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The obligatory Cheese thread

Treated myself to a lovely sandwich today: Foccacia with Milano salami and (melted) Gorgonzola Cremosa. Delicious.
 
On Christmas Eve, the cheesemonger (who is a true friend) dropped out a Christmas box which contained (among other things, such as olive oil, truffle oil, sherry vinegar, a bottle of wine), some cheese:

The cheeses included: Seasonal Stilton, Gorgonzola Cremosa, and Birbablu (three blues):

Brillat Savarin, Époisses, Durrus, Vacherin Mont d'Or, St Nectaire (semi-soft cheeses, some of them washed rind delights).

Aged Comte, Goat's Gouda, and Recorino Romano (hard cheeses).
 
SouprMatt said:
The author definitely knew @Scepticalscribe ….
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Yes, indeed.

This is entirely possible.

Not only knew @Scepticalscribe, but had actually listened - and remembered - particular personal preferences (a lot rarer than you think).

While chocolate (especially milk chocolate) and (cut) flowers don't do it for me, (and far too many gentlemen react with stupefaction when you decline to swoon at such clichéd offerings, and decline to follow the prescribed, or set, script, a stupefaction that becomes ever more redundant precisely because you had already carefully - and politely - explained that this was neither desired nor welcome as you don't actually like milk chocolate or cut flowers, and not least because the very gentlemen in question would have already invariably devoured copious quantities of cheese and vast volumes of wine, chateau moi, and knew that this was what I served to guests, and that anything in that line would be welcomed with both joy and greed), cheese and wine most certainly will.
 
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Among other things, I paid a visit to the cheesemonger's today, and also stopped at the cheese stall in the (very sad and sorry) farmers' market. Stock in the cheesemonger's was pretty limited, their supply chains have yet to be fully restored since Christmas.

Cheeses purchased included: Two blues from France: Bleu des Causses (basically, a cow's milk version of Roquefort), and Roquefort itself (sheep's milk cheese from France).

Soft cheeses included, the seasonal classic Vacherin Mont d'Or from France (nice and runny), and Camembert Rustique from Normandy, in France, and a triple cream cheese coated in black pepper the name of which I failed to note.

Morbier, and extra mature Gouda (in a stunning burnt orange colour and an amazing and explosive taste sensation somewhat reminiscent of solid salted caramel) completed my purchases.

The market stall cheeses included a mature (aged) goat's milk Gouda, a small piece of blue goat's milk Gouda, and some goat's cheese Maasdammer, plus a small slice of Bleu d'Auvergne.
 
A miserable January day, but I managed a brief, flying visit to the city, taking in the farmers' market (a very sad and sorry spot, where the stall holders also felt sorry for themselves) but the olive oil stall did have fresh pesto, and olives, (both of which I bought).

A visit to the French bakery gave me bread, bread which they had reserved for me, baguette and rye bread, (and a few slices of Galette des Rois, it is still January, after all), and I managed to pay a visit to the cheesemonger's.

Cheese purchased included:

Two Blue cheeses: Roquefort, - a classic from France, and a wonderful (and seasonal) Colston Bassett Stilton from England.

There was Vacherin Mont d'Or - a seasonal specialty from France, and St Marcellin Colombe Coupelle, which also hails from France.

Others included Raclette (from France), a washed rind cheese called Durrus (from Ireland), and two others from France, Morbier and the amazing Tomme des Croquants, a walnut washed rind hard ("Tomme" style) cheese.
 
I forgot to mention that I also purchased some Pecorino Romano today; Pasta Carbonara and Pasta All'Amatriciana will both feature on the menu, chez moi, over the coming days.
 
I treated myself to a selection of cheeses today:

There are three blues among them: Gorgonzola Cremosa (from Italy), Bleu des causses (basically akin to Roquefort made from cow's milk, rather than sheep's milk, a cheese from the Roquefort region, in France), and classic, seasonal, Stilton, from England.

Hard cheeses included: Goat's Gouda (from the Netherlands), smoked Raclette (an unusual take on this French cheese), the always wonderful Ossau-Iraty - a sheep's milk cheese from the Basque region of France, and Queso al Romero (a cave aged Spanish sheep's milk hard cheese coated with rosemary, and butter or olive oil).

Semi-soft cheeses were confined to some creamy Camembert Rustique (from Normandy, France), and Vacherin Mont d'Or, a seasonal delicacy.
 
Treated myself to a few cheeses today: Two blues: Roquefort (a classic French blue cheese, made from sheep's milk), and Bleu des Basques, a sheep's milk blue cheese from the French Basque region.

And two Dutch cheeses: Smoked Gouda made from goat's milk, and (mild) Maasdammer also made from goat's milk.
 
Treated myself to a few cheeses today:

Two blues, (the Stilton looked less than appealing):

Roquefort, a timeless, classic, blue cheese from France, made with sheep's milk, and Bleu des Basques, a sheep's milk blue cheese from the Basque region of France.

