I went to the supermarket yesterday (the locally-owned Kowalski’s) to pick up a few basics. Annoyingly, I only really needed two things, and I forgot to get one of them. Ah well. There are a million things about which I’m not a snob (eg, I love thrift shops and have a general disregard for brand name items), but I definitely prefer posh supermarkets.
And I definitely have high standards when it comes to cheese. The thing is that when you’re in Britain (perhaps all of Europe), even bog standard cheese is fairly good. A packet of own-brand mature cheddar slices will still make pretty tasty cheese on toast. But to shop in the main cheese aisle of a supermarket in America is to shudder. I’ve even been caught out in the ‘fancy cheese’ section, when an American-made, overprocessed cheddar has somehow slipped into the pack. Yesterday, I found a Double Gloucester with chives that really hits the spot — very sharp, but also creamy and chive-y and generally delicious.
The very best cheese I ever had was in Ireland, from a sample toothpick in a shop. It was a cheddar or similar, but laced with cinnamon and apple. The sweet and savoury combination is magic. I’ve never run across cinnamon apple cheese again, but I’ve paired my Double Gloucester with a new jar of fig and orange spread, and the effect is just as nice. I thought cheese+chives+fig+orange might be over doing it, but it’s just right in small quantities.
This is the spread in question. It’s just the sort of thing I wouldn’t have allowed myself to splurge on (I should mentioned that I did NOT spend $8 on it, though!) in the past, but it’s a perk of the no-shopping month. It’s really lovely — not as tart as marmalade, but with a nice oranginess, and the fig flavour is a welcome departure from the jams I typically buy.
I didn’t mean for this post to become all about cheeses and cheese accessories! What are your cheese recommendations?
actually, i have no idea how to shop for cheese or what to look for… but i adore cheese. (except that bland tasteless junk by the sandwich meat. ugh.) any pointers?
that spread sounds amazing! i love fig spreads. i had a wonderful creamy havari the other day. simple with whole grain crackers. so good.
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I am so jealous, I can’t find Double Gloucester anywhere around here. I was throughly addicted to it during my two years in London. I go for the best Gouda I can find usually for my cheese treat.
I know it might seem strange to order cheese from the internet… but this is a great site. I have ordered cheese from IGourmet twice and was happy with the product both times. It comes very well packaged and dry-iced. Their selection is endless:
http://www.igourmet.com/
That’s such a pretty photograph!
I love small bits of cheese, but I’m terrible with names, so I have to hunt around at the store until I recognize the shape and color of my favorites. Lately I’ve been putting marscapone cheese on a slice of toasted banana bread.
I still haven’t ridden my bike to Chicago’s The Cheese Stands Alone. Now that’s a destination for a cheese lover!
I discovered my favourite cheese in Wales. It’s called Y Fenni, and has a bit of beer and lots of mustard seeds in it. It looks polka-dotted because of the seeds.
It’s the best-tasting thing I have ever eaten, I ordered a ploughman’s lunch in a pub, and that was one of the cheeses.
Later on in that vacation, I saw a wheel of it in a grocery store. I wanted to get the whole wheel and bring it home, but mum only bought a slice.
I haven’t been able to find it here in Canada, even in specialty cheese shops. I spread mustard on my bread before I make grilled cheese, but it isn’t the same.
I know what you mean about the depressing reality of most American cheese – but it’s amazing the lengths desperation can drive one to. I was so starved for vegetarian food that wasn’t pancake or fries on my America road-trip last year that finding a Subway in a branch of Walmart became A Good Thing. The plastic cheese and wilted lettuce looked positively ok. I have to say one bite bought me back to my senses! I’ve never been so pleased to finally find a college town and an Indian restaurant in my life!
I definitely appreciate the higher quality cheeses, but now that I think about it, I’ve never ventured out past the usual “romano, pamesan, brie, gorgonzola, ricotta, muenster, etc.”…nothing too unusual and this bums me out. I did try Geitost in Norway, but it wasn’t out of this world or anything. I’ve been hearing about how we don’t have the real stuff (in terms of Muenster cheese) here in the states. I’d love to try the real thing. Have you ever had it?
Oh and I have noticed that the American grocery stores are slowly (slowly!) catching on to featuring higher quality cheeses. It’s usually the organic stores that are more likely to, but we now have a place called Nugget that even has dedicated cheese people who have to know their stuff, so it’s a little hopeful, but of course, will never be as good as France or any place like that. *sigh* too bad though!
When you were in the UK did you ever try Sage Derby? Sometimes I found it in Waitrose (my favourite posh supermarket) and the odd specialist cheese shop. It was tricky to find as it tends to be seasonal. The stuff I am thinking off is the kind sold from http://www.teddingtoncheese.co.uk/ rather than the odd looking marbled stuff shown on wikipedia. I do like Wensleydale – all salty and crumbly (really ace with fruitcake). All this cheese talk is making me hungry I am now yearning for a cheddar cheese and pickle sarnie….
bloomin heck. this is my kinda post. may i say 1 word – STILTON. de-li-cious. made in the vale of belvoir (east midlands, uk). excellent with all sorts of chutneys, especially apple, onion or green tomato (also rather good with strawberry/raspberry jam). you could also try brie (again, pair with jam), or dolcelatte (great on a sweetmeal biscuit).. not that i am at all obsessed with cheese! xx
That fig jam looks scrummy!
And while I have to second Phillipa about beautiful crumbly Wensleydale (especially with a slice of Christmas cake) – have you tried Manchego chees with membrillo (quince paste) , both from Spain? Similar sort of salty/sweet contrast, even better with a glass of chilled dry fino sherry!
What would the University of Wisconsin say if they heard you talking this way? You’ll be preferring the Lake District’s lakes to Minnesota’s next.
Thank you, thank you for the link for the fig spread. My father and I had some recently, served with (dare-I-say-it) foie gras. Amazing! Wondered where to find the spread…it must be divine with cheese!
well, if you’re ever in Italy (or Harrods deli cheese counter
…) look for a cheese called ‘stracchino’ or ‘squaquerone’, which is THE creamest, softest, milkiest, yummiest cheese EVER. Unfortunately it has to be eaten super fresh and that is why (is so good) it doesn’t travel well at all and you find it in Italy and not anywhere else.
Hope you’ll try it one day.
I love cheddar cheese, so I must second the Manchego recommendation, which is somewhat similar. And here it’s also very common to have cheese with ‘marmelada’ (quince jam, like the membrillo that Clare mentioned). I also love fig jam, but never thought to try the two together – guess I’ll try that for tea later on
caprice des dieux. it’s amazing. i eat it with currant jam (red). yummmmmmmmmmmmm.
that picture actually insired me to get up off my but and make myself a cup of tea-I even took a picture of my pretty floral cup but now I cant find the energy to upload it-lol so i’ll just browse some more of this site.