Op dinsdag had ik een sollicitant voor Rijcomfortabel.nl. Aangezien ik mijn pak in Willemstad had laten liggen, moest ik deze op maandag gaan ophalen. Gelukkig hoefde ik niet zo ver, want ik zou in Rotterdam een vriend van mij ontmoeten die mijn pak mee zou nemen naar de Erasmus Universiteit. Het zou dus maar even duren…

Mijn terugreis was van Kralingse Zoom naar Rotterdam Alexander, door naar Gouda en uiteindelijk Utrecht Centraal.
Even ter opfrissing en informatie; het was verschrikkelijk smerig weer en ik was weer in een van mijn balsturige buien.
Na wat vertraging met de metro kom ik aan op Rotterdam Alexander. Ik sta met pakweg 30 personen te wachten op een trein. Dat is, we staan niet zozeer op de komst van de trein te wachten, maar we staan te wachten tot de deuren opengaan. Ik vroeg mij af waarom de trein – ookal is het op dat moment 10:12 en de trein 10:11 zou moeten vertrekken – 10 minuten vertraging moest hebben als deze al op het perron stond.

Naast mij stond een agent. Nu heb ik afgelopen week gehoord dat in Nederland mensen geen respect meer hebben voor het gezag van een agent, maar voor deze moest je wel respect hebben. De diender was namelijk zo’n 2 meter en 5 centimeter.

Ik wilde hem vragen wat er aan de hand was, maar zoals ik al zei; ik was in een balsturige bui.

In mijn semi-Rotterdams, semi-Brabants accent open ik met de woorden “Sjo, de arm der wet heeft lange benen, istnie?”

Dit werd op zijn zachtstgezegd niet gewaardeerd. Na vermelding dat ik maar een grapje maakte werd ik gered door het openen van de treindeuren.

“Nogmaals mijn excuses” riep ik en de deuren sloten achter mij.

Eenmaal in de trein aangekomen bleek dat de trein niet de intentie had te vertrekken. Een paniekerige omroepstem op het perron droeg dan ook niet bepaald bij aan het idee ‘in de juiste trein’ te zitten.

“Dit is een oproep aan de machinist van treinstel 5412 die stilstaat op spoor 1 van Rotterdam Alexander, u wordt gevraagd zo spoedig mogelijk contact op te nemen met de Centrale.”

“Ja deze trein moest tot stilstand komen met de noodrem” riepen twee jongens.
 

“En we mogen niet eens uit de trein” riep een vrouw die net daarvoor met de “Zugfuhrer” had staan praten.

Intermezzo:
Ik heb dat één keer eerder meegemaakt op Station Dordrecht.
Situatie: In totaal zaten we met 4 man in de coupé: Een vriend van mij en twee onbekenden. Ineens gingen de lichten uit en leek station Dordrecht volledig verlaten (op wat tumbleweeds na). Het bord dat nog geen 3 minuten daarvoor aangaf naar Breda en Tilburg te vertrekken was blank.
De twee onbekenden gingen op onderzoek uit. Niet omdat wij niet wilden weten wat er aan de hand was, maar wij dachten stoer af te wachten wat er zou gaan gebeuren. Toen de jongens terugkwamen met de boodschap dat er niemand in de trein, noch op het perron was en dat de deuren niet meer openden, sprintte ik in de richting van waar de hoofdconducteur had moeten zitten. Ineens was er een klein stemmetje dat zei “BOM”.

Ik tikte zonder aarzelen het ruitje in om de luchtdrukhendel (?) van de treindeur uit te trekken om (zoals vermeld op het plaatje wat er naast hangt) de deur open te duwen.

…

Dat lukte dus niet helemaal. We kregen met 4 man die gehele kutdeur niet open en terwijl ik het schrijf kan ik er nog pissig om worden dat zoiets mogelijk is (of dus eigenlijk niet mogelijk is).

Enfin, op momenten dat ik niet weet wat ik moet doen, doe ik onbewust briljante dingen: als ‘last resort’ trok ik aan de noodrem. Dat hielp niet, althans dat dacht ik. De jongens kregen daarna een andere deur wel open en we konden de trein verlaten (kennelijk zorgde de noodrem ervoor dat er weer stroom op de deuren kwam om deze te openen).

Ineens – alsof de Wieckse Witte fabriek weer openging – waren er weer mensen op het station en snelden er twee conducteurs op ons af. Boos vroegen ze aan mij – alsof ik er een gezicht voor heb – of ik ‘het licht’ (jawel) was die de noodrem had aangetrokken. Woester vroeg ik hen (met mijn hand lichtelijk bebloed van het ruitje inslaan) of zij ‘de lichten’ waren die ons hadden opgesloten in de trein.

Maar goed, dit was alwaar 3 jaar geleden, nu zat ik alweer opgesloten in een trein en ditmaal een waarvan de remmen niet goed werkten, of op zijn minst niet goed hadden gewerkt. Na 15 minuten ging de trein weer rijden. De meeste inzittenden verwachtten daarom ook binnen 10 minuten op station Gouda te zijn.
Het liep een beetje anders… Station Gouda werd voorbijgesneld alsof we net in Space Mountain waren afgeschoten.

Ik kan je vertellen… dan zit je niet lekker meer in een trein.

…

Achteraf bleek dat er was omgeroepen dat de trein niet meer te Gouda zou stoppen (en daarmee bedoelde ze dus kennelijk ook dat er niet geremd werd voor Station Gouda) en dat er eigenlijk geen complicaties meer waren in de trein.

Toen ik voorbij Gouda reed stuurde ik toch voor de zekerheid een smsje naar mijn vriendin dat ik in een trein zonder rem zat en dat ik haar – hoe kreupel ik ook uit de trein zou komen – altijd lief zou hebben.

Toen ik veilig uitgestapt was kreeg ik een respons:

“Appelmoes, witbrood (zonder zaadjes), raketijsjes van Ola…”

Ach ja, het is goed om te weten dat je gewaardeerd wordt…

La cinquième édition du Salon Passion Chocolat & Cie m’a permis de découvrir de nombreux exposants intéressants. J’ai notamment goûté à de la couverture chocolat du fabriquant Cacao Barry, qui proposait des dégustations de ses produits Alto et Sol du Perou ou encore Oropucce de Trinidad. Outre pour son chocolat, Cacao Barry est connu pour son centre multidisciplinaire consacré au chocolat : la Chocolate Academy située à Saint-Hyacinthe.

En continuant mon parcours dégustation, j’ai dégusté les produits suivants :

Le chocolat éclat de caramel de Nestlé avec du fromage fumé

L’expérience n’était pas très suprenante, puisque la dégustation chocolat et fromage est assez courante. J’aurai préféré goûter un chocolat moins sucré pour cette dégustation. Chose agréable, les morceaux de caramel dans le chocolat se mélangaient très bien au fromage gouda.

La fontaine de chocolat et pomme

Sous forme de shooter, les exposants de Trucs et truffes Chocolaterie (une entreprise qui se spécialise dans les fêtes de chocolat) servaient du chocolat fondu directement issu de la fontaine à chocolat. Le chocolat fondu recouvrait de moitié les quartiers de pommes. Bien que ce soit surtout les enfants qui se sont amusés avec ce shooter, j’ai beaucoup aimé ce chocolat que je juge de bonne qualité.

Amandes au gingembre de Maribel Blanco

Maribel Blanco commercialise des amandes rôties et assaisonnées qu’elle fait elle-même. Elle propose des amandes au citron, au tamari, au chocolat, au citron et amandes et mes préférées, celles au gingembre. Quand on commence à en manger, on ne s’arrête plus. Les amandes de Maribel Blanco sont vraiment excellentes et je les conseille à tous le monde !

Au final, à part un chocolat au fromage Rioppelle que je n’ai pas du tout aimé (mais il en faut pour tous les goûts), j’ai apprécié mes expériences gustatives au Salon Passion Chocolat & Cie. L’année prochaine, c’est sûr, j’y retrourne.

]]> http://misstiffie.wordpress.com/2009/11/17/im-a-mouse/ Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:02:57 +0000 misstiffie http://misstiffie.wordpress.com/2009/11/17/im-a-mouse/ http://johntebeau.wordpress.com/2009/11/13/for-haley-bread-and-gouda-day-13-of-30-paintings-in-30-days/ Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:30:53 +0000 jtebeau http://johntebeau.wordpress.com/2009/11/13/for-haley-bread-and-gouda-day-13-of-30-paintings-in-30-days/ http://richardtulloch.wordpress.com/2009/11/11/picture-postcard-pedalling-cycling-hollands-green-heart/ Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:57:28 +0000 Richard Tulloch http://richardtulloch.wordpress.com/2009/11/11/picture-postcard-pedalling-cycling-hollands-green-heart/

I rode a bike around a bog for five days and enjoyed it. Mind you, we’re talking about a world-class bog here; there can’t be many nicer ones than the Groene Hart (Green Heart) region of the Netherlands.

The Groene Hart, the area directly south of Amsterdam, is the Dutch landscape of the postcards – lush green fields where cows and sheep graze, old windmills turn slowly, ducks dabble on canals and barges glide under willows along the rivers. It’s the largest ‘preserved land’ area in the country; 1500 square miles of farms and nature reserves, dotted with little villages.

Poking up around its edges are the surprisingly interesting cities of Leiden, Rotterdam and Utrecht, so whenever my backside had had enough I could pull off the cycle path and check out a museum. Or I could research a local café, which in this part of the world means ‘bar’.

This was my sort of cycling – flat, safe, and with regular access to food, drink and beds. I hardly needed the gears on my basic touring bike and, even with my unreliable knees, averaging 35miles a day was a breeze, at least when the breeze was behind me.
It was vaguely disconcerting to pedal out of Amsterdam, perched on the dyke beside the Amstel River and notice that the surrounding countryside was several metres below the water level.

