Let's talk about cheese - http://www.mmcafe.com/ Forums


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Maou
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"Let's talk about cheese" , posted Fri 10 Jun 14:33post reply

Now that everyone has showed up to talk about important things like Vanillaware and Third Strike, I have an even more important topic: CHEESE. This is the Cafe after all.

One time, you all helped me come to grips with the fact that nothing could salvage my awful Camembert. These are better days now: with zod as my witness, I swear that roquefort is the best bleu cheese I've ever bought. Now tell me your favorite cheese. Bonus for telling me how you put up with the unending agony of living in godless America and/or Japan and/or places that are not Europe and that thus do not have real cheese that is affordable for normal humans.





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Nobinobita
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"Re(1):Let's talk about cheese" , posted Fri 10 Jun 16:33post reply

Dubliner's Cheese from Costco.
It's sharp, uncomplicated, and DELICIOUS.
Also, it's been approved by the Irish in my family, so it's legit.

http://maggiesfarm.anotherdotcom.com/archives/7509-Costcos-Dubliner-Cheese.html






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"Re(1):Let's talk about cheese" , posted Fri 10 Jun 18:30post reply

Cheap knock offs parading themselves as "Cheddar". I like to pretend that no other kind of cheese exist so I won't feel depressed everyday.

On special occassions, I like to have mild Gouda. If I had enough money I'd love to have a cheese fest at home but I'm not very lactose tolerant anymore.






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Nobinobita
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"Re(1):Let's talk about cheese" , posted Fri 10 Jun 23:33post reply

Blast from the Past:

http://us.cdn1.123rf.com/168nwm/zenpix/zenpix0908/zenpix090800004/5330471-kids-snack-cheese-spread-and-crackers.jpg

:q






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Spoon
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"Re(1):Let's talk about cheese" , posted Sat 11 Jun 04:18post reply

quote:
Vanillaware
cheese


I see the dairy inspiration

Bocconcini are among my favourites. I love their spongy, springy texture and clean flavour. I'm not talking about the Sorceress's boobs at all





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"Re(1):Let's talk about cheese" , posted Sat 11 Jun 04:59post reply

quote:
Now tell me your favorite cheese. Bonus for telling me how you put up with the unending agony of living in godless America and/or Japan and/or places that are not Europe and that thus do not have real cheese that is affordable for normal humans.



Sometimes I find myself throwing money at people in supermarkets in exchange of a good piece of cheese...What a waste of time...The happiness America gave me with muscle cars was taken away with the lack of holy cheese.
Seriously where can I get GOOD cheese in South Florida?





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maese
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"Re(1):Let's talk about cheese" , posted Sat 11 Jun 08:00post reply

quote:
Now tell me your favorite cheese. Bonus for telling me how you put up with the unending agony of living in godless America and/or Japan and/or places that are not Europe and that thus do not have real cheese that is affordable for normal humans.



While my favourite cheese would be kind of hard to find outside of certain god-forsaken little villages on the Northern Spanish countryside, I do remember a famous deparment store in Ikebukuro (was it Seibu or Tobu...? I'm half drunk right now and my memory is fuzzy) having a decent selection of world cheeses at reasonable prices. The rations were quite miserable, that's for sure, but beggars can't be choosers. It made the trick for me, and it should do the trick for you as well!

Maou殿, next time try to hunt down some smoked Idiazabal and tell us what you think. It shouldn't be so difficult to find if you are around California; the basque immigrant community there is pretty lively, or so I heard. And that's my cheese tip of the days, folks!





Maou
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"Re(2):Let's talk about cheese" , posted Sat 11 Jun 11:15:post reply

quote:
Bocconcini are among my favourites. I love their spongy, springy texture and clean flavour. I'm not talking about the Sorceress's boobs at all
Bocconcini's association in my mind gained even further cachet as of right now. As for Maese's mysterious Idiazabal, I am shocked at how I don't know anything about Spanish cheeses and am intrigued.





