What is your Favourite Cheese ?

You can't beat a nice piece of cheese, and there are many good specialty shops and even supermarkets that stock some good ones.

Have a read about these, it makes your mouth water

La Fromagerie – Highbury and Marylebone, London

Town Mill Cheesemonger – Lyme Regis, Dorset

Yellowwedge Cheese – Twickenham, Middlesex

Liverpool Cheese Company – Woolton, Liverpool

The Fine Cheese Company – Bath, Somerset

http://www.lovefood.com/guide/producers-and-suppliers/11968/top-five-best-cheese-shops-in-the-uk

Well I've heard of pub tours perhaps we could organise a cheese tour ... just thinking

All the best Jan

"Wensleydale?"

"Find out how Real Yorkshire Wensleydale has been made through the centuries in our Museum. It’s like taking a trip back in time to when cheese-making evolved from a local product to the nationally loved food of today."

Don't you just love cheese - had a slice of the 'Le Rustique' earlier - delicious!

All the best Jan

Oh I was thinking of these two

which prompted me to buy some Wensleydale this week, hadn't had any for a while. Mild, creamy yet nutty.

I enjoy a bit of Wensleydale or Lancashire but my favourite is a nice tangy,crumbly cheshire,sadly threatened with extinction in recent years due to falling demand despite being one of the oldest english cheese types,a real shame if that was to happen.

Oh yes, I looked longingly at some cheshire too. Nice and red. Or orange.

chris c wrote:Oh yes, I looked longingly at some cheshire too. Nice and red. Or orange.

Or the blue which is as rare as hens teeth these days to find.

Blimey, I never saw blue cheshire. Well there was one time when I took some bad acid . . .

 . . .seriously, I had barely written "wensleydale" when I had to go and eat some. I have to be a bit careful with cheese though, it increases my consumption of oatcakes. Even at 5 - 6g carbs they start to add up.

If anyone is feeling adventurous ... why not have a go at making your own Yoghurt cheese!

How To Make Yoghurt Cheese – Labna


"Labna is a fresh creamy cheese made from strained yoghurt and possibly one of the easiest most delicious cheeses you can make at home. I love to make this cheese regularly and use it instead of traditional cream style cheeses. Perfect to spread over rye or gluten free bread or served along side Mezze boards and vegetable based dishes ... It’s also a lovely whole food and nutritious cheese that can be made into the most glorious cheesecakes or used as frosting for carrot cake ...

What’s great about it:
Labna is a live yoghurt cheese, packed with probiotics ! Probiotics are the good bacteria that reside in the gut. Probiotics support our immune system, aid digestion and assist with nutrient absorption into our bloodstream. Labna is also rich in protein that has a stabilising effect on blood sugar. Increasing your protein intake can boost energy levels, reduce mood swings, improve sleep, and sharpen brain function.

Ingredients + equipment

1 litre thick plain yoghurt with live active cultures
Sieve lined with muslin or cheese cloth
1 bowl
Glass storage jars
Cold Pressed Olive Oil"

- See more at: https://www.thehealthychef.com/2015/04/labna-how-to-make-yoghurt-cheese/#sthash.7f4hCgXR.dpuf

Words and picture from Teresa - do go across and see her recipe idea ...

All the best Jan

The humble Cheddar Cheese ... Chris got me thinking after he'd posted a comment on the low carb diabetic blog, where he recommends Irish Cheddar.

http://thelowcarbdiabetic.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/rarebit-topped-gammon-with-green-beans.html

When I buy cheddar it's invariably English Cheddar - but what about you?
Do you prefer English, Irish - perhaps even New Zealand.

Have you got any in your fridge?
( I have and it's English )

All the best Jan

Purely for eating I'm fond of a decent farnhouse type cheddar, nutty and flavoursome. My old man liked canadian cheddar so salty that it cut the roof of your mouth. I rate the irish cheddar for grilling because it turns a lovely orange colour, probably the cows rust in all that rain.

Yes the Farmhouse Cheddars are nice. I must have a look at the other cheddars readily available and give them a try ...