Until the Middle Ages, this was all swamp. Decaying vegetation formed a soggy peat layer several yards thick. So when the growing industries of brewing, weaving and brick-making demanded fuel, there it was in the Groene Hart, just waiting to be dug, dried and burned.

Turf-cutting was relatively lucrative work for mediaeval peasants, but it had a major downside. Drying the land caused subsidence, thus requiring more drainage canals, which in turn led to more drying, more sinking and more flooding, hence the windmills needed to pump the water back up to the rivers.

Now only the dykes are keeping the rivers honest and I hoped I wouldn’t have to stick my finger into one. Incidentally, the author of that classic 19^th century tale about the brave little boy who saved the land by putting his finger in a hole was Mary Mapes Dodge, a New Yorker who never saw a Dutch dyke.

Farming here is now barely economical, and environmentally friendly activities are subsidized. So the Groene Hart is becoming an area of lakes and bird sanctuaries, its old farms turned into homes for city commuters, mini-campgrounds and B&Bs. Agriculture’s loss is the cyclist’s gain.

I reached Leiden, famous for cheese studded with cumin seeds. It also boasts the oldest university in the Netherlands, whose most notable alumnus probably dropped out around 1625. He was a young tearaway called R.H. van Rijn, later known just as Rembrandt. The bridges arching over the canal offered an excellent lunch stop.

Then I went rolling down towards Rotterdam, Europe’s busiest harbour. By reputation it’s a no-nonsense commercial centre, devoid of appealing old buildings. On May 14^th 1940, as punishment for Dutch resistance, Hitler’s Luftwaffe bombed it flat, killing 800 Rotterdammers. The event is recalled by Ossip Zadkine’s powerful sculpture by the waterfront, The Destroyed City.

But Rotterdam bounced back. Instead of rebuilding in the old style, the city went for radical modern architecture, and very impressive it is too.

Most extraordinary are Piet Blom’s Cube Houses of 1984. His row of yellow boxes, set on their points, spans a bridge over a busy road. They look award-winning from the outside but could anyone actually live in a house with no vertical walls? One cube is open to the public, so I saw how they ingeniously solved the problem of where to put the bookcases and wardrobes.
Bars by the old Rotterdam harbour were uninviting, but I found one attractive cafe. ‘Can I get good coffee here?’ I asked the waitress. ‘They have better coffee machine next door,’ was the answer. I appreciated the honesty, so I stayed. She was right – the coffee was indeed average, but the food and service were worth tipping.

At the signpost outside the city I had a choice to make. I could fight my way into the gale blowing off Kinderdijk, where World Heritage windmills line a canal, or I could ride with the wind at my back towards Gouda. It started to rain. Suddenly cheese seemed very interesting.

Gouda has perhaps the most beautiful town square in Holland, dominated by a seventeenth century town hall in the middle. A wedding party arrived in a horse-drawn carriage, which sent tourists scrabbling for the cameras. The bride posed for us, then went inside for a very short ceremony – she was married in less time than it took me to eat a cheese sandwich.

30miles further across the Groene Hart I came to Utrecht. It features one of the world’s quirkier museums, with the cumbersome name Het Museum van Speelklok tot Pierement. It’s a museum of mechanical music.

I joined the free tour, as guide Pieter explained the instruments in Dutch and English.
We listened to delicate French musical clocks, pianolas and mighty pierements, the Dutch street organs.

My favourite exhibit was a musical cabbage. When Pieter wound it, tinkly music played, and a fluffy white rabbit emerged to make chewing movements above a cabbage leaf. That was it. Kids were apparently easier to entertain in the pre-Nintendo age, though the young members of tour group enjoyed the bunny too.

Most over-the-top item had to be the grand Heizmann Orchestrion, the 19^th century predecessor to the jukebox. It’s a massive structure of polished wood, formerly housed in an expensive café. Insert a coin and you get the sound of a full brass band blaring out. Unfortunately it only ever played one short tune, its internal cylinder being too clumsy and expensive to replace. Not surprisingly, the novelty soon wore off and customers left to find another café, with live music maybe?

Utrecht also claims to have Europe’s only Museum of Aboriginal Art. Kathleen Petyarre of Utopia was the featured artist when I visited and I enjoyed the guide’s thoughtful presentation for a group of Dutch primary school students, who had already been well prepped on Australian Aboriginal culture.

I’d planned to test out a Dutch farmer’s campsite for my final night on the road, so I could report on that experience. I really did mean to do it. My tent and sleeping bag were rolled up in the bike’s panniers.

But the rain was still around, so instead I tested two beers (both good), a Turkish meal (excellent) and put the bike on the train to Amsterdam (easy). From my second-class seat (padded, comfortable) I had a final view of Holland’s Groene Hart sinking in the twilight (very beautiful!)

TRIP NOTES:

Bicycles can be hired at most Dutch railway stations for around EUR8-10 a day. A day pass to take the bike on the train outside peak hours costs EUR6.

There are frequent daily train services from Amsterdam to Leiden – 33 minutes, EUR14.40 return, Rotterdam – 57 minutes EUR23.60, Gouda – 24 minutes, EUR18.10 and Utrecht – 24 minutes, EUR 12.10.

Getting in: Entry to Rotterdam’s Cube House is EUR2.
Entry to Utrecht’s Museum van Speelklok tot Pierement costs EUR8.

Entry to the Museum of Aboriginal Art costs EUR8.

Tip: A museumkaart (museum card) costs EUR40 and gives free entry to most Dutch museums. It can be bought in the museums mentioned, as well as many others, and is valid for a year. Visit over five museums and you’ll be ahead.

Guidebook: Fietsen rond het Groene Hart (Cycling round the Green Heart) is in Dutch, but with self-explanatory maps and a useful campground list. It is available at tourist information offices.

1 packet of oatmeal cooked in 1/2 c. hemp milk, 2 egg whites, 1.5 tbsp. almond butter, and frozen strawberries then topped/mixed with Nature’s Path Hemp Plus granola, raisins, crushed almonds and drizzled with Nutella.

******

I currently reside in the passenger seat of my mother’s parked white minivan,waiting for her to retrieve her stolen fish from HEB.

Today’s visits with my ED recovery team were interesting, to say the least. My nutritionist gave me an assignment for the week. An assignment that Mr. ED is not too thrilled to carry out.

The assignment is to write out a list of all the rules and tricks ED has set for me. And not obey them.

ED’s Top 5 Rules:
1. No laying down during the day
2. Stand at all times
3. Fidget whenever possible
4. Drink approx. 40 oz. of fluid with each meal
5. Do 10 minutes of pilates every day

!?!?!?!?!?

ED, Why the heck do you set us such STUPID rules? To control you. And why do we have to follow them? …….

See? ED gives us no legitimate reasons to follow a ridiculous set of rules like that because there are no legitimate reasons. ED’s only feeble and pitiful answer is: to lose weight and be skinny.

But lets ask OURSELVES: Why? Why is skinny better?

Does skinny change the person we are on the inside? Does skinny make people want to be our friends? Does skinny help us achieve our dreams of becoming doctors, artists, dancers, lawyers? Is skinny worth the constant fidgeting, restless calorie counting, sodium/carb watching, and social withdrawal from your loved ones? All that just to be skinny? A term that is subjective to each individual anyway?

Well guys, the answer is no. Being skinny is not worth the loss of our lives and dreams. I hate to be a negative bitch but here is the truth: with an Eating Disorder mounted upon your back and breathing down your neck, you will never accomplish anything. You will never have the energy to dance, the happiness to laugh, the concentration to study, the passion to paint, the health to have children nor the sanity to raise them.

And if you do accomplish something, that accomplishment will never be fulfilled to the best of your abilities. You’d be selling yourself short.

So please, disobey ED. Break the rules. Who cares if you appear as a rogue in ED’s beady little eyes? You have all the right in the world to act like a rebel and a miscreant right now. Go ahead, Be a disobedient scoundrel.

You are worth it!

I now reside in my bedroom, my buttocks planted firmly upon the white IKEA desk chair (haha!). My head is throbbing and my eyes feel like they are about to fall out of their sockets <— bad.

I‘m going to be very peeved at my mother if she passed her brand new cold onto me. The Waltz of the Snowflakes can not afford to lose me right now! My poor dance instructor has enough strain on his shoulders.

This Clif Peanut Butter Builder’s Bar did an excellent job at energizing me for ballet. Unfortunately, it didn’t make this Tuesday’s advanced class any easier BOO.

When I arrived home at 7:45, this delectable meal called to me from my kitchen table:Mom’s Sweet Bean Pasta (I HATE pasta… but this entrée is AWESOME), green beans, milk, and a fresh vegetable salad served with 1 oz. muenster cheese.

I’m not sure whether it is obvious or not but, I feel extra chipper today.

GASP! Do you think perhaps it is because I now feed my body enough to keep it happy? :O

Some of yesterday’s main food events…

PB CHOCOLATE CAKE OATS:

1 packet instant oatmeal cooked in 1/2 c. hemp milk and mixed with PB&Co’s DCD PB

Bluebonnet strawberry protein powder

1 deep chocolate VitaTop

Sunflower seeds

blueberries

I know the ingredients do not seem very chocolate cakey, but the product tasted like a fruity version of one to me

Grilled Gouda and Tomato sandwich on hemp bread with carrots and a sweet potato pancake served over a bed of lettuce. On the side: Oikos, blueberries, and almond butter.

Kashi Roll! Bar, chocolate peanut flavor.

******

I am dead tired tonight for some odd reason, so I’m going to go have my bedtime snack and get some rest. Remember, be rebellious

Have a splendid Wednesday tomorrow!

Hi world it’s 730am nao. Just pulled myself out of the damn bed and I’m quite proud because it’s an ungodly 730 on a Sunday morning! Just spent like 60k on 100 gouda pain worhxz.

