Sunday, February 10, 2008

What Cheeses Do You Need Most?

I am a dairy woman. Sadly, for many years I could not be a dairy woman.

When I started out life, my mother breastfed me. When she switched me to milk, I threw it up--violently. By the third time I turned into exorcist baby by projectile vomiting off my mom's shoulder, I was taken off all cow's milk products for a few years, but then I apparently grew out of it.

Thank God.

After that ordeal, I had a strong pull towards cheese and ice cream particularly. I try to make up for my cow's milk in other forms, so even though I still never drink milk--ARRGH MILK!--I love to eat it in the form of cheese. What cheeses are essential to me?

Well, we must always have cheddar cheese (sharp or very sharp). Monterey Jack and Cream Cheese are also good. Those are standards. For parmesan, I have nobody but the Evil Joe** to thank for giving me my first taste of parmesan-reggiano (your first taste is free....and then you pay!). I can't imagine having anything other than the real McCoy now, and I always have a chunk of it in my refrigerator. A lot of time I have mozzarrella in the refrigerator too (most of the time it's fresh since I can really taste a difference). But what about the exotic cheeses?

I don't consider feta exotic, but I guess some of you do. That's always present. I like it in salads and with shrimp and a few other items, so I can't live without it. Then there's manchego. See, manchego is the one cheese I consider wine-friendly with just about every wine you can consider. You don't have to worry about any of that "goat cheese goes with Sauvignon Blanc!" stuff. You just know: I want wine, I want cheese; I want this wine, so I pick out manchego. Other cheeses I love...some form of bleu, amadeus, sottocerne, chevre (plain or with something like pesto, basil, or pepper), brie or camembert (with fig spread! Woohoo!), and cantal/cantalette. That'd be the bare minimum at this point that you could find in my refrigerator if you came to my house. Sure, there might be no cantalette, and instead you'd find roquefort. We DO allow for substitutions here at Chez Kira. But on the whole, this is cheese paradise! If you want a meal with cheese in it, we've got you covered. If you want a fromage plate, we've also got the means to please you. Cheese = Bliss!

So, what cheeses do YOU have in your refrigerator???

**Evil Joe is a dear friend of mine for several decades, and he is the font of all crack-addict like needs for cheese and other good foods. I blame him. It's easier.

7 comments:

Joe said...

You sound like my dad: he had a problem with milk from both cows and his mom. They discovered he could drink goat's milk; if they hadn't, I probably wouldn't be here.

I'm glad I addicted you to real parm-reg. Now if I can find some more Montagnolo, and feed you that a couple more times, you'll be my cheese bitch. :)

Kira said...

I'm always willing to have more crack, I mean good cheese, thrown at me. Whole Paycheck doesn't have Montagnolo here, and that's the only decent fromagerie we have. So you'll have to come and visit me...and bring some :)

Joseph H. Vilas said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Laurita said...

You have GOT to try cambozola. It's a soft blue cheese. So yummy.

Kira said...

Cambonzola...I don't think I've seen that one at Whole Paycheck either (whole foods), but I'll inquire just in case. I will try any cheese, and I just love bleu.

Joe said...

Cambozola is kinda like Montagnolo. I think they're by the same company.

Amanda said...

I've never met a cheese that I didn't love, but I do prefer the more pungent cheeses. I'm addicted to the pesto log at the Lesbian Goat Farm. Must go back soon.