The Cheese course thread

StripedBoxers · 21-04-2015 2:28am

Kovu wrote: »

Were they the truckles in wax? I got the Wensleydale with cranberry one as well but I really liked it. Maybe this should go on the weird food combinations thread but I adore it crumbled over fresh popped popcorn.

Yeah that was it. These https://www.aldi.ie/en/specialbuys/mon-30-mar/products-detail-page/ps/p/cheese-truckle/

Popcorn and cheese? :eek: Don't think I could stomach that.....kinda like popcorn and chocolate.....don't think I could stomach that either.

Shenshen · 21-04-2015 10:22am

StripedBoxers wrote: »

I was in Aldi the other day and got two little truckle thingies. Got a mature cheddar which was divine and a Wensleydale with cranberries which I didn't like at all, it was horribly sweet. I couldn't swallow it as it was too sweet.

Never tried blue cheese as the smell always puts me off, does it taste as bad as it smells?

While I really like Wensleydale, I'm not sold on the ones with fruit in them. Too fruity, not enough cheesy.

Blue cheese is a bit of an aquired taste to me. They taste very strong, and the taste of the blue mould is not like anything else you'd normally eat. If you want to try them, I would suggest going for a soft, mild one first, just to see. I still can't really face Stilton.

pwurple · 21-04-2015 8:34pm

Not a fan of things stuck in my cheese either... Just gimme the cheese!

On blue, cashel was the one i started with. Mild, creamy, irish.

Cracker. Thin thin thin bit of blue cheese, sliver of pear on it. (Blue is super-salty, i like it with a contrast). That'll get ya hooked!

StripedBoxers · 23-04-2015 2:09am

Thanks for the suggestions and ideas

I don't usually like pears but might pick one up and get that blue cheese pwrple recommend and try it maybe.

I got a Gouda wedge in Aldi today, looks and smells nice, pain in the rear end to cut. Need to let it get to room temp before attempting to cut it.

Would love some suggestions for other cheeses too. I love cheddar, its my fave, esp if it has a slightly strong taste too.

I've never really been adventurous with cheese to be honest, growing up it was always the easi singles, or other sliced cheese or just regular cheddar, and I always felt overwhelmed looking at other cheeses cos there is such a variety I never know what to go for or what to try.

Sounds ridiculous but I sometimes feel intimidated when looking at the cheese section because there's such a vast choice and I don't know anything about most of them so I always get overwhelmed and end up not getting anything

Shenshen · 23-04-2015 8:20am

If you like strong cheddat, give Gruyere or Appenzeller a try.

They have this strong, slighly sweet taste you would get from a good, aged cheddar, but different textures.

Or if you want to try one of the soft ones, a nice Brie de Meaux? Make sure it's nice and runny - if it holds its shape, it's no good

the beer revolu · 23-04-2015 9:23am

Striped, if you like strong cheddar you really should try Heagerty's cheddar, Moss field or Glebe Brethan - all Irish and all strong, mature cheddar style cheeses. You will need to go to a cheese shop or a supermarket with a very good Irish cheese selection.

Ireland has world class artisan cheeses to offer in many different styles.
I would urge anyone who wants to explore cheese to start with Irish cheese. It's on our doorstep and has come a long way in 20 years - it deserves the support of people into cheese.

By all means, try imported cheese. Compare and contrast. But please, please if making up a cheese board, make it predominantly Irish.

Don't be intimidated by cheese counters. Tell them what you like and they will advise and give you tasters.

StripedBoxers · 25-04-2015 1:56am

Thanks for your suggestions, I'll look them up and see what, if any I can find locally.

I will be in Dublin next week in Lucan, is there anywhere near there (won't be in liffey valley though sadly) that I might pick up some of these does anyone know?

I was in tesco this evening and picked up this cheese, hope its nice

http://www.tesco.ie/groceries/Product/Details/?id=254735185

IvyTheTerrible · 26-04-2015 9:18am

My OH loves cheese so once a fortnight I'll buy our favourite cheeses, and then one new one that we don't know. If we like it, we keep a note of the name. That's how we discover new cheeses!
There is so much choice here in France.

