Apologies for the
delay, the SpaceX stuff captured my attention and brought back shades of my former
life. Did i ever mention wrote the program for docking of the Gemini/Agena? Flight test stuff…
Yup, the end of the elephant (we won’t say which) has
arrived. The last lingering subject is
one that is dear to my heart. Some say
it’s the most perfect food (we won’t mention Foie Gras)… Fromage, сыр,
Käse;
Formaggio, queso, cáis, TUpi, ost, juusto, 奶酪, Just
about any language you would like to pick has a word for…CHEESE!
A big reason for this is there is such a a whole universe of
flavors, textures, consistencies, colors, changing all of these with age. It
starts with one thing…milk. Cow, Sheep,
Goats, Water Buffalo (huh?), or combinations of all. These are used either raw or pasteurized,
each giving distinct qualities to the cheese.
We won’t go into the process, but it is fairly simple andeach step can
change the characteristic of the cheese.
C’mon Feeder we didn’t just fall off the turnip truck, we know a lot of
this.
Okay, okay, I love cheese. Not all cheese, but most probably
my fascination was spawned and nurtured on our French Country Waterways barge
cruises on the canals of France.
And in looking for that cover shot from FCW has gotten me
all nostalgic..
..........You know what? Let’s
let the general subject of cheese age a bit more, and look back some 7
years. FOJTE has a saying “Living well
is the best revenge” and we had lots of “revenge”. The focus of the trip aside from seeing the
lovely French countryside was excellent food and wine, and of course (to tie it
back to the subject) Cheeses. It was
highlighted in the meals
A typical menu (all in French, as it should be)
Note the 4th course is Fromage and the wines are
two whites (Vins Blanc) and one Red (Vin Rouge) and oenophiles might note there
are two Grand Cru’s and a Premier Cru with hallowed names like Corton
Charlemagne, and Charmes Chambertin which we couldn’t afford today. Every meal was prepared by the on-board chef,
who explained each course. He turned out
lovely food in a kitchen the size of a closet.
Great talent.
At the end of the trip, they gave us a list of the Wines and
cheeses served
along with a copy of all the bottle labels from the wines
At least two of the three cheeses was served with every
lunch and dinner, that’s around maybe some 30 cheeses, with never a
repeat. There was always a little
“speech” about each one, country of origin, milk, characteristics and so
forth.
I had a little book which I kept over several trips,
noting in the margin which cheeses we had when, like the
Bleu de Auvergne from a Tuesday dinner
Anyway it was a wonderful (and educational experience). We “did” two more trips with them, and never
suffered from the “You can’t go home again” syndrome. And I didn’t even mention the three star
restaurants that were on the itinerary. One
of those still ranks as number one on my life list of meals.
Speaking of books, I found a more up to date one that is
worth having if you want a good cheese reference.
MFO recently found another that I have to read
(illustrations are by the same chap who did “Winnie the
Pooh”, and “Wind in the Willows”).
It was
originally published in 1937 and has changed nothing since that edition. At that time, English Cheeses were much
maligned, and this was an attempt to point out the fine points. Of course the first cheese that comes to mind
from England is Cheddar (named for the town in Southwestern England, near Bath).
I hate to delve into “what’s your favorite cheese” but I am
increasingly intrigued in “blue” cheeses.
Again there is a remarkable variety available. It’s one of those things where you either
love it, or don’t. I have a friend who definitely
DOES NOT enjoy it.
I think I have mentioned that I have begun to patronize
Murray’s, a New York cheese monger. They
have a pretty good selection of the blue veined stuff. I gave them an order a few weeks ago for some
Point Reyes Original Blue. I did check
the little box that said something about “may we substitute a similar cheese if
we are out of your selection?” well,
what I got was
Darn it I thought, but it turned out to be very good. Forced expanding horizons. Currently Murray’s offers
14 varieties (while supplies last) of blue cheese, some (e.g. Jasper Hill Farm Bridgeman Blue) costing
as much as $40/Lb. Not sure I’ll try
that yet…Anyway, if you order a half pound there are some savings
available. Not sure where I’ll go next,
Shropshire Blue interests me.. anyway
enjoy the journey!
Speaking (briefly, I hope) of books David Allen Sibley, a
noted author, illustrator, photographer, and birder has published a new volume “What
it’s like to be a bird”.
His (2000) “Sibley guide to Birds” from the National Audubon
Society is still considered (by many) to be the standard bird ID guidebook. So when this new book (What it’s like..) came
along, I figured WTH I’ll try it.
Turned out to be not only a good source of bird information,
but what was really a wonderful surprise was the beautiful drawings contained
in it. Even if you’re not a “birder” it
is a lovely book for your collection.
Might even be eligible for “coffee table" status
Okay we’ll put a rind on the cheese, and thank you for your
indulgence. I enjoyed my trip down
memory lane (canals?) in France.
Take care, be safe and get ready to
DFD
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