The soft cheeses purchased were Taleggio (from Italy) and Vacherin Mont d'Or - a seasonal specialty which is coming to the end of its season - from France.

Hard - or semi-hard - cheeses included a washed rind (washed with beer, naturally) cheese from the Trappist brewery (in Belgium) that brews Chimay, Chimay cheese, something I have not had the opportunity to taste before now.

Then, there was Tomme d'Auvergne, a French cheese that I have not encountered before.

And finally, there was aome Etivaz, a young Etivaz, a Swiss cheese that is both similar to, but far better than, either Gruyère or Emmental, and is also far harder to lay hands on than the better known cheeses.

I also purchased some Pecorino Romano, for when I wish to prepare Carbonara and other delights.
 
Purchased a few cheeses today: Two blues: Roquefort and Bleu d'Auvergne, both French.

The Trappist cheese, Chimay, from Belgium, and two more from France, Camembert Rustique, and a gloriously liquid Époisses.

Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino Romano, I already have, in generous quantities.
 
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Cheese purchased today included:

Two blues: Gorgonzola, Bleu des Causses (which is the cow's milk version of Roquefort);

Semi-soft, washed rind cheeses: Chimay (a Trappist cheese, amde by the monks who brew the beer of the same name) and Reblochon.

Mozzarella

Plus a generous hunk of Pecorino Romano (for Pasta Carbonara and Pasta All'Amatriciana).

I already have some Bleu d'Auvergne.

And, apart from the Pecorino Romano, other hard cheeses include the classic Goat's Gouda, and Etivaz a stunning Swiss cheese, somewhat akin to Emmenthal or Gruyère, but, to my mind, considerably better than either of them.
 
Headed into the market, and the French bakery, and the cheesemonger's:

Unfortunately, they didn't have some of the cheeses that I had hoped to find.

Nevertheless, I did treat myself.

Cheeses purchased included:

Blues: Bleu des Causses (essentially, a cow's milk version of Roquefort); Bleu des Basques Brebis (a sheep's milk cheese from the Basque region of France); Roquefort (the classic sheep's milk cheese from France); and Blue Goat's Gouda (a lovely version of a goat's cheese Gouda).

Semi-soft Cheese: Camembert Rustique, (the Époisses wasn't ripe, and neither was the St Nectaire; I had hoped to find Chimay cheese, but they haven't had it for quite some time), and Floçon de Savoie.

Hard Cheese: Goat's Gouda, and Al Romero (a lovely sheep's cheese from Spain, rubbed with rosemary, giving it a sort of rosemary coating).
 
I paid a visit to the cheesemonger today:

Three blue cheeses were bought:

Gorgonzola Cremosa and Birbablu - both hailing from from Italy, the latter a wonderful washed rind - washed in beer - blue cheese and Bleu des Basques Brebis (an artisan sheep's milk blue cheese from the French part of the Basque country).

Semi soft washed rind cheeses included:

Époisses, (gloriously ripe), and St Nectaire, (both from France), and Taleggio (from Italy).

Hard cheeses took the form of:

Ossau-Iraty (a fantastic sheep's milk cheese from the French Basque region), Goat's (milk) Gouda (which is always wonderful), from the Netherlands, Zamora (coated in rosemary) - a sheep's milk cheese from Spain, and, for pasta (and related) dishes, some Pecorino Romano, and Parmigiano Reggiano.
 
Some cheeses were bought today:

Two French blues: Roquefort, and Bleu d'Auvergne.

Some semi-soft washed rind cheeses: Époisses (gloriously liquid, exactly how I like it), and Durrus, an Irish washed rind cheese which was wonderfully ripe.

Hard cheeses:

Two stunning hard cheeses from the Spanish Basque country, from the same producer, one from sheep's milk, the other from goat's milk, both coated in rosemary: Queso al Romero (with sheep's milk), and Queso de Cabra al Romero (from goat's milk).

And the amazing Tomme Brebis (an incredible cheese that is a blend of sheep's milk and cow's milk), from the French Pyrenees.
 
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Renzatic said:
There's just something kinda comforting about popping into a place you haven't been to in awhile, and seeing Scribe talk about cheeses.
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True… And likewise popping in here to discover you found your way back here. I was starting to think jk had kidnapped you. Welcome back. Don’t be such a stranger.

I don’t usually get much farther than a local Hannaford any more so my cheese acquisitions are barely noteworthy…
 
Renzatic said:
There's just something kinda comforting about popping into a place you haven't been to in awhile, and seeing Scribe talk about cheeses.
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Great to see you here.

Actually, (and I must post about it in the appropriate thread), dinner last night comprised blue cheese sauce (the need to use up some blue cheese - a decent bit of Gorgonzola, some Bleu d'Auvergne, some Bleu des Causses - determined exactly what blue cheeses were used to prepare the sauce, for I am not prescriptive about such things), Italian pasta, and sliced (organic) chard (that cooked in the blue cheese sauce, just before I added the pasta, rather than steaming it, which is what I have done in the past; it saved on saucepans and washing up, and was every bit as delicious).
 
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