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[this message was edited by Maou on Sat 11 Jun 11:17]

Spoon
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"Re(2):Let's talk about cheese" , posted Sat 11 Jun 13:22post reply

quote:
Now tell me your favorite cheese. Bonus for telling me how you put up with the unending agony of living in godless America and/or Japan and/or places that are not Europe and that thus do not have real cheese that is affordable for normal humans.


While my favourite cheese would be kind of hard to find outside of certain god-forsaken little villages on the Northern Spanish countryside, I do remember a famous deparment store in Ikebukuro (was it Seibu or Tobu...? I'm half drunk right now and my memory is fuzzy) having a decent selection of world cheeses at reasonable prices. The rations were quite miserable, that's for sure, but beggars can't be choosers. It made the trick for me, and it should do the trick for you as well!

Maou殿, next time try to hunt down some smoked Idiazabal and tell us what you think. It shouldn't be so difficult to find if you are around California; the basque immigrant community there is pretty lively, or so I heard. And that's my cheese tip of the days, folks!



I have some Istara cheese in my refrigerator right now, and a quick geography search says that's it originates from a similar geographical neighbourhood (Northern Basque). Would you happen to know if it's related much at all?





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"Re(1):Let's talk about cheese" , posted Sat 11 Jun 14:18post reply

Even though the cafe has gone full 300 gay over the years I will share this with you.

http://www.tillamook.com/

Only cheese you will ever need. Medium cheddar will do just fine. You can buy it at Costco. You're welcome.





maese
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"Re(3):Let's talk about cheese" , posted Sat 11 Jun 19:09post reply

quote:

I have some Istara cheese in my refrigerator right now, and a quick geography search says that's it originates from a similar geographical neighbourhood (Northern Basque). Would you happen to know if it's related much at all?



Yep, they are very much related. Both are sheep milk cheeses from Basque Country (Istara is more common on the Navarre region) and the flavor, sutile variations notwithsanding, is kind of similar. The tricky thing about basque cheeses is that they can be labeled both as Spansih and French cheeses, because basque ethnicity is scattered around the Pyrenees, between the North of Spain and the South of France. But such little inconveniencies only make the search more interesting!

Also, if you are into blue cheeses, in certain regions of Northern Spain there are *very* strong flavored variations that you totally should try, the infamous Cabrales being the most rutilant of them all. Puny Gorgonzolas or sissy Roqueforts can't even compare!





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"Re(2):Let's talk about cheese" , posted Sat 11 Jun 20:32post reply

quote:
Dubliner's Cheese from Costco.
It's sharp, uncomplicated, and DELICIOUS.
Also, it's been approved by the Irish in my family, so it's legit.

http://maggiesfarm.anotherdotcom.com/archives/7509-Costcos-Dubliner-Cheese.html



Coincedently, I was at Costco just a few hours ago-- they didn't have that here!
But alas, they had Parmagiano Stravecchio for a good price.





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"Re(3):Let's talk about cheese" , posted Sat 11 Jun 23:27post reply

I'm not a fan of roquefort by itself (I mean, on bread without anything else). But in an endive salad with nuts and apple during winter, it's heaven on earth.

I'm eating Comté at this very moment, and it is a good, solid and tasty version of all the crap they sell as emmental or gruyère. Roblechon or tomme are of course fantastic, époisses, ossau iraty, mmmh, and on the other side of the Pyrenees manchego of course, and I always love a good tetilla.
Let's not forget the perverts on the other side of the Alps, with their scamorza (even better smoked). Speaking which, it took me years to discover that mozzarella is not supposed to be a tasteless chunk of plastic, but can have very rich and deep flavours, if you buy good ones. I could almost say the same of feta, as well.

Cheese. Cheese cheese cheese cheese.
I'm still surprised that it's easier to find all that good stuff in London than it is in most of France. Waitrose, my life would be a nightmare without you.

Contrary to what a famous philosopher once said, you can build a loving relationship solely upon the common love of diary products.





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"Re(4):Let's talk about cheese" , posted Sun 12 Jun 06:45post reply

Wegman's has probably the most impressive selection of cheeses I've ever seen at a consumer supermarket. They don't just have the usual cheddar/mozarella/powder parmesan, they have multiple big fridges with fresh/soft/semi-soft/firm/ripened/whatever else cheeses, they have wedges of DOCG Parmigiano-Reggiano and Grana Padano sitting on top of the wheels they were cut from.... it's really great! I'm constantly tempted to just buy cheese and bread when I'm there!

