Favorite cheeses!!

[Gypsy]

I love cheese. Lots of cheeses.

My new favorite is called Moo-Na Lisa http://blog.sigonas.com/2011/01/11/moo-na-lisa-cheese-is-back/ Soooo good!

Other loves:
A good cave aged Gruyere
St. Agur Blue http://iledefrancecheese.com/images/Cheeses/St.Agur/pic-2.jpg
Brie de Meaux http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/79/Boite_de_Brie_de_Meaux.JPG
Old Amsterdam aged Gouda http://www.cheezwhse.com/prodimages/1749.jpg
Saenkanter http://www.cheezwhse.com/prodimages/44260.jpg
And a good http://www.gourmet-food.com/ProductImages/Cotswold_P082510.jpg (Trader Joes version isn't very good. Not sharp enough and waxy. And not enough onion and chive.)
Great extra sharp cheddar like Black Diamond Reserve

One of my favorite dinners is a selection of cheese some crackers or bread and some apples or grapes. Almonds. Maybe some honey, or quince spread.

What are your favorite cheeses?

 

[monarch64]

So fancy, Gypsy!!!

I like a good Stilton, sometimes flavored with apricot.
I also love a nice, smoked gouda.

I will still eat grilled cheese made with cheap sliced wheat bread and generic deli white "American" and "Swiss." That's my go-to comfort food when it's really cold outside and I eat those with canned (typically Progresso) tomato soup.

Otherwise, I'm not a big cheese eater, unless the cheese is on a pizza I did not make.

I've been saying for 10 years now that I would love to go from vegetarian to vegan...it's the love of pizza that keeps me from doing so!

 

[Karl_K]

5 to 10 year old sharp cheddar.

 

[Gypsy]

I love a good grilled cheese! With american, preferrably.

It sounds fancy. But honestly, it's just lazy. Cheese keep well if you store them right. And on work nights it's a quick 5 minute prep just to grab everything and have dinner. And while yes, the cheeses are pricey, it's still cheaper than eating out.

Karl, I love a good aged cheddar as well. So good.

 

[TooPatient]

I had an absolutely spectacular aged gouda a couple of years ago. I think it was called midnight something. Anyway, at a huge price (around $50+ per pound ) I got a little sliver as a special treat. (I LOVE Whole Foods "cheese cuts" basket! Little nibbles to try of something I couldn't bring myself to buy in a larger piece)

Smoked gouda. I think the one I liked was the 2 year or 5 year.

White cheddar from New Zealand.

Manchego -- 6 month is creamy & yummy, 12 month is firmer and nuttier, 2 year is firmer and intense. Can't pick a favorite.

 

[monarch64]

We've gotten fantastic deals on gouda at both Sam's Club (hmm, I think $7 for 2 lbs?) and Aldi (a half lb wedge for $1.49) at times. Mediocre quality, but we like to entertain and both of those fit the bill for cutting and setting out with good bread and fruit.

Will be looking forward to more suggestions on this thread. Suggestion: wine pairings welcome!

 

[Mia16]

Barber's 1833 Vintage Reserve Cheddar [Intense-veg rennet] not much of a drinker, I like to food paired with pear and a tiny drizzle of raw honey.
Echo Mountain Blue, paired with nut brittle-a must.
Cenarth Perl Wen [rich-organic brie] love it with natural pistachio nuts.
Manchego [piquant] from La Mancha- paired with quince or dark chocolate please.

 

[dk168]

Époisses de Bourgogne:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Époisses_de_Bourgogne

Closely followed by Roquefort:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roquefort

Also Stilton, Camembert, Gorgonzola, Dolcelatte, Saint Agur, extra mature Cheddar, Mont D'or, Chaumes, etc. etc...

I too love cheese!

DK

 

[kenny]

Baked brie.

 

[marymm]

I get most of my cheeses from Trader Joe's - occasionally I'll pick up a Brie or goat cheese to have with soup and baguette; and once in a while I'll buy Feta or Blue Cheese crumbles for salads and/or burgers, but my must-have cheese is usually some assortment of the following:

sharp Cheddar (I always have sharp or extra sharp Cheddar on hand)
Havarti (plain and with dill)
pepper Jack
Gouda (smoked and *new to me* pesto)

And, a shout-out to a shredded cheese blend, both DH and I really love TJ's Quattro Fromaggio (Parmesan, Asiago, Fontina, and Provolone) - works with soup, salad, eggs, casseroles, Mexican, Italian, Greek - really a great flavor, a little goes a long way, and it keeps well.

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

Trader Joe's makes an English cheddar with black truffle....I call it my "crack cheese".

 

[ame]

Um. Cheese kind?

I am not at all a connoisseur. I prefer my grilled cheese with Kraft American "cheese food". Three slices minimum. I like it with Campbells Tomato Soup (and only that variety.)

I like string cheese. I like provelone. I like Provel (a local variety commonly used on our local cracker crust pizzas and pairs well with bacon). I had a Kerrygold or something like that Cheddar? It was damn nice.

That's as far as I think I've delved into the cheese world!