Alright I shall go take my breakfast, and start reading some chinese essays andmake my way to yizhen’s house. Bye people.

Acordamos cedo, tomamos um bom banho, um ótimo café-da-manhã com direito a dois ovos cozidos com a gema mole (comi o meu e o do Dú ^-^) e claro Gouda, yummy.

De 5 de Setembro a 31 de Outubro estava acontecendo o Elephant Parade – Amsterdam 2009, em que centenas de elefantes bebês pintados por artistas de todo o mundo estavam expostos pela cidade com o intuito de, não apenas chamar a atenção para a situação dos elefantes asiáticos que sofrem de quase extinção, como também de arrecadar fundos para a instituição:

It is Elephant Parade’s mission to become one of the world’s largest financial support organizations for elephants. At the same time Elephant Parade events will attract worldwide attention as well as much needed public awareness and support for the cause of elephant preservation: Elephant Parade elephants will not go unnoticed by the wider public!

Como tínhamos apenas um dia, identificamos no nosso mapa todos os pontos onde haviam elefantes bebês e procuramos por eles no decorrer da nossa andança por Amsterdam.

O dia estava frio, mas pudemos aproveitar muito. Caminhamos no sentido do Vondelpark, um parque criado em 1864 lindíssimo. Ele é enorme, super bem cuidado e o outono é realmente uma estação especial. As folhas amarelas-alaranjadas dão um charme ainda maior ao parque e à cidade.

Depois caminhamos no sentido do Museumplein, a praça onde estão o Van Gogh, o Rijksmuseum e o Stedelijk Museums e a famosa frase, onde todos tiram foto, I amsterdam.

Caminhamos mais um pouco e infelizmente presenciamos um acidente… Pois é, como dissemos antes, aqui é cada um por si, uma moto estava passando, em velocidade, na faixa de bicicletas e um taxi estava parado invadindo um pouco a faixa de bicicletas, na hora que o motoqueiro passou pelo taxi o passageiro abriu a porta do carro e só vimos o rapaz e a moto escorregando pela calçada derrubando as outras motos e bicicletas que estavam ali estacionadas. Que sensação horrível! Mas pudera… todos foram bem imprudente, o motoqueiro, o taxista e o passageiro…

Depois de muitas fotos e muitos elefantinhos subimos a Leidsestraat, é uma rua bem comercial de Amsterdam. Tem tudo quanto é loja de tudo quanto é coisa. Além das lojas, tem muito pedestre, bicicleta, moto, carro e tram… tudo junto no mesmo lugar. É muito divertido ver essa dinâmica maluca!

Por ali fizemos um lanchinho rápido e barato e fomos em busca de mais elefantinhos… caminhamos no sentido do Begijnhof , que é um pouco para o centro. Passamos por uma feira de flores. Que delícia! As tulipas são as mais conhecidas, mas tem cada flor tão linda. Além das flores também tem muita semente e bulbo, mas é muito mesmo. Até a semente da maconha tem lá para vender. hehehe

Como já estava bem frio paramos para tomar uma cerveja (o Dú) e um capuccino (eu). Logo depois estávamos com o mapa aberto em um dos canais tentando nos localizar para voltarmos para o hotel quando um mendigo parou e apontou no mapa exatamente onde estávamos e nos explicou, com um inglês irritantemente invejável que caminho deveríamos pegar, que por sinal seria o mais charmoso… é a vida!!!

Fizemos um pit stop em um supermercado (adoro explorar supermercados em viagens e ver o que tem de diferente) e encontramos mais dois brasileiros por lá! Compramos uns chocolates e uma cerveja… o único problema é que não temos frigobar no quarto, mas depois eu conto o que fizemos!

À noite caminhamos mais um pouco pela parte mais movimentada e decidimos comer no Royal Thai, um restaurante tailandês bem simpático, mas a comida só era apimentada, nada de mais… esse ficou devendo.

Na hora de dormir trocamos de cama, o meu colchão era visivelmente menos pior que o do Dú… Quem sabe assim ele não dorme melhor!

Ah!… e amanhã… tem Van Gogh Museum! EBA!!!!

I finally took Dre on an Amish adventure to Lancaster County complete with a stop at Shady Maple Smorgasbord. I regret that I went to one of my favorite places to eat and didn’t take any pictures! Shame on me! We did, however, make a few farm stand stops on our scenic ride home where I picked up a beautiful head of  Cauliflower.  I knew I’d have to transform it  into a tasty creation though, if anyone was going to enjoy it as much as I would!

I recalled an episode of 30 Minute Meals where Rachel Ray make a quick batch of her Smashed Cauliflower with Cheese. I stuck to the basic parameters of the recipe but impressed myself with the addition of  shredded Smoked Gouda (from the never ending wedge in my fridge). The smokiness really enhanced the depth of flavors in such a simple dish. It was so good, I didn’t even have to pass it off as mashed potatoes, though you know I tried!

Farm Fresh Cauliflower & our Jack-o-Lantern

P.S. We also picked up a pumpkin on our Amish adventure that Dre & I carved for Halloween. BOO!

CHEESY SMASHED CAULIFLOWER
adapted from Rachel Ray’s Smashed Cauliflower with Cheese

• Cauliflower – 1 large head cut into florets
• Chicken Stock – about 3 cups, 2 cans, or enough to cover Cauliflower
• Butter – let’s say 2-3 T of the REAL stuff, no oleo here!
• Cheddar, Smoked Gouda, Mozzarella, Parmesan, etc. – (1)+ cup of your favorite shredded cheeses
• S&P

1. Place Cauliflower florets in a medium pot & cover with Chicken Stock.
2. Bring to a boil over high heat. Then cover & reduce heat to a simmer until Cauliflower is tender, about 15 min total.
3. Drain the cauliflower once tender, reserving the stock. (You could also turn up the heat and reduce the stock instead of draining, but who has the time?!)
4. Add the butter & cheese. Smash with a potato masher, adding in stock until you reach desired consistency. Think “thick grits”!
5. Season w/ S&P and serve. It reheats really well, too, so feel free to make a double batch to enjoy all week!

Så jeg drog altså afsted til Irland sammen med mine 4 fantastiske medstuderende med:

1 rejseforsikring fra Lærerstandens brandforsikring (implicit i min indbo forsikring)

1 hundedyr tillægsforsikring fra Gouda

1 gult sygesikringskort

1 midlertidigt blåt sygesikringskort, som reelt kun var et hvidt a4 ark med en lang række danske ord og bogstaver

Jeg følte mig nu rimelig godt forsikret. Jeg havde, ligesom de andre, gjort alt hvad jeg var blevet anbefalet. Men jeg havde nu heller ikke forestillet mig, at der skulle blive brug for noget af det.

Den første uge gik stille og roligt. Anne var småsløj med en god gammeldags forkølelse. Næste uge startede vi i praktik. Martin var temmelig syg i starten af ugen, men mandede sig op og tog i skole hver dag og sov så til gengæld resten af dagen til han blev rask.

Efter den første uge i praktik lagde Frank sig med influenza symptomer. Jeg tror det var søndag. Mandag måtte Pernille lægge sig i sygesengen med feber. Jeg havde en hoste, som kunne få alle nabolagets hunde til at glamme og mit hoved fuldt af snot. Men i de givne omstændigheder – med begge de 2 øvrige praktikanter på min skole syge – slæbte jeg mig afsted på trods af forkølelse.

Jeg hostede imidlertidig så voldsomt og så meget, at det nærmest var umuligt at gennemføre undervisning af eleverne, og min søde vejleder Joan forsøgte at få mig til tage hjem 2 gange den dag.

Natten efter gik det helt galt for mig. Jeg fik feber om aftenen, jeg var så rundt på gulvet at jeg talte dansk til mine irske venner og om natten lå jeg og klynkede: “Lad nu være med at lægge dynen over mig, din idiot” (på dansk) til den gode irske ven, som jeg indimellem overnattede hos inde i byen. Næste morgen kvindede jeg mig op, pakkede taske, gik til bussen, men måtte simpelthen sætte mig ned på fortorvet overmandet af et feberanfald. Herfra så jeg min bus køre forbi, og jeg kunne godt se, at jeg var nødt til at finde hjem til min seng hurtigst muligt.

Her blev jeg liggende de følgende 5 dage.

Jeg var hundesyg og Pernille ligeså hundesyg, så vi opsøgte læge i vores lokalområde. Vi medbragte naturligvis vores sygesikringskort, men vi kunne lige så godt have medbragt vores tivolikort. Der var nemlig betaling ved kasse 1. Sådan er det for alle – udlændinge eller ej. 70 euro for min influenza og en recept på tamiflu (som kostede 39 euro), 70 euro for Pernilles halsbetændelse og  en recept på penicillin (som kostede i omegnen af 20 euro).

Vi lagde os tilbage i sygesengen, hvor vi forsikrede hinanden om, at de penge skulle vi nok få igen, når vi kom hjem.

Der tog vi godt og grundigt fejl.

Da vi kom hjem, ville alle os med lægeregninger; Frank, Pernille og jeg selv, gerne have vores penge retur. Så Pernille tog kontakt til sygesikringen og blev herfra stillet om og henvist til 8 forskellige instanser og myndigheder. Hun blev endda henvist til at ringe til Hillerød på et tidspunkt!?

Det blev tydeligt for os alle sammen, at der var kæmpe usikkerhed omkring, hvor vi skulle henvende os for at få penge.

Hun vendte tilbage til os andre og fortalte, at hun var kommet frem til at sos.eu (som repræsenterer det gule kort) var stedet at sende skadesanmeldelsen hen.

Så det gjorde vi. Alle 3.