Of course, if I were in Vancouver and wanted to waste money, I'd go and hit up the shop "les amis du FROMAGE". It's located near the artistic quarter of Granville Island, and while the immediate area at a glance looks quiet and unremarkable, you will soon discover it is one block from a Vespa dealership, right beside a Belgian liege waffle shop, and facing a Lambhorgini/Lotus dealership.

Among big factory commercial cheeses, I have a soft spot for Saputo/Dairyland Armstrong cheddar cheese. It was originally made in creamery in British Columbia, but they no longer make it there, though the name remains.





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"Re(5):Let's talk about cheese" , posted Mon 13 Jun 10:54post reply

Man, I went to a friend's party in Kyoto. It was a couple originally from France, and they had imported cheese from France at the party. It was delicious. I'm terrible at remembering names but it was all so great. Once I leave Japan I'm going to reacquaint myself with the lovely world of cheese.





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"Re(6):Let's talk about cheese" , posted Wed 15 Jun 01:23post reply

No one likes mozzarella?
It's a good variant to classic solid cheese, it can be used in various dishes; with raw vegetables, with meat and by itself. Not to mention it's used to make pizza and stuff.
Do you ever eat "fluid" cheese (soft, cream or spread)? Here are used to make a compilation called "4 cheese" that is a stuffing to pizza and piadina (a cross between flat bread and a bun, is a delicacy of my region).
In Italy is also used eat ripe cheese with fig marmalade and red beer as a dessert.

Ah, I love American Cheesecake too! But we use often soft cheese and digestive cookies to make that, not the same consistence and flavour.





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"Re(7):Let's talk about cheese" , posted Wed 15 Jun 06:59post reply

I can eat a cheese

I live in an america

the cheese is maybe not affordable for Normal Humans, but thankfully I am not one of those, and am blessed with the gift of Suffering For Flavor.

I enjoy barely buzzed
http://www.beehivecheese.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=44&Itemid=54

clothbound cheddar from various places

humboldt fog
http://www.cypressgrovechevre.com/cheeses/ripened-cheeses/humboldt-fog.html

and hella other stuff I can't remember the names of. I have a local cheese shop called the sacred wheel, which is run by persons covered in tattoos. I'm pretty sure the guy who has to walk with a cane has killed several persons, as he has multiple teardrops tattooed under his eye.

anyway, when I am not feeling spendy, I just get a log of tilamook sharp cheddar, which is frankly delicious at any time.

note: california is different from america because we have great cheeses, wines, and beer. and we have sourdough bread, so I guess we might be the best of all people.





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"Re(8):Let's talk about cheese" , posted Wed 15 Jun 08:56post reply

quote:

I'm pretty sure the guy who has to walk with a cane has killed several persons, as he has multiple teardrops tattooed under his eye.


Or at least he has suffered for his art.

I have shied away from this topic since I am not myself a cheese eater, but I hear tell that there is a bar near my house that serves fancy cheeses paired with local beers. On Friday nights it has a line around the block to be seated.

Also, I hear that Oregon has some of the best cheeses out there, including the aforementioned Tilamook cheese.





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"Re(9):Let's talk about cheese" , posted Wed 15 Jun 10:17post reply

oregon, california, and washington appear to be on par with each other for this sort of thing. something about the climate!





Maou
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"Re(8):Let's talk about cheese" , posted Wed 15 Jun 12:53post reply

quote:
alocal cheese shop called the sacred wheel

!! It, it literally never occurred to me that I might need to go on a field expedition to Oakland to find a good cheese shop! That said, the American prices...alas, I've never felt the same level of pain getting Japanese items in the States or American items in Europe/Japan as keenly as I feel the low blow to my soul when I see cheese prices in the US.