P. Breathnach · 07-05-2015 9:34pm

Just discovered this thread.

For me, rule 1 is plain bread rather than crackers. I don't want flavour interference.

Rule 2 is to have a mix of cheeses, and take a little of each. My cheeseboard would, at a minimum, have one hard cheese, one creamy soft one, one goat's cheese, and a blue cheese.

Many of the cheeses I like have already been mentioned but, unless I blinked, I think nobody suggested Camembert, one of the basics of French cheeseboards. Two other cheeses from Normandy deserve a mention: Livarot and Pont l'Eveque (both very strong, but I love them).

Stilton is the most unpredictable cheese. Under-ripe, it can be very disappointing. Most of the good Stilton I have bought was in pots.

If you are not accustomed to blue cheese, one way to prepare your palate for it is to use it in a sauce. That way, you are not put off by the veining, and you get the richness of the flavour. Great with ham or bacon.

IvyTheTerrible · 08-05-2015 9:00am

P. Breathnach wrote: »

Just discovered this thread.

For me, rule 1 is plain bread rather than crackers. I don't want flavour interference.

Rule 2 is to have a mix of cheeses, and take a little of each. My cheeseboard would, at a minimum, have one hard cheese, one creamy soft one, one goat's cheese, and a blue cheese.

Many of the cheeses I like have already been mentioned but, unless I blinked, I think nobody suggested Camembert, one of the basics of French cheeseboards. Two other cheeses from Normandy deserve a mention: Livarot and Pont l'Eveque (both very strong, but I love them).

Stilton is the most unpredictable cheese. Under-ripe, it can be very disappointing. Most of the good Stilton I have bought was in pots.

If you are not accustomed to blue cheese, one way to prepare your palate for it is to use it in a sauce. That way, you are not put off by the veining, and you get the richness of the flavour. Great with ham or bacon.

Oh I love Pont l'Eveque, I was introduced to it by a visiting Normand, along with a jar of confiture du lait, yum!

Shenshen · 08-05-2015 1:27pm

I got some of the Brewer's Gold cheese - the taste is great, very similar to the stinky cheeses I would eat in Germany (Limburger, Romadur, Handkaes, those types), but unfortunately a lot more runny. The consistency is actually putting me off a little bit, I have to admit

C.K Dexter Haven · 12-05-2015 8:59pm

Wicklow blue and Wicklow Bawn are a great cheese

http://www.wicklowfarmhousecheeseltd.ie/products%20alt.htm

Available in a lot of SuperValus and places like Avoca etc.

C.K Dexter Haven · 12-05-2015 9:00pm

Shenshen wrote: »

I got some of the Brewer's Gold cheese - the taste is great, very similar to the stinky cheeses I would eat in Germany (Limburger, Romadur, Handkaes, those types), but unfortunately a lot more runny. The consistency is actually putting me off a little bit, I have to admit

Didn't find it overly runny but I could see it becoming that way after a few hours out on the table

aidan24326 · 15-05-2015 2:18pm

pwurple wrote: »

Not a fan of things stuck in my cheese either... Just gimme the cheese!

On blue, cashel was the one i started with. Mild, creamy, irish.

Cracker. Thin thin thin bit of blue cheese, sliver of pear on it. (Blue is super-salty, i like it with a contrast). That'll get ya hooked!

Ever tried the French blue called Saint Agur?

pwurple · 15-05-2015 2:53pm

aidan24326 wrote: »

Ever tried the French blue called Saint Agur?

Yup. A nice cheese.

It's not quite salty/sharp enough to be my all time favourite. Prefer the crozier blue these days when I go for a blue.

Shenshen · 16-05-2015 6:29pm

C.K Dexter Haven wrote: »

Didn't find it overly runny but I could see it becoming that way after a few hours out on the table

I might haver just bought a bad wedge so... it was runny to the point of escaping off the table, after I'd just taking it out of the fridge.

Markcheese · 20-05-2015 11:28am

Shenshen wrote: »

I might haver just bought a bad wedge so... it was runny to the point of escaping off the table, after I'd just taking it out of the fridge.