 

[quietlysw]

Good quality aged italian parmesan cheese - Parmigiano Reggiano for eating and Grana Padano for cooking. Love the hard texture and grains of salt... soooo good. Favourite afternoon snack would be chunks of Parmigiano Reggiano, olives, carrot sticks and grapes.

 

[OreoRosies86]

Trader Joe's Unexpected Cheddar on a Triscuit would probably be my last meal in prison. So freakin' good.

 

[Mia16]

My apologies for repeated posts, had no idea I could do that with one click, have reported myself to the mods. Sorry!

 

[April20]

My absolute favorite is Cotswold. It's a double Gloucester with onions and chives throughout. They sell a very nice one at my local farmer's market. I also love Brie, blue, goat, etc.

 

[sarahb]

Baked brie.

Try sautéed mushrooms on top, oh my.....one of my top favs....

 

[FrekeChild]

Cheese in general. I will eat any cheese, even the stinkiest ones.

Right now in my fridge I have:
Pecorino Romano (I always have this or some Parm in my fridge)
Smoked Gouda
Gouda
Shredded cheese mixture, Mexican
String cheese

It's kind of a light load right now because I haven't been cheese shopping in a while, so it's just the old standbys hanging around.

One of my absolute favorites is Boursin, pepper flavor. There is nothing quite like having some warm, freshly baked bread and spreading some pepper Boursin onto it as a snack or a meal

I've also been known to add Pepper Boursin or Garlic Herb Aloutte to hot pasta as the sauce because they melt so nicely and contain the seasonings.

My kid is addicted to smoked Gouda. If I run out of it, I'm in trouble.

 

[Gypsy]

My absolute favorite is Cotswold. It's a double Gloucester with onions and chives throughout. They sell a very nice one at my local farmer's market. I also love Brie, blue, goat, etc.

Me too, it's on my list up there, only linked I forgot to actually type Cotswold. Though I do not like the Trader Joes version at all. It's waxy.

 

[Gypsy]

Okay. dk168, this is now on my list to try:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89poisses_de_Bourgogne

Sounds right up my alley.

I wish I could get you all to try the Moo Na Lisa. But it's an 'exclusive'. I have to find out if its sold under a different label anywhere else. Its like crack.

 

[jaysonsmom]

I love cheese too. Weekend lunches are often just cheese and great loaf of bread. My favorites:

Port salut
Double cream brie
Goat cheese with blueberry
Smoked gouda
Sharp cheddar.

Shredded 4 cheese blends, sliced cheddar, feta, parmesan, are staples in the house and go on everything. I don't eat processed cheese though, american cheese cannot found in my fridge. Occasionally I do get Velveeta to make nachos for the kids, but I can't eat that stuff!

 

[Polished]

Hi! A polished husband here. I make cheese fondue for the family once or twice a year. We try and have a nice variety of different cheeses go into the pot: gruyere, Emmenthal (Switzerland), French raclette, appenzeller, Swedish ambrosia, and so forth. Of late I have found a variety of cheese called Devil’s Foot, which also goes in. I learnt how to make cheeses fondue when working on contract in Zurich in Switzerland some 30 years ago, and have been making it ever since.
Cheers!

 

[alpackie]

I love all your cheeses! Wish I could get some of your favorites here

My favorite is a local cheese: Beecher's No Woman
It has jerk spices mixed in, and it's soooo yummy!

They are usually only sold at Pike Place Market, but I was able to find some at the Costco only 15 min away!

 

[VRBeauty]

Brie and camembert for sandwiches, snacking, and to toss in pasta. Gouda for pretty much anything. Cheddar for snacking, and for a special tomato/egg/onions dish from childhood. And - I always have a tub of shredded parmesan, asiago, or cheese blend in the fridge for sprinkling on just about any soup or skillet dish.

I'll have to keep an eye out for some of the favorites y'all have posted!

 

[Trekkie]

Cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeese!!!!!!!!!

OMG, I am obsessed with the stuff! My tastes are quite tame (plebeian?) compared to most of yours, but I love, love, love good cheese!

When I lived in Greece I gained 5kg (12lbs) aaaaaaall because of cheese! My ex is Greek so we ate Greek style every day. His friend/cousin/whatever produced some of the BEST feta I have had in my life! I also had a lot of really good halloumi, kefalotyri and metsovone to name a few... I must be honest, Greek cheese tastes best in Greece and I haven't been able to find anything nearly as good locally.

I LOVE Stilton but detest brie and camembert. I'm told they're acquired tastes so who knows maybe one day I'll turn into a grownup.

Out here we mostly buy mature cheddar and gouda (boring ). DH can't stand blue cheese - he usually makes me eat it out in the garden and makes me brush my teeth the moment I enter the house. His idea of "daring" is to buy Boerenkaas - a South African version of Gouda .

Should any of you ever end up in South Africa, I would strongly encourage you to do a cheese and wine tour through the Cape Winelands. Essentially you just drive from Cape Town towards the mountains, stopping off at wine farms as you go. You pay around $2 and are given three or four quarter/half filled glasses, and move on to the next farm to repeat the process. Some wine farms provide pairings - for instance, a sample of their $50 port with an imported chocolate truffle or they offer cheese samples to show which wine goes best with which cheese.

