As the nights get longer and the days cool, hard cheeses come into their own, moving from the cheese board to star in dishes on the dinner table. Parmesan from Italy, Cheddar from England, Spanish Manchego and the Swiss and … Continue reading Winter’s coming – Cheddar Ale soup
Craggy chunks hewn from a huge round, placed on our table unadorned yet with reverence. This was how our waiter chose to finish our Venetian feast at the beautiful canal-side Hotel Monaco. It spoke of respect, elegance and tradition and … Continue reading Parmesan and my Venetian revelation
Buongiorno from Italia! Life and cheese, aka me, is on tour and when in Rome and wanting to eat like a Roman I had to try Cacio e Pepe, pasta with cheese and pepper. One of my travel companions, Andrew … Continue reading Cacio e pepe, cheese and pepper pasta Roman-style
A sip of wine and a slither of cheese and I’m transported. Sea beeze rustles through pine, salt on my tongue, I feel sun reflected off blue water, warmth radiating from ancient rocks. This is Pecorino di Sardo eaten with … Continue reading Evocative Pecorino di Sardo
Parmesan custard. Not sweet. With toast. Think silken-cheesey ambrosia enveloping salty crunch and assume that alchemy has taken place. This is creme brûlée’s sexy cousin, luring you into the crash of her toast, and she’s a siren of a starter. I’ve been perving these luscious treats in Fiona Beckett’s cheese book for months. I was surprised how easy they were to make, especially for something so special. Indeed I am planning a dinner party right now just in their honor. Don’t worry how insanely anchovy the butter is, the dish needs its salty robustness. Because this custard is delicate and … Continue reading Parmesan custards with Anchovy toasts
To my surprise these flew off the plate. Air-light flakes of pastry with the sweet crunch of caramelised grilled cheese. The addition of apple and fennel seeds had transformed the mouth-puckering dryness of traditional cheese straws into delicious flakey moreishness. The extra effort was well worth it. I love cheese straws, and am usually content to eat most myself, few others seeming to share my love of cold puff pastry. These ones however come with a warning – make sure you get your fair share before handing them around, because they won’t last! These are the evangelists of cheese straws. … Continue reading Apple and fennel cheese straws – temptation on a platter
Standing at my local supermarket the other day I had a cheese dilemma as I was confronted by a sea of ordinariness. Newtown New World doesn’t do artisanal cheese and, like a junkie, I was afraid I would miss my fix of exceptional fromage. The search was on to see what was the best they could offer. And today Grandma Singletons Red Leicester was best of class. British cheeses are a mystery to me, they seem the much plainer cousin of those glamour French fromages, the exotic Spanards and the rumbunctous Italians. The Brits seem a little more pedestrian, a … Continue reading Grandma Singleton’s Red Leicester
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