I think this is a good a place for my first post! I live in France and we have a cheese plate going at all times. But the only cheese that my husband will not touch is blue cheese, in any shape or form. I have to keep the blue cheeses on a separate plate, he can't stand the idea of even the invisible spores reaching the other cheeses! Therefore, it is my own private domain, my little secret garden. As a student, long before I had ever been to France, I found a closeout in the imports section at the grocery store of some Saga, which was close to its expiration date. I put it in the fridge, and promptly forgot about it. About a month later, when I was starving and had nothing else to eat, I opened the package, and spread the rich creamy melting result on wheat thins and shamelessly devoured the entire thing with red wine (I forgot what kind). I enjoyed my first sublime experience of a properly affined blue cheese completely by accident. At the market, from my regular fromagier on the Quai St. Antoine, I regularly get a wedge of Bleu d'Auvergne, and eat a liberal slice daily. It begins as a little salty on my tongue and then explodes into vivid childhood memories of the room where my grandmother, who was a retired English grammar teacher, used to keep her old books. The first time I tasted it, the experience was amazing. I have found that the way blue cheese is stored can have a big affect on its taste. It's one of those things that muse be allowed to breathe or it develops a distinctive bitterness and ammonia-like overtone and stinging aftertaste. I keep it wrapped loosely in waxed paper, never plastic wrap. When looking for blue cheese, I never buy from a fromagier who has it wrapped in saran. It can go bad that way! I have also found that many blue cheeses are better in the winter than in the summer. Just like many vegetables, this kind of cheese has it's better seasons. When the cheese comes to the table, the guest is presented with the knife to begin the service. If the guest is not French, everyone stops talking and watches which cheeses they will choose. I made a big no-no the first time, with a roquefort, which is an amazing sheeps cheese aged in caves. I was seated next to my mother in law's sister's husband, who grew up in the town of Roquefort. After the shocked murmurs and hissing whispers died down, he was very thorough in teaching me, in front of the rest of the family, how to cut blue cheese, which is different from many of the other French cheeses. I will pass it on to the members here to hopefully save someone some grief. Remember that especially with blue cheeses, the quality and taste of the cheese varies greatly from the center to the crust. So it's really important to respect the other cheese lovers at the table and cut a slice that will give a cross section of the whole thing, from center to crust. Lopping off the bluest and best part would be akin to cutting yourself a circle from the middle of a pie and leaving the rest of the people at the table to eat only the crust! (The shame!) Imagine where your wedge would sit in the wheel it was cut from. Then slice off the bottom crust, setting it aside. Take your slice in that same direction, center to crust. Apparently making sure that everyone gets to taste a sample from top to bottom isn't so important. If this seems too complicated, my suggestion is to shamelessly lop the best and bluest section from your private wedge, enjoy it with nut bread if available, and a glass of whatever good local red wine you have on hand. I love this site and hope to join in the many fabulous discussions I can only find here. Happy Sunday! - Lucy