Jeg indsendte 4 kvitteringer (2 for lægebesøg/2 for medicin), en lægeerklæring, 1 specificeret regning fra lægen, 1 recept på tamiflu samt en afhentningsformular, som dokumenterede at medicinen var købt og hentet på apoteket. Helledusse da!

Frank fik et blankt afslag.

Pernille fik sine penge refunderet.

Jeg fik ligeledes et blankt afslag.

“Den offentlig sygesikring dækker sygdom/tilskadekomst på ferie- og studierejser. Det vil sige, at rejser hvori der indgår helt eller delvist erhverv, studieophold på uddannelsesinstitution, i udlandet, erhvervspraktik eller hvor formålet er at modtage behandling, ikke er dækket.

Du har angivet på din anmeldelse, at formålet med rejsen var erhvervspraktik, hvorfor den offentlig sygesikring ikke kan refundere dine udgifter.”

Det stod der bl.a. i mit afslag. For det første er de fleste af sætningerne selvmodsigende i en grad, som får mit dansklærerhjerte til at springe et slag over. For det andet drejede min rejse sig jo ikke om erhvervspraktik, men lærerpraktik som juridisk og forsikringsmæssigt slet, slet ikke har noget med min uddannelsesinstitution at gøre - hvilket jeg specifikt redegjorde for i en mail til sygesikringen, da de henvendte sig for flere detaljer. Jeg havde overhovedet ikke angivet “erhvervspraktik” nogen steder på skadesanmeldelsen.

AAAAAARGH!!!

Da sos.eu fik kigget nærmere på Pernilles sag, dømte de også den ude og forsøger nu at finde nogle andre ansvarlige, som skal refundere de penge de har refunderet til hende.

Jeg blev så vred, da jeg fik afslaget. Hvordan kan det være så svært?

Jeg startede med at ringe til sos.eu som havde givet mig afslaget. Her ventede jeg i telefonkø i 45 min (ja, seriøst!) før jeg blev kastet af linjen.

Frustration builds.

Så ringede jeg til Gouda. Det kunne da ikke passe, at jeg har betalt 500 kr for en 28-dages forsikring, som slet ikke dækker.

Damen i den anden ende var spejlblank og ikke særlig hjælpsom. “Ja, men du er jo kun dækket FORUDSAT at det blå kort dækker eventuel tilskadekomst/sygdom under rejsen” sagde hun “A hva’ siger du?!” spruttede jeg ind i røret “Så du fortæller mig, at I overhovedet ikke dækker sygdom eller tilskadekomst? Nå okay. Vil du så være så venlig, at fortælle mig hvad den her urimeligt dyre forsikring så rent faktisk dækker?” Damen var muligvis blevet erstattet af en standard-svarer, da der blev svaret: “Den dækker tab af personlige ejendele og hjemtransport” Jeg havde lyst til at tude. “Men min forsikring fra Lærerstandens dækker jo sådan set allerede mistet bagage. Og hjemtransport? Ja, men nu var det jo ikke en skide skiferie, jeg skulle på. Det var praktik som led i min læreruddannelse!” “Jamen så skulle du have haft en studie- og erhvervsforsikring og ikke en EU-forsikring.”  sagde hun med sit neutrale, automatisk-telefonsvarer-tonefald. “Nej, Gud, siger du det? Mange tak for rådet! Den kunne nok have været brugbar inden jeg betalte for jeres komplet ubrugelige forsikring. Men mange tak for hjælpen! Farvel.”

*klik*

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRGH!

Næste på listen var borgerservice – Københavns kommune. En kommune hvis forvaltning jeg mildest talt har haft nogle temmelig kafkaske møder med før i tiden.

Jeg kom dog rimelig hurtigt igennem og blev også stillet igennem til sygesikringen, hvor jeg ventede i 5 minutters tid.

Jeg var ved at eksplodere, råbe, skrige og græde på én og samme tid. Men damen i den anden ende var simpelthen så menneskelig og rar i forhold til den latterlige forsikringssæk med telefonsvarer-stemme, som jeg netop havde talt med, at jeg simpelthen ikke kunne finde ud at være rigtig sur. I stedet for trak jeg vejret meget dybt og indledte min lange redegørelse med: “Jeg er simpelthen så top frustreret over det her…” Hun var sød, grinede lidt af Gouda forsikring og kommenterede, at forsikringer jo ikke lever af at udbetale penge, men at sælge forsikringer – og gerne den slags som ikke dækker. Jeg kunne endda smile lidt med af det. Hun sagde meget ligeud at jeg havde været for ærlig. Jeg måtte ikke nævne ordet ferie i sammenhæng med ord som studie/erhverv/praktik. ENTEN ELLER forsikrede hun mig. “Så gå du op på din borgerservice med dine kvitteringer, krydser af ved studieophold og håber på det bedste. Og husk ikke at nævne ordet ferie, lov mig at du ikke krydser af ved ferie! Så har du en slags chance for at få dine penge.”

Jeg var så lettet over at tale med et menneske, som besad en smule empati. “Du skal tusind tak for din hjælp!” sagde jeg

“Ja ja, nu er det jo ikke lykkedes endnu” sagde hun

Jeg har gjort som den rare dame rådede mig til. Nu venter jeg på svaret.

Fortsættelse følger når jeg får svar.

Eating cheese late at night gives you nightmares, as illustrated by nightmare cheese child below. It’s probably a fact.

The reasons given for this are too numerous and complex to get into here in any great detail, so I turned to Yahoo answers for help summarizing the main points. Here’s what they said:

“I have cheese all the time…I love cheese it has no side-effects, wait…this guy this cute handsome guy always appears in my dream and he does stuff…lets not get into detail….okay im gonna eat cheese and go to sleep…lets see if he comes…” – Rose D

“Some (very unscientific) person duped everyone into actually believing that the moon was made of cheese! Imagine!  As the full Moon causes acts of lunacy and mysterious
transformations of otherwise normal humans into creatures such as werewolves and vampires and mosquitos, the Moon was seen as being very bad INDEED. Therefore, cheese would give you nightmares because it was what the moon was made of, and everyone is terrified of mice coming in the night to nibble out your brains when you are fast asleep having nightmares about vampires and werewolves and mosquitoes etc.” – Kiteeze

“my wife has nightmares , about cheese , she says that when she goes down on me she sees cheese ? i tell her its a new brand on the market called BELLENDER” – Deanobeano

So that’s that.

Because of this now scientifically proven trait, choosing your midnight cheeseboard does come with extra responsibilities. Do you really want to risk a good night’s kip for some easi-singles? No. You don’t.

Personal preference: nice bitta gouda. You know, that really really nice gouda you can get sometimes, that tastes creamy and nutty and generally fabulous. Or red cheddar, at a push.

I should admit that I have a deep-rooted fear of most soft or blue cheese, so my discussion of the perfect midnight  cheese is somewhat limited. What’s your favourite?

(In an aside, the automatically generated link below this article was entitled “Womb with a view: Is it wrong to spend every night with a different man?” My nighttime cheesing can’t possibly compete with a headline like that.)

Branza Brie

Este o brânză obţinută din lapte de vacă, cu pastă moale, coaja pudrată, comestibilă şi interior cremos, cu savoare dulce şi bogată. Originară din Franţa, este considerată una dintre cele mai bune sortimente de brânză din lume. Este monitorizată fiecare etapă a producţiei, incepand de la coagularea cazeinei din lapte, la sărare, uscare, tratare şi până la maturarea în pivniţe reci sau în peşteri cu multă umiditate. Se obţine din lapte integral sau degresat, are o coajă subţire, pudrată în ruginiu sau bej. Maturată perfect, interiorul galben şi cremos se umflă sau picură, dar nu curge când este tăiată. Are o savoare plină şi bogată. Brânza Brie este perisablă şi trece repede din faza de maturare la supramaturare. Este bine cunoscută încă din secolul al VIII-lea, fiind produsă într-o regiune din Franţa care astăzi se numeşte Seine-et-Marne, la sud-est de Paris. Actualmente, este produsă în alte regiuni ale Franţei, în S.U.A. şi în alte ţări.

Branza Camembert

Este o brânză obţinută din lapte de vacă, cu pastă semi-moale, coajă albă, comestibilă, cu interior gălbui şi cremos şi aromă ce variază de la dulce la picant, în funcţie de gradul de maturare. Este originară din regiunea Normandia, din Franţa. După coagulare şi scurgere, brânza este sărată şi suprafaţa este tratată cu o cultură specială de ciuperci şi bacterii. Cu cât brânza Camembert se învecheşte, cu atât această cultură înaintează mai încet spre interior, dându-i aroma şi consistenţa caracteristică. Când este perfect maturată, interiorul devine galben cremos, tartinabil, şi tinde să se umfle când brânza este tăiată. Aroma este delicată şi bogată. Supramaturată, adică maturată mai mult, capătă o consistenţă lichidă sau semi-lichidă, curge, este amară şi miroase a amoniac. Brânza maturată suficient este presată în cutii rotunde, de lemn, cu formă şi mărime standard. Denumirea i-a fost dată de Napoleon al III-lea, după numele primului oraş în care a gustat-o. Producerea ei este reglementată de guvernul francez şi monitorizată prin sistemul A.O.C. Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée), Controlul / Protecţia Denumirilor de Origine, asemenea multor brânzeturi faimoase. Este produsă acum şi în Germania, Danemarca şi S.U.A. Producerea unor sortimente de brânză Camembert, făcute în Normandia din lapte crud, nepasteurizat este autorizată de guvernul francez. Totuşi, datorită reglementărilor privind siguranţa produselor alimentare, care interzice achiziţionarea de brânzeturi din lapte neprelucrat şi care au fost maturate mai puţin de 60 de zile, acest sortiment este interzis să se importe din S.U.A. şi din alte ţări.

Branza Cantal

Este o brânză care se obţine din lapte de vacă, în Cantal din provincia Auvergne, Franţa.