Depends a bit on the age - was it a pre-wrapped pack or a cut off a large cheese ? If it's a prewrap in the chiller cabinet- give it a gentle squeeze - sides and top - it should feel soft but not luquidy - !
They usually hold fairly well - so I wouldn't worry about dates too much !

C.K Dexter Haven · 21-05-2015 10:41pm

Shenshen wrote: »

I might haver just bought a bad wedge so... it was runny to the point of escaping off the table, after I'd just taking it out of the fridge.

Oh no, that wasn't supposed to be- bad wedge maybe.

P. Breathnach · 22-05-2015 10:31pm

aidan24326 wrote: »

Ever tried the French blue called Saint Agur?

pwurple wrote: »

Yup. A nice cheese....

I'd consider that to be understatement: St. Agur is glorious!

P. Breathnach · 22-05-2015 10:37pm

C.K Dexter Haven wrote: »

Wicklow blue and Wicklow Bawn are a great cheese....

I had Wicklow Baun (unusual spelling they use) for the first time yesterday. I'd consider it good, but not remarkable. I see that they describe it as a brie; I wouldn't, mainly because the rind is quite different.

C.K Dexter Haven · 23-05-2015 5:25pm

P. Breathnach wrote: »

I had Wicklow Baun (unusual spelling they use) for the first time yesterday. I'd consider it good, but not remarkable. I see that they describe it as a brie; I wouldn't, mainly because the rind is quite different.

i like the creaminess of it

P. Breathnach · 24-05-2015 6:39pm

C.K Dexter Haven wrote: »

i like the creaminess of it

I'll go along with that. I think the piece I had was a couple of days short of its best.

C.K Dexter Haven · 25-05-2015 6:19pm

P. Breathnach wrote: »

I'll go along with that. I think the piece I had was a couple of days short of its best.

I bought one once that I had to dump- i reckon it was a supermarket storage issue though but you'll know quick enough when it's off. The Wicklow Blue is a great blue cheese too.

MissFlitworth · 26-05-2015 10:44am

Markcheese wrote: »

Carrigbyrne cheese in Wexford do a Vacherin style cheese- it's called Humming Bark - wrapped in spruce bark and it's definitely forgotten the words - Stinky but wow ,( especially baked )

Had some of this at an event last night. Would definitely echo the 'wow'. Going to track one down and bake it for dinner on Friday!

P. Breathnach · 26-05-2015 11:10am

C.K Dexter Haven wrote: »

I bought one once that I had to dump- i reckon it was a supermarket storage issue though but you'll know quick enough when it's off....

That touches on a general problem with cheese in Ireland, and one that impacts particularly on soft cheeses: they are often sold under-ripe, a bit firmer and less flavoursome than when they are fully ripe. And there is no point in buying it like that and hoping it will ripen at home, because cheese does not ripen properly once cut; instead, it can become quite yucky. I suspect that is what happened your piece.

I'm glad that Irish people have become more adventurous with cheese in recent years. That has led to the range on offer in supermarkets and other general suppliers increasing greatly, and staff becoming more knowledgeable. But if the volume sales are not there, it can be difficult for the retailer to ensure that every portion is sold in its best condition. So I am particularly cautious in buying relatively little-known cheeses from a general retailer (although a gentle squeeze and a sniff can tell a great deal).

Don't get me started on serving cheese straight from the fridge!

pwurple · 17-06-2015 7:47am

Guys, brie.... Was tucking into some fantastic brie with a friend, when she went all goggle-eyed because I was eating the White rind. She peeled her brie.

Tell me I've not been doing it wrong all along?

IvyTheTerrible · 17-06-2015 9:40am

pwurple wrote: »

Guys, brie.... Was tucking into some fantastic brie with a friend, when she went all goggle-eyed because I was eating the White rind. She peeled her brie.

Tell me I've not been doing it wrong all along?

Here in the land of cheese, everyone eats the rind of Brie!

pwurple · 17-06-2015 10:44am

IvyTheTerrible wrote: »

Here in the land of cheese, everyone eats the rind of Brie!

Phew!