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HAYATO
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"Re(9):Let's talk about cheese" , posted Thu 16 Jun 06:33post reply

quote:
alocal cheese shop called the sacred wheel
!! It, it literally never occurred to me that I might need to go on a field expedition to Oakland to find a good cheese shop! That said, the American prices...alas, I've never felt the same level of pain getting Japanese items in the States or American items in Europe/Japan as keenly as I feel the low blow to my soul when I see cheese prices in the US.



Then, you should try to make your own cheese at home, as I usually do. There are plenty of tutorials all around the Web, but one ought to know beforehand that, albeit unexpensive and safe, it can be a time-consuming procedure. It may take you some time to find the right combination of ingredients and taste, but once you get it right, the process will gradually become easier for you (you know, practice makes perfect). Cheese making is a rewarding experience and a great alternative for those following low-fat diets (you can make some cheeses even with skimmed milk), because those are very hard to find out there (here in Spain, there's no commercial cheese below the 14%-fat mark).

I usually make kefir-based, Herbes de Provence-coated fresh cheese with skimmed milk and an astounding 1'3% of total fat content!! It takes about 4-6 days to make a 400gr wheel, but it covers my daily nedds for more than a week. I'm currently investigating about making my own blue cheese, but I don't know whether the yeast will be able to develop on a kefir-based medium...





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"Re(10):Let's talk about cheese" , posted Thu 16 Jun 07:35post reply

quote:
Then, you should try to make your own cheese at home, as I usually do.

My respect for you just skyrocketed.





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"Re(10):Let's talk about cheese" , posted Fri 17 Jun 06:14post reply

People, who go on cruise vacation to the Caribbean islands, always bought the Gouda cheese on the trip, its taste good, similar to potato cheese, I don’t know the prices.

Nobody mention the Swiss cheese, which alone taste bad but goes good in sandwiches. Pastrami ham sandwich with sauté onions and swiss cheese.

quote:
it can be a time-consuming procedure. It may take you some time to find the right combination of ingredients and taste, but once you get it right, the process will gradually become easier for you


Oh Yeah, because adding to the amounts of ingredients, like the right amount of salt. The cheese making depend on the stage of aging that is needed for the cheese you desire, the type of microorganism needed to be growing in each stage of the process, the PH levels, the place where the cheese is aging, all a work of art, the art of the fermenting process.

This is a long process to see if your product tastes good. Its needs LOVE or a big disire to make a business based on cheese to do it ; )





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sfried
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"Re(1):Let's talk about cheese" , posted Fri 17 Jun 06:18:post reply

I've grown to like Gruyère. I'm a big Munster fan and also enjoy the occasional Gouda.

My favorite is still Raclette.





[this message was edited by sfried on Fri 17 Jun 06:21]

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"Re(2):Let's talk about cheese" , posted Fri 17 Jun 06:57post reply

quote:
I've grown to like Gruyère. I'm a big Munster fan and also enjoy the occasional Gouda.

My favorite is still Raclette.



Do you like young Gruyere or aged Gruyere?

Wegman's carries Premier Cru Gruyere!





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"Re(3):Let's talk about cheese" , posted Fri 17 Jun 10:20post reply

quote:
Do you like young Gruyere or aged Gruyere?
My mother loves Swiss cave-aged Gruyere so that's what I've grown accustomed to. Trader Joe's also sells this creamy Cheddar Gruyere which is also nice if you're not looking for something so sharp but creamy.





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"Re(4):Let's talk about cheese" , posted Fri 17 Jun 11:50post reply

quote:
Do you like young Gruyere or aged Gruyere?My mother loves Swiss cave-aged Gruyere so that's what I've grown accustomed to. Trader Joe's also sells this creamy Cheddar Gruyere which is also nice if you're not looking for something so sharp but creamy.



We had melted brie at work today. Nuttin' fancy, but it was soooo good. Like little puddles of blubber. I imagine this is how an alligator would feel if it ate a piglet.






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"Re(4):Let's talk about cheese" , posted Sun 19 Jun 12:47post reply

quote:

Also, if you are into blue cheeses, in certain regions of Northern Spain there are *very* strong flavored variations that you totally should try, the infamous Cabrales being the most rutilant of them all. Puny Gorgonzolas or sissy Roqueforts can't even compare!



