian cheddar. I was a littlt leery of this, as I never cared much for the 5 yr old Grafton Village I'd tried (too crunchy & grainy in texture). But this stuff was awesome. Sharp but not overwhelming, creamy & flaky in texture. Not hard, crunchy or grainy at all. Went with crusty Italian bread like it was born to it. HIGHLY recommended.

[Shit Dickface]

I tried Black Diamond 5 Year cheddar from Whole Foods a few weeks back. I still have dreams about it.

[Lisa]

Tried some Ubracio and Tilsit for lunch yesterday. Ubracio is something I'd seen around but always avoided purchasing. Not sure why. It's a semi-hard cheese w/ holes deliberately poked in the top, which are then filled w/ must (the skins of grapes that have been pressed for wine making), & covered with some kind of leaf to prevent mold growth. The cheese has a mild flavor, with winey, fruity notes very evident.

That sounds like absolute heaven!