Dial Hard · 26-09-2015 8:21pm

So, we're total cheese addicts in my family. I realised this when I was about 16 and the waiter in Eddie Rockets arrived back from taking my order with a plate of blue, cheddar and swiss cheese "To keep you going" til my food - nachos with extra cheese, a cheeseburger and cheese fries - arrived.

Had a look in the fridge there and the cheese shelf currently consists of: gorgonzola, parmesan, feta, gruyere, two types of cheddar and two types of emmenthal.

My mind genuinely boggles when people say they don't like cheese. Like, I can totally understand people not liking blue, or goats, or whatever. But a *blanket* ban? No cheese toasties ever??? I couldn't live in such a world.

Anyway, I thought it might be an interesting thread to have, particularly amongst foodies. Any specific loves/loathes? I find I've gone right off goats cheese the last few years, not sure what that's about.

Whispered · 26-09-2015 10:47pm

I've never tasted cheese I don't like. Although I was given a huge plate of manchego when in Spain and the sheer volume I put away made me sick. I haven't touched it since.

But all the cheese I've tasted is good, depending on how you eat it.

My fridge regulars would be a cheddar, fresh mozerella, feta and a hard cheese or a blue cheese.

njs030 · 26-09-2015 11:10pm

I love cheddar, mozzarella, smoked cheeses, feta etc but I've never tried a soft cheese!

Any suggestions on ones to start off with for a newbie?

Lovely Bloke · 26-09-2015 11:41pm

I feckin love Blue Cheese and Stout.

One of my local off licences is also a cheesemongers.

A couple of bottles of a nice deep, roasty stout like O'Hara's Leann Follain or a Breakfast Stout like Founders and a hefty chunk of Stilton or Cashel Blue and my Saturday evening would be sorted (MOTD on the telly).

The creamy+salty in the cheese complements the dry sweetness of the stout perfectly.

Sunday night then would be another chunk of blue (there'd be none of the Saturday night chunk left) and diced apples and halved grapes.

I'm not a huge fan of cottage cheese and the likes, and I do find Feta a bit dry too.

A strong, sharp cheddar though, is a thing of beauty.

Dial Hard · 27-09-2015 11:08am

I've just realised there's halloumi in there too.

notjustsweet wrote:

I love cheddar, mozzarella, smoked cheeses, feta etc but I've never tried a soft cheese!

Any suggestions on ones to start off with for a newbie?

You could start with a semi-soft like Port Salut or St. Paulin. Both gorgeous, creamy, very mild cheeses.

For a fully soft, I'd start with brie. It's milder than camembert. The most important thing with any cheese, though, is to take it out of the fridge at least 20 minutes before you plan to eat it. A chilled brie will taste of nothing at all.

I stayed with an ex's cousin in France years ago and they didn't keep their cheese in the fridge at all, ever.

pampootie · 27-09-2015 5:07pm

I once got a brilliant Christmas present of a cheese hamper, it was amazing! I can't hack blue cheese though. Got a wedge of Cashel Blue in it, tried it loads of ways and found it so overpowering.

Dizzyblonde · 27-09-2015 5:21pm

Threads merged.

P. Breathnach · 27-09-2015 6:47pm

Dizzyblonde wrote: »

Threads merged.

God! I hate blended cheese.

Kovu · 27-09-2015 10:24pm

pampootie wrote: »

I once got a brilliant Christmas present of a cheese hamper, it was amazing! I can't hack blue cheese though. Got a wedge of Cashel Blue in it, tried it loads of ways and found it so overpowering.

I used to hate it too, until my brother (the pickiest of all eaters!!) brought some home saying it was his favourite. I couldn't let him beat me so I figured out the way I like it. Which is with pear or a sweet marmalade, maybe even a sweet onion chutney. I prefer it melted as well.

Whispered · 27-09-2015 10:40pm

Kovu wrote: »

I used to hate it too, until my brother (the pickiest of all eaters!!) brought some home saying it was his favourite. I couldn't let him beat me so I figured out the way I like it. Which is with pear or a sweet marmalade, maybe even a sweet onion chutney. I prefer it melted as well.

This is how I like it too. On an oatcake biscuit with honey, jam or caramelised onion and a sprinkle of walnut or hazelnut.