Question for anybody here who's really into blue cheeses: what makes a blue cheese good to you?

I've tried a bunch of the common ones like Stilton, Roquefort, Rosenborg, Gorgonzola, etc. and while there are some things that distinguish them as blue cheeses as opposed to not-blue cheeses, I don't think I really "get" them.

Then again, a few of those may all use the same fungal species (Penicillum roqueforti), and that might account for those ones being relatively similar.





Maou
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"feeling bleu" , posted Sun 19 Jun 13:17:post reply

quote:

Question for anybody here who's really into blue cheeses: what makes a blue cheese good to you?

I've tried a bunch of the common ones like Stilton, Roquefort, Rosenborg, Gorgonzola, etc. and while there are some things that distinguish them as blue cheeses as opposed to not-blue cheeses, I don't think I really "get" them.

Then again, a few of those may all use the same fungal species (Penicillum roqueforti), and that might account for those ones being relatively similar.

To me, it's that extra sharp, rich "bite" to it...the kind that would be literally unbearable if one at a large mouthful instead of smaller bit. It's refreshingly intense and balances the creaminess of cheese. It's almost sour, it almost stings, and I almost feel it in my nose. Bleu cheese is the wasabi of cheese.

And while I like it even just on a baguette, Iggy is right that this intense pang works even better when in a varied mix. There is no better salad on this earth than bleu cheese together with almonds and pear (or possibly apple). The sweet and the intense make a beautiful, viewtiful contrast.





人間はいつも私を驚かせてくれる。不思議なものだな、人間という存在は...

[this message was edited by Maou on Sun 19 Jun 13:30]

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"Re(1):feeling bleu" , posted Sun 19 Jun 15:01post reply

quote:

Question for anybody here who's really into blue cheeses: what makes a blue cheese good to you?

I've tried a bunch of the common ones like Stilton, Roquefort, Rosenborg, Gorgonzola, etc. and while there are some things that distinguish them as blue cheeses as opposed to not-blue cheeses, I don't think I really "get" them.

Then again, a few of those may all use the same fungal species (Penicillum roqueforti), and that might account for those ones being relatively similar.
To me, it's that extra sharp, rich "bite" to it...the kind that would be literally unbearable if one at a large mouthful instead of smaller bit. It's refreshingly intense and balances the creaminess of cheese. It's almost sour, it almost stings, and I almost feel it in my nose. Bleu cheese is the wasabi of cheese.

And while I like it even just on a baguette, Iggy is right that this intense pang works even better when in a varied mix. There is no better salad on this earth than bleu cheese together with almonds and pear (or possibly apple). The sweet and the intense make a beautiful, viewtiful contrast.



There's an expression in Cantonese that translates literally into "nose rush/rushing", to describe the pungent and hot, instantly nose-filling quality of things like hot mustard and horseradish.

I'm surprised to see blue cheese described as being refreshing, though! To most people I know who don't like them, the pungency and strength of blue cheeses are overpowering, and the exact opposite of refreshing. When I have had blue cheese with fruits, I find that it's the acidity and sweetness of the fruits that I need to act as the refresher.

What makes one blue cheese better than another blue cheese to you?





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"Re(2):feeling bleu" , posted Mon 27 Jun 08:04post reply

quote:
Question for anybody here who's really into blue cheeses: what makes a blue cheese good to you?



i had a 2 friends who describe the taste of blue cheese as orgasmic. They gave me one bough on costco. In my opinion, i dont know but is intense.





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"macho cheese" , posted Sun 10 Jul 06:07post reply

Enormous (like 100 lbs.) blocks of this cheese were on display today. They feature what I assume is a rugged Welsh (probably coal) miner:

POWERFUL Welse Cheddar

I also met a man from France who is in charge of aging Comte cheese.





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"Re(9):Let's talk about cheese" , posted Tue 7 Aug 05:50post reply

My favourite cheese is the one you use in traditional raclette dish (if possible "au lait cru"). I could never eat it raw, but once it's melting down on a potato, it's pure midnight bliss...