Branza Cheddar

Este o brânză care se obţine din lapte de vacă, cu pastă tare, cu aromă ce variază de la uşoară la intensă şi culoare de la alb la portocaliu strălucitor. Este brânza cu cea mai mare producţie şi cea mai consumată în lume. Brânza odată închegată, este tăiată, amestecată, făcută grămadă şi fărâmiţată în particule fine, procedeu ce îi conferă textura şi aroma sa unică. Forma tradiţională de tobă, este numită cheddar. Denumirea aceasta provine de la oraşul Cheddar din Somerset (Anglia), unde a fost produsă pentru prima dată. În secolul al XVI-lea, brânza Cheddar a încântat turiştii care au vizitat Cheddar Gorge, un canion spectaculos din apropiere. Turiştii au început să cumpere brânză Cheddar pentru a o consuma la întoarcerea acasă. De atunci, brânza Cheddar s-a răspândit peste tot în lume. Statul Wisconsin este astăzi cel mai mare producător mondial.

Branza Cheshire

Legenda spune că romanilor le plăcea atât de mult brânza de Cheshire încât au construit un zid în jurul oraşului Chester pentru a proteja industria brânzei din acest oraş. Este un tip de brânză cu pastă moale, sfărâmicioasă, care de obicei are culoarea albă dar poate fi şi roşie sau mai rar, cu vinişoare bleu. Brânza albă şi cea roşie au un gust uşor sărat şi o textură puţin sfărâmicioasă. Se combină cu fructe proaspete în salate, supe sau sosuri pentru paste făinoase. Se poate prepara amestecând-o cu brânză dulce, cubuleţe de castraveţi, usturoi pisat, mentă tocată şi se serveşte cu legume proaspete. Brânza bleu are o aromă mai pronunţată şi mai bogată. Este ideală pentru tartine sau ca dres în salate. Toate aceste trei sortimente sunt excelente pentru gustări simple (pâine cu brânză şi bere, brânză topită şi bere), pentru plăcinte cu brânză, rösti (preparat cu brânză roşie, cartofi, ceapă, şuncă şi condimente), sau sunt un excelent adaos la tarte sau alte prăjituri cu fructe.

Branza Edam

Este o brânză cu pastă moale, de origine olandeză ( Edam, oraş în vestul Olandei, lângă Amsterdam), cu o textură uşor asemănătoare cauciucului, modelată sub formă de sferă îmbrăcată în ceară de culoare roşie.

Branza Emmental (Branza elvetiana)

Este o brânză obţinută din lapte de vacă, cu pastă tare, cu interiorul de culore galben pal, conţinând găuri mari şi având o savoare dulceagă, de alune. Este produsă în numeroase ţări, inclusiv în S.U.A., folosindu-se un procedeu originar din valea râului Emma, în Elveţia, datând încă din anul 50 e.n. Una dintre cele mai faimoase varietăţi de brânză elveţiană este produsă în Norvegia şi se numeşte brânză Jarlsberg. În pofida popularităţii sale, fiind produsă pe scară largă, brânza Emmental este printre cele mai dificil de obţinut. Se prezintă sub formă de roţi mari, cântărind între 9 şi 91 kg. Acestea se înmoaie în saramură pentru a se inhiba creşterea bacteriilor precum şi uscarea excesivă. Este maturată la temperaturi cuprinse între 22-27° C, timp de 3-6 luni. Se folosesc trei culturi diferite de bacterii, una dintre ele servind la formarea găurilor, prin producerea unor pungi inofensive de bioxid de carbon în cursul procesului de tratare. Deoarece fiecare dintre cele trei bacterii joacă un rol diferit în procestul de tratare al brânzei elveţiene, dozarea lor trebuie făcută cu grijă pentru a asigura o balanţă echilibrată a acidităţii, aromei şi frecvenţei golurilor în produsul final.

Branza Feta

Este o brânză cu pasta moale, proaspătă, albă şi sfărâmicioasă. Este cea mai faimoasă dintre brânzeturile greceşti, avându-şi originea cu secole în urmă, când ciobanii făceau brânză din laptele de oaie şi de capră. Astăzi, este produsă pe scară largă din lapte de vacă, în S.U.A., Franţa, Gemania, Danemarca, Italia şi Israel. Pentru a putea fi conservată mai mult timp decât cea proaspătă, brânza Feta este scursă, tăiată (“feta” înseamnă “felie” sau “bucată” în limba greacă), sărată şi aşezată în butoaie cu saramură unde este ţinută timp de 1-6 luni. În S.U.A., Feta este aromată cu plante, înainte de a fi ambalată. Aroma sa intensă şi sărată precum şi textura sfărâmicioasă face ca aceasta să fie folosită în salatele combinate. Adesea este tăiată în cuburi şi servită cu pâine şi măsline. Se utilizează foarte mult în bucătăria grecească.

Branza Gorgonzola

Este o brânză cu pastă semi-moale, cu interiorul de culoarea fildeşului, străbătut de vinişoare verzi şi cu aromă înţepătoare, picantă. Este una dintre cele mai vechi şi mai fine sortimente de brânză. Produsă în Italia începând cu secolul al IX-lea, a fost denumită după oraşul Gorgonzola de lângă Milano, unde a apărut prima dată. Astăzi, producătorii şi distribuitorii acestui sortiment de brânză sunt controlaţi strict prin D.O.C. (Denominazione di Origine Controlatta), o agenţie guvernamentală italiană care autorizează producătorii ce îndeplinesc standardele de înaltă calitate cerute de sortimentul monitorizat, să poarte numele original. Gorgonzola este produsă şi de S.U.A. şi de alte ţări. Procedeul special de obţinere a acestui sortiment de brânză constă în alternarea straturilor de brânză preparată din laptele muls dimineaţa şi din laptele muls seara. Pudra de ciuperci de cultură presărată între straturi duce la apariţia unor vinişoare marmorate, caracteristice. Brânza parcurge trei stadii de tratare care durează cel puţin 90 de zile. O varietate a acesteia este “Dolce Gorgonzola” care este maturată 3 luni, capătă o textură mai moale şi o aromă mai delicată faţă de Gorgonzola care este maturată până la 1 an. Se prezintă sub formă de roată care este tăiată în jumătate, pe orizontală.

Branza Gouda

Este o brânză obţinută din lapte de vacă, cu o textură cremoasă, interiorul de culoare galbenă, perforat cu găurele şi o aromă dulce, de alune, care se intensifică în timp. Este denumită după un oraş de lângă Rotterdam (Olanda), unde a fost obţinută în Evul mediu, în secolele V-XV. În secolul al XIII-lea, a fost exportată în alte ţări europene. Caracteristicile sale sunt forma de sferă turtită (este presată în matriţe cu această formă) şi învelişul cerat (se îmbracă în ceară pentru a o proteja şi conserva îm timpul depozitării şi al expedierii. Brânza denumită “Baby Gouda”este îmbrăcată în ceară roşie şi învelită în celofan.

Branza Grana

Este un sortiment de brânză asemănător parmezanului.

Branza Gruyere

Este un sortiment de brânză elveţiană, cu pastă tare, conţinând, câteodată, găuri şi având o savoare dulceagă, de alune. Se fabrică în Elveţia (Gruyère, oraş elveţian), în Franţa: în munţii Jura şi Vosgi. Este folosită adesea la gratinarea diverselor preparate.

Branza Mascarpone

Sortiment de brânză italiană, foarte grasă, nesărată, bogată în zer, cu textură tartinabilă, asemănătoare unei creme de brânză.

Branza Mozzarella

Originară din provinciile italiene, Latium (Lazio) şi Campania, această brânză proaspătă din pastă presată, conţine cca. 40-45% materii grase şi are o savoare dulce, uşor acrişoară. La început, adevărata Mozzarella era preparată din lapte de bivoliţă, dar astăzi aceasta este mai rară, fiind în general făcută din lapte de vacă. Se comercializează atât preambalată cât şi în vrac. Brânza preambalată se prezintă sub formă de sfere, de mărimea pumnului sau sub formă de burduf. Pasta sa elastică este foarte umedă şi de aceea, pentru a putea fi păstrată o zi sau două se înveleşte ermetic într-o bucată de folie de plastic şi se ţine la frigider. Pentru o conservare mai indelungată, se pune într-un borcan şi se acoperă cu apă sărată.

Branza Pecorino

Brânză italiană, din lapte de oaie. Vezi brânza Romano.

Branza Ricotta

Brânză italiană, proaspătă, albă, dulce, cu o consistenţă cremoasă, făcută din zer şi utilizată mai ales la gătit. A fost obţinută mai întâi în Roma, din zer de lapte de oaie sau din zerul rămas după preparea brânzei Romano. Astăzi, se prepară în Lombardia, din zer de lapte de oaie şi de capră, iar uneori din zerul de lapte de vacă sau de bivoliţă. Se face nu numai în Europa ci şi în S.U.A., mai ales în Wisconsin şi New-York. Pentru prepararea acestui tip de brânză , zerul dulce rămas de la prepararea altor brânzeturi este încălzit a doua oară cu substanţe coagulante, astfel că proteinele rămase coagulează, obţinându-se o brânză asemănătoare urdei.

Branza Romano

Este un sortiment de brânză cu pastă foarte tare, cu gust picant şi sărat, cu un interior granulos de culoare galben pal, care se închide cu timpul. Obţinută mai întâi în Italia, din lapte de oaie, actualmente se produce din lapte de capră şi vacă, atât în Italia cât şi în S.U.A. Brânza Romano originală se numeşte Pecorino Romano, deoarece a fost produsă mai întâi la Roma, din lapte de oaie (“pecora”, înseamnă “oaie” în italiană). Este probabil cel mai vechi sortiment de brânză italiană, fiind la fel de importantă în sudul Italiei, aşa cum este Parmezanul în nordul Italiei. Producerea ei se afla sub supravegherea D.O.C. (Denominazione di Origine Controlatta), o agenţie guvernamentală italiană de protecţie a denumirii de origine. Astfel, Pecorino Romano poate fi produsă numai între lunile octombrie şi iunie şi trebuie maturată cel puţin 8 luni.

