Summer time is cheese time

Summer has finally arrived, and with it comes four happy months of drinking too much rose.  Here's a fun link to cheeses suited to rose.  Happy drinking!  

http://www.frenchcheese.dk/gb/rose.html

Paris May 2009 - continued

An exquisite dinner at Racines (8 Passage des Panoramas, 75002 Paris) with friends.  Highlights included a first course of ribbons of lard on bread and -- most importantly -- a snowy mountain of conte shavings for the cheese course, along with a slice of morbier.  Life is good.

Paris May 2009 -

In Paris, visiting old friends.  A delicious apero after a delightful afternoon marketing.  The cheeses here are a Rouelle de Pic (a soft chevre with a natural rind) and a Saint-Nectaire (which is an uncooked, pressed, semi-hard cows milk cheese from Auvergne).   The Saint-Nectaire makes a great addition to any cheese board, but the Rouelle was the stand-out.  Quite strong, absolutely perfect.

My Birthday, My Cheese Party

Last Friday, I celebrated my birthday with good friends and good cheese.  The theme was "Dream Cheese Plate" and everyone brought their favourite cheese or one they've always wanted to try.   A great success -- no repeats and each one stinkier than the next.  This picture shows cheese plate #1 of 4.  

I love cheese, and so does Liz Lemon

Only tangentially related to cheese, Jonah Weiner's article on the Conservative leanings of 30 Rock is absolutely brilliant.

http://www.slate.com/id/2217712/

Cinco de Mayo -- Ole

It's true that Ontario corn in August is the best in the world. All it needs is a little butter and some salt -- and sometimes it's so sweet, it doesn't need anything at all.

But if that's not an option, I'm a big fan of Mexican-style corn-on-the-cob: grilled with a dusting of queso fresco and a squeeze of lime juice.

My Birthday, My Dream Cheese Plate

Cashel Blue -- Made by the Grubb family in Tipperary, Ireland, this mild, creamy ivory-colored cows milk cheese is laced with powdery blue veins.

Delice de Pommard -- This ball shaped triple creme goat cheese from Burgundy is rolled in mustard seed. The perfect tangy/rich combination.

Humboldt Fog -- Native to Arcata, California, this elegant, soft, creamy goat cheese has a ribbon of vegetable ash along its center and a coating of ash under its exterior to give it a cake-like appearance.

Epoisse -- Extremely pungent (in fact, wikipedia says it has been banned on the French Metro), this unpasteurized cows milk cheese has a rind washed in marc de Bourgogne (local brandy) and is sold in a circular wooden box. A favourite of Napoleon and Brillat-Savarin, who called it the "king of all cheeses." Need I say more.