Saturday, November 6, 2010

My Life in the Blue Cheese Cult

Confession: I haven’t told you about all the blue cheeses in my life. There are times when I have three, sometimes four, little blue cheese romances going on all at once. On a Friday night, I might eat a hunk of blue cheese with honeycomb at 6 p.m., then shmear another blue on a piece of dark chocolate at 8 p.m., and then carry a different blue up to bed, along with a snifter of port.

I want to be open with you, but I also know that a few of you have something against blues. You don’t want to hear about my little blue crushes every time you visit this blog. But you need to know: it’s November, and this is my high season. I am going to be bringing a lot of blue cheese home from now on, and you might as well know the gnarly truth.

Here are three recent infatuations:

Incanestro
Think of a ham hock, then superimpose blue cheese over it. This porky tasting blue from Common Folks in Leola, PA is dense, creamy, and salty as hell. I fell for the beautiful scarification on the rind, which comes from the basket in which this cheese is aged. A shout out to Albert Yee of the Fair Food Farmstand who writes about Incanestro on his blog, Messy and Picky, this week.


Harbourne Blue
I took this pasteurized goat blue to a party, and every body wanted a bite – once they saw the price tag anyway. At $40/lb, it’s much too spendy to buy regularly, but on a sparkly occasion, it’s worth procuring a minor shard and eating it unadorned. This is a bright, bold blue from the UK – a little spicy, but icy, too. Imagine incredibly fresh snow with a dusting of chive blossoms.


Basajo
Don’t be put off by the coat of many colors here – this gorgeous Italian sheep's milk blue is packed in grape must, which imbues the paste with grapey, floral notes. It’s sweet as far as blues go and very fudgy. I can’t even write about it without purring. Cheese fan and journalist Janet Fletcher suggests serving it with a "silky dessert wine." Thanks to Gil of the Philly Market Cafe blog for recommending this dream.


There, I've come clean. Mostly.

10 comments:

  1. Blue Cheese Cult. Known for the hit single "Cities on Flame with Roquefort"?

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  2. I LOVE Bleu cheese, you can never post too much about it. At least not for me. Bleu is the first cheese beyond cheddar that I can distinctly remember tasting and liking. First taste ever was in salad dressing (Kraft) and then I found a jar of what was supposed to be a bleu cheese seasoning by McCormick's Spice Island brand in my Nana's pantry when I was about 8 or 9.

    I wouldn't taste real bleu until I was in junior high school when my home ec teacher brought me a wedge to encourage my blossoming love of cheese.

    I've been in love with Bleu ever since. I'll have to go hunt these three down asap. Thanks!!

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  3. Loved this posting! Where can we find Basajo in Philly?

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  4. MadisonBleu, thanks for the moment of reverie -- your home ec teacher sounds like the kind of educator I would love!

    Robin.Barnes, check Di Bruno Bros. in the Italian Market for Basajo (pronounced bah-SIGH-oh). That's where I bought my wedge. Thanks for your enthusiasm. Let me know what you think of this tender morsel.

    Cheers, all!

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  5. wow these looks amazing. never had them and ive had alot
    -mike

    www.cheesyplace.com

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  6. Blue cheese away! It's an area where I could certainly brush up and I'm loving your recommendations.

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  7. Too often I forget how much I love blue cheese ~ thank you for the reminder!! I think I have to try all of these now...

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  8. A proper blue cheese should come attached to the top of a well-seared filet mignon. That, and you can put it in a salad dressing.

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  9. Oh, anonymous, this is not the kind of blue cheese you put in salad dressing...

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  10. I am a huge blue fan and am so glad to see these selections. Only so much Valdeon, d'Auvergne, and Stilton a mouse can eat before a change is needed.

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