Branza Roquefort

Este probabil brânza cu cea mai veche şi mai bogată istorie. Pliniu cel Bătrân o cita în lucrarea sa “Istoria naturală”, iar Charlemagne a gustat-o la mânăstirea din Vabres. În 1411, Charles al VI-lea, a acordat locuitorilor localităţii omonime “monopolul maturării acestui sortiment de brânză, aşa cum este practicată din timpuri imemoriale”. Parlamentul din Toulouse îi conferea în 1665 o denumire originară, protejând-o de imitaţii “pentru ca să fie la adăpost de contrafaceri, să se numească Roquefort, sub pedeapsa de o mie de livre amendă “. Este o pastă obţinută exclusiv din lapte de oaie, crud şi integral, în care se introduce un mucegai verde, numit Penicillium roqueforti care îi conferă aromă, savoare şi onctuozitate în decursul mai multor luni de maturare. Brânza este apoi transportată în peşterile de calcar din Combalou, aproape de oraşul Roquefort, unde se lasă la maturat timp de 3 până la 9 luni. Pe măsură ce brânza se învecheşte, mucegaiul introdus în pastă creează vinişoare verzi-albăstrui, conferindu-i o aromă intensă şi o textură cremoasă. Se prezintă sub formă de roţi. Pentru a se obţine o astfel de roată sunt necesari cca. 4,5 l lapte. Laptele se obţine în 18 departamente muntoase din sud, dar maturarea rămâne specialitatea localităţii Roquefort-sur- Soulzon din Aveyron. Natura a aranjat bine lucrurile, tăind în calcar falii, crevase şi caverne, cu un microclimat atât de particular încât acest tip de brânză nu poate “înflori” în nici un fel de pivniţă amenajată. Vara, ca şi iarna, temperatura se situează între 6-8° C, iar umiditatea este constantă. Un fenomen unic în lume. Este produsă din decembrie până în iulie, maturată în peşteri timp de peste patru luni şi păstrată în camere reci .

Parmezanul: o branza regala

Adevăratul parmezan, Parmigiano-Reggiano, originar din Parma (Italia) este considerat unul dintre cele mai fine sortimente de brânzeturi din lume. Actualmente, este produs numai în câteva regiuni ale Italiei printre care Bologna, Mantua (Mantova), Modena, Parma şi Reggio nell’ Emilia. Originea, producerea şi calitatea sa finală sunt foarte strict şi riguros controlate de legislaţia italiană, prin sistemul D.O.C. (Denominazione di Origine Controlatta), asemenea vinurilor. Astfel, sortimentul de brânză care poartă numele Parmigiano-Reggiano poate fi produs numai între lunile aprilie şi noiembrie, din lapte parţial degresat, obţinut de la vacile hrănite cu iarbă. Este sortimentul cel mai bogat în calciu dintre toate brânzeturile. Cunoscut încă de pe vremea romanilor care îl consumau ras, acest autentic rege al brânzeturilor italiene este fabricat şi astăzi ca acum 7-8 secole, în mod artizanal şi complet natural. Se prezintă sub formă de roţi cu margini uşor bombate, fiecare cântărind între 30-40 kg. Pasta parmezanului este de culoare galben-pai sau galben-auriu. Este moale, fragil, de consistenţă granuloasă, şi se desface în solzi fini. Aroma sa este inimitabilă, delicată, savuroasă şi fructată. Maturarea parmezanului nu trebuie să fie mai mică de 14 luni, dar în general durează circa 2 ani. Cel mai bun Parmigiano se numeşte “Stravecchio” şi are vârste de peste 3 ani, unii producători lăsându-l să se învechească 10 ani. Cu cât se învecheşte mai mult, culoarea şi aroma se intensifică iar textura se întăreşte. De aceea, parmezanul maturat este un sortiment de brânză cu miezul foarte tare, de culoare gălbuie a paiului, având o coajă subţire şi comestibilă. Experţii producători de brânzeturi apreciază calitatea roţilor de parmezan bătându-le uşor cu un ciocănel. Cele al căror sunet este incert se comercializează sub formă de răzătură de parmezan. În schimb, când acestea nu prezintă nici un defect, sunt marcate cu fierul cald cu o inscripţie caracteristică, gravată şi marcată cu puncte pe tot talonul roţii: Parmigiano-Reggiano, aşa cum sunt semnate operele de artă. În Italia se vinde de obicei în bucăţi tăiate din roţile de parmezan. Aroma sa intensă, complexă şi uşor sărată îl face un adaos savuros pentru supe, salate şi paste făinoase. Alte varietăţi de parmezan sunt produse în masă în Argentina şi în S.U.A., în special în Wisconsin, dar şi în New-York. Parmezanul american este de obicei maturat timp de 10-14 luni, adesea ras şi ambalat pentru vânzare.

Cheese Plate at Artisanal Master Class

44 recorded cheeses. Many more that went undocumented. When you eat more than 50 different cheeses in 3 days, you’re bound to have some favourites, the ones that slide over your tongue like a breath of fresh air or a gulp of caramel. You’re also bound to have some that make your taste buds feel like you’re punishing them with dirty hay. After taking the Master Class at Artisanal, I definitely have some new favourite cheeses, and unfortunately I now have a docket of cheeses I wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole. Ok, well maybe that’s a little harsh!

The Winners: My Top 10
(I’ll start at 10 and work up to the very best one!!)

10) Manchego, Spain, Sheep Milk
The Manchego was sweet, caramelly, and nutty all at once! It had a dry, grainy, crystallized texture that you could really feel between your teeth. It was actually not as strong as I had expected it to be.  mmm mmm! It was like eating candy!

9)  Fleur du Maquis, France, Sheep Milk
This sweet little wheel of smooth sheep is encrusted with herbs like rosemary, fennel seeds, juniper berries and bird’s eye chile. This cheese has such a fresh, herbal flavour that carries throughout its smell and flavour. You could really taste the terroir (where it came from) of this cheese!

8 ) Comte DOP, France, Cow Milk
Comte is a firm, pressed cheese with a claim to fame! It has been stated that one can pick out over 83 distinct flavours! Maybe my palette just isn’t refined enough, because while I tasted a glorious mix of baked bread, nuttiness, chocolate, butter and cream, I definitely didnt taste 83 things! Nevertheless, this chewy cheese is going to be fannnntastic on some toast the next time I can get my hands on it!

7) Alp Drackloch, Switzerland, Cow Milk
Alp Drackloch is a yummy, luxurious cheese that a big Swiss cow made just for me! (let me dream, ok?) This very rare cheese is made only in the summer in a very specific region of Switzerland. Like my last pick, Alp is nutty and toasty on my tongue and the strong taste lingers around for a while even after all is said and done… a great way to drag out eating cheese!

6) Sea Hive, USA, Cow Milk
When I saw this cheese on the tasting list, I was so excited! I had been reading about this honey-rubbed and salt-encrusted cheese for ages before I made it down to NYC! Sea Hive is a firm cheese that exudes a perfect sweet and salty flavour. The saltiness comes through strongly with a bit of a spicy bite. It’s so complex it makes my head spin – I had to try a few bites before I really could appreciate the whole thing!

5) Rocky Sage, New York, Goat Milk
Rocky Sage is a light, fresh goat cheese made by Coach in New York State… Coach, you say? A cheese made by a noted bag and accessory designer?? How could it be bad! I half expected the cheese to come covered in the Coach logo, but I was instead met with a cloudy white cone of smooth goat cheese. It was a tad chalky yet still crisp, herbal and even a bit spicy! Overall, it was a designer delight! (I didn’t, however, like the rind… but to each their own!)

4) Smokey Oregon Blue, Oregon, Cow Milk
Smokey Oregon by Rogue Creamery was the only blue to hit my top 10, and why, might you ask? Because every morsel of it was udder (excuse my pun!) perfection! It has a sweet and smokey smell, that translates seamlessly into the lingering taste. The smokey flavour is subtle, not overbearing and the 100% natural full cream makes each bite melt away. The whole cheese has a fudge-like quality! This is one cheese I might even drink a beer for! We were suggested to try it with a Rogue Brewery Chocolate Stout… which sounds pretty tasty, if I might say so!

3) Ossau-Iraty, France, Sheep Milk
Ossau-Iraty is a fantastic, firm, fabulous cheese! It is delectably smooth and goes down like a dream. It is nutty and fruity and sharp and sweet all at the same time, which almost seems impossible! It is a buttery concoction of ewe curds that will never get old.

2) Nettle Meadow Kunik, New York, Goat Milk
Butter. Cream. Tangy. Sweet. Smooth. Refreshing. Clear. All of these are fittingly used to describe this Triple Cream of all Triple Creams. Of every cheese we tasted, this was the most amazing creamy cheese. I can’t say I tasted it in bites, because it was so smooth there was nothing to bite down on! It slid over my taste buds and definitely left them wanting more… I had to refrain from eating my piece in just one big bite – I thought that might be rude! I truly can’t even put into words all of the wonderful things about this cheese. You’ll just have try it for yourself.

1) Gouda (Aged 4 Years), Netherlands, Cow Milk
If you love salty and sweet, like I do, than this old Gouda is just for you! It looks and tastes like caramel and butterscotch, with sugar crystals breaking through in each bite. It has a big, bold, lingering flavour that rests in your mouth like the chewy outside of a candied apple. The salt makes each taste complex and makes me want to taste it many more times! If I were ever to taste a cheese I might want to sprinkle on some ice cream, this is the one! I wonder if that would be gross?

