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+++Enter At Your Own Risk+++ At the gentle nudging (I said gentle y'all) of a few friends, I have started these blogs in order to share my culinary goings-on and daily misadventures through my own brand of humor (ok, sarcasm). I just write about stuff! At 50, I have learned that living has gotten in the way of life - and I am going to blaze my own personal trail to fun (hopefully)! If it is feminine, great. If it is not, so much the better! Hopefully fun that does not land me in jail............

Friday, December 24, 2010

In The Cheese Now

“Cheese - milk's leap toward immortality”.
     ~Clifton Paul Fadiman

I just returned from a trip to see my daughter and her beau in Providence RI.  On this trip I was treated to some really wonderful meals and food items from all manner of sources.  One night as I was sewing on a skirt for daughter, beau served up adult slim jims (preserved meats) and this one cheese. The cheese was granulated - almost crunchy. The flavor was great! When I say great, I mean both big and wonderful!

I was forced to go on the search for this cheese!  OK, daughter and beau knew exactly where to find it - but I sure was obsessed about getting some of this cheese!

Beemster X.O. Extra DOUBLE Aged artisan Dutch Gouda
Produced in the Beemster Polder lowland in North Holland.
Cows that produce the milk for this cheese graze on pesticide-free pastures growing on blue sea clay. This gives the milk a sweeter flavor and a softer/creamier texture in the cheeses. Like real champagne only comes from the Champagne region of France, Beemster cheese can only come from the Beemster Polder. How fru-fru is that?

Beemster and Ben & Jerry’s Europe joined forces creating the Caring Dairy Initiative. Cows graze freely Spring thru fall. This results in a better milk and better treatment of the cows producing the milk. It sounds to me like the California Happy Cows campaign is not that original!

Now, most sites will say that the flavor of the Beemster X.O. Gouda hints at Butterscotch, whiskey and pecan.  I say IT IS JUST PLAINLY GREAT TASTING CHEESE!  I have no idea about these delicate nuances. I just know that I really like the cheese.  Considering that I have issues with consuming aged cheeses it says a lot that I risked it - and so far so good!

This cheese would work well grated and served in the place of parmesan…
Aged 26 months
$17.99 per pound
Texture: Brittle

1 comment:

  1. That sounds decadent! There's a cheese that I discovered at Earth fare that I'll have to introduce you to, when I can remember the whole name of it. It's a blue/Camembert style cheese w/ whole mustard seeds and ale in it, and the word Dragon in the name. It tastes like you're eating a warm, crusty club sandwich just from eating the cheese alone. We'll have to hit the Earth fare cheese section together on the next Epic Shopping Trip! :)

    ~ Dawn

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