gariotin

When eating at a friends last evening, she served her grandmother's recipe for a fresh tomato sauce that she knows a "ah moy gyu". Her grandmother was Sicilian and the sauce was chopped fresh tomatoes, crushed garlic cloves, lemon juice, and fresh oregano. She served it as a condiment with grilled steak and said that was the way it was served when she was a child. I am sure that this name is a bastardization of an Italian name and am interested if anyone recognizes this sauce and knows more about it.

This brings back wonderful memories of our 2 week trip around Germany at just this time last year. Isn't it "spargel zeit"...aka asparagus season? We found fabulous asparagus on every menu - most restos had a separate page just for the spargel dishes...talk about eating seasonally. My only complaint is that they LOVE the white version over there and I firmly believe the green has more flavor. As to the Neuschwanstein, our plans only included seeing it from the bottom of the mountain - when we got there, the fog was so thick, that we bought postcards to say we had been there! Over the 2 weeks, the food was unremittingly great - I think German cooking has a bad rap!

I could not stand the constant mangling of the names of the olives from both contestants and judges! It is Cher-ig-nola, not cher-ig-nole-ee-ah. And poor Nicoises were just called something different by everybody who tried to pronouce them. One last nitpick- how can you do an olive challenge without kalamata?????

YES!!!!! Rob, we posted at the same time, so I didn't see your choice, but - that is exactly what it is!!! Right shape, and everything....well done! Watch....now Dave will tell we we are both wrong....

Not to mention that it's a trick for us Americans since even if we can get the cheese, it sure doesn't look like that! The 2 on the right are some kind of soft-ripeneds - wedge prob some kind of brie type and one above looks like something that could turn oozier - maybe a triple creme. Little disc looks lightly washed - maybe a young St. Felecian or Marcellin? One the left is confusing me - if you were in the UK I would say it is one of their "cheeses with stuff in it". It looks like chives or herbs, but since it's French, I'm thinking it might be seeds like cumin, which would mean Northern France like Munster...but the cheese doesn't look like that at all! So, I'll be curious when y reveal the answer. As for the garnish, I"m going with Rosemary, Oregano or Thyme (after all they are related) and def chive blossoms. Looks pretty damn good!

If there were a small cheesemaker doing this, they would probably be known by the American Cheese Society. Are you researching this for your website, or an essay - I can ask the question in the next newsletter, but it is published quarterly and won't be out until July. L

Wow, Janet, I have to say that I've never heard of this, but wonder if it is related to soy cheeses that are made now for vegans? Soy beans are also starchy but have more protein than potatoes - and soy cheese does not use milk, so guess that is not a good example. I am intrigued, so if you do find out more, pls let us know.

Beautiful dish, Mike! I can just imagine the creamy, salty, sour notes of the cheese with the more acidic fruity elements - yum! What did your other guests think?

Tamiam, That's a great description of a large, commodity milk & cheese processor - they may not make the most outstanding cheese, but the majority of cheese in world gets made just that way. Smaller cheesemakers just do it on a scaled-down level, but there's a whole lot of milk out there to be processed, and the big guys definitely have their place. Hey - we all grew up on Cracker Barrel and Velveeta, and we used to think that's what cheese was all about.

Suzi - You do not know how lucky you are to have that piece of Roaring 40s, so enjoy it knowing you are one of the few Americans with some! Many people have heard about the terrible drought in Australia - it has been going on for years. Milk is becoming scarcer and scarcer and since the R40s is made on King Island, their only source of milk comes from the herds on the island. At the moment, they have stopped making cream, to put all available milk into cheese, but are only able to produce 500 Roarings a week. I am doing my best to get as much put aside for export to the States, but demand has certainly been outpacing supply, and the cheese is unavailable more than there is product to sell. We are all hoping that the situation gets better over there, because it is a wonderful cheese and people really enjoy it. As to the Black Mountain and Tintern, they would be terrific with beer or ale. They are made by a nice family-owned company in Wales, called the Abergavenny Cheese Co and while they are not the most sophisticated cheeses in the world, they are very likable and easy to eat.

