Cheese Extravaganza

My mom and sisters were here recently and if there's one thing we love more than just being together, it's cheese. Gooey, stinky, fruity, nutty, melty delicious cheese. So even though my blood is now thicker than paint, it was well worth the cheese tasting we enjoyed almost every day.

We started with a simple Trader Joe's selction, featuring many cheeses I know and love such as Pecorino, St. Andre, Cambanzola, Manchego and fresh mozzarella. A new favorite did appear however: the Délice de Bourgogne, a French cow's milk triple creme. Apparently during the cheesemaking process, cream is added twice, so it's soft and creamy, a little like a really good brie, but with a mushroomy scent. It was outstanding.

Next was a trip to the Cowgirl Creamery at the Ferry Building in San Francisco, one of my favorite foodie places in the world! We decided to get a selection of cheeses we had all never tasted before, and forsake our favorites (Oh, Humboldt Fog, I still love you!). My little sister chose an Abbaye de Belloc that was outstanding, while I selected an unassuming little grey pat of cheese called Bonne Buche. We all voted this little goat's milk cheese (which didn't taste as tangy as goat cheese at all!) as the star of the bunch, and enjoyed its gooiness until it was gone. I will definitely buy that again- it goes in my top 5 cheeses in my lifetime for sure.

Finally, a night in Monterey and a quick trip for a lunch provided none other than the Carmel Cheese Shop. I can't tell you how much I adore this store. It's bliss to point at amazing cheeses and taste things you've never tried before. We got some crusty French bread, and then went to work. Julia took a chance an a raspberry cheese; it had a subtle essence of raspberry worked through but was a creamy ivory color and was a harder cheese. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it! While they were out of Explorateur, they did have the most perfectly ripened Epoisses I've ever tasted, which we enjoyed for days after. Epoisses is a hard cheese to enjoy because it's so pungent, but I adore it and enjoyed each bite. But in spite of this, our favorite cheese was a sheep and cow's milk blend called Robiola. It was a square shape and gooey on the inside; subtle but flavorful. My mouth waters just thinking about it. A few plastic knives and our picnic was complete.

Cheese to me is one of the world's perfect foods. It's so diverse, and so expressive of the land and life around its origins. To be able to enjoy something so perfect yet so simple is one of the best little pleasures.