I do go for a medium cheddar, some may prefer mild... it's good to have a choice

Now I have just bought some Roquefort ... looking forward to that later

All the best Jan

I had turned up my nose at Stilton ever since I remember. The smell was enough to put me off completely. Then one day in 1986 someone persuaded me to actually try it.

It could have had something to do with the Taylor's Port that went with it, but all in all, need I say more about my favourite cheese?

Wobbly  

I love Stilton. I was once staying in a hotel and after the meal asked the waiter for some Stilton and biscuits. After asking him for a second time, he disappeared and was nowhere to be seen, I got fed up waiting. I went over to a trolley in the corner of the restaurant and cut a nice big wedge out of a big round cheese. When he came back he went ape, I did not know at the time they use a special knife and scrape the cheese off the top, to preserve the cheese. We live and learn.

I just buy a wedge from a 'deli'! I can eat it how I wish, and like the ripe, creamy stuff from the inside!
'Intoxicatingly delisioso'!

This week I have Cornish Brie, as a change from my usual Somerset Brie which perversely I prefer to most of the French ones.

Have recently enjoyed some feta cheese with olives ... did I mention the glass of wine too?
Very civilised before we eat our evening meal ...  

More about Feta here
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feta

All the best Jan

Here's one I never had before - Goat Cheddar.

Hard yet creamy with a subtle flavour. Unfortunately not a subtle price though so I won't be making it regular.

Someone in the shop was raving about the vacherin mont d'or which had just come in. I tried a bite and immediately treated myself to a big wedge. It's creamy and runny, a bit like Brie only completely different, with a slightly citrussy tang. Seasonal and expensive but what the hell, it's Christmas! Now I no longer waste so much money on all those carbs I can afford to shell out a bit for the good stuff.

chris c wrote:Someone in the shop was raving about the vacherin mont d'or which had just come in. I tried a bite and immediately treated myself to a big wedge. It's creamy and runny, a bit like Brie only completely different, with a slightly citrussy tang. Seasonal and expensive but what the hell, it's Christmas! Now I no longer waste so much money on all those carbs I can afford to shell out a bit for the good stuff.

I confess not heard of that cheese before must give it a try sometime, I do like Brie but my all time favourite is a good strong mature Cheddar and we have a good selection at the local market

We do quite often have Camembert Cheese but a word of warning I saw this article today ...

4th February 2016

Sainsbury's recalls Camembert products over Listeria risk

What should you do if you have Sainsbury’s Camembert?

Sainsbury's has issued a recall for a number of Camembert products. The Taste the Difference French Camembert Cheese 250g, Taste the Difference Baking Camembert Cheese 250g and Camembert Pays 250g may contain Listeria monocytogenes

Please read more here

http://money.aol.co.uk/2016/02/04/sainsbury-s-recalls-camembert-products-over-listeria-risk/?icid=maing-grid7%7Cuk%7Cdl6%7Csec3_lnk6%26pLid%3D426965

CAUTION

Following on from my post above ... can I also bring your attention to this news

Asda and Co-Op latest to recall Camembert over potentially deadly bacteria

Reported on 9th February here

http://money.aol.co.uk/2016/02/09/asda-and-co-op-latest-to-recall-camembert-over-potentially-deadl/

"If you have bought any of the affected Camembert from Sainsbury's, Asda or the Co-op, it's therefore worth taking it back to the shop for a refund. It's also a good idea to sign up to email alerts from the Food Standards Agency, so you are among the first to hear of any recalls in future."

Always best to take care

All the best Jan

Oh good grief! Can no-one make cheese properly any more? Well here's a clue, most small producers can. After a wedge of Jarlsberg I just bought some more vacherin mont d'or which is still available, a bit like Brie with a turbocharger. Meanwhile the Irish cheddar has vanished from the supermarket shelves and most of the remaining cheddars look factory-made and don't bake nearly as well. Bugger the expense, I'll be exclusively using the cheese shop from now on.

There are just so many wonderful cheeses ... went to Waitrose today and they have a nice Cornish Cheddar, made with 100% Cornish milk ! Davidstow Cornish Quartz, it's extra mature cheddar ! Yum !

Supermarkets are good but if you've got a cheese shop near you ... even better!

All the best Jan