We did it in February this year with my sister and her partner who visited from the UK. They loved it, but by the third wine farm they were swimming! My DH was at school with many of these wine farmers, so wherever we went we had extras and bottles thrust upon us! Eventually we stopped off somewhere (can't even remember where) and had something to eat so they could soak up the alcohol.

The scenery is amazing, the wines are cheap and the cheese is good!



Taken at Simonsig





Taken at Muratie. This is without a doubt one of the weirdest places I have ever been, but has a beautiful story. The wine farm was founded by a German soldier who was given a land grant by the then governor of the Cape Colony. He fell in love with a slave woman, and would trek three days by foot from Stellenbosch to Cape Town so he could see her. Their love affair was illegal so had to be kept a secret. After 14 years together she was finally baptised, and therefore no longer a slave, and he was able to fetch her and their three children and take them home.

And a gratuitous winelands shot :

 

[missy]

You're killing me with this thread and though I have tried avoiding reading it I just couldn't resist any longer. I love cheeses and now I am starving for some! I cannot eat them though and now I am so sad.
Well, I can occasionally in (very) small quantities but it's so hard to stop at a bite yanno? And cheese and wine TDF. So jealous of those who can eat it with abandon. Enjoy!!!

And OMG I love grilled cheese sandwiches so much. I think that's what I miss most not being able to eat cheese. My grandma's grilled cheese sandwiches. Ahhhh.

 

[ame]

I told my husband about this thread and he said "don't you love port wine "spread" on burgers/pub cheese on burgers?" YES. I DO. Again, cheese "food." But F'ing amazing on a bacon cheeseburger.

 

[April20]

Cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeese!!!!!!!!!

OMG, I am obsessed with the stuff! My tastes are quite tame (plebeian?) compared to most of yours, but I love, love, love good cheese!

When I lived in Greece I gained 5kg (12lbs) aaaaaaall because of cheese! My ex is Greek so we ate Greek style every day. His friend/cousin/whatever produced some of the BEST feta I have had in my life! I also had a lot of really good halloumi, kefalotyri and metsovone to name a few... I must be honest, Greek cheese tastes best in Greece and I haven't been able to find anything nearly as good locally.

I LOVE Stilton but detest brie and camembert. I'm told they're acquired tastes so who knows maybe one day I'll turn into a grownup.

Out here we mostly buy mature cheddar and gouda (boring ). DH can't stand blue cheese - he usually makes me eat it out in the garden and makes me brush my teeth the moment I enter the house. His idea of "daring" is to buy Boerenkaas - a South African version of Gouda .

Should any of you ever end up in South Africa, I would strongly encourage you to do a cheese and wine tour through the Cape Winelands. Essentially you just drive from Cape Town towards the mountains, stopping off at wine farms as you go. You pay around $2 and are given three or four quarter/half filled glasses, and move on to the next farm to repeat the process. Some wine farms provide pairings - for instance, a sample of their $50 port with an imported chocolate truffle or they offer cheese samples to show which wine goes best with which cheese.

We did it in February this year with my sister and her partner who visited from the UK. They loved it, but by the third wine farm they were swimming! My DH was at school with many of these wine farmers, so wherever we went we had extras and bottles thrust upon us! Eventually we stopped off somewhere (can't even remember where) and had something to eat so they could soak up the alcohol.

The scenery is amazing, the wines are cheap and the cheese is good!



Taken at Simonsig





Taken at Muratie. This is without a doubt one of the weirdest places I have ever been, but has a beautiful story. The wine farm was founded by a German soldier who was given a land grant by the then governor of the Cape Colony. He fell in love with a slave woman, and would trek three days by foot from Stellenbosch to Cape Town so he could see her. Their love affair was illegal so had to be kept a secret. After 14 years together she was finally baptised, and therefore no longer a slave, and he was able to fetch her and their three children and take them home.

And a gratuitous winelands shot :

DH and I did the wine/cheese/chocolate from CT to Stellenbosch and Paarl when we were in SA back in 2011. Loved every minute. We ended up in Jo'burg for 6 months but only got a week in CT. I am still obsessed with Fairview wines. I am constantly on the hunt for it.

 

[Gypsy]

Hi! A polished husband here. I make cheese fondue for the family once or twice a year. We try and have a nice variety of different cheeses go into the pot: gruyere, Emmenthal (Switzerland), French raclette, appenzeller, Swedish ambrosia, and so forth. Of late I have found a variety of cheese called Devil’s Foot, which also goes in. I learnt how to make cheeses fondue when working on contract in Zurich in Switzerland some 30 years ago, and have been making it ever since.
Cheers!

I love a good fondue. REALLY love it. Yours sounds fantastic.

Happy to see a husband posting on here!

Can you tell us how you make it, exactly?

 

[Gypsy]

I love all your cheeses! Wish I could get some of your favorites here

My favorite is a local cheese: Beecher's No Woman
It has jerk spices mixed in, and it's soooo yummy!

They are usually only sold at Pike Place Market, but I was able to find some at the Costco only 15 min away!

You totally can if you are in Seattle. Not the Moo Na Lisa, but the rest should totally be available there.