cheese post

[emchy]

this weekend i finally went grocery shopping again. yay groceries. and so again i am back to my experimentation and self education regarding my own pallet around cheese. did you know they called me mouse as a kid because i loved it so much? i even would ask my mom to buy both longhorn and ny extra sharp cheddars. the rest of the family just went with generic orange mild cheddars. i was a fiend for it even then. so the latest discoveries are:

by the way - please bear with me. i don't know foodie terms and descriptions in terms of how to call a duck a duck - and in lieu of saying rich, milky, creamy a million times, i just wrote down the best ways for me to remember the tastes.

vasterbottensost
i was excited about this one even if just for the name... so complicated - so interesting. but it ended up being pleasant but not really doing it for me.

wisconsin 1yr old orange cheddar
i love cheddars but this one let me down. reminded me of the bland and simple mild cheddars of my youth.

Cheddar with tomato and basil
the cheese felt overwhelmed by the stuff in it. again pleasant but... not enough.

ah but those were all from the PREVIOUS trip - this last one was ALL WINNERS

Mindoro BLue
B+
blues can be pretty lazy and still get high marks from me... this one tasted square in this cool way where i felt the edges of it - i could totally consider it a classic staple

French Port Salut
A+++++++
this is my favorite cheese ever. omigod i feel like i discovered a new world with this one. i love love love it. it's creamy in this way where the taste feels really friendly, cheerful, smiley even. after i ate it i felt like the cheese had kissed the inside of my mouth.

La Capribelle
A-
nice, sharp, tangy, tasted a little bit like swampy green in this autumny way - i mean that in a really good way.

French Millomette
A to B+
like an old school cheddar. but not. more interesting at the same time. heavy flavor. like that cool girl at the bar who gets under your skin. sure she'll talk to you but she's holding onto her secrets. making me feel a bit drunk with tasting now that i have had a few more pieces of it.

Italian Piave
A to B+
nice personality. gruff and tender. sharp but without the harsh. kinda like when you rub a freshly shaved head. i liked it a lot - but am at a lost for tasty words.

Beehive Full Moon Raw Cheddar
B
now i don't especially go in for raw cheeses. i don't go for it or against it - i just tend to want to try other things with other flavors. so in terms of this cheddar. the flavor felt a bit rough. good rough. like when you're climbing up a rope and your hands get burned from trying to hold on. the flavor holds on like that too. not quite wanting to leave your tongue. it's super pleasant. rich and milkier than the other ones. but it lacks the bitey cheddar that i tend to get crushed out on.

Comments

[justin42.livejournal.com]

I enjoy your cheese porn poetry
very tasty

[cindymonkey.livejournal.com]

is it porny? did i write food porn? awesome.

[justin42.livejournal.com]

food porn poetry... don't forget the poetry
and yes, yes you did

[cindymonkey.livejournal.com]

squee - you're going to call me emch next aren't you? just to make my night

[justin42.livejournal.com]

that's right, emch
you got it

(why do I feel like smoking a cigarette, squinting, and playing a piano now? here's lookin' at you, emchy. here's lookin' at you.)

[cindymonkey.livejournal.com]

i'll see that cigarette and raise you a whiskey
now where are those cards... lets play some fuckin poker already

[justin42.livejournal.com]

it's a good thing we don't live closer. we'd be smoking, drinking and playing cards more often than not, probably. and then work productivity would decline. work crankiness would rise. and our poor coworkers.

[cindymonkey.livejournal.com]

and my wife would kick my smoking ass! good that it's just figurative... though we should have hang out time that isn't work related - yay move to the parkside... we can be adults about it

[justin42.livejournal.com]

oh yeah there's that part, too. do not want to anger the wife with the smoking. also I can't be smoking before surgery. that would be bad. wed have to be adults about it. but I bet we wouldn't be the best adults about getting enough sleep, or refraining from whisky. but heck, nobody's perfect. and non-work hangout time sounds good. yes yes.

[cindymonkey.livejournal.com]

whee. we can totally be adults. and some adults really like the whiskey... heh

[borggrrl.livejournal.com]

I suddenly really want to get drunk on whiskey with you.

[cindymonkey.livejournal.com]

that is completely long overdue

[borggrrl.livejournal.com]

*smile*

[borggrrl.livejournal.com]

You totally write sensory porn, monkey. The way you describe smells, tastes, and textures -- be it nature, a lover, or food/drinks -- is sublime. I always get exactly what you're talking about and, what's more, come away with a strong desire to experience what you've described for myself.

[gordonzola.livejournal.com]

dude, you should ask for more recommendations. a couple on that list are sold for a reason but I wouldn't have recommended 'em to you.

[cindymonkey.livejournal.com]

i get shy about asking...
so i'll ask now - next time i come in will you recommend some stuff?

[gordonzola.livejournal.com]

Dude, I'm supposed to get paid for that, not talking shit about other bay area poets. ;)

[cindymonkey.livejournal.com]

oooh snap!

it's a thing though... since i feel like i am still learning about it, i get shy to ask for more info because - oh god it's just a long story. let's just say - i will always want recommendations...

hows that?

Re: Si te cantas el queso fuerte,

[cindymonkey.livejournal.com]

oh - i love trying new ones... cannot wait

[roughandtumble.livejournal.com]

wherever did you get all these wonderful cheeses?

*gets out pen & starts taking notes*

[cindymonkey.livejournal.com]

all from rainbow... home of the finest cheese and cheesemongers in the land

[dairryiere.livejournal.com]

Why thank you!
I'll gladly speak for the whole of the department:)

[cindymonkey.livejournal.com]

:)

and totally off topic - rummy just stepped down!

[cindymonkey.livejournal.com]

and by fine - although skilled is implied - i actually meant SUPER DAMN SEXY ZOWIE! and wanted to make sure that came across...

[bionicfemme.livejournal.com]

Ahhh! They called me the mouse in school too!!!

Have you tried the Extra Sharp Aged Cheddar at Lucca deli!?!? It's sooooo tasty! You would love it, esp if you love bitey cheddar. I ate 1/2 pound of it a couple of weeks ago for no good reason!

[cindymonkey.livejournal.com]

try the grafton 4yr cheddar... it will bite your pants off in the best possible way