And there you have it! 10 amazing cheeses! Next up, the ones that didn’t make my cut.

Please take this review with a grain of salt as this is the first drink I am having after my head cold.  That being said, this was a very nice  wine that opened with a strong aroma and continued with a striking dark fruit flavor.  The best part about this wine was that it paired perfectly with some aged gouda and hearty crackers.   This 2006 Chateau Ste Michelle Cabernet was bursting with flavor and spice.  I haven’t had many washington wines in the past and was pleasantly  surprised with the strong flavors and quality along with the cheap price point at around $15 dollars a bottle.  I look forward to heading up north and checking out some Washington wineries in the future.

3 stars

Detall de l’antiga casa de Waag (la balança pública) on evidentment el més important que s’havia de pesar eren els formatges

Family…

Karina’s lips curled into a smile as she rolled out of bed Friday morning.

It was sunny, and she almost felt the breeze that swayed the trees outside her window.

As she brushed her teeth, her thoughts were invaded by William Sonoma and his army of crafty kitchen supplies. Her mission was to make 12 blueberry pancakes for the brunch guests she’d invited. Karina couldn’t wait to draw out that new batter dispenser Mother bought her.

She got to work as soon as she reached the kitchen. Flour flew through the air, blueberries darted across the kitchen, milk was spilt and blood was shed (not really), but she got the job done and her batter was ready.

Uncle Ray and Mother helped Karina shoot the batter onto the stove using her batter dispenser while she prepared her own breakfast:A colorful bowl of Kashi GoLean stirred into 3/4 c. Kefir and topped with 1/2 Carrot Cake Clif bar, 1 oz. pecans, and strawberries and pineapple chunks. On the side she had 2 Morningstar sausages with a glass of 2% milk.

While Karina ate her scrumptious bowl, surrounded by the people she loved, a warm feeling filled her body as love and laughter filled the room. At that moment, she realized just how important a part ‘family’ played in her happiness.

Family kept her going. Family kept her smiling. Family kept her living

Karina’s day got off to a first-rate start. And thanks to tondu jetés, The Stepfather, and a beautiful girl named Emma Harvard, it ended well too.

***********************

For the first time in weeks, Karina felt awake on a Saturday morning. To her immediate family, this may sound like a downright falsehood, but it’s true.

She felt so awake, that she managed to bake a Banana Nut Cake loaf for her father’s homecoming. A hit with the boys at his Model Flight club! And her mother. And her grandmother. And her Aunt. And her brother. And.. oh, you get the picture.

With a glance at the clock Karina realized it was time to hurry the hell up! She had just one hour to eat breakfast, get ready, and pirouette off to ballet practice.

Since Karina was a junior company member it was crucial that her performance be top notch. She loaded up on a large dose of whole grains, quality proteins, and heart-healthy fats prior to practice.

She felt so grateful to have the opportunity to dance in BTH’s annual Nutcracker this year and planned on staying in it. Karina would not allow herself to starve herself to ruins this time.

————————-

The afternoon weather expressed the spirit and soul of fall. The day was cool and brisk with a clear, sunny sky that justified the burning sensation on everyone’s cheeks.

Karina felt so carefree that she could burst.

However, things were not perfect.

Mother and Father argued. They argued Friday night. They argued Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon, and they’d most likely argue that night and the next day too.

Karina was stupefied at just how childish adults really were. Adults her ass! People never grow up. They simply grow older. She was living proof.

ED came along and froze her with its’ bitter cold while everything else around her moved on.

That, however, was just an understatement. At times it felt like she’d regressed rather than simply not progressed.

Her interest in boys dwindled. She cried at her local Walmart’s toy section. She’d even throw a barbarous tantrum every now and then when she didn’t get her way. Karina became a four year old 16 year old and didn’t understand why.

**************************

Sunday morning felt equally glorious as the day before. The bowl of oats picture above only improved Karina’s already sublime mood by a landslide.

Karina discovered that she could cook an egg into her oatmeal along with the vanilla soy milk she used and add both flavor and protein to her oats. Crumble 1/2 a Peanut Butter Cookie Larabar and generously sprinkle almonds and blueberry jelly over the concoction, and you’ve got one mean bowl of oatmeal. Interested in making breakfast even meaner? Pair it with a cup of hot chocolate and you’re set.

Karina finished her yummy nummy breakfast and adorned herself for this year’s first Petite Patrons luncheon, which her dance studio created to inspire the younger dancers to stick with the art. She couldn’t wait to meet her “little sister”!

————————-

Two big, intimidated eyes stared up at her in awe.

“Hi, I’m Karina your big sister! What is your name?”

The tiny little girl continued to stare.

“Sweetie, you wanna tell me your name?”

Nothing.

As Karina looked around the studio at the other big sisters and their loquacious little sisters, she could tell the afternoon was going to be a challenge.

————————-

But she was wrong!

Karina befriended an adorable four year old fairy named Marissa who loves cupcakes, spaghetti, the color pink, and Ariel from The Little Mermaid. Marissa and her “big sister” danced like elegant daisies, colored fairy princess frames for her bedroom, and ate sugar cookies (well, Marissa did).

According to her mother, Marissa was super thrilled to go home and tell her daddy that she had danced with a “big girl teenager!”

When Petite Patrons was over, Karina mused on the luncheon as Father drove her home.

Marissa was like a naive little angel. So free and easy without a nuisance in the world except those purple frosted sugar crumbs that fell on her leotard. And so unaware of the calories that each morsel of cookie held. Oh and surely unaware of what the words “weight” and “food guilt” meant.

This innocent cherub was the most beautiful sight she had seen in a while and Karina now wanted that genuine innocence back in her life more than anything!

Someday, Karina. Someday.

***********************

Karina’s eyes flew open and a shriek escaped her lips as a beast clawed and jumped at her feet. Horrified, she leaped off the bed and readied herself to face the enemy.

“Meeeooooowwwwwww.”

Karina scanned the room for a sign of “the beast” with no prevail and left the room, satisfied that she had won the battle.

After that intense awakening, Karina needed some fuel to rev her engine. What could be better than a good ol’ bowl of carrot cake oats?

Her bowl consisted of 1 packet of instant oatmeal cooked in a 1/2 c. vanilla soy milk and one egg. It was then topped with pineapple chunks, a Weight Watchers carrot snack cake , and crushed almonds & sunflower seeds. Coffee and milk were served on the side.

The combination should have been banned for being too damn delicious/indulgent/satisfying/glorious.

Karina believed her favorite new Halloween decoration could use a few (or a hundred) bowls of Carrot Cake oats! or else he’d end up…in the Pinzon’s toppled graveyard!

————————-

By lunch, Karina was officially sick.

Nausea and weakness harrowed her body and she felt like yelling at anyone who crossed her path. Nope, she was not a nice sick person.

Even the oven was forced to endure her wrath as she howled at it to “hurry up and bake them egg rolls!”

This meal turned her vile mood around: 2 veggie tofu egg rolls with soy sauce, green beans, and an apple with 1 oz. of Gouda.

After lunch, Karina dragged her frail self up the stairs to lie on the couch, where she fell asleep with the physically hot and attractive cast of Degrassi: the perfect way to conclude an afternoon.

]]> http://curdsandwhey.wordpress.com/2009/10/19/it%e2%80%99s-all-gouda/ Mon, 19 Oct 2009 05:05:49 +0000 Curds & Whey http://curdsandwhey.wordpress.com/2009/10/19/it%e2%80%99s-all-gouda/ http://cultural-learnings.com/2009/10/12/how-i-met-your-mother-the-sexless-innkeeper/ Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:58:15 +0000 Myles http://cultural-learnings.com/2009/10/12/how-i-met-your-mother-the-sexless-innkeeper/

“The Sexless Innkeeper”

October 12th, 2009

In the season premiere, we essentially got a confirmation that How I Met Your Mother would be dipping into the well of the double date: after struggling for a few seasons to integrate a drama-free Lily and Marshall into the show’s set of couples, they kind of gave up late last season with Hannigan disappearing to have a baby. The result is that, while Barney and Robin are a newer couple and in need of development, it’s perhaps more important that the show use this opportunity to remind us of Lily and Marshall’s value (as a couple, individually isn’t really a question) to the show’s dynamic.

“The Sexless Innkeeper” is simultaneously a justification for why we haven’t seen much of their individual life since they moved into their new apartment and a sign that the show really should have been going out of its way to do so. I don’t think that they should have rushed another couple together, but the addition of a two-couple dynamic lets them play stories that they’ve clearly wanted to dabble in without much of an opportunity. As Ted says at one point, couples need other couples, and Lily and Marshall only needed another couple to bring back what I enjoyed about their characters.

It really only had two jokes, but one was clever and the other was committed to by four really great comic actors and featured a whole lot of HIMYM-style intricacies (like The Best Night Ever.com, another meta-website), so it’s a very enjoyable half-hour of comedy.

At the heart of Lily and Marshall’s courtship with Ted and Barney is the kind of marriage story that the co-creator who is married (I never know which one it is) has likely been trying to tell for a while. Couples do need other couples, and the episode draws this out into a full-on relationship featuring an awkward first date, a less than graceful brush-off, intense jealousy, and a tearful reunion in the rain. There were plenty of gimmicks the show could have used here, including the idea of showing the date from two different perspectives or something of that nature, but there was no denying the fact that Lily and Marshall were plain old desperate and kind of manic in their approach.