Since I am so into cheese, and sell it for a living, I don't often own up to the fact that I have absolutely no sense of smell. (I had an accident several years ago that severed the nerves from my brain to my nose.) The first thing my daughter does when she comes to visit and opens my fridge, freaks out about how awful it smells! When she tracks down the culprit, it is inevitably some nice fresh stinky piece of wonderful cheese. I think it's kinda funny that I have no idea that my fridge, (and probably all the rest of the food in it) reeks, and I go happily about my business....

You are right, Jen - the 3 biggest dangers for people with no smell are fire, gas leaks, and food poisoning. My kids always find gnarly smelly things in my fridge when they come to visit, and I have been known to pour curdy milk into my coffee b/c I can't smell it before I try to use it. Actually, one of my phobic fears is that one of my outdoor cats will get skunked, come sleep on my bed, and I"ll head out to Starbucks the next morning for coffee reeking of skunk! People will be recoiling in disgust while I calmly wait in line for my morning joe...

That's a good one, Katie!

Rebecca, I think it is very possible that you will regain your "real" taste when the chemo ends. I've read a lot about smell and it is very typical for medications or treatments to interfere with the receptors. I hope your buds are restored and also that this is your last chemo! It's interesting to read about Moses referring to his "memory bank" of smells - even tho he is imagining what they must be like. I think that is what makes the loss of a previously strong sense of smell so sad - I mourn certain things. In the Spring, I buy loads of fresh flowers hyacinths, daffs, etc and still hold them up to breathe deeply. I miss that experience - along with the aromas of fresh cut lemons, the pungent-ness of smashing a clove of garlic with the side of a knife, the sweet-sour of cutting into the first ripe tomato of the summer. Crushed basil, mint, oregano, warm from the garden... Not to mention holding my first grandchild and not being able to "smell" him - this is a huge thing for human bonding. In the beginning, I used to dream of smelling quite often, but sadly I have lost that as time has gone by. Every once in a while, I still dream with aroma, and wake up with loss.

I can see how some people would want to pack it in - I went thru the Elizabeth Kubler Ross stages of depression and it has taken some time. Now, I rarely think about it - humans are very adaptable. I used to be a great cook and now I am always less confident when I entertain. Luckily my daughter is a grad of the Cordon Bleu, so she steps in and seasons things right before we serve!

For my daughter's wedding, I brought the chef a wheel of Great Hill Blue, Humboldt Fog, and Vermont Shepherd. First I had to explain to him that these were not to be cubed and presented on a mirror! According to my instructions, he set up a cheese station with the whole cheeses and cut wedges from them for people to cut from. They were the hit of the reception and I had to station a friend who is also in the cheese biz to tell people the stories behind them. Afterwards the chef came over and thanked me for turning him on to good cheese - of course this was 10 years ago, when it was still pretty esoteric. Everybody does love good cheese! My scalloped potatoes were not cheesey enough - I would double the amount next time. Our cheese board had pieces of Cashell Blue, Seaside Cheddar, Aged goat gouda, and the artisinal cheese from Wisconsin. People chowed down enthusiastically - I built a nice platter with 3 colors of fresh grapes, marcona almonds and Spanish hazelnuts, and organic dates...not much left over to enjoy today!

I had a brain injury about seven years ago and have a total loss of my sense of smell. I have been to the U of Pa clinic, as well - they gave me no hope of its returning. The kicker is that I make my living in the specialty food industry - I have been selling high-end, artisinal cheeses, oils, pates, etc for the past 30 years. My palate was a 10 and I enjoyed being able to conduct wine and cheese pairings. My experience is very much like Chris's - I can taste the big 5 flavors, but no nuance or subtlety in between. Texture has become a huge factor to me and I am much more aware of its interest as a component in food. BIG flavors are my faves - spicy, tart, salty are very important and I will probably develop blood pressure probs, since big crystals of sea salt are a necessary part of any plate these days - they provide salt and crunchy texture in one! Can't comment much on the sweet factor - it was never my favorite and is still not. I go for the fatty-salty flavors, but then, I always have. Cheese is the perfect combo of fatty-salty and while I still eat a lot of cheese, I miss being able to smell it first to get the aromas of flavors to come in the first bite. Wine is a sadness - I never taste at the table, even if I have made the wine choice. I am not confident that I could identify a corky bottle. Overall, losing one's smell is obviously not as serious as losing sight or hearing. But I am increasingly convinced that smell may be our most primal sense, and operates in a way that is often subliminal. Life without it is diminished, both for the richness of aroma and the complexity of tastes. On the other hand, I have my intelligence and memory intact - looking at it that way, smell is a small price to pay.