Dial Hard · 27-09-2015 10:53pm

Blue cheese butter.

Mix about 1 part blue cheese to 2 parts butter. It's fcuking unreal on steak sandwiches but I'm so addicted I make blue-cheese garlic bread all the time.

Take your crusty bread of choice, toast it lightly, rub a cut-in-half garlic clove over it, then smear with blue cheese butter and stick back under the grill at full whack for a few minutes. Absolute heaven.

pwurple · 27-09-2015 11:29pm

Dial Hard wrote: »

Take your crusty bread of choice, toast it lightly, rub a cut-in-half garlic clove over it, then smear with blue cheese butter and stick back under the grill at full whack for a few minutes. Absolute heaven.

Oh crikey, I'm drooling.

Never thought I was a fan of feta, but recently had a chilli & feta quesadilla (chopped chilli with crumbled feta), and it was bloody gorgeous.

njs030 · 27-09-2015 11:35pm

Dial Hard wrote: »

I've just realised there's halloumi in there too.

You could start with a semi-soft like Port Salut or St. Paulin. Both gorgeous, creamy, very mild cheeses.

For a fully soft, I'd start with brie. It's milder than camembert. The most important thing with any cheese, though, is to take it out of the fridge at least 20 minutes before you plan to eat it. A chilled brie will taste of nothing at all.

I stayed with an ex's cousin in France years ago and they didn't keep their cheese in the fridge at all, ever.

Tried Port Salut this evening...loved it!!

I'll be trying your other recommendations during the week, thanks!!

IvyTheTerrible · 28-09-2015 10:19am

I don't think I've ever met a cheese I didn't like!

P. Breathnach · 28-09-2015 11:45am

IvyTheTerrible wrote: »

I don't think I've ever met a cheese I didn't like!

I enjoy a lot of cheeses that other people don't like. There are a couple I don't much care for - processed cheeses and Feta, for example.

I once found one that I really disliked: St. Nectaire.

Whispered · 28-09-2015 1:24pm

This thread has me craving cheese. Heading to dunnes later. Might get one nice cheese, bits to go with it and wine. Any Recommendations?

I'll skip supper altogether and have a cheesy binge.

Scipio_Hib · 28-09-2015 1:26pm

I love a good creamy goat's cheese, also some sheep's cheeses are also worth a sniff.

My current favourite at the moment is Bellingham Blue!

quaalude · 28-09-2015 1:38pm

I just had a Laughing Cow triangle (the cheese course after my lunch salad).

I love posh cheese, but sometimes I can't resist an Easi Single or a Laughing Cow.

P. Breathnach · 28-09-2015 4:21pm

Scipio_Hib wrote: »

...
My current favourite at the moment is Bellingham Blue!

It's often sold under-ripe. When you get a properly-matured one, it's wonderful.

Dial Hard · 28-09-2015 4:37pm

IvyTheTerrible wrote: »

I don't think I've ever met a cheese I didn't like!

I have - on that same trip to France I mentioned earlier we ate in a restaurant whose specialty was a nameless cheese they made by pressing the end bits/scraps of all the other cheeses they served into a terrine mould. It had a smell that would make a maggot's eyes water and a taste to match. Beyond gross.

pwurple · 28-09-2015 5:14pm

Dial Hard wrote: »

I have - on that same trip to France I mentioned earlier we ate in a restaurant whose specialty was a nameless cheese they made by pressing the end bits/scraps of all the other cheeses they served into a terrine mould. It had a smell that would make a maggot's eyes water and a taste to match. Beyond gross.

Ditto, have had similar. Loads of cheeses melted together with random nuts and fruit pushed into it.

I don't want to rule out all cheeses with "stuff" added, because I like wensleydale with cranberry, and the various boursin... but some cheeses with things stuck in them can be mega-dodgy, so I'm wariest of those.

Dial Hard · 28-09-2015 5:38pm

pwurple wrote: »

I don't want to rule out all cheeses with "stuff" added, because I like wensleydale with cranberry, and the various boursin...

Sheridan's do a Coolea with cumin seeds in it. It's amazing.

The Cheese course thread

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