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The obligatory Cheese thread

Scepticalscribe said:
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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Hell, I was wondering what happened to you too!

I just kinda drifted away from both this board, and the Other Place for awhile. I only occasionally visit it out of routine these days.
 
Renzatic said:
Hell, I was wondering what happened to you too!
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I chose to leave, (the Other Place), but there may have been an element of deciding to take that flying leap before receiving a sharp push from the rear.
Renzatic said:
I just kinda drifted away from both this board, and the Other Place for awhile. I only occasionally visit it out of routine these days.
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Well, wonderful to see you, and, as @lizkat and others have already said, don't be a stranger.
 
Well, @Renzatic, here I am with another appearance in the cheese thread:

Treated myself to some Comté, some Vacherin Mont d'Or, (nice and almost liquid), and a slice of Stilton (coming into its seasonal best), and Bleu des Causses (basically, the cow's milk version of Roquefort, which is made from sheep's milk), this afternoon, when I visited the cheesemonger.

The Gorgonzola did not appeal - personally, I like it ripe and runny, not solidly shivering on a surprisingly cold Saturday.
 
For those who are partial to blue cheese, this tends to be the time of the year when it is at its best.
 
Cheese doesn't have to be, or need to be, served solely on cheeseboards: Left over cheese can be superb when prepared as a sauce for pasta.

Tonight, I prepared a sauce from a variety of (left over) cheese: Some Roquefort, some Bleu d'Auvergne, some (freshly) grated Pecorino and (freshly) grated ancient Parmigiano Reggiano, and some Trappist cheese, which were all melted in a sauté pan, over a very low heat, to which was added a little double cream, and some of the (wonderfully starchy), pasta cooking liquid.

Delicious, though I say so, myself.
 
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Renzatic said:
Man, I'd love some cheese right now.
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Me too. And I'm out of most delicious scraps of cheese to make use of @Scepticalscribe 's delicious idea on how to use them up... already "been there, done that" and so now just waiting for better conditions in in my driveway before making a grocery order. Can't ask them to bring stuff through remains of six inches of sloshy snowmelt masking a muddy country driveway that had already gone too soft to plow thanks to another of our rolling thaws this past month. Not usual for me to wish for colder weather this time of year but I do.

So for now my cheese on hand amounts to pretty ordinary fridge staples like cheddar and romano. I was daydreaming about a good old fashioned NYC deli's over-the-top pastrami and Swiss on rye at lunchtime today, but meanwhile settling for some tomato soup with a side of microwave-nuked little squares of cheddar on some saltines. Blah! First world whine!!
 
lizkat said:
Me too. And I'm out of most delicious scraps of cheese to make use of @Scepticalscribe 's delicious idea on how to use them up... already "been there, done that" and so now just waiting for better conditions in in my driveway before making a grocery order. Can't ask them to bring stuff through remains of six inches of sloshy snowmelt masking a muddy country driveway that had already gone too soft to plow thanks to another of our rolling thaws this past month. Not usual for me to wish for colder weather this time of year but I do.

So for now my cheese on hand amounts to pretty ordinary fridge staples like cheddar and romano. I was daydreaming about a good old fashioned NYC deli's over-the-top pastrami and Swiss on rye at lunchtime today, but meanwhile settling for some tomato soup with a side of microwave-nuked little squares of cheddar on some saltines. Blah! First world whine!!
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Those legendary New York deli offerings of pastrami and Swiss on rye.......sound delicious.

Actually, I am rather partial to a good rendition of a Rueben...
 
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Scepticalscribe said:
Actually, I am rather partial to a good rendition of a Rueben
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I find that ordering a Reuben from any place other than a familiar deli is always a risky venture. When you get a good one, they're fantastic. If you're unfortunate enough to get a bad one, well, they're horrible in ways that can't easily be described.
 
Renzatic said:
I find that ordering a Reuben from any place other than a familiar deli is always a risky venture. When you get a good one, they're fantastic. If you're unfortunate enough to get a bad one, well, they're horrible in ways that can't easily be described.
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Too true, alas.

Unfortunately, I very much doubt that I have tasted anything remotely like the best that may be on offer, as what is available here (in western Europe, for, I've never been to the States) is probably, at best, a feeble imitation of the genuine article.
 
Renzatic said:
I find that ordering a Reuben from any place other than a familiar deli is always a risky venture. When you get a good one, they're fantastic. If you're unfortunate enough to get a bad one, well, they're horrible in ways that can't easily be described.
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Oh-so-true! I like the 2nd Ave Deli sandwiches, but Katz's Deli puts it to shame when it comes to the Reuben. And of course, no one can touch their pastrami. Carnegie came close, but I hated the joint.
 
ronntaylor said:
Oh-so-true! I like the 2nd Ave Deli sandwiches, but Katz's Deli puts it to shame when it comes to the Reuben. And of course, no one can touch their pastrami. Carnegie came close, but I hated the joint.
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The fame of Katz's crosses The Pond; I have read accounts (and reviews) of the place.

If I ever do manage to travel to New York, Katz's (as well as many of the justly famed museums) are on my list of places to visit.
 
Scepticalscribe said:
The fame of Katz's crosses The Pond; I have read accounts (and reviews) of the place.

If I ever do manage to travel to New York, Katz's (as well as many of the justly famed museums) are on my list of places to visit.
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If you make it to Katz's make sure to have a heavy wallet for their pricey fare. It's worth it, but pricey. And be prepared to share because the portions are outrageous. Just make sure you don't lose the ticket you'll receive when you enter. Otherwise you be charged dearly upon exiting.
 
ronntaylor said:
If you make it to Katz's make sure to have a heavy wallet for their pricey fare. It's worth it, but pricey. And be prepared to share because the portions are outrageous. Just make sure you don't lose the ticket you'll receive when you enter. Otherwise you be charged dearly upon exiting.
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Don't worry:

I'll remember to bring a heavy wallet; in truth, a visit to a place such as Katz's seems to me to be a once in a lifetime treat, unless there are reasons (such as comrades, colleagues, friends) to pay a second, or further, visit.

Having said that, I have no doubt that the Ruebens that I have enjoyed bear little relation to the glories one can savour Stateside.

And, should my feet ever take me Stateside, the idea of gumbo and jambalaya (in New Orleans) also appeals.

And that is just the food: The history, music, and culture (and yes, well, cuisine) are also of interest to me.
 
Visited the cheesemonger a few days ago:

Purchases included:

Stilton, and Birbablu, two blues.

The Gorgonzola was depressingly solid (yes, I know that it is cold, but I like my Gorgonzola to ooze with gorgeous liquid glory), thus, with reluctance, I decided to forego it.

Époisses, and Camembert Rustique, soft cheeses.

Tomme de Savoie and Morbier.

Gouda Goat's cheese with fenugreek, and Gouda sheep's cheese.

Plus, some Pecorino Romano for some specific pasta dishes.

Other purchases included Mortadella, Parma ham (very thinly sliced), Milano salami, and - for when I am preparing pasta dishes - a glorious chunk, or piece, of guanciale.
 
lizkat said:
You caved in!
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Succumbed to temptation, yes.

In a pan (accompanied by double cream), or, at room temperature, one can only hope that the Gorgonzola might be persuaded to reveal a little of its liquid glory.
 
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