King Of Cheeses
A couple on months ago we all established that cream of mushroom was the king of soups. As part of one of most laid-back series ever to hit the web, we’re looking at cheeses.
Personal cheeses
Like the best of all food, you have to look to Italy, where you have dolcelatte, gorgonzola and mascarpone. Mozzarella is among the finest of all the cheeses when it’s good. I mean moist and stringy almost, not when it’s dried out and rubbery. Provolone is incredible in sandwiches - sharp and a little grainy. Have that with mustard and it’s a riot of flavours.
Soft cheeses I can give or take. Stilton’s awesome. A nice stilton on digestive biscuits. Cheddar’s great with beer, too.
Ou sont les fromages?
Notice I didn’t mention any French varieties. I am aware of their work. Pont l’Eveque is good, roquefort as well. Emmental is good, but technically it’s Swiss.
You know what’s nice? Right now I am on a train and there are no announcements. It’s really really nice.
This post terminates here.
December 11th, 2007 at 10:41 am
I like big cheeses and I cannot lie.
I’m a big fan of taking three slices of bread, some cheddar, and some Red Leicester, and making stripy cheese-on-toast.
December 11th, 2007 at 11:17 am
Nice. I love cheese, me.
December 11th, 2007 at 2:18 pm
manchego’s where it’s at.
December 11th, 2007 at 5:01 pm
“Personal cheeses”
Not to be confused with cheeses of Nazareth?
December 11th, 2007 at 5:34 pm
I used to make it my mission (and anyone I worked with) to ask any celeb what their favourite cheese is.
You can tell masses from a person’s favourite cheese - anyone that just says ‘cheddar’ and doesn’t qualify it with ‘mature’ or ‘farmhouse’ is plain boring.
Similarly, I like someone who goes for something out of the ordinary, like an Y Fenni, for example, or perhaps a Gruyere.
Paul Weller, for example, said Strong mature cheddar, which I reckon sums him up. Shayne Ward, however, was totally nonplussed by the question and didn’t have a clue.
I rest my case!
December 11th, 2007 at 8:48 pm
Welcome Frank - nice? I will try it.
Helen - The very same. See you in hell.
Rob - I remember this about you. I don’t totally agree. I think if it’s a favourite, then THEY must like it. It might not be your cup of cheese, but it depends what you’re looking for in a person. As a companion and confidante, I could warm to a cheedarite. Not to put you off, though. It’s always good to hear from you.
December 11th, 2007 at 10:56 pm
I had some “Yorkshire Blue” t’other day. Put some Stiltons to shame
Any cheese and Port as well, and then some more Port, and pickled onions, oh and fecth me a mince pies as well.
Did mulagawtawny get discussed in the soup post?
December 11th, 2007 at 11:29 pm
I used to really like Gouda, Muenster, and Edam. I haven’t had any of those in years.
They make a medium-sharp cheddar mixed with really dark port that I used to like. Nowadays it’s too something or other.
Monterrey Jack is good if it’s the right temperature, and Colby is nice too, and when mixed together and marbled it can be good- unless it gets too dry. Then it’s a problem.
Sadly, I can no longer eat cheese in much quantity, so I have to nibble on mouse-sized portions.
I think my current favorite cheese though, is somthing I can’t remember the name of. But it squeaks when you eat it.
December 11th, 2007 at 11:54 pm
Hmm, I’m with Ed on the Muenster. That is some very fine cheese. But I think I’m quite boring at heart because plain cheddar is my number one.
Cliff, have you tried the cheese in soup yet? It is fab. Just give it a go.
December 12th, 2007 at 9:05 am
Halloumi cheese squeaks when you eat it and is very good grilled or dry-fried.
I am not sure I could back just one king of cheese. I could never choose between Canadian extra mature cheddar, parmesan, buffalo mozzarella, crumbled feta, Boursin with black pepper, dolcelatte or Passchendaele. That’s not even starting on Stilton with stem ginger, Wensleydale, chevre, Camembert, Brie or any number of other delicious French cheeses.
December 12th, 2007 at 10:01 am
Helen G - Excellent!
Fontina is not the King of Cheese, but certainly is an HRH.
December 12th, 2007 at 12:30 pm
Also, I hate to point this out, but we did not all agree that cream of mushroom was the king of soups. My recollection is that cream of tomato carried the day. Just saying.
December 12th, 2007 at 1:35 pm
^ ^ ^ ^
You are right Katy
December 12th, 2007 at 1:43 pm
Oh, but I beg to differ- a New England Clam Chowder is a better soup than either the Cream of Mushroom OR the Cream of Tomato.
December 12th, 2007 at 10:00 pm
Cream of tomato with what in it?
That’s right.
CHEESE.
I think we’ve come full circle.
December 12th, 2007 at 10:22 pm
Gruyere - the bestest cheese ever! (not the vintage one though), a fabulously ripe Brie or Camembert… Jarlsberg… all absolutely delish!
I haven’t tried so many of the cheeses you all mentioned though… we should have a cheesefest chez Cliff! (as long as he promises not to serve us with Mushroom soup as a starter lol!)
December 12th, 2007 at 11:03 pm
Inky - Welcome. You get a “welcome” as all first time commenters do. Don’t be embarassed, as I’ll soon get complacement. Mulagawtawny is a new one to me, and no it didn’t. I don’t know if you caught that post, things got so crazy with that post that readers were advocating putting cheese in soup in their post, so that really raises the bar.
Ed doesn’t know his favourite cheese, but can identify it by sound alone from very small portions. How fitting that a cheese squeeks when you eat it, it’s almost aware of its own mortality. It’s like a chicken that makes a noise like a fox when you bite it.
Wendy - you know what’s really nice with cheese? Get some tomatoe soup and just pour it all over your cheese. Lovely.
Kathryn - The is nothing wrong with cheddar of its fans.
Katy - LALALALALALALALALALACREAMOFMUSHROOMLALALALALALA
Emom - ^^^^^^^^^^^
Ed - Clam chowder is pretty good though. That could be my number 2 soup.
Chairwoman - fontina keeps the title and the house and is patron of several charities.
Sooz - Jarlsberg is ok, but camembert goes into my Room 101 of cheeses on account of being the lesser of the brie/camembert double act. There are no statues to Ernie Wise.
CHEESEFEST!!!!!! (said to the jubilant cries of “Roadtrip!!!!”) “Hello Cathedral City!!!”
Wendy is laughing about the phrase “my number 2 soup”.
December 12th, 2007 at 11:31 pm
Hey - cream of tomato wasn’t my King of Soup either. None of my Oligarchs of Soup (minestrone, chicken or mulligatawny) went home with the prize. I feel your pain.
December 13th, 2007 at 5:39 pm
I’m a cream of tomato man, myself. Not that I can figure out how you can make cream from tomatoes. Do you milk them?