Instead, the show played the joke (the broader joke, anyways) straight throughout, simply depicting the various stages of a relationship. In the process, we got a fun callback to Ted waiting outside Robin’s apartment in the rain (as that’s how Barney and Robin met Lily and Marshall to reconcile the friendmance), and also a rather fantastic device in the form of Marshall’s photo montage videos. The Best Night Ever website may be the cornerstone of CBS’ viral campaign, and was quite great (“Creme Brul-lay-lay-lay-lay-lay” [And yes, I know it's not spelled like this, but I'm going phonetically here] was a highlight), but I was partial to the “Catsitting/Cat Funeral” combination which had me laughing a whole lot. The individual pictures were kind of fantastic (I’ll have to rewatch this one at some point), and more importantly it really fit Marshall’s character (who has a penchant both for song-writing and for being overly sentimental – heck, you could even argue it’s an extension of last week’s barrel storyline, as he probably has a song about that).

The other half of the episode was Ted off on his lonesome, although I’ll say I was impressed with how they managed to integrate Ted into what is suddenly dominated by couples. If the show’s problem before was that it only had one couple to deal with (which one could argue worked perfectly fine, although perhaps to the disservice of Lily and Marshall), its problem now is that Ted is the only person who is single, a fact which this episode used both for deprecatory and freeing purposes. Barney’s “Sexless Innkeeper” story brought back his quasi-English accent (hearkening back to the Bro Code), and was more importantly quite clever. I’d argue most things are better with rhyme, but I love any opportunity for Barney and Robin to gang up on Ted for being lame. Ted is a character who is often the most entertaining when he’s being put down in some capacity, so the addition of another couple consisting of the two people who most often knock him down a peg is actually a huge boon for the show and his character.

And it even afforded the show an attempt to tie the two storylines together, as the coda features Ted writing his own poem about the sexing of the Sexless Innkeeper by a young woman who loves the whole professor vibe, leaving Barney to head to brunch with Lily and Marshall and question just what he’s gotten himself into. It was a bit of a slight concluding note (as in, it wasn’t anything transformative or anything), but I thought it showed that the writers are very aware of the unique dynamics (for the show, at least) at play here. Despite this episode, Barney isn’t suddenly going to become someone who is comfortable in a couple, and he will remain envious of Ted’s single status and likely try to live through him vicariously in between ridiculing him for something or other.

Really, it’s the kind of episode that really connects with me as a viewer because it manages to give us a lot of little beats that actually all felt connected to these characters in at least a tangential fashion. To some degree, the episode played largely with existing character traits: Lily and Marshall have searched for friends amongst their neighbours before (Lily’s wine and cheese party, the creepy stalker neighbours), so it didn’t really break new ground. However, suddenly, the show was able to bring those ideas together into something that involved every character, Ted as the voice of reason trapped between them while still getting a storyline of his own. It made for a really complete episode that might not have been a laugh riot overall, but that threaded together its comic highlights with a story that felt relevant and suited to the series.

Cultural Observations

• Nice to see a bit of continuity all over the place, in particular the return of Ranjit.
• Interesting that Dollhouse does a storyline about a professor needing to hire an active to have a student/professor affair with the week that HIMYM decides whether professorship is attractive or not.
• Barney’s collection of hotel jokes were actually enormously lame, but Robin’s turndown joke was a lone highlight.
• Lesson learned: never sleep on the gouda.
• I love spoken rhyme because I’m instinctively trying to figure out what they’re going to be: totally called “Frisky” after “whiskey,” considering the poet in question.
• Loved Marshall refusing to discredit the underwater alien story (which really is a Barney lie, albeit a bad one considering he’s in a new and uncomfortable position) simply because it sounded so cool: it’s not that he believed it, but it was something he’d otherwise think was awesome if he wasn’t busy feeling shunned.

I must be on a Dutch streak because my cheese this week is another aged Gouda hailing from the Netherlands, though it’s often confused for an Italian cheese similar to Parmigiano. Roomano, not Romano, offers a delightfully sweet, butterscotchy taste like L’Amuse, but unlike last week’s cheese, this one features crystals scattered throughout the paste. Personally, I’m a big fan of crystals because I love foods with texture, so I happily crunched my way through this cow’s-milk cheese. The Roomano you’ll find will vary by age, anywhere from two years up to six.

While all Goudas are suitable for snacking, I imagine Roomano would be an excellent cheese for grating and using in an autumn gratin, like with the squash pictured above. This recipe from Allrecipes.com calls for Gruyere and Cheddar, but I think the Roomano would make a fine substitute for one or both the cheeses. Pinch My Salt also has a recipe for a butternut squash and sweet potato gratin that sounds divine (and my 2-year-son might even eat it), and swapping out the Manchego for Roomano would be an interesting variation. If you get your hands on a piece of Roomano and use it in a recipe, share it with us!

While at the Phantom Gourmet food festival in Boston last week I tried the newest cheese from Cabot – chipotle cheddar which was absolutely fantastic and I knew I needed to create something with it. So I did: Chipotle Cheddar and Smoked Gouda Mac ‘n Cheese.

Before I get to the recipe though it’s worth talking about what a chipotle is. At the most basic level, a chipotle is a smoked red jalapeño. The jalapeño is smoked until almost all the water has evaporated, reducing the weight of the jalapeño by around 90%. They’re used in many different Mexican foods and allow for a more complex flavor.

The word chipotle comes  from the Nahuatl, the language spoken by the Aztecs,  word chilpoctli by way of Mexican Spanish, it literally means “smoked chile.” Chil means “chili pepper” and  poctli means “smoked.” Now that you’ve learned something today, check out the recipe!

Chipotle Cheddar & Smoked Gouda Mac ‘n Cheese

Ingredients
12 Ounces of Chipotle Cheddar Cheese
10 Ounces of Smoked Gouda
1/2 cup of half & half
1 tablespoon of flour
4 tablespoons of butter
1 teaspoon of paprika
1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 pound of pasta

Directions
1. In a large pot bring water to a boil. Once it boils, cook the pasta like the box tells you to.
2. In a large pan on a medium heat melt the butter with the flour, paprika and cayenne. Once the mixture has become a light roux, add the half & half.
3. Shred the cheese and add it to the roux and cream until it has all blended together.
4. Strain the pasta and add the cheese sauce to it.

Corn Bread

Ingredients
1/4 cup butter softened
3 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1 cup flour
2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Cream the butter and sugar in medium bowl.
3. Add the eggs and mix well. Do the same with the sour cream and milk.
4. Add all of the remaining dry ingredients until the batter is done.
5. Pour the batter into greased 8-inch pan and bake for 24 minutes or until golden brown. Check with the toothpick test.

This is a northern corn bread recipe, you can tell because of its addition of sugar and a leveling agent. This same recipe can also be used to make corn muffins, but you may want to add some extra sugar or honey to sweeten them up. If you want to add some spice to it, dice up some jalapeño peppers and put those in. If you want a more authentic cornbread, bake it in a greased cast iron pan.

I served the mac ‘n chesse with a side of broccoli  because I don’t think cornbread counts as a vegetable.

5 new cheeses to try!  There is one thing that my girlfriends and I love…it’s cheese!!!  Nothing better than tasty, creamy, gooey, scrumptious cheese!!!  Have you ever walked into your grocery stores gourmet cheese section and not had any idea what to buy??  Hopefully after this, you’ll get some ideas!  There are just so many different kinds of cheeses, cow, goat, sheep, etc.  I can’t possibly cover all of them, so today I’m going to focus on a couple that I love…but take a chance at the store!  Give a cheese a chance!

Brie

You have probably had brie before.  It’s getting used more and more these days.  It’s a delicious creamy cheese with a soft skin.  My favorite brand is “Supreme” This is a great “go to” cheese to have at any party as a appetizer.  It’s great plain on a cracker, but there are so many more interesting things to do with it!  Since brie has a very mild flavor, it’s great with jams.  Try a cracker with some quince jam and a small slice of brie.  If you can’t find quince jam, try peach, raspberry or orange.  It makes a tasty little bite!  Brie also makes an excellent grilled cheese sandwich!  I love grilled cheese!!!  Try a few slices of brie, some sliced apples and a couple crumbles of blue cheese in your sandwich.  It’s a favorite with my friends!  Wrapped in puff pastry and baked is also an amazing appetizer.  And if you already know about brie and want to explore more, try a camembert or a blue brie (it’s a brie with blue cheese running down the middle).

Gruyere

This is a very tasty cheese!  It’s a great cheese to know about.  You can also have this as part of a great cheese plate for a party.  I add it in to a lot of recipes.  When I make mac n’ cheese (see below blog) I will shred a little and add it in with the cheddar, it’ll give it a hint of a nice rich flavor!  I will shave some into a casserole, or even put it on a pizza.

Burrata

This is my favorite brand.

Oh my gosh!!  Burrata is sooooo good!!!  If you love mozzarella, you have to have burrata!  It’s basically, mozzarella cheese with ricotta cheese in the middle.  And it tastes like heaven melting in your mouth!  You can eat this cheese anyway.  It’s phenom on a bed of arugula with some basil and a simple balsamic vinaigrette.  Serve it with heirloom tomatoes, golden beets, procuitto, or what ever you love!  So yummy!!

Gouda

Gouda is a great versatile cheese.  Gouda is made in Holland and accounts for 60% of the cheese made there.  There are lots of kinds of gouda, young, aged, smoked, etc.  It is great as an appetizer or as a dessert cheese and excellent with fruit.  Try it out!  You won’t regret it!

Mascarpone

This is my favorite kind.

Mascarpone is the Italian version of cream cheese.  Once you try it, you’ll be hooked!!  Try it in your next cheesecake.  I even spread it on a cracker and top it with a strawberry slice.  It’ll blow your mind!  It is a little lighter than cream cheese and has a little bit of a sweeter flavor.  Give it a try : )

Here’s a few cheese tips.  You should always serve cheese at room temperature.  This means leave it out for about an hour before you want to serve it.  When you’re making a cheese plate, make sure you always have a different knife for each cheese.  You don’t want your havarti tasting like humbolt fog blue!

Now, there are thousands of different kinds of cheeses, add a comment and tell us about your favorite cheese and what you do with it : )