I think the blue cheese ratings surely must be related to how they perform in a dressing, not overall quality. I can't imagine that one would choose a Wisconsin blue over roquefort, stilton, and blue d'auvergne in a tasteoff! I am futzing with a scalloped potato recipe for ham dinner tomorrow - the recipe called for cheddar, pre-crumbled blue, and parm. In my sample fridge, I am lucky enough to have some Cashell Blue from Ireland and a wonderful new American cheese that I can't name b/c it is not out in the market yet. But it is semi-soft with a likable sweet flavor. I am mixing the shredded cheese with the crumbled blue and layering with potatoes. I'll report on how it turns out. Dave - your cheeses are beautiful and make me sad that I cancelled a vacation to Paris this June. The dollar is just getting too weak - I am sure things will be better next year and I can eat some real cheese. Lindsay - have a great honeymoon and congrats on getting married! I'll bet you are serving cheese at the reception!

Also forgot to add a wonderful concoction my Aunt used to make. She was a farm wife and a great cook. She would make pickled beets in a sweet pickling syrup and can them. Once the can was opened and consumed, she would fill it back up with hard boiled eggs, covered in the left-over juice. Stored in the fridge for a few days, the beet juice would infuse the egg whites with their beautiful color and pickley flavor. There were great right out of the jar, or in an egg-salad sandwich. MMMMMMM - I haven't thought of them in years, and now think I might have to make a quick pickle version of them......

Wow - your life is going to change for the better! They are one of my favorite veggies. I cut the greens off, leaving about 1/2 inch. I wash and clean the greens, if they are in good shape, and then prepare each part: Greens: take off the thick stems, if any, just like you would chard and chop them into 1 inchish pieces. Saute up a mess of sliced garlic, add in the stems, and saute for a couple minutes, while you are cutting the leaves into slices. (I roll them up and cut into slices easily.) Throw those into the pan and stir until they seem wilted, then I pour in about 1/4 cup of whatever liquid I have handy - stock, white wine - best is good quality brine from olives - put the cover on and turn down the heat. Stir every once in a while and take the lid off in about 10 mins, turn up heat to evaporate any liquid left. You can serve just like chard - right out of the pan, but also great at room temp, tossed w/some chopped olives, pine nuts, feta, whatever you like. While this is going on, the oven has been heating to 350. I scrub the beets, but do not peel them. I think if they are clean, the skin is just like a potato skin, so leave them on. I quarter them, with those little stems intact, and then toss w/good olive oil. Spread on a baking sheet, lots of sea salt and black pepper and just roast them till they are soft. Again, serve hot right away, or makes a great room temp salad, sprinkled with chopped nuts, feta, etc. I love to cook both colors together - the yellow ones get a little red, but it looks cool. Beets....love, love, love them!

How about Seal Bay Triple Cream? Here in the States, I just found some cheeses by Tarago Bay - threw out the receipt, but think that's the name. There was a Blue Orchid, which seemed very much like the Roaring, but a washed-rind called Jensen's that was unbelievably good. I have been trying to find the Will Studd books over here -any suggestions.

I think Dave is the winner here, whether he tracks it down or not, b/c he ends up with these great looking cheeses!

Wow - that is a blast from the past! You are right, Lou Peralou has def fallen off the radar - wonder if it is raw milk and hence, not avai. Maybe next time Dave Hatfield checks in, he can confirm for us.

How many people will attend? I think the best number is only 3 - a soft ripened, a harder cheese, and a blue and try to mix up the different kinds of milk. Is this the center of focus for the event - then y will want more. I conduct cheese tastings in people's homes and try to never do more than 6. The very best resource I think is a book called "The Cheese Plate" by Max McCalman - he give suggestions of many different styles and includes wine and accompaniments. Anyone who loves to serve cheese should have this book. The amounts will also depend on what else is being served, and whether this is the center of attention, but again the book gives you a couple rules of thumb, depending on your answers. Let us know what you choose to serve!

My friend will only eat bananas that have NO speckling on the peel - i.e. hard with no taste or fragrance. I keep telling him that he is eating an unripe banana and it he waited a couple days, it would actually taste like something....