The cheese blog is officially famous. A fellow blogger I do not know outside of cheeseland a) read my blog, b) wrote about my blog on her blog, and c) gave me a "Dinosaur Mom Seal of Approval"! Awesome!
Other notes of follow-up:
- I am officially accepting "Cheesekate" as a worthy nickname.
- Kate "the Cheesinator" is the next in the line-up for possible nicknames.
- The cheese diet is not making me gain weight. That being said, I have not lost any, either.
- My cheese radar (cheedar, anyone?) is definitely perking up. I see articles, recipes, and connections to cheese everywhere! Think "Beautiful Mind" wild newspaper scene. With cheese. Without schizophrenia.
This week, I aimed to add another country to the World Map of Cheese. We hopped across the pond for the "King of English Cheeses," Stilton.
I wanted to make something quick and easy for lunch, and after reading the description for Stilton, I thought I would go for cheese and crackers. However, once I got a whiff of this stuff, I knew I would be booted from the lunch table. It's one thing to eat smelly cheese in the privacy of your own home, it's another to force the smell of "Harmless Blue Mold" on unsuspecting lunch friends. (Check out the label ingredients!)
I assessed the situation. I Googled. I checked the pantry. Mainly, I Googled.
Now I present you with: Stilton Mashed Potato with Toasted Walnuts.
Stilton
Price: $17.99/lb
Smell: Whoa! Pungent blue cheese
Step One: Throw out melting blue spatula. Remember that blue spatula that melted on my paneer? I need not heed my instructions to melting the spatula in frying cheese. Somehow, I thought it could be used to stir cubed boiling potatoes. This was a no-go. I had to switch to another non-heat resistant (I know, I know) spatula. The blue one is in the trash now. I didn't even give it three strikes. Fool the cheese blog twice, and you're out.
Step Two: Escape the grater! I was so excited that no grating was involved this week. The cheese just fell apart. I used my food processor to "mash" the potatoes. I ended up with something closer to cheese and potato soup.
Step Three: Enjoy. After my daring adventure of blue spatulas and potatoes to soup, the result was very tasty. Overnight, the Stilton flavor became even heartier in "mashed potato soup." Made for a tasty (and less smelly) lunch.
Final thoughts: There is definitely a time and place for Stilton, a creamier and stronger kind of blue cheese. The smell was a bit off-putting for me. I can't see feeling the need for Stilton anytime in the near future, and really don't know where the "King of English Cheeses" platitude comes from. However, it wasn't boring (Monterey Jack) or super salty (Pecorino Romano). I'll award it fourth place, but it should really consider itself third from last.
End tally: Manchego > Paneer> Comte > Stilton > Pecorino Romano > Monterey Jack
Posts
I think that the white spatula pictured above was the one that melted on us the other night 7;^)
ReplyDeleteThe 'Stilton-cream of Potato Soup' was delicious, and didn't seem to scare off fellow lunch patrons - i.e. 'the super sniffer'
Wow, you got the "Dinosaur Mom Seal of Approval"??? That sounds like a really big honor. Then again, I really like dinosaurs...
ReplyDeleteYay for no grating!
Annie
I love the fact that "harmless blue mold" is in the ingredient list :-)
ReplyDeleteI love the posts. I am happy to keep linking. Email me if you find/post something that you really like.
ReplyDelete*Nothing* is easy to find in Howard County, so I'm impressed you found that Harris Teeters. I hope that HowChow helps. Definitely check out Roots and My Organic Market for cheese. My wife is huge fan of fun cheese so we go to the Whole Foods in Silver Spring or downtown Baltimore and even the Wegmans if we happen to be close.
Brent
Do you really think Stilton is smelly ? It really is a comparatively mild cheese and doesn't have a pungent aroma. Limburger smells, and so does Vieux Lille, but surely not Stilton. I like your recipes !
ReplyDeleteDave