We didn’t think much about the cinnamon cheese, but it doesn’t mean that they don’t have a decent selection.

W had been reading the book Camembert (Boisard), but this is the first time we had seen some from Normandy. It came in a cute little box “Le Rustique” with red and white checked paper. Signed by Fromager Jean Verrier. Normandy is the home of Camembert. It was smooth, creamy and with great flavor.  It was hard to move on to the other cheeses it was so good.

We had Spanish manchego — just, it’s been criticized as being the only Spanish sheep Americans know, but it’s a good, salty standby.

The blue:  Stagnolia Blu (Italian for Blue Foil) was nice and creamy.  We assume it’s cow cheese.  The blue was a subtle blue.

A good cheese night.

We’re not much for flavored or “infused” cheeses, and here is another NO to add to the list. TJ says: “Creamy Toscano Cheese Dusted with Cinnamon. This cow’s milk cheese has the nutty flavor of Parmesan and the creamy texture of English Farmstead cheddar. Each wheel is coated in cinnamon, which gently infuses the cheese with a subtle sweet-warm spice as it ages.  Only at Trader Joe’s. $7.99 a pound. ”

We say no. Wimpy flavor. What would you eat with it? Not appropriate for a cheese tray. Apple with cinnamon cheese fondue? No, buy a better cheese and add your own cinnamon — though cinnamon and cheese probably isn’t for me.

Aged 9 months; Wisconsin, USA. Maybe if we had tried pairing it with a brawny port…

Cabrales and Beyond (Touring the hidden valleys and farmstead
cheesemakers of northern Spain) is a good article about cheese in the Asturias area of Spain. The author, Gerry Dawes, highlights it on his blog.

We got as far as buying some cabrales (kah-BRAH-lays) from Calvert Woodley, and it was wrapped in leaves (not all are).  A creamy and earthy blue, but since a number of cheese from this area in Spain can be called cabrales,  we weren’t sure if this was one of the recommended ones or not — but we would recommend it anyway. Traditionally, it is made with a mixture of cows’, sheeps’ and goats’ milk, but now it is most often made with raw cows’ milk. They let you taste the cheese before you buy it at Calvert Woodley, so you can’t go too wrong.

This issue of Culture also includes: a 36-page beer guide.

Somehow, W got through National Cheese Day without any cheese.  I had this great salad at lunch at Jaleo’s “Ensalada de remolacha con citricos“, a salad of red beets, citrus, Picón cheese and pistachios with Sherry dressing. Picón: A three-milk blue cheese from the mountains of Picos de Europa in the Northern region of Cantabria.  Instead of cheese, we went to the Kennedy Center for  John Pizzarelli (Bucky’s son) & Jessica Molaskey — After meeting on the set of the Broadway musical Dream and falling in love, singer and guitarist Pizzarelli and songstress  Molaskey have performed together and individually on stages around the world for years. We’ve seen Pizzarelli a number of times, and he shone along with the rest of his Quartet, Larry Fuller (piano), Martin Pizzarelli (Bass) and Tony Tedesco drums). Didn’t know before: There is a show called Radio Deluxe with John Pizzareli.

Cristal Ortiz  is the winner of  the 2009 Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipe Contest called GRILLED SUDS N’ CHEESE Serves 4. From WSU blog per Julie.

• 1/2 stick unsalted butter softened
• 8 1/2 inch slices of Grand Como
• 1 pint of good German beer
• 1 large Walla Walla sweet onion
• 4 ounces German Chiantino shredded
• 4 ounces Irish Invernia shredded

Story from jat –about Washington State University (WSU) grad Kurt Dammeier ’82 — the cheese evangelist and making cheese who owns Beecher’s Handmade Cheese at Seattle’s Pike Place Market. Written in winter 2004-2005.

J&J brought us specially aged (3-year) Cougar Gold cheese, but security slowed them down when they carried on at the Spokane airport. They made it